Sarah Gibson

Recent comments

• Posted to Bad Rash After Procedure on 21 Mar 2008

  Hi Amber. Try NOT to pick at the bumps, your skin is healing and you may create a scar. These are not common, but have been reported after Fraxel and other similar treatments. I myself have always been acne prone and have experienced them after Fraxel as well as chemical peels. I would see if your doctor has an aesthetician on staff that may be able to do a deep pore cleansing facial with extractions a few days prior to your next treatment. That has worked well for me as well as my clients. I would also try not to moisturize your skin with an extra heavy product even though I'm sure it feels dry and peely. You just have to get over that. Use a non-irritating cleanser like Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash (from the drug store) or Cosmedix Benefit Clean (from a med-spa or physician).You may wash and reapply moisturizer 3 times a day if it helps. Stay well hydrated. You will heal faster. I like a clay masque called Lerosett (from the spa) for acne. It is safe to use on sensitive, traumatized skin, and will help to draw out the clogs in your pores. If your derm office doesn't provide facials, you may want to check out a REPUTABLE med-spa. Someone there may be able to do a treatment safely to help relieve the pimples and milia. Sometimes a gentle cleansing under steam and a light enzyme masque is all that is needed to alieveiate this condition-no extractions yet! Make sure it is at least 4 days after your treatment, and make sure the aesthetician is experienced in post-procedure skin care. It would be best if the center also offered Fraxel, so you will know they have seen this before and know what to do. Think about this. You are acne prone. Even if you have it under control, it's likely you still have plenty of clogged pores that would eventually become pimples. Fraxel speeds up your cell turnover. This can push all that junk out all at once. That's why when you use Retin-A, or other anti-acne regimens, it always says to expect it to get worse before it gets better. I know you feel hideous right now, but hang in there and don't pick. It WILL get better, and it probably won't do it every time. Good luck!

• Posted to New skin resurfacing technology: ActiveFX laser on 19 Feb 2008

  Aestheticorp, I'm sure the SmartXide DOT Therapy is great. I just got an e-mail from Eclipse Medical telling me all about it. I think it is great that you believe in this product. All of us here as practitioners do, I'm sure. I think it is also great that we all have the opportunity to bring our new services and technologies to the world through this website. I just personally feel that when you post a glowing review stating percentages of results and such strong opinions, you should also let the general public know if you also happen to work for the company that distributes the machine you are speaking of. Your post reads a little like a sales pitch. The goal here is to help educate the public on what options are available to them so they can choose the best option for them. I'm really not trying to be rude, please do not think that is my intention. I just think that you should disclose to everyone if you are a sales rep. If you are not, please accept my apologies.

• Posted to New skin resurfacing technology: ActiveFX laser on 19 Feb 2008

  I'm glad to hear you are feeling a little better, and the swelling is going down. I'm glad to hear that you are getting a follow up, especially with the nurse. She should be able to give you a little more insight and helpful information on what is going on and how to deal with it. I think what you are doing to your skin right now sounds good. Especially if it is soothing the area and you are keeping it clean. The "pin-prick" marks are from the fractionated laser. With ablative especially (Active FX, Pixel) it can leave you looking like you ran into a screen door. Sometimes this can even happen with non-ablative lasers like Fraxel, if the treatment is aggressive enough. They will go away. It just takes a little while. Good luck and keep us posted!-Sarah

• Posted to New skin resurfacing technology: ActiveFX laser on 17 Feb 2008

  Hi Marlei, I'm glad that my post made you feel a little better. It's difficult to see yourself in the mirror looking awful and not think; 'what have I done-it's gonna look like this forever!" Unfortunately, swelling is a common side effect after this sort of procedure. As a practitioner, I can, to an extent, predict who will swell and who will not, but it's not an exact thing. Degree of vascularity, skin density, health history, and depth of treatment are part of the equation. That said, there is sometimes no telling why some swell and some do not. It does, however, seem to be more prevalent in people over 35, and those with thinner skin. There are physiologic reasons for this. If I administer treatments close to the eye area, over the orbital bone, I tell the client to expect to be swollen in this area for a few days regardless. You did the right thing to see your Doc, and he did the right thing by giving you an Rx for some steroids. They should help. In my experience, practitioners and Docs sometimes do not satisfactorily explain that it will go away and when it should. It's easy to dismiss something you feel is minor and are sure will go away when you see it all the time and it's not you. Sometimes, not enough effort is made to assure the client that this is still a normal thing and will go away soon. As far as your experience, I cannot offer very much advice, because I do not know what settings were used, how many passes, etc, or other factors like your health history. Sight unseen, I would counsel you to try to be patient, stay cool, well-hydrated, and take your meds. Perhaps another call in to the office will give you a little more insight into how long you may expect to feel this way. The redness/blotchiness is somewhat normal. If you do not feel much, much better after a total of ten days post-treatment, that would definitely signal something is not as it should be. Then it's really time to get out that squeaky wheel and demand some answers and care. We are all unique, but every once in a while, you meet that one person in thousands that has some sort of wierd, unexpected, or severe reaction to a product, medication, or procedure. I'm sure that does not make you feel any better, but it doesn't always mean that a treatment is dangerous for you. I have a client, for instance, that always gets exuberant follicular edema after laser hair removal (big, itchy red bumps). A little is normal, hers was not. She loves the procedure though, and after a meeting with the Medical Director of my clinic, we found that she did not need predinsone to calm the reaction, and it was safe for her to receive the procedure. She just knows now to take benadryl for 48 hours prior to her treatment, and I apply hydrocortisone cream immediately after. She's fine. On a side note, I personally like to get the skin going with a few less invasive procedures prior to deep peels and laser treatments. I find these laser treatments are more well tolerated if you prep the skin first. Meaning less downtime and better results. At age 52, and having not done anything before, I would probably have done a couple of light peels first. These stimulate the circulation and healing mechanisms in the skin, as well as give a client more time to get comfortable with the techs and procedure as a whole. None of this is to say your guy did wrong, just a different treatment philosophy. I don't know if any of this helps you to fell better, but please do feel free to contact me directly if you have any more questions or concerns. All my contact info is listed in my profile, and I really am happy to help if I can. Good luck, and keep us posted on your experience!

