POSTED UNDER Fraxel Laser Reviews
Fraxel Ruined the Texture of my Skin - 4 Months Until my Wedding :( - Chicago, IL
UPDATED FROM FraxelistheWORST
6 months post
6 Months Post
FraxelistheWORSTAugust 6, 2015
$400
Hi Everyone, I just wanted to come back and update my review as I am 6 months post fraxel. Wow, I can't believe it's been half a year since this has happened. I had my wedding two weeks ago and I definitely feel a sense of relief knowing that this big event where everyone was staring at me is over. That said, it was beautiful and lovely but of course I thought about my skin when talking to people which is unfortunate.
Overall, I'd say my skin is about the same texture wise. In terms of improvement the only thing that has really changed is my skin is no longer red anymore and I no longer get random flushing episodes. I think the shiny, waxy appearance has also improved a bit too. I do still have the same, awful looking scarred pores and little slits in the skin. I have done 3 dermarolling sessions and 1 very light TCA peel but this has not really helped with the look of the scarred pores. I am also using retin a 5 nights a week and have been using this for about 3 months. I can confidently say the texture has not gotten worse but I can also confidently say it has not gotten better either.
I do feel like I am feeling around in the dark in terms of knowing what to do. I think all laser victims feel this way though. I don't know if it is better to leave my skin alone and only use gentle healing oils or if active intervention is the way to go since I am dealing with actual scarring. I have been experimenting and only did the tca peel, dermapen and use retin a and one side of my face and on the other side I leave it completely alone. They both look about the same so I can't really conclude what the best route is. The only thing I know is I will never touch another laser again.
I am hoping within the next 6 months the texture will improve but the only thing I have learned throughout this process is healing is completely unpredictable and it varies so much from person to person. Some people improve at the year mark or even after while some people continue to watch their skin get worse. I am praying that the worst is over and I can look forward to improvements.
Overall, I'd say my skin is about the same texture wise. In terms of improvement the only thing that has really changed is my skin is no longer red anymore and I no longer get random flushing episodes. I think the shiny, waxy appearance has also improved a bit too. I do still have the same, awful looking scarred pores and little slits in the skin. I have done 3 dermarolling sessions and 1 very light TCA peel but this has not really helped with the look of the scarred pores. I am also using retin a 5 nights a week and have been using this for about 3 months. I can confidently say the texture has not gotten worse but I can also confidently say it has not gotten better either.
I do feel like I am feeling around in the dark in terms of knowing what to do. I think all laser victims feel this way though. I don't know if it is better to leave my skin alone and only use gentle healing oils or if active intervention is the way to go since I am dealing with actual scarring. I have been experimenting and only did the tca peel, dermapen and use retin a and one side of my face and on the other side I leave it completely alone. They both look about the same so I can't really conclude what the best route is. The only thing I know is I will never touch another laser again.
I am hoping within the next 6 months the texture will improve but the only thing I have learned throughout this process is healing is completely unpredictable and it varies so much from person to person. Some people improve at the year mark or even after while some people continue to watch their skin get worse. I am praying that the worst is over and I can look forward to improvements.
UPDATED FROM FraxelistheWORST
4 months post
Interesting study on a combination therapy of dermapen and TCA peel to improve scars
FraxelistheWORSTJune 26, 2015
While I realize that the study conducted is very different because these people are dealing with acne scars as opposed to laser damage pinpoint scarring, I still found this study interesting and some of the improvements are quite remarkable. I am by no means advising laser victims to go out and do what these people did to improve scarring but I think it provides nice proof that dermapen and peels can be good options to improve scarring and texture. Anyway, I have posted the link below.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3996784/
I'd appreciate no negativity. You can take what you want with this information. I am by no means trying to give people false hope. I realize that the texture changes people experience from laser are often permanent. I am sure all of you laser damage victims will process the information with skeptism as I did. Have a good day!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3996784/
I'd appreciate no negativity. You can take what you want with this information. I am by no means trying to give people false hope. I realize that the texture changes people experience from laser are often permanent. I am sure all of you laser damage victims will process the information with skeptism as I did. Have a good day!
Replies (5)
June 27, 2015
Thanks you brought this up! Very helpfull for my situation, especially now that I'm going the needling route. I'm still a bit scared to introduce TCA peels into my plan, especially in the summer because of pigmentation issues.
