Are the red striped welts down my cheeks normal after one day of a Vivace treatment? (photo)

It's a little difficult to tell from the photo you posted, but I don't think your reaction is anything concerning.  However, you definitely should haven't had that much pain.  You should never have an 8/10 level of pain after applying a numbing cream.  They should have tested your skin to ensure that it was actually numb, regardless of how long it was on your skin.  A level 3/10 may sometimes occur briefly, but I wouldn't expect much more than that. 
I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Vivace, I'm hoping now that it's been a few days the lines are gone, and you can see an improvement in your skin tone and firmness.  Can you update us?

Everyone responds differently to aesthetic treatments and it appears that you had more of a response to this treatment than was expected.  However, your concerns are completely valid.  Having said that, I would like to reassure you that your reaction is transient and will go away.  On the positive note, this stronger than intended treatment will produce more results. When I perform Vivace, I send every patient home with a post-treatment kit that will help to heal the skin quickly. I suggest that you discuss your experience with your provider so that the treatment settings can be adjusted next time.
Sending you positive vibes on your beauty journey,

Dr. Bonakdar

We often see some bruising or welting post procedure.  Depending on how aggressive the settings were when the treatment was performed and how sensitive your skin is can determine healing time.  Most bruising goes away in the next few days to a week. We recommend PRP with the procedure to speed and improve healing time and results. 

This can occur if your treatment was a bit higher or your skin is more sensitive than the average patient.  The average patient can indeed go on to dinner that night with little down time.  That being said, every patient is different.  Those marks will go away in the next few days.  The con of this is that you have noticeable marks, the pro is that your treatment was even more deep  and in the end can very well be even more effective!  While vivace boasts a "no down time" treatment, there are patients who do have your response, but it is of no concern long term.  continue to protect your skin and get ready to enjoy your lovely skin!

Hi and thank you for your question! Always best to follow up with the practice that did the procedure, when you have areas of concern. However, being less than 24 hours post treatment if you were our patient,  I wouldn't be concerned. We would have you apply Alastin Skin Nectar to help the healing process. Be sure you don't have any tan before or after treatment, as that can sometimes contribute to the skin over reacting. We are doing pretty "aggressive" treatments, so our patients have reported discomfort in some areas, especially if we are at 1.5 - 2mm depth. We have to  adjust the settings accordingly. We apply 23% lidocaine for our needling and laser procedures. Best, Dr. Grant Stevens

The redness you are experiencing in certain areas is not abnormal after a Vivace treatment. While patients with different skin types may have slightly different post-procedure effects, what you are experiencing is not a cause for concern. In fact, it indicates to me that you had a nice robust treatment! This redness and welting will subside over the next week or so and you will start to see the benefits of the collagen stimulation and remodeling that will occur over the next couple months. I always recommend a series of Vivace treatments (3-4) to see best results. Good luck!