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POSTED UNDER Pearl Laser REVIEWS

Long Road Back to Normal - Texas

ORIGINAL POST

It has now been 6 weeks since my periorbital Pearl...

stargazertxAugust 1, 2012
$500

It has now been 6 weeks since my periorbital Pearl Laser resurfacing. I had great skin, but wanted to get rid of dark circles and some crepey skin. I bled and was so swollen that I couldn't see out of one eye. I have had to seek treatment from another physician due to an outbreak of folliculitis about 2 wks out of the procedure. Now, I have a chalazion cyst on one of my eyelids which will have to be removed by a plastic surgeon. I am also still red. All of this is because of the laser. I would give anything to go back in time. By the way, now I have horrible red bumps under an eye and STILL HAVE the dark circles.

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I have changed my rating. I had to be very proactive, but once I impressed upon the staff and the doctor how much I had suffered, my fee was refunded. In addition, the entire clinic is doing everything possible to help me. They did a makeover and gave me the makeup, which was very nice and helped my self esteem a great deal. I will continue to do business with this doctor, but no more lasers for me at all!

Replies (1)

Kimmers25
August 2, 2012

I am sorry you have had such a bad experience with this process.  I am hoping you are able to have these things fixed and find some peace here.

Thank you for sharing your review with the community.

UPDATED FROM stargazertx

It has been two full months now. I stilll have to...

stargazertxAugust 16, 2012
It has been two full months now. I stilll have to wear heavy makeup, but I am slowly improving. The blocked follicles on my eyelid are the worst but do not show unless I close my eyes. I may have red marks left by the folliculitis, but they can be treated in time with different products. I am beginning to accept what has happened. I know my doctor did not mean to hurt me in any way, and I have changed my review to reflect that. I am not damaged financially and there is a team of experts from the laser company reviewing my case. I know I will recover, but have basically lost my summer dealing with this. I doubt I will ever have anything done again. I will never do the laser for any reason. I have such a deeper compassion now for folks with skin disorders and acne. I want to go up to them and give them a pep talk. I cry more easily than I did before. I think it is because I have suffered a great deal with this "simple little procedure". I feel guilty about the vanity that made this all happen, but I feel that I am now a stronger person. Once I heal, I will hold my head up high and smile at everyone I meet.....especially people whose skin is far less than good or suffer from any type of disability. I have gotten reaquainted with who I am and what I care about. Wrinkles aren't fun and aging isn't for the faint of heart, but accepting the process with humor and grace makes a person remarkable. I will never take my health or my appearance for granted.

Replies (2)

Kimmers25
August 18, 2012

Please just keep hanging in there!   

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tabithanash
September 6, 2012
I'm so sorry to hear of this bad outcome. I was burned on my chest having IPL and it left white scars in the shape of the laser tip. The clinic denied any responsibility... That was in 2009, and I was very depressed. Like you, I lost a summer, well 3 summers, but I kept researching and found out about needling for hypopigmentation and it has helped A LOT. I do feel better about my chest area now, but also wish I had just left it alone. Give your skin some more time to heal... It does take a LONG time to settle down after the trauma of the laser. I think you will have improvement, especially if the doctor is now working to try and make this right. Thank you for sharing your story.
UPDATED FROM stargazertx

It is now over 3 months since I had the procedure....

stargazertxSeptember 25, 2012
It is now over 3 months since I had the procedure. I wish that I had never had it every single day, but I guess you get used to nearly anything. Where all the folliculitis was, now there is rosacea, which I never had before. The spot on my eyelid is not improving. I am thinking about having surgery to remove all the places. I think tiny scars are preferrable to the bumps. Some days, I just look in the mirror and cry. The dermatologist that I saw after this laser treatment has been wonderful to me. I can honestly say that I don't intend to do anything else unless he does it or refers me to a plastic surgeon. Whatever you do.....DO NOT USE any doctor who isn't board certified for this procedure. Being a medical doctor does not qualify a person to use lasers and redo your skin. I found out the hard way because I wanted to save money. My eyes do not look different except for the huge red knot on my eyelid. I now wear lots of makeup, whereas I didn't need to previously. I would tell anyone not to do it at all, but if a person feels strongly about it.....follow the advice above. I will be okay. I will not look like I used to, which is hard to deal with. I have a great support system and will make it through this. No amount of money could compensate all the confidence I lost, but I am slowly concentrating on other things in my life other than my appearance and aging. I recently became a grandmother, so that blessing is keeping me going. Life is really great.....just wish I could have my face back.

Replies (1)

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tabithanash
September 26, 2012

Was the doctor who initially did the laser treatment not a plastic surgeon or dermatologist? I know it is hard to not get down and depressed about the situation, but please do not give up hope!! It has only been a few months. It has taken me over 3 years to get my chest back to where I am able to wear something other than a scarf around it!! Skin takes a very long time to heal and the issues you are having may possibly resolve slowly over time. I cannot thank you enough for posting this information though, because even though I have been "burned" literally and figuratively, I have really deep hollows under my eyes and have consulted with an oculoplastic surgeon here in Nashville. He recommended Restylane, Pearl under eyes (for crepey skin texture) and something called e-matrix for full face. I'm so glad I read your review because I am scheduled for this Friday to get the Restylane, and I'm going to tell him that I am going to wait about having the laser done. I recently bought an "at home" laser to use under my eyes. It is fractional and I can tell you, it is no joke... It's called Palovia and it was about $500. You use it every night for a month, then 2 times per week for maintenance. I could tell after using it for 1 week that it was working because my skin got that same rough, sandpaper feeling that you get after a Fraxel treatment. It was actually a little too much for me to do it every night, so I backed off a little and let it heal, and can you believe the skin got dry and peeled off and I can tell a huge difference in the texture??? After one week of using the at home laser!!! I use it on my upper eyelids too, but just not directly over the actual eye... I use up more toward the eyebrow. I think you would need to give your skin more time to heal before trying this, but it might help to resolve some of your issues??? I can totally sympathize with you, as I was soooo self conscious about my chest (and still am to a certain degree), but trust me, things will get better. You just have to find a good dermatologist and follow his/her advice. I was lucky enough to find a wonderful aesthetician and she has had me on Obagi, doing needling, Fraxel, an on and on, but it has WORKED. It is a slow process, but with the right professional helping you, you will get better and you will regain your confidence!!! I wish you all the best and a speedier resolution than it has taken me!!!

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