June 27, 2015
Hi Dutchguy,
I just had a tca peel... 20%. It went very well and I'm all peeled. I'm not ready to report my results yet but I promise it was not scary and it definitely did not give me further damage.
I just had a tca peel... 20%. It went very well and I'm all peeled. I'm not ready to report my results yet but I promise it was not scary and it definitely did not give me further damage.
June 28, 2015
Hey have you seen any improvements with topical products? Topical products should be your first solution after laser.Also a esthetician
Will help you select the best skin care products for your damaged skin. Your lipid barrier is damaged and should be repaired before getting any more skin irritating procedure. Plus your skin does not look like it needs a chemical peel, it looks like it will benefit more grime micro pen with prp. This procedure has top reviews for pitted scars,large pores plus placenta rich plasma after miropen helps skin regenerate. Please keep positive your skin will return to normal
Will help you select the best skin care products for your damaged skin. Your lipid barrier is damaged and should be repaired before getting any more skin irritating procedure. Plus your skin does not look like it needs a chemical peel, it looks like it will benefit more grime micro pen with prp. This procedure has top reviews for pitted scars,large pores plus placenta rich plasma after miropen helps skin regenerate. Please keep positive your skin will return to normal
June 28, 2015
Thank you ... I have seen very very small improvements with retin a and the tns recovery serum by skin medica. Have you done microneedling with prp?
June 30, 2015
TNS Recovery Serum ... I wish I knew about this before I had the laser damage. I think my skin would have been great with some adjustments made to the topicals I was using. Doctors of course make money off lasers and wouldn't do the ethical thing and recommend topicals and a diet change to help skin.
July 4, 2015
Thanks. It looks like amazon has a pretty good price on it. All these products really add up. Do you use their cleanser and toner before applying the TNS?
July 4, 2015
I do not. I just use a mild cetaphil cleanser, TNS recovery, and retin a. In the morning I use vitamin C
June 30, 2015
I did 2 sessions of dermapen, one with prp, I had zero improvement
June 30, 2015
That's very discouraging. People I know with laser damage have told me it takes about 6 treatments or so. Maybe keep at it if you don't think its making it worse. What size needle was used?
June 30, 2015
2 treatments is far too early to tell if you have any noticable difference. Therefore the cost of dermapen isn't really justified because jou need maybe 8 to 10 sessions to see noticable improvement. I recently bought my own dermaneedler, the Derminator from Owndoc. Combined with the right topicals and aftercare, I really hope to improve my skin condition by approx. 20% in about 6 to 8 months. That's about 8 to 10 treatments. I haven't actually heard that PRP really improves textural issues that much. And I also don't believe in any quick fixes either.
July 1, 2015
I'm not sure, it was extremely expensive at the derm's office with the PRP. I just can't afford the downtime or the cost. I bought two dermarollers, I could try those but I'm just so unsure now. Half the time I read things I think my skin matches the overexfoliated look, then other times it looks like it needs to be exfoliated. I've had a year of basically doing nothing to it, besides the dermapen. Nothing harsh ever. But I still have the burning and tight sensation, so very odd.
July 1, 2015
I did fraxel in Scottsdale a few times and it looked great for a while but then my skin really deteriorated - large pores orange peel texture etc etc grainy rough old…but now it's better! ... although this has not been a quick fix…my regimen is starting the day with large glass of ORGANIC (only) carrot juice, eating lots organic veggies fruits as much as possible, drinking spring water (not purified) every 3rd day doing at home organic lemon and organic sugar scrub on face, neck, chest area and I have my GLOW back :)) this is all at home low cost old school and I look way younger and fresher than I did a year ago - also no alcohol unless it is good quality (organic) red wine :)))
July 2, 2015
Had this helped get rid of your Orange peel texture? Ugh I'm so over the rough look of my pores.
July 8, 2015
What about trying red light therapy? That promotes college and shrinks pore size. Wouldn't be be invasive or more damaging as well. Its weird how some stars swear by these lasers , but I believe you.
July 8, 2015
Thank you for believing me, it really is a nightmare. I also don't understand why movie stars don't have adverse side effects as well. Kim Kardashian does fraxel as well as Dr. Oz's wife. It may be because mine was so aggressive but I have heard of people getting complications similar to mine even when the settings are not super aggressive.
