Negative Reviews Are Frustrating Because They Are Not Specific - Fraxel Dual - Ardmore, PA

Your scars are not bad at all, I have been on this board looking for help from an Erbium Laser treatment I had 8 yrs ago. I had a couple scars I wanted gone. Now I have a face full of scars, after the doctor saw the damage he walked out of the room, left me crying on the table, no help what so ever. I got my money back from bothering him every week but I have spent thousands & lost myself. I changed, who wants to go out with scars all over & texture problems? I went to so many doctors & no one would help me, said the damage was done, basically had to live with it, I also had fat loss in my cheeks about the size of the laser wand 2in long in 2 spots, pigment change, brown spots in the shape of squares & that was just the one side, the other had a huge triangle scar around the few scars I wanted fixed. A nightmare. I was told about Dr Bernstein, he was the only one who would help me. I went to him for a few years, he went slow, he tried smoothbean, perfecta, affirm, fraxel dual, fraxel restore, I spent a lot of money but I still needed more, then I went for fillers & a lift & a fat transfer. I've been needling too, I'm sticking with that & light peels & 80% tca in pits with a toothpick. Pups told me about saline & I'll try that later because I have to go back for a revision for scars on my temple from the lift. I also used every cream, oil, masks you can imagine. I have post traumatic stress from all this. Lost over 30lbs. I shake with anxiety & don't sleep. I also bought a microderm kit & it gave me line scars on my jaw. Hon, do at home needling first before putting a laser to your face. It does the same thing without the heat. Dr Bernstein was extremely nice & I will always be grateful for him being the only one who would touch me, he gave me hope. Now I don't think he uses ablative lasers anymore. I think he knows about all the damage that can happen. so many doctors have stopped using lasers. I had told a doctor about needling yrs ago, she never heard of it & now she has it done in her office. Said people have been getting good results from it, I noticed a change after doing it for a while, it takes time. I'm getting better but I still need fillers or saline for the dent the laser made. Do not jump because I know how scars effect you. I don't go out in the sun at all from all the lasers making my skin so sensitive it hurts if the sun hits it. So be aware & take things one step at a time. Try needling, you will need at least a 1.0 for scars. You are young & you will heal faster than me. after needing with a 1.5 I'm red for a few days then I flake. I just did a tca 80% just in the pits so we'll see how that works in a few weeks, then i'll try it again but give your skin a chance to recover so only needle once a month or only peel once a month. Do not rush things. Should you decide to go to Bernstein that's fine, he knows lasers but you don't look bad at all, so try home things first then you can go see him if your not happy in a year of needling & peels & like pups said maybe some saline. I don't want you to get hurt for a few little scars that after some lasers on some people can change your life so drastically that you wake up hating each day.

I had fraxel dual three times on my entire face and five around my eyes. It has made my skin much nicer and smooth. Not a cure end all but all these reviews are crazy. You need to trust your doctor and ask for referrals from his patients. It will most probably make you break out afterwards and that will make you miserable...believe me I have no acne issues ever but it was terrifying...That said once a month had passed it was great... Also take an antibiotic before hand ( dr will prescribe) so that you won't break out and wash with a vinegar and water mixture. It is worth it but remember, the dual is not going to make you gorgeous...just help . Fraxel re:pair is much deeper and can / will provide better results, but you will look awful for a lot longer in the beginning...red peeling bleeding in spots. RE store is just makes your skin tough and as my daughter said I looked like a chocolate chip frappucino. laughing out loud Try the clear and brilliant laser first to see how you like it...that is the least invasive...and yes make sure to start with low settings to see how your skin tolerates it. Good luck.

I can see how this would be frustrating while you are reading reviews. Most people are damaged by the dual as most people don't opt for the ablative repair laser. My laser was done at aggressive settings since I had a few acne scars as well and I believe the high settings caused the damage. For me, I noticed the damage right after the swelling went away so I know it's not aging or marks from acne. I do hope you have better results than many people on here though.

I was scarred badly from this machine. the dual.... I believe that the results you get depend on who does your treatment. however lasered skin is never like normal skin. Even when the procedure turns out good...lasered skin is always different from non lasered skin.

For me I got zero difference...no change before and after and I asked for aggressive setting

ok,, here's the deal. I don't think anyone on this site could tell you if ALL lasers are bad. We just don't know because all of us have had different treatments by different docs on different settings. I was going to go to Bernstein to help with all of my damage from the laser damage I had, but his consult fee was like $900, so I declined. This is what happened to me:
At the age of 48 I was pretty and had good skin. A few lines around my eyes and a small scar on my upper lip because a cat scratched me when I was a teen. The doc I went to I could keep my skin looking good if I used this laser (Cutera Pearl Fractional) and collagen would build and I would look even younger. I followed all her damn rules. After the swelling went down, I noticed grid marks on my cheeks and chin. They were faint and I probably could have lived with them at that point. After about a year, all of a sudden you could see deep dots all over my chin and upper lip. I went back to her crying and she said that I am jjust getting older. Ha ha ha. Pin holes and grid marks are not age related. Now I have dots and lines and I feel gross and old. It's up to you. YOur skin is not the same as others. You may never have bad results. Anything you do, you will be taking a chance. By the way, I also have considerable fat loss. Docs are into making money! Try a peel first.

My experience was negative. It was regular fraxel, not dual. Aftercare was a topical hydrating lotion sold by physician. Two sessions $1800. Fair, thin skin, 42 years old treating post acne scars. Serious painful open lesions daily for years...4-5 yeats now I think. The technician for my dermatologist performed the procedure. She may have had the strength too high but never admitted or confirmed. I was told it was nothing to do with the laser, it must be my fault, I must be doing something wrong. I wasn't and could not afford to see more doctors or file a law suit. I don't know your doctor but mine was just looking to make money & did not care that I was severely effected.