Single IPL Made Face Look Awful - Colorado, CO

Hey guys,
I apologize this update has been extremely overdo. Many of you have asked me how my face is today, and I am happy to tell you that my face is 90% better! I attribute this to both my skin's natural healing process, as well as some cosmetic intervention. If you have just had an IPL and are freaking out, I'm going to list some things below that may be helpful to you. Please understand that I am not a medical professional and the following is only my opinion of what helped me personally.

Products that are awesome:
1) Psoria-gold (curcumin skincare) - Not only is this an awesome topical anti-inflammatory, it inhibits (Ph-K), which is an enzyme that contributes to uneven skin texture after injury (in this case thermal injury). I used this a few weeks after my IPL treatment, but wish I had used it from the start.
2) EltaMD UV Clear Sunscreen (this never broke me out and was wonderful to protect my skin from the sun, AN ABSOLUTE MUST, especially while your skin is healing!)
3) NeoStrata Foaming Glycolic Face Wash - After 6 months, I started using this wash. Not only did it help my skin texture, but it completely cleared up any hormonal breakouts I had.
4) Country Life Maxi-Skin Collagen C + A - I actually did notice a difference once I started taking this supplement (vitamin C is incredibly important in helping the skin heal as it plays a vital role in collagen synthesis).
5) Retin-A - I have a love/hate relationship with this stuff. It took me a long time to find the right product and learn how to "buffer" it so that it did not irritate my skin. Moderation is key here, start low and slow, and work your way up.

Below are some of the procedures that I paid for in order to help my skin:
1) Aquagold fine touch - Although expensive, this treatment made a HUGE difference in my skin!
2) Dermal Filler and Botox - I had filler placed under my eyes, in my cheeks, and around my cheekbone area. I had volume loss from IPL, and the fillers helped to bring balance back to my face. The Botox helped both my forehead wrinkles and seemed to soften the bad texture I had around my eyes.
3) Skin Boosters by Restylane - I don't believe these are available in the U.S. yet, but they are absolutely fantastic! If you travel to Europe or Canada for any reason, it might be worth looking into :)
4) Microneedling with PRP - Ok guys, for some people this procedure may not be a good idea... If your skin reacted badly to PRP there is definitely a chance that it could react badly with this treatment, so tread lightly. However, my skin could not have been any worse, so the risk was worth it to me. This procedure was HUGELY helpful in treating my awful skin texture post IPL. I noticed a difference right away, and had 3 treatments in total.

Here is my best advice:
If you have had this procedure done and are noticing textural changes, STOP! Do not get anymore IPL or laser treatments to try and "correct" the damage. Instead, be very gentle on your skin for at least the first 6-months of healing. Use gentle products, and always wear a sunscreen! I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping both your skin and body well hydrated by drinking enough water. Also, clean up your diet. Eating clean foods and getting plenty of sleep will give your skin the best chance of recovering. I began going to the gym regularly after my IPL damage, partly because I was so stressed about my skin, and partly because I knew it would help my body. I believe increasing blood circulation through any activity is awesome, and does help your skin heal. And lastly, try not to stress out. I understand how scary it is to watch your skin change. For me, I was anxious, depressed, and could not stop looking in the mirror. Don't do this to yourself, your skin will improve, and it will heal with proper care. While it heals, improve your life in other ways. I went back to school, got a better job, and met the love of my life. I truly believe that happiness and joy impact us psychically, so do things that make you happy and try not to focus on your skin too much.

My love and strength to everyone and anyone who has had to go through this. I will try and post updated pics within the next week or so. Stay strong beauties, it is going to be ok :)

Depending on peel strength, I waited anywhere from two weeks to a month between peels. I did not find that the peels aggravated my rosacea, but I do not have a severe case, (this may not hold true for everyone as peels can be incredibly irritating for people with sensitive/ sensitized skin). Interestingly, I found that a steady application of salicylic acid actually helped my rosacea a bit (2-5%). As to those of you who are considering lasers to fix previous damage, I would say proceed with extreme caution. If you did not respond well to IPL or BBL, your skin may not respond well to more invasive lasers. The reason I chose chemical peels was b/c I felt that I had more control, and there was no heat involved. I firmly believe that some of the heat that these lasers produce, does more harm than good. I am not condemning the use of lasers, however, I would ask yourself if you're emotionally prepared for the chance that things could get worse. If not, I wouldn't chance it.
Thank you all for the support, love and kind words. Take your healing one day at a time.

Hi guys! So sorry for not updating sooner. I got promoted and have been traveling non-stop! Interestingly, it was when I was traveling overseas for my job, that I made the best discovery for helping my skin (more about that to follow). As of today, my skin is around 60% better. I think most of this is due to my age, a healthy diet (drinking plenty of water), and allowing my skin time to heal. Below are the things that have made a genuine difference in my skin:

1. Chemical Peels - Light chemical peels won't cut it, I had to undergo a series of deeper chemical peels to help with my damage (TCA 40+). I tried to find someone in my area who still performed Phenol spot peels (for a few of the larger indents/ scars), but to no avail. It seems everyone has been swept up in the great "laser wave."
2. I have undergone 2 deep (in office) micro needling treatments - AFTER having used Retin-A for 3+ months prior (the Retin-A helps encourage new collagen and speeds remodeling of the tissue).
3. I have been using SPF 50+ sunscreen everyday and have kept my face completely out of the sun.
4. I had a few injections of dermal filler (some deeper for volume loss and some superficially on specific areas)
5. The thing I found to be the most helpful (it is not available in the U.S. yet) was Restylane Skinboosters - essentially a series of microinjections with hyaluronic acid filler. I had this procedure done in the U.K. and it made a noticeable difference for me. I cannot wait until it comes to the U.S., as I would say after this treatment, my skin improved by another 20%. I was amazed.
The last thing I will add that I truly believe has helped my skin, is the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum. It's expensive, but awesome.
This has been a long and cumbersome journey to say the least. I am still astonished that this procedure caused so much damage to my young face, but I can't do anything more about it. I will state again, that if you are thinking about this procedure, please consider the risk(s) you are taking. You may be trading one problem for an even bigger problem. In my case, I traded slightly red, young skin, for skin that looked as if I had aged 20+ years overnight (complete with scars, indents, and wrinkles). If you are reading this and are bent on having this procedure done, I noticed something about my skin that may help you. The right side of my face is significantly more damaged than my left. This wasn't due to a difference in machine setting(s) or surface area covered. I firmly believe this was because I put ice on the left side of my face immediately after the procedure, but did not do so on the right side of my face (was driving home and couldn't hold ice on both sides). I believe that I was burned and the ice mitigated some of the damage to my left side.

Hope this helps you all! My love and strength to everyone!