July 8, 2015
I have already tried red light therapy a few times and haven't seen any results but perhaps it's something I really need to invest more time into to see results
July 25, 2015
I started seeing small improvement the first week of gentle sugar lemon scrubs - the only real way to heal is from the inside out - lots of organic fruits and veggies = mega antioxidants. My goal was 17 servings daily - actually not that hard to do - my skin started recovering on a daily basis - wine dairy and restaurant fatty meat/food caused me to have deterioration pretty quickly - the fruits and veggies within 2 days would show total skin improvement. I have been using Alba products for cleansing and moisture (inexpensive) + organic fruits and veggie (expensive comparably) but worth it to wake up to better skin :) My mantra is… healing and long term looking good is an inside to outside process - not outside in :) Truly, we are what we eat. Hope this helps
July 25, 2015
Yes, this does! Thank you. I am so glad to hear you are seeing heeling :)
July 25, 2015
BTW the Med Spa in Scottsdale that I did the Fraxel at no longer offers it as of 6 mos ago….hmmm
July 8, 2015
I know exactly how you feel about the traumatic changes in your face. I had two fraxel co2 done two years ago and my face looked as you describe (orange peel texture, microscars, collagen fat tissue loss, overall rapid signs of aging). I've tried all the products at sephora and even started vitamin c and retin-a. But it wasn't working -- in fact it just seemed to get worse and I too became super depressed and introverted.
I then read up on NATURAL home remedies because I heard that retinA and topical vitamin C can actually burn our already burnt skin.
Here's what I'm doing and what has been showing some slow but visible results:
- rose water witch hazel toner twice a day
- cetaphil cleanser twice a day
- sunblock!!!
- coconut oil as a moisturizer
LESS IS MORE
Masks that work!
-MANUKA HONEY umf15+
- turmeric
- 20 minute whole fat Greek yogurt
You can use all three combos or pair any two of the three ingredients! Look up turmeric masks (brides do these before weddings in some parts of the world!)
PROCEDURES:
- dermapen + water stem cell treatment therapy
$1500 for 3 sessions
(I have had two done, one month apart... And it's slowly but surely adding a lot more suppleness into my skin, overall improve red coloring, tone, and texture! Plus, I'm noticing smaller pores!
- I tried restayline and it SUCKED
- my mom just got sculptra and her face is filling up/getting plump/smaller pores so I'm considering doing this before my wedding next year
Vitamins:
- fermented cod oil (a more refined version of fish oil to add suppleness
- Biotin (for skin rejuvenation)
- Turmeric (anti-inflammatory)
I still feel self conscious about my skin... But I'm learning to move forward ... What's done is done and I've damaged my skin... But I'm
Working on building confidence while not relying solely on my looks anymore. I can only imagine how stressful this must be before your wedding-- but.. You will be beautiful on your big day! They're not going to fixate only slightly inflamed pores... They're going to be celebrating your beautiful Union! So hopefully this helped -- we can get through this!! :)
I then read up on NATURAL home remedies because I heard that retinA and topical vitamin C can actually burn our already burnt skin.
Here's what I'm doing and what has been showing some slow but visible results:
- rose water witch hazel toner twice a day
- cetaphil cleanser twice a day
- sunblock!!!
- coconut oil as a moisturizer
LESS IS MORE
Masks that work!
-MANUKA HONEY umf15+
- turmeric
- 20 minute whole fat Greek yogurt
You can use all three combos or pair any two of the three ingredients! Look up turmeric masks (brides do these before weddings in some parts of the world!)
PROCEDURES:
- dermapen + water stem cell treatment therapy
$1500 for 3 sessions
(I have had two done, one month apart... And it's slowly but surely adding a lot more suppleness into my skin, overall improve red coloring, tone, and texture! Plus, I'm noticing smaller pores!
- I tried restayline and it SUCKED
- my mom just got sculptra and her face is filling up/getting plump/smaller pores so I'm considering doing this before my wedding next year
Vitamins:
- fermented cod oil (a more refined version of fish oil to add suppleness
- Biotin (for skin rejuvenation)
- Turmeric (anti-inflammatory)
I still feel self conscious about my skin... But I'm learning to move forward ... What's done is done and I've damaged my skin... But I'm
Working on building confidence while not relying solely on my looks anymore. I can only imagine how stressful this must be before your wedding-- but.. You will be beautiful on your big day! They're not going to fixate only slightly inflamed pores... They're going to be celebrating your beautiful Union! So hopefully this helped -- we can get through this!! :)
July 8, 2015
Thank you. This was such a sweet message. Can you tell me more about water stem cell therapy? I have done two dermapen treatments as well... Too soon to tell if it has helped as I realize it takes about 6 weeks for collagen to form after the treatments but overall I like them.
