POSTED UNDER Clear and Brilliant REVIEWS
Clear & Brilliant Laser Damage Took 18 Months to Correct! - Clarkston, MI
ORIGINAL POST
Decided to take advantage of a 3 series treatment...
$450
Decided to take advantage of a 3 series treatment package for Clear + Brilliant laser. C+B is "suppose" to be a very gentle anti aging laser treatment that helps even skin tone & boost radiance with no downtown. My main skin compliant was dull skin so Clear + Brilliant sounded like a great fit. I am a Fitzpatrick II (fair skin, some light freckles, blonde hair) and my skin has been protected from the sun for several decades so it is virtually wrinkle free and in better than expected condition for my 51 years of age. C+B is a non ablative fractional laser that’s considered the most gentle option of all resurfacing lasers. 3 - 5 sessions are recommended to see full results. The treatment is performed using a laser device with a small roller attachment. The attachment is outfitted with tiny plastic bumps that push into the skin and allow the laser to make tiny injuries to the skin. These micro-injuries force the skin to heal itself, boosting collagen production and generating clear, healthy skin. Numbing cream is applied for about 20-30 minutes before the procedure, the procedure itself only takes about 15-20 minutes. Your skin will feel warm to hot and look slightly wind-chapped afterwards but that is about it. Make-up can be applied the next day and there is no lingering effects such as redness, swelling, etc. The texture feels somewhat grainy for a few days afterwards but it is not visible to the naked eye. Each area was done in small sections with one pass done vertically then horizontally. The jawline and lower face, upper lip & nasal fold area, and undereye, mid cheek, and forehead. The pain was pretty minor but it does ouch a tiny bit, fortunately only briefly. I would describe it as very fast and very tolerable with flashes of heat throughout the treatment. I was supposed to apply 2-3 times a day moisturizing cream (Skinceutical's Epidermal Repair) that was given to me by the clinic and of course lots of sunscreen. My skin over the next few days was:
(1) Dry, very dehydrated and required tons of heavy moisturizers several times a day & evening
(2) Rough and slightly sand-paperish texture to the touch
(3) Slightly pink the first three days (very light & easily covered with mineral make-up) and subsequently duller than before for a couple more days.
I was told not to worry about this as it is only temporary as my skin goes through the repair process and renews itself, I will have smooth, glowing skin! Sounds great right?!
Well, about a week after the 1st treatment my skin looked pretty good, still a little dry but not as dull as before C+B so it seemed encouraging. Over the next 2 weeks, skin continued to look good, still slightly dry but nothing too bad so I scheduled my 2nd C+B treatment. Second Treatment went identical to the first and everything seemed fine. My skin was still on the dry side but the clinic technician explained that it was normal and would resolve after the complete treatment series was finished because it takes several treatments for full results. Okay, I forge ahead and schedule my 3rd treatment 3 weeks after the 2nd. This time the technician says "your skin is responding very well and I think we can be more aggressive this treatment and that will get you the best results. Like an idiot I say "okay sounds good". Well this was the treatment that destroyed my skin! I was immediately redder than I had experienced with the prior treatments, my skin was radiating heat and felt like it was on fire for about an hour afterwards, and my skin felt so tight, dry and almost chapped it was very uncomfortable. I washed with a creamy organic cleanser morning & night, applied Skinceutical's CE Ferulic AM, Skinceuticals Epidermal Repair AM & PM, Elta MD Broad Spectrum 30+ facial sunscreen AM, Skinceuticals Eye Balm AM & PM. Everyday my face was feeling drier and more dehydrated and nothing seemed to relieve it. After about a week the visible texture started looking bad and I noticed the dreaded "Orange Peel" texture starting to develop along with fine wrinkles on my cheeks (which I absolutely did not have), and a crepey skin look starting around my mouth/chin area. OMG what the hell is this??? I could not believe this was happening and that I paid money to ruin my skin! I began researching C+B laser damage and guess what ladies? There isn't much (negative) out there about C+B laser - tons of complaints about Fraxel but no one seemed to be experiencing bad results for C+B. I thought maybe it was just temporarily and felt somewhat better that I couldn't locate bad reviews on this laser - maybe everything would be okay and it just takes time to resolve..........Fat chance! My skin continued to look and feel worse and worse. 