Shirat Ling, DO

I just had the CO2 Laser treatment done on Thursday(2.20.14) because I noticed that when I smile, I have multiple, deep lines that extend on either side of my mouth, I thought made me look like Skeletor. I thought I would need fillers or Botox, but my dermatologist suggested using this Laser because the cause of these lines is loss of bone and muscle in the face due to aging(I'm only 26, though!) and it tightens and lifts the skin. I also decided to do my eye area also because I've always had bags under my eyes. I really had no clue what I was getting myself in to so I came to my appointment about an hour early to begin the numbing process(as suggested by my doctor), in hindsight I wish I would've taken a painkiller more potent than Advil also. The process itself was INCREDIBLY painful. I have 10 tattoos(some located on my sides and inner arm) and this did not even compare to hours long tattoo sessions, which I honestly have never thought hurt worse than stubbing your toe. So yeah, it was pretty brutal and the smell was ungodly, but it only lasted about 4 minutes for the lower 3/4 of my face. The healing process wasn't so much painful as it was uncomfortable and tedious. My doctor instructed me to soak my face in vinegar/water mix and whole milk about every 3 hours(a little longer if I kept it covered with saran wrap) followed by aquaphor. This process was just annoying, my face felt very tight, and I looked like packaged lunch meat wrapped up in all that saran wrap. It's now 4 days post treatment and my skin is looking and feeling a lot better, my treatment wasn't nearly as severe as I've seen in some of the youtube videos, thankfully. I went in for my follow up appointment where my doctor did microderm abrasion and let me know that the only reason I was still seeing the grid marks was because I don't drink nearly enough water. I'm looking forward to seeing the true results in the coming months, most importantly in my engagement photos, so I will be able to judge if this was all worth it. I mean seriously, it hurt like a MF.