Dancer724

I had my lips done yesterday to get rid of (or at least reduce) vertical lines along lower lip. Was seeking botox so as not to change my appearance. Was told botox could not be used in lower lip but juvederm would do it without creating an unnatural, different from "me" look. Today I have bruising & swelling (at least I hope its swelling & not the filler) on my lower lip. Was also told that the Excedrin I had been taking didn't matter. All the information on this site has been really helpful so I am not freaking out as much. Lisa, I think your lips look great. Who was your provider?

Hi Naz! I have a different skin situation than it sounds like you have. I am fair skinned & am dealing with sun damage: age spots, uneven skin tone and so on. It is now 1 1/2 weeks since my Fraxel treatment and I am happy to report the redness and swelling are gone & my skin looks a little better. However, I did develop fever blisters on my upper lip which I'm dealing with now. Prior to the Fraxel, my derm treated the age spots with the pigmented lesion laser and and broken capillaries with V beam laser. According to my derm's literature, the Medlite laser is recommended for acne. If I were you, I'd definitely get a 2nd opinion. And also, research as much as possible on line. My derm is terific but I don't know if I can mention his name here. My recovery from just one session of Fraxel has taken about 10 days and is still on-going....but my skin has improved.

Thanks Heidijo! Your comments are very encouraging to me. I had my first Fraxel treatment this past Tuesday, May 6th. I was told no downtime, perhaps a little swelling & redness. Well, today is Saturday & I still don't feel I can go out in public - perhaps quickly to an out-of-town supermarket wearing a baseball hat & LARGE sunglasses. The 1st day I looked like I'd fallen asleep under the sunlamp - I was so red...also very swollen. The second day was a little better & so on. Today my face is peeling & has a somewhat bronzed look. Thank God the swelling is down! (almost) However, I now have a large cold sore forming on my upper lip and my right eye & area beneath it are swollen. Boy am I a sight! No joke! This is not easy. But it's good to hear that after a week you're pleased with your results & mostly its good to hear that the immediate negative aftereffects are gone & you can be out in the world again. I am now going to the nearest drugstore (with hat & sunglasses) to purchase the Aveeno products you mentioned. I am 58 and sought out a dermatologist to help with age spots, broken capillaries & other sundamage. My doctor assured me that this is what would do the trick. The juries still out with me as to whether I'll go back for more treatments. Please let me know how you progress with the way your skin looks and whether you have more treatments.

I just had my first Fraxel laser treatment 3 days ago and am dealing with redness (like a severe sunburn the first day) and swelling which gives me a somewhat unnatural look. I was very interested in this person's experience because it gives me hope that in a few more days I can go out with friends & not feel so self conscious. Also, I am deciding about the timing of my 2nd treatment & even whether to have it. This is a great site. How do we really decide on which procedures & which doctors without some real life experience info from people who've had things done ...not just alot of marketing & pr...which is in great prevalence on the internet. Anyone have any advice?