6 months later I went to the dermatologist and explained what I had done and what I was left dealing with and she claimed she had never even heard of C+B laser and was not familiar with it. She said my skin looked like it was dry from the inside out and recommended I take increased Omega 3's, flaxseed, hyaluronic acid, and drink lots of water. I went to store and purchased all of the recommendations and took them religiously for 3 months with zero improvements, I also purchases numerous products (Osmosis skincare line, TNS Recovery Serum, Obagi, Kiehl's Moisturizing creme, etc) and ended up wasting loads of $$ on skincare products that simply didn't help my situation. At almost the one year mark (and super depressed about having ruined my skin) I decided to get one more opinion and made an appointment for a consultation at a plastic surgeon's office. After examining my skin, she recommended a series of gentle micro peels with dermaplaning every 3-4 weeks and a new skin care product regimen (which she generously gave my lots of samples of to try for a month before making a purchase decision). I have just finished my 3rd micro peel & dermaplaning treatment and my skin looks beautiful! The damage has been fully corrected and I am so pleased and thankful. My new skincare regimen is: AM: Aubrey's creamy organic cleanser, Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, Replenix Power of 3 Antioxidant cream (I love this stuff!), Skinceuticals AGE Eye Complex, Skinceuticals B5 serum, Elta MD Facial 30+. PM: Aubrey's creamy organic cleanser, Skinceuticals Phyto -Corrective Gel, Replenix Power of 3 Antioxidant cream, SkinCeuticals Resveratrol B E, Skinceuticals B5 serum, Elta MD post procedure laser balm (I only use this one 2 X a week for extra moisturizing) and lastly Bioelements Sleepwear For Eyes. I know this is allot but I only use a small amount of each and it lasts for several months, if not longer. After almost giving up on the hope of correcting the damage caused by C+B laser I am so grateful to have found a solution that worked wonders on my skin that I wanted to share my final correction results with the hope that someone else can also benefit from this regimen. I never initially planned on writing a review of C+B and unfortunately I do not have any close-up pictures of the laser damaged skin (Yuck) but I did take pictures of my skin now, after the micro peels, dermaplaning, and skin care products to show that my skin looks pretty decent for 51 yrs old and no longer has any signs of laser damage - I hope this helps someone. I have to give this an overall rating of 1 star simple because my skin was seriously damaged and it took almost 18 months to finally correct the damage.
(1) Dry, very dehydrated and required tons of heavy moisturizers several times a day & evening
(2) Rough and slightly sand-paperish texture to the touch
(3) Slightly pink the first three days (very light & easily covered with mineral make-up) and subsequently duller than before for a couple more days.
I was told not to worry about this as it is only temporary as my skin goes through the repair process and renews itself, I will have smooth, glowing skin! Sounds great right?!
Well, about a week after the 1st treatment my skin looked pretty good, still a little dry but not as dull as before C+B so it seemed encouraging. Over the next 2 weeks, skin continued to look good, still slightly dry but nothing too bad so I scheduled my 2nd C+B treatment. Second Treatment went identical to the first and everything seemed fine. My skin was still on the dry side but the clinic technician explained that it was normal and would resolve after the complete treatment series was finished because it takes several treatments for full results. Okay, I forge ahead and schedule my 3rd treatment 3 weeks after the 2nd. This time the technician says "your skin is responding very well and I think we can be more aggressive this treatment and that will get you the best results. Like an idiot I say "okay sounds good". Well this was the treatment that destroyed my skin! I was immediately redder than I had experienced with the prior treatments, my skin was radiating heat and felt like it was on fire for about an hour afterwards, and my skin felt so tight, dry and almost chapped it was very uncomfortable. I washed with a creamy organic cleanser morning & night, applied Skinceutical's CE Ferulic AM, Skinceuticals Epidermal Repair AM & PM, Elta MD Broad Spectrum 30+ facial sunscreen AM, Skinceuticals Eye Balm AM & PM. Everyday my face was feeling drier and more dehydrated and nothing seemed to relieve it. After about a week the visible texture started looking bad and I noticed the dreaded "Orange Peel" texture starting to develop along with fine wrinkles on my cheeks (which I absolutely did not have), and a crepey skin look starting around my mouth/chin area. OMG what the hell is this??? I could not believe this was happening and that I paid money to ruin my skin! I began researching C+B laser damage and guess what ladies? There isn't much (negative) out there about C+B laser - tons of complaints about Fraxel but no one seemed to be experiencing bad results for C+B. I thought maybe it was just temporarily and felt somewhat better that I couldn't locate bad reviews on this laser - maybe everything would be okay and it just takes time to resolve..........Fat chance! My skin continued to look and feel worse and worse. 