• Posted to New skin resurfacing technology: ActiveFX laser on 3 Feb 2008

  I know this comes a little late for you Terri, but hopefully this will help others with the same issue, or stop a problem before it starts. *Ask your provider what to expect post-treatment, I mean like down to the hour! I don't like surprises, and I assume my clients don't either. You should be given printed post treatment instructions, read and then follow them closely. *Make sure there is someone available for you to talk to on saturday, if you have a treatment done on friday! Call the office if you think you are having a reaction or are frightened. I'd rather give a client my cell number than to think of them worrying all weekend about something normal, or suffering a reaction with no one to talk to. Most derms or plastics will have an after-hours number with an on-call nurse. *Use a clean towel soaked in ice-water to cool and soothe the skin. Do this as long and as often as you like. A cloth diaper or microfiber cloth is nice and smooth. Make sure that whatever you use has been washed in HOT water with plenty of bleach. *Use a very gentle cleanser, (like Cetaphil or Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash) and do NOT scrub or try to rub off peeling or crusty skin. Keep it clean, and you can ask for some disposable, non-woven 4X4 wipes to use when cleansing (your tech will know what I'm talking about). *Don't touch your face all the time to see if it's still peeling or crusty. Trust me, it is, and your hands may be dirty. *Moisturize, but don't go crazy. Over-moisturizing increases the risk of a post-treatment breakout. If you feel too dry and tight and it is bothering you, gently wash your face and then reapply your products. *Using Aquaphor is good, and my favorite is an Rx product called Biafine. It's made for burn victims and is not only hydrating but bacteriostatic. Ask your doc for a scrip. Lay it on thick and let it soak in. ALWAYS check with your provider and/or tell them what you are using or plan to use first, though. *Take Valtrex, even if you don't get cold sores. About 80% of the population carries the virus. A treatment like Active FX, Fraxel, or even a strong chemical peel may activate the sleeping virus. *Wear your sunblock! A minimum of SPF 30, every day. *Look at your skin. Does every cut, pimple, or scrape leave a brown spot? This is post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation. If that sounds like you, expect to avoid unnessicary sun exposure for at least two weeks before, and a month after your your treatment. Wear a hat outside, cancel the pool parties, etc. You aren't spending thousands of dollars to have brown spots all over. Treat your skin like the investment it is. *If you are Asian, Hispanic, Indian, African-American, Cajun, American Indian, etc, you may want to ask your tech about pre-treating your skin with a lightener such as kojic acid for about 2 weeks to reduce the risk of hyperpigmentation. *Arrive for your treatment well hydrated, and remain well hydrated throughout the healing phase. *At some point, you have to expect downtime. I am suprised that sometimes people are upset about peeling or being red for a week or two, even if you've told them what to expect. I think this is because you can tell people; "...you're gonna peel like a snake..." all you want, but untill you've seen yourself look like that; it isn't real. If it is that effective at reducing wrinkles or scars, please don't expect to look like your normal self immediately. You are going to be red, swollen, peely, etc for at least a few days. Be prepared to not like what you see in the mirror at first, but call the office if you are in more pain than you were told to expect, are bleeding, or see signs of infection. *Understand that in many cases you are having the skin treated at a very deep level. It may take several weeks to a couple of months to see the full effect of your treatment. You didn't get old overnight, and you aren't going to get young overnight either. Again, ask what to expect and when. I hope this helps. It is also good advice for dermabrasion (not microdermabrasion), deep chemical peels, and severe sunburns. Being an educated consumer will help you to understand what is happening to you, and insure that you get the best care. Go to the manufacturers website, ask for referrals, ask to speak with the laser tech, or whatever, before you have a procedure done. You are worth it!