Total FX: Stories

I had a little idea of what to expect, but oh... the pain. I was given demerol and ativan, for the pain. Numbing cream on the face - even my tongue was frozen. Then a few painful shots of lidocaine here and there.
And so it begins - Deep FX first. In spite of all the numbing, the pain was so intense that I started crying and asked the doctor to stop. They blow frozen air from Antartica on the face while the laser goes on, but it wasn't enough. It felt like a thousand burning needles entering the flesh.
But then it was over, and Active FX was a trip to the beach compared to that.
Doctor, assistants, receptionists, were all very kind and attentionate.
After the procedure, you feel like you've been barbecued, but not that bad. A few spots slightly bleeding on the face.
Was driven home graciously by the clinic limousine, which feels really good after this hour of torture.
Roommate didn't even noticed something's weird with my face, but then again, she's not very interactive.

Now several hours later, my face is quite swollen; I burn a little. The appearances of lines and wrinkles seem less but probably because of the swelling.
Will update.

Ok, I am now at day 7 after my Total FX procedure and I must say - I am totally disappointed!

On day 2, I had noticed that I didn't have nowhere the same swollen, scabbed, red face that I had seen on other photos of women who had just done that procedure. I was a bit swollen and red; nothing extreme. And then, there was this large white area under my eyes that had not been done!!! What is this?

I had pointed out two areas that I found full of wrinkles, fine lines that really bothered me to the doctor: the forehead and under my eyes. And she left the under eye undone. During the procedure I had a bad reaction to the eye drops, so she didn't put in the eye shield - just eye pads. She didn't inform me at all that she wasn't doing them, just went ahead and skipped them.

Now she's offered to redo them in a couple weeks; but I have to undergo the same ordeal again then.

And then now on day 7, the swolleness and redness have completely gone. I'm not completely finish shedding (or sloughing, I don't know the correct word, being French) but I can see clearly - all the lines, wrinkles, crowfeet are still very much there! I see NO difference at all from the before and after. None at all.

Ok, we are supposed to wait for a few weeks, they say improvements continue. But I don't see how all the fine lines on my forehead (or elsewhere, like around the mouth, etc) will magically vanish or diminish if they have not at least improved by now.

I had also pointed out to that doctor that some women mention seeing no difference because the setting of the laser is too low. She took no notice of this, and used a setting of 15 on the deepFX, saying that my skin is really too fine for a higher setting.

So right now, on day 7 after my procedure, frankly I have the impression that I flushed nearly $2000 down the toilet.

That doctor doesn't seem to care at all whether or not you are happy with your result. She just does her thing, without regard to your wishes. I'm really sorry I wasted my money. And I just discovered she has had a disciplinary action by the medical board. Oh dear...

I did my research and all, but really I should have gone to a proper dermatologist. I cannot say yet whether it is the procedure Total FX that is useless or that doctor failed. I suspect the second one, since other people on this website seem to be very pleased.