6 months later I went to the dermatologist and explained what I had done and what I was left dealing with and she claimed she had never even heard of C+B laser and was not familiar with it. She said my skin looked like it was dry from the inside out and recommended I take increased Omega 3's, flaxseed, hyaluronic acid, and drink lots of water. I went to store and purchased all of the recommendations and took them religiously for 3 months with zero improvements, I also purchases numerous products (Osmosis skincare line, TNS Recovery Serum, Obagi, Kiehl's Moisturizing creme, etc) and ended up wasting loads of $$ on skincare products that simply didn't help my situation. At almost the one year mark (and super depressed about having ruined my skin) I decided to get one more opinion and made an appointment for a consultation at a plastic surgeon's office. After examining my skin, she recommended a series of gentle micro peels with dermaplaning every 3-4 weeks and a new skin care product regimen (which she generously gave my lots of samples of to try for a month before making a purchase decision). I have just finished my 3rd micro peel & dermaplaning treatment and my skin looks beautiful! The damage has been fully corrected and I am so pleased and thankful. My new skincare regimen is: AM: Aubrey's creamy organic cleanser, Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, Replenix Power of 3 Antioxidant cream (I love this stuff!), Skinceuticals AGE Eye Complex, Skinceuticals B5 serum, Elta MD Facial 30+. PM: Aubrey's creamy organic cleanser, Skinceuticals Phyto -Corrective Gel, Replenix Power of 3 Antioxidant cream, SkinCeuticals Resveratrol B E, Skinceuticals B5 serum, Elta MD post procedure laser balm (I only use this one 2 X a week for extra moisturizing) and lastly Bioelements Sleepwear For Eyes. I know this is allot but I only use a small amount of each and it lasts for several months, if not longer. After almost giving up on the hope of correcting the damage caused by C+B laser I am so grateful to have found a solution that worked wonders on my skin that I wanted to share my final correction results with the hope that someone else can also benefit from this regimen. I never initially planned on writing a review of C+B and unfortunately I do not have any close-up pictures of the laser damaged skin (Yuck) but I did take pictures of my skin now, after the micro peels, dermaplaning, and skin care products to show that my skin looks pretty decent for 51 yrs old and no longer has any signs of laser damage - I hope this helps someone. I have to give this an overall rating of 1 star simple because my skin was seriously damaged and it took almost 18 months to finally correct the damage.
stardusty's provider
Replies (60)
March 23, 2016
Your skin looks absolutely beautiful (as do you )
I almost fell off my chair when i read 51 !!! (I assumed early 30s)Very happy you were able to recover from c&b and thanks for your review
I almost fell off my chair when i read 51 !!! (I assumed early 30s)Very happy you were able to recover from c&b and thanks for your review
March 23, 2016
Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words, you just made my day! I sincerely don't think I could pass for 30's (but it was super sweet of you to say so). I am just so thrilled to have been able to fix the laser damage that I wanted to share with other RS members who might also benefit from my solution. I will go near a laser again. Thanks!
March 23, 2016
Thank you - I am going to basically copy your skincare routine :)
And you do look amazing !!
And you do look amazing !!
March 28, 2016
You look amazing. Congrats on your improvement!! I sent you a private message. I would be very grateful if you could respond to the questions I asked. Hope to hear from you soon :).
March 29, 2016
Thank you so much. I will check out the message and try my best to answer your questions.
April 21, 2016
Hi Peyton2012,
Skinceuticals has an excellent line of products and I feel the Epidermal Repair is beneficial but after using it for a year and still not seeing any real improvements the PS recommended I try Replenix Power of 3 cream (by Topix) in replace of the Epi Repair to address my issues with severely dry, dehydrated skin. I have been using the Replenix cream (they also make a power of 3 serum) for about 4 months and my skin has become less and less dehydrated. For my skin concerns the Replenix seems to be a better fit although I continue to use many of Skinceuticals other products. You can look up the Replenix Power of 3 Cream reviews online and you will see that it receives excellent ratings as well as a 5 star rating from Paula's Choice Beautypedia. It is very good moisturizer for dry, sensitive skin. It's fragrance-free formula so suitable for rosacea-prone skin, too. It contains the cell-communicating ingredient lecithin and several powerful antioxidants. Comes in a opaque pump-bottle to protect the light- and air-sensitive ingredients. It may or may not work better or as well as Skinceuticals Epi Repair does for you - you would have to try it out and compare the results for each.
