Thanks for the question! Be reassured that this type of response appears to be consistent with what we expect after IPL for capillaries. The energy is absorbed by the vessel and usually darkens or looks bruised for a few days. The vessel has to be injured in this controlled way for the vessel to collapse, heal and then disappear. It usually resolves over 5-10 days. It would be of concern if there were actual skin breakdown, however it does not appear to be that way based on the recent picture.
Consider a check in with your provider to ensure they are aware of your concern, otherwise you will likely have a very nice result.
Health and Happiness!
Dr. Hester
Thank you for the question. It makes sense to allow your skin the chance to heal and complete remodeling prior to a second Mixto™ SX Micro Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing treatment. If your treatment was aggressive and you had significant downtime you should consider waiting 6 months. Whereas, traditional CO2 treatments could require weeks of healing or months of social downtime, the Mixto™ laser reduces healing time to days and social downtime to a week or so. The healing time you required will depend on the settings and number of passes required for good result. The benefits of your Doctor's ability to customize settings include shrinkage of damaged skin, softening of fine lines and wrinkles, smoothing acne scars, removal of age and sun spots, and new collagen production for up to 6 months. A repeat treatment before 3 months is likely to place unnecessary burden on the skin, as it is actively remodeling for the 6 months following laser treatment. If you had your last Mixto™ treatment over 6 months ago, your Doctor can help you determine whether you would benefit from a second treatment or an alternative procedure. It would be safe to repeat Mixto earlier than 6 months, but I would not encourage my patient to do so without allowing adequate time for maximum improvement.
Health and Happiness, Dr. Hester
Thank you for the question. Resurfacing lasers have been used to improve the appearance of the skin for many years. Some side effects of the CO2 traditional laser treatments have been reduced by applying the energy to the skin in through newer variable density methods called fractional or micro fractional resurfacing. Mixto™ SX Micro Fractional CO2 Laser is an example of a resurfacing machine with this new technology. Whereas, traditional CO2 treatments could requires weeks of healing or months of social downtime, the Mixto™ SX Micro Fractional CO2 laser reduces healing time to days and social downtime to a week or so. In experienced hands, it is a proven skin rejuvenation treatment that makes it possible to promote healthy, younger looking skin because we are able to customize the depth, the power level and the density of treatment depending upon the patient’s needs. The healing time you require will depend on the settings and number of passes required for good result, but even aggressive treatments seldom require more that 6-8 days of social downtime. The benefits of customized settings include shrinkage of damaged skin, softening of fine lines and wrinkles, smoothing acne scars, removal of age and sun spots, and new collagen production for up to 6 months. Mixto™ remains a popular choice for resurfacing because the treatment delivers more results in a 30-45 minute treatment than many other resurfacing techniques can accomplish in 3-5 treatments.
Health and Happiness, Dr. Hester
Thank you for the question. Resurfacing lasers have been used to improve the appearance of acne scars for many years. Some side effects of the traditional CO2 laser treatments have been reduced by applying the energy to the skin in through newer variable density methods called fractional or micro fractional resurfacing. Mixto™ SX Micro Fractional CO2 Laser is an example of a resurfacing machine with this new technology. In experience hands, it is a proven skin rejuvenation treatment that makes it possible to promote healthy, younger looking skin with minimal treatment sessions, rapid healing and thereby less post-treatment down time. A single treatment can show significant improvement in skin texture and color while softening wrinkles. With your skin type, even the new micro fractional lasers could cause some hyperpigmentation as the darker cells (melanin) is recruited to the skin layers heated by the laser. Due to the fact that CO2 reaches the shallow layers, reduced power settings could still stimulate pigmentation in your skin and would surely decrease the intended effect on the acne scars. The best method of resurfacing for your skin type will be use of a technique that delivers less heat near the surface and more heat at the deeper levels of collagen production. You may want to discuss the use of deep micro fractional radiofrequency device such as Fractora™ with your Doctor. Some of these can be effective at reaching the layers important for skin remodeling and sparing the levels that stimulate pigmentation. Unlike the Mixto™ CO2 fractional laser that delivers results in a single 40-minute treatment , the microfractional radiofrequency technique might require several sessions. The good news is that there is virtually no social down time following a Fractora treatment, so it is easy to schedule and maintain your result.
Health and Happiness, Dr. Hester