Laser Treatment: Stories

Not good Jamie...I am thinking about dying every single day, perhaps this is the only solution to all non-reversible problems

Are you saying it has been a YEAR since you had this laser procedure done and you still have lines and scaring from it? Please do not base your self worth on looks from what has happened. You are more then a pretty face to those that love you. Those that know you and love you will not judge you by looks from what has happened. Do you have any photos you can put up? Did you see any before or after photos from the Dr. that did the laser? I am scheduled to have the co2 Deka laser done Jan 2nd. I've read good and bad. I'm confused now what to do. My Dr. that would be doing it is a real Dr. and has performed over 30 of them and does this and injections as well. Currently I am using Retin A. If I can get some good results from that I will not do the laser. I am 55 and feel all washed up and old looking. I hope things get better for you! My Dr. recommends Obagi skin care, have you considered that? He showed me several before and afters of his clients, his own actual clients, not someone elses. I'm so confused now but i'm so sorry you have to go through all this.

I also dont understand your cost. Only $200.00? why so cheap? Did he use as a guinea pig to charge you so little? Most in the U.S. run about $2000.00. mine will cost $1465. because he has done so many that he says he can do it now in only 30 minutes after preparation. 'm just curious why so cheap for you.

Thank you for your message...Yes, it has been a year now...The scars (small pin dots all over the face where the laser went) and "due to laser" hyper pigmentation are still there (less visible though but have not disappeared). I got also small wrinkles and less elastic skin on top of all complications after laser. About pre-history, this "doctor" Mr Cabotin (he should be called monster instead) was recommended to me by therapist (I went to consultation regarding my throat sore and mentioned I had few minor acne, and he suggested a "certified dermatologist" in my living area; and I live in Paris). Cabotin started to treat my minor acne and they were gone after topicals (I NEVER was on accutane or anything similar). Later he proposed laser to correct minor acne scars left from teen-age time. Just to mention, my post acne scars were really minor and people did not notice them at all. I asked whether this is safe procedure and if I am the right candidate. He said "yes". I also requested pictures from similar procedures. He said he did not take because the procedure is light. On my question if there are any risks involved or if this procedure is aggressive to my skin type and age (I was 32 last year), he said there are " no risks involved". He also said he would use light settings. Cabotin also mentioned .that he practiced laser for few years now and he treated many patients. He even would not call this resurfacing but a "laser peel"! No skin preparation, no documents signed, nothing...The impression he made about the procedure that this was light-medium cosmetic peel. Why he charged me only $200? I dont know. But when you are going to a cosmetic peel, $200 is ok price. He performed the procedure in a laser center. As far as I understand they have few machines there different brands. When I was back in his office months after, I saw brochures with Fractional CO2 laser adds, he continue to practice that and promote to his patients. During past year I have visited many doctors (in France and Russia) trying to get some help. I got different opinions. Most of them conclude that the skin was burnt, and therefore scarring and pigmentation occurred. He gave me parameters he set (20 watt, espacement 600 nm, duree de oulse 800 nm, stack 2). Parameters he gave me few days after the procedure (I got a first shock a couple of days after the procedure as my skin was all brown and I called him many times come to visit me to see what happened). The doctors I visited after told me the parameters Cabotin is referring to are not the highest. But what I learnt laser is unpredictable. Why he did this to me? Why he lied about the risks and promoted this procedure? Probably the answer lies in his unlimited stupidity. He did not follow all necessary security measures (I learnt this from multiple post consultations with other doctors + my own several months research on laser industry). But one cannot attribute all the consequences to merely these mistakes. Instead, he should NOT touch the skin with laser (especially when this is ablative laser based on CO2) at all.

P.S. I have pictures taken few months after the laser but I am afraid to share them on public. I do realize there are people with much worst skin complications after the laser (I saw on e-net many), but this doesn't help the situation. On contrary, I feel all their pain. I would love to help them so much but what I can do is only to share my experience...Coming back to psychological side of all this, I am not afraid that people will stop love me, I do understand that appearance is important and one cannot change his inner instincts. What happened to me now is I lost my identity, I do not recognize myself with how I look now any longer.

I feel the same way....when my damage started, i felt like I wasn't even me....as much as i tried. I have only retinol damage but I will soon post a review on realself...i have had healing through supplements, washing face with raw honey and using a good quality emu oil as my moisturizer. We are our worse critics, so hang in there sweetie. im here if you ever need to talk ...on the phone even! just p.m. me

p.s. my other realself name is : electricboom...we've spoken before...but for some reason i can't log in that name>

I suffered the exact same thing! but I was on roacuttane before (which i stopped 6 months before the procedure) . exact same situation so i totally understand. from minor acne scars to now post laser for more than a year my dots are still on my face. and am suffering from hyperpigmentation. doctor said the same thing he even had photos of his patients that went through it and turned out fine. i guess different people would have different results so you're right the results are unpredictable. and even worse, after the procedure my face broke out like it never did and i have huge cystic acnes everywhere. my new doctor is recommending me to go for microdermabrasion but im afraid that i'll have an adverse reaction to it after the first fraxel co2 that didnt go well. are your dot marks still visible on your face? if not what have you been doing to get rid of it?