UPDATED FROM FraxelistheWORST
4 months post
Tca peel for texture?
FraxelistheWORSTJune 13, 2015
I have received a couple of messages from people who have done tca peels or chemical peels to help them with the texture from laser. For those of you have tried it, did it help? Make things worse? I would definitely wait a little longer to do a peel but wanted to get some opinions from people who have fried this to fix the damage.
Replies (5)
June 14, 2015
I don't think it would be wise to do ANYTHING to your skin. Your skin has been traumatized. Baby your skin as much as possible and stay away from any chemicals, peels, lasers etc. Make every effort to avoid the sun. Try a natural regimine. Supplements, accupunture, vitamins, exercise, natural oils etc. Please give it the time it needs to recuperate. It's not worth taking anymore risks with your skin.
June 15, 2015
I agree to early.
Wait a year.
too early will make things worse.
be gentle, this year.
Then try test spots
June 24, 2015
While I don't neccesarily agree with the alternative therapies, I can attest by my own experiences that you should stay away from any treatments now and wait for your skin to stabilize. Don't be tempted to try anything before your marriage, because you might risk prolonged downtime and additional complications! I just wrote a review about derma needling 1,5 year after laser damage. It should be up in the derma roller section shortly. There is a great community of people here who have been through the same and are currently trying to reverse this kind of damage. There is a lady by the username lef0x, who tried peels and dermabrasion. She might do an update soon on the latter, of which we are yet to find out if it helped with the micro scarring caused by the laser.
June 22, 2015
peels worked poorly for me. Peels will likely not help pores if anything acid will enlarge them further. at this point in time, as hard as it is, I would try and let your skin heal a while, as you try and research other methods. my skin is just as damaged but in a different way, not as many pores, but many very shallow icepicks. My pores enlarge nearly every day and make my face a mess, burning, and feeling uncomfortable. You aren't alone just hang in there and right now its all about not making things worse. I used dermabrasion 10 years ago it really helped a lot I saw a 60% improvement but the doctor I did created two shallow scars because he's an idiot and also it took me like 9 months of redness to a year. Its also considered a medieval method now, but I don't trust lasers for anything. Hang in there.
June 22, 2015
Don't do anything else to your skin. If you have your mind set on using something to improve texture then start with a high glycolic acid product like Neostrata. Some dermatologists carry it or you can buy on Amazon. I only use it during the summer when the air is humid, otherwise it's too strong and will make my face red.
June 22, 2015
I would say leave your skin alone until you find a good derm. Mine is better but not back to how it was yet. Definetly it's improving though. Mainly I'm leaving it alone
June 22, 2015
Hi, may I ask what's your skin issue now? Do you have the waxynand leathery issue in your skin too?
June 23, 2015
This has gone thank god! It was awful. I can put make up on now and it smooths over. Definetly the microdermabrasion made a big difference. I've still got some broken caps and pores to deal with but this horrid textural issue has gone I hope forever.
June 23, 2015
You need to find a good derm because if I hadn't been in such good hands I would have been trying goodness knows how many products and treatments and just making things worse
July 27, 2015
Thanks for the review! Could you explain what you mean by textural issues? I think I have both enlarged pores and micro-scarring (or shallow pin holes) in my face as a result of vbeam laser which was done 3 weeks ago. I'm using Manuka honey mask and rosehip oil. Some days it looks okay and then it's back to looking dry and hole-y. I've also experienced fat loss in my face that the derm who did the laser says is impossible.
July 27, 2015
There are at least 3 of us on here whose laser damage was caused by just 1 VBeam session.
Replies (5)
I stopped bc my holes were like yours and seemed bigger and irrated after retinaA. Some report is has helped them. Too soo for retina a.
Just gentle. Moisturizer.
Been there done that.
I am glad that as a community you all work at supporting one another and communicate in a respectful manner, that's what RealSelf is all about. I appreciate that you all agree that what works for one person, may not work for someone else, so as a gentle reminder please only share general information, your own personal experience and/or opinion, and refrain from giving direct advice as outlined in RealSelf's Terms of Service. Thanks so much all :)
Skinceuticls CE ferulic, ceravae moisturizer & spf 50 and in the evenings I use same wash, tazorac cream and ceravae pm moisturizer. Right now my skin is just very dry and crinkly from the tazorac cream .1%