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I'm 48 yrs old and had Fraxel repair done on Mar 4...
I'm 48 yrs old and had Fraxel repair done on Mar 4 to my face/neck. After reading all the blogs on this site, I feel very fortunate in every way of my results so far. My concerns for doing this were age/sun spots, fine line wrinkles and skin tone. The procedure and recovery was on target with the information my doctor and staff told me. I actually feel that my recovery was quicker than I expected.
In order to help those of you contemplating this procedure, I will include a recap of my daily events.
I had 2 consults with the Doctor and Aesthetician which were very thorough and complete. They were willing to spend as much time needed to answer any questions I had. During my visits, I was allowed to speak with 3 other patients who had this done within that week and were in for their checkups which helped put my mind at ease.
30 days prior to Fraxel Repair I applied an Obagi Bleaching Cream to my face and neck daily.
One day prior, I started on an antibiotic taken 4 times/day along with Valtrex (fever blister prevention) 2/day for 7 days.
30 minutes prior to arriving, I took a Valium along with an Adovan. Once I arrived, they administered a numbing cream which was given about an hour or so to take effect. By this time, I was feeling the relaxing effects of the drugs taken. I am very much a lightweight when it comes to medication and was offered another Adovan which I denied. Next I was given nerve blocker shots. I was pretty much out of it so I’m not sure how many shots I got but it seemed like quite a few. I remember some discomfort from them.
Day 1: The procedure took about 45 minutes. Again, being sedated fogs my memory but I don’t remember too much pain on my face except for my cheeks. My neck was really painful but it took 15 minutes so it was bearable.
Once completed, the staff showed my friend who was with me how to dress my wounds. We then left for home which was a 20 minute drive. I slept the whole way home and was totally zonked. I learned from my friend the following days what state my face was in Day 1 which was pretty bloody. When I got out of the car to go inside, my face was bleeding profusely. Thank God I had a friend stay to care for me because I was pretty much in and out until 6:00pm. She changed my dressing every 2 hours to prevent the blood from drying. These changes consisted of cleaning the face with water and gauze, then using a cleanser mist, then applying vinegar/water gauze all over leaving it on for 10 minutes. Next was to apply a thick coat of Aquaphor for lubrication. The oozing continued for about 30hrs. There was NO pain involved preceding the procedure except for the gauze scraping my face while cleaning.
Day 2: Although I expected to have the worst swelling on Day 3, mine was on the second day. I was glad to have my oozing stop that afternoon and continued to re-dress every 2 hours.
Day 3: Time for my first check up. The staff was pleased with my results. Although I was told I could change the dressing every 3-4 hrs, I continued every 2 hrs mainly because the Aquaphor drove me crazy and it felt good to clean it off. I’m told to discontinue the use of on my chin area due to millia (white pimples). Instead, in this area, I was to apply Cetaphil Lotion. The staff feels that the consistency and frequency of my wound care possibly aided in the lack of the normal peeling process I had which was minimal to none. With each cleaning, I would notice a little peeling. The swelling started to subside. The redness seemed to become more intense.
Day 4: The daily improvements are drastic compared to how I looked 2 days prior. I am re-dressing every 3-4 hours. The worst part now is the itching. I had no itching on my face but a lot on my neck. Even now on day 11, I still itch at times.
Day 5: Time for my second check up. All’s fine and I am to continue staying inside. I live in Florida and just walking out the door would cause my face to fluster then feel a burning sensation. I was told I could start to wear make-up. I felt that due to the redness (which was not too bad); I was not going to be able to comfortably go out but was surprised of the coverage I got. I applied Doctors Bag tinted sunscreen which I got from the Doctor then mineral powder.
Day 6: An exciting day…..My look was great. No fine lines or dark spots. My skin was a beautiful even tone with no fine lines. I realize some of this was still due minimal swelling but it looked great.
Day 7: Third check up. The staff seemed very excited on the progress. My instructions were no physical activity for 3 weeks, apply sunscreen every day and stay out of the sun. My next visit will be in 4 weeks at which time they will consult me on routine maintenance.