Skinceuticals has an excellent line of products and I feel the Epidermal Repair is beneficial but after using it for a year and still not seeing any real improvements the PS recommended I try Replenix Power of 3 cream (by Topix) in replace of the Epi Repair to address my issues with severely dry, dehydrated skin. I have been using the Replenix cream (they also make a power of 3 serum) for about 4 months and my skin has become less and less dehydrated. For my skin concerns the Replenix seems to be a better fit although I continue to use many of Skinceuticals other products. You can look up the Replenix Power of 3 Cream reviews online and you will see that it receives excellent ratings as well as a 5 star rating from Paula's Choice Beautypedia. It is very good moisturizer for dry, sensitive skin. It's fragrance-free formula so suitable for rosacea-prone skin, too. It contains the cell-communicating ingredient lecithin and several powerful antioxidants. Comes in a opaque pump-bottle to protect the light- and air-sensitive ingredients. It may or may not work better or as well as Skinceuticals Epi Repair does for you - you would have to try it out and compare the results for each.
April 22, 2016
Hi, did you apply morning and evening? Any serums underneath? Did you apply a sunscreen over this?
Thanks for your advice.
Thanks for your advice.
April 23, 2016
Thank you so much! This is great information. My regimen is not set in stone so if the epi-repair doesn't work I'll switch it out for the products your PS recommended.
April 26, 2016
Hi Suze42, Hear is my routine for application of the skincare products:
"APPLYING SKINCARE PRODUCTS"
MORNING - Wash with Aubrey's Organic Calming Cleanser and pat dry. Wait a couple of minutes after washing before you apply skincare products. First apply Skinceuticals CE Ferulic (never apply C serum over another product C serum always needs to be applied first to freshly cleansed skin). Just use a very small drop on each cheek and spread around, then split a drop between forehead and chin area spreading evenly. C Serum can sting a tiny bit until your skin gets used to it. This C Serum will assist in getting rid of fine lines, pigmentation, redness, blotchy skin and will help boost collagen and firm skin tone. You should notice a difference within a week, but it takes 4-6 months to see significant results. Note: Only apply C-serum in the morning and only use 1X per day. After CE Ferulic apply Replenix Power of 3 Cream, again a little bit goes a long way 2 drops should cover your whole face (you will need an extra drop if you also plan on treating your neck). Next apply Skinceuticals AGE Eye cream to both the top and bottom eyelids using one small (size of a BB) drop per eye. Then apply 3 drops of Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Serum (1 drop per cheek and split the other drop between forehead and chin area) This serum enhances the benefits of a daily moisturizer and is highly effective to include when using a C serum. Wait a few minutes to let the products soak in. Lastly apply Elta MD sunscreen liberally on face, neck & chest. Wait 5 or so minutes for product to completely absorb before applying make-up. This sounds like allot but once you get used to the routine it only takes about 10-12 minutes each morning from cleansing to sunscreen - so not a huge time commitment.
EVENING – Cleanse with Aubrey Cleanser, Wait a moment or 2 then apply Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Gel again 1 drop each cheek and split a drop for forehead & chin area, apply Replenix Power of 3 Cream exactly as you did in the morning, apply Bio-Elements sleepwear for eyes, apply Skinceuticals Resveratrol B E the same as other serums (1 drop each cheek & split a drop), lastly apply Skinceuticals B5 serum the same as morning.
I want to clarify that I began using this skincare regimen at the same time that I started receiving the dermaplaning & micropeels so I cannot say with any certainty that I would have received the same wonderful results if I had only used the skincare regimen. I believe the micropeels and dermaplaning played a big role in repairing the damage caused by the laser treatments and that in conjunction with the new skincare products enhanced the repair benefits and perhaps showed results more quickly than doing either independent of each other.
I'm sure the skincare products are not a "one size fits all" to address everyone's skin damage concerns but this really worked for me and just may be the answer for someone else as well.
