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POSTED UNDER CO2 Laser REVIEWS

Great Doctor but Disappointing Results

Name: Great Doctor but Disappointing Results
Item: Jessica Kulak, MD
Rating: 4
Author: tiredmommyof2

ORIGINAL POST

Great Doctor but Disappointing Results

tiredmommyof2June 17, 2020

$4,900

I had high hopes for this procedure after reading so many great reviews but it did not help my skin at all. Six months and five thousand dollars later ($3,000 in doctors fees, $1,600 in hospital fees, and $275 in creams and prescriptions) my skin looks worse than it ever has. The month after the laser I was red and unable to go out but still had high hopes. By the 3 month mark the red needed a topical steroid to help it along. By the 4.5 month mark I had a reaction to stopping the steroid and broke out in a horrible (and painful) rash on my entire face. The prescription quickly fixed that problem but now I have huge brown patches on my cheeks and by my eyes. They are recommending topical bleaching creams and possibly BBL to correct it. Bottom line, while the doctors are excellent this laser is incredibly expensive and I am now faced with spending even more money to hopefully get back to my starting point. If anyone is considering this and would like to see pictures feel free to message me. I took details pictures throughout the process hoping to document my journey.

tiredmommyof2's provider

Jessica Kulak, MD

Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon

tiredmommyof2 rating for Dr. Kulak:

Overall rating

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Answered my questions

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Replies (32)

twenty2324

June 21, 2020

Thanks for sharing. I was recommended a halo laser at a plastic surgery office. But when I visited my dermatologist to check with him he said it would actually make me really red for a long time. Right now I have a little acne and a little rosacea but a lot of redness from past acne. He recommended a less invasive targeted laser for the redness. I could totally see your story happening to me bc of my reactive and sensitive skin. Thanks for sharing!

LoBlack

July 1, 2020

I had pretty much the EXACT same experience as you. It was super frustrating. My dermatologist had to have a steroid cream compounded for me due to redness and I am also left with dark spots under my eyes. It was way more expensive in the end, I could have had a face lift for the price of what I’d spent. It’s not worth the money or the recovery for the vague results you’ll see! I am having better luck with microneedling with PRP and my doctor is almost sure he can help my scars with just plain dermabrasion! I wish I’d talked to a plastic surgeon before moving forward with C02

real5645

August 5, 2020

tiredmommyof2

August 6, 2020

I have been using the ZO skin bleaching line. It takes time to apply in the AM and PM and my skin was crazy red for about 2 weeks but now it’s starting to fade and I’m looking normal again. The products are expensive but they work.

real5645

August 6, 2020

tiredmommyof2

August 6, 2020

Yes, it looks like melasma and the doctor thinks it will continue to come back if I’m not careful. I plan on BBL this winter and hope doing that annually along with sunscreen with keep it from coming back.
She told me that a deep laser like this can expose underlying issues you may not have known about or had before. I wish I had just done a series of fraxle instead

Eliadvo

July 1, 2020

Hi thank you for sharing. I am actually considering CO2 SmartSkin. Im so scared bc of all the mixed reviews. I have heard AMAZING things about it but I dont know anyone whos doe it and hearing these type of reviews scares the u know what out of me. If u wouldnt mind I would love to see ur pics. Thank u again and I hope ur doing much better now.

real5645

August 1, 2020

Eliadvo

August 24, 2020

I actually just cancelled my appointment today. I had such a bad feeling last week and they rescheduled n me. I called them Thursday to see if I was supposed to avoid anything prior and they said no. I got a sunburn yesterday and googled if I could still get it and found out there was a bunch of stuff including tanning and sun that I was supposed to avoid for FOUR weeks prior. The fact they were so lax with this info did not bode well for how they would regard my face and skin. I am over this procedure. Thank you for your input!

Lsmith8381

June 19, 2021

I did the ho2 two years ago. Yes my face was red and peeled like crazy. But it made for less wrinkles and a very soft smooth skin. It was expensive but not painful. If I had an extra week to give up I would have it done again in a few years. I was happy with the results. I was asleep during the procedure.

Aldrivj

July 16, 2020

I have had many laser treatments. The best by far is the co2 smartskin laser. With the older co2 lasers you get little results.

facevirginia

July 26, 2020

I was very lucky with the CO2 laser Dr Kulak did for me around my eyes last October. It was in conjunction with a facelift and the improvement in the skin in that area is very noticeable. I'm sorry you didn't have the same outcome.

real5645

August 5, 2020

facevirginia

August 6, 2020

No, I”m not Dr. Kulak. I’m sure there are doctors who are unethical enough to comment as a patient, but I don’t think she is one of them. And I”m not her. I had a full facelift, neck lift, brow lift plus the co2 around the eyes last October. I’ve never reviewed because I didn’t want to put my pictures out there. And this is my first comment because it’s the first comment on a doctor I used that related to a treatment I had.

tiredmommyof2

August 6, 2020

I agree with you, she is an excellent doctor and I trust her. The CO2 laser just did not give me the results I would expect for the price I paid and the amount of down time but I would still see Dr Kulak if I need something else done down the line.

facevirginia

August 6, 2020

facevirginia

August 6, 2020

Tiredmommyof2–my comment below yours was directed to “real5645” not you, because of her alleging my comment was from Dr Kulak. I wish there was an “edit” button!

777Miss777

February 18, 2021

Hahaaa!! Then why would you immediately threaten legal action. This thread from facevirginia (just a regular person) is quite humerus.