Day 8: I went to watch my tennis team play and had amazing compliments such as I looked 10 years younger. My neck is a bit saggy and has not made the improvements my face has.
The following is my personal opinion of this process:
The most important thing is to use a Doctor who is VERY familiar with this procedure. Ask how many times they have done Fraxel. They have to start somewhere but I wouldn’t want to be one of their first few patients. There are different settings for different areas so ask what their plan is for you. I will admit although I was informed of everything, I didn’t realize how this could have turned out. My normal attitude is that most things are not a big deal. I truly lucked into choosing and receiving the care from the staff who I would highly recommend. Having 6 days of doing nothing, I found out just how horrible some experiences were. The only thing I was told that I do not agree with is that although it is best to have someone to care for you the first day, it is not mandatory. I live alone and did not plan on having help but had it not been for my friend, I would have not had such a great recovery and would have been much more uncomfortable. Thanks to her for taking the initiative to know this was necessary.
Accelerate the healing process by re-dressing OFTEN. I was supplied a gauze but ran out. My friend bought me cloth gauze which was MUCH more comfortable on my sensitive face.
Don’t get down due to your being uncomfortable with an ugly, greasy face thinking it will be a while before you can go out in public. Laugh and make fun of this alien face you will have for a couple of days. It will get better really quick if you have done the right things.
I have no idea how I will look 1 week, 1 month or 1 year from now much less the 5-10 years they say this should last but if my look now is indicative of how it will be, I feel confident this was a choice I would again make.
Hope this is of help to any who are considering this procedure. I am writing this for no other reason than to inform you of my thoughts. Although I highly recommend my Dr. I have not been coaxed into this by him for any reason.
In order to help those of you contemplating this procedure, I will include a recap of my daily events.
I had 2 consults with the Doctor and Aesthetician which were very thorough and complete. They were willing to spend as much time needed to answer any questions I had. During my visits, I was allowed to speak with 3 other patients who had this done within that week and were in for their checkups which helped put my mind at ease.
30 days prior to Fraxel Repair I applied an Obagi Bleaching Cream to my face and neck daily.
One day prior, I started on an antibiotic taken 4 times/day along with Valtrex (fever blister prevention) 2/day for 7 days.
30 minutes prior to arriving, I took a Valium along with an Adovan. Once I arrived, they administered a numbing cream which was given about an hour or so to take effect. By this time, I was feeling the relaxing effects of the drugs taken. I am very much a lightweight when it comes to medication and was offered another Adovan which I denied. Next I was given nerve blocker shots. I was pretty much out of it so I’m not sure how many shots I got but it seemed like quite a few. I remember some discomfort from them.
Day 1: The procedure took about 45 minutes. Again, being sedated fogs my memory but I don’t remember too much pain on my face except for my cheeks. My neck was really painful but it took 15 minutes so it was bearable.
Once completed, the staff showed my friend who was with me how to dress my wounds. We then left for home which was a 20 minute drive. I slept the whole way home and was totally zonked. I learned from my friend the following days what state my face was in Day 1 which was pretty bloody. When I got out of the car to go inside, my face was bleeding profusely. Thank God I had a friend stay to care for me because I was pretty much in and out until 6:00pm. She changed my dressing every 2 hours to prevent the blood from drying. These changes consisted of cleaning the face with water and gauze, then using a cleanser mist, then applying vinegar/water gauze all over leaving it on for 10 minutes. Next was to apply a thick coat of Aquaphor for lubrication. The oozing continued for about 30hrs. There was NO pain involved preceding the procedure except for the gauze scraping my face while cleaning.
Day 2: Although I expected to have the worst swelling on Day 3, mine was on the second day. I was glad to have my oozing stop that afternoon and continued to re-dress every 2 hours.
Day 3: Time for my first check up. The staff was pleased with my results. Although I was told I could change the dressing every 3-4 hrs, I continued every 