"APPLYING SKINCARE PRODUCTS"
MORNING - Wash with Aubrey's Organic Calming Cleanser and pat dry. Wait a couple of minutes after washing before you apply skincare products. First apply Skinceuticals CE Ferulic (never apply C serum over another product C serum always needs to be applied first to freshly cleansed skin). Just use a very small drop on each cheek and spread around, then split a drop between forehead and chin area spreading evenly. C Serum can sting a tiny bit until your skin gets used to it. This C Serum will assist in getting rid of fine lines, pigmentation, redness, blotchy skin and will help boost collagen and firm skin tone. You should notice a difference within a week, but it takes 4-6 months to see significant results. Note: Only apply C-serum in the morning and only use 1X per day. After CE Ferulic apply Replenix Power of 3 Cream, again a little bit goes a long way 2 drops should cover your whole face (you will need an extra drop if you also plan on treating your neck). Next apply Skinceuticals AGE Eye cream to both the top and bottom eyelids using one small (size of a BB) drop per eye. Then apply 3 drops of Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Serum (1 drop per cheek and split the other drop between forehead and chin area) This serum enhances the benefits of a daily moisturizer and is highly effective to include when using a C serum. Wait a few minutes to let the products soak in. Lastly apply Elta MD sunscreen liberally on face, neck & chest. Wait 5 or so minutes for product to completely absorb before applying make-up. This sounds like allot but once you get used to the routine it only takes about 10-12 minutes each morning from cleansing to sunscreen - so not a huge time commitment.
EVENING – Cleanse with Aubrey Cleanser, Wait a moment or 2 then apply Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Gel again 1 drop each cheek and split a drop for forehead & chin area, apply Replenix Power of 3 Cream exactly as you did in the morning, apply Bio-Elements sleepwear for eyes, apply Skinceuticals Resveratrol B E the same as other serums (1 drop each cheek & split a drop), lastly apply Skinceuticals B5 serum the same as morning.
I want to clarify that I began using this skincare regimen at the same time that I started receiving the dermaplaning & micropeels so I cannot say with any certainty that I would have received the same wonderful results if I had only used the skincare regimen. I believe the micropeels and dermaplaning played a big role in repairing the damage caused by the laser treatments and that in conjunction with the new skincare products enhanced the repair benefits and perhaps showed results more quickly than doing either independent of each other.
I'm sure the skincare products are not a "one size fits all" to address everyone's skin damage concerns but this really worked for me and just may be the answer for someone else as well.
August 3, 2016
You look beautiful!! I am 25 and hope my skin looks as good as yours by the time I'm your age. I have dry skin right now, can you recommend anything to start off with for a beginner like me?
A Micro peel is a gentler alternative to traditional peels. Micro peel's function identically to a traditional chemical peel but use a less-potent mixture of chemicals. (generally a glycolic acid solution utilizing concentration around 20%-30% - but be sure to ask because each place may do them a little differently.) The micro peel process takes about thirty minutes and starts with a thorough cleansing and then dermaplaning. Dermaplaning uses a surgical scalpel which is run very gently over the skin to remove dead skin cells. The next step is where the chemical solution is applied to your skin. There may be some very mild itching or tingling when first applied. Afterwards a Vitamin C serum, Moisturizing cream and Sunscreen is added topically.
You can return to your normal activities immediately and you will notice an improvement in the texture and color of your skin right away which just gets better with subsequent treatments. The price I pay is $125 and currently I get one treatment a month. I believe Micro peels provide significant advantages in comparison with skin care products on their own. Simply because the micro peel enables the products to be more effective and penetrate so much better. Recuperation is swift with no downtown. Micro peels not only enhance skin color, texture, overall appearance and condition but will also minimize the noticeable size of the pores. The PS explained to me that numerous women also see a nice improvement in superficial crepe paper facial lines.
I agreed to try this initially without much expectation of it actually working - I am so pleasantly surprised at how well it worked for a reasonable cost and without being yet another harsh treatment that could risk further damaging my skin. I highly recommend you give it a try because if nothing else - it won't hurt your skin in anyway. Good Luck and let me know if you decide to try it out.
I see that you discontinued using Skinceuticals Epidermal Repair, can you tell me why? Was it not helpful? I just bought a tube of it to apply after my weekly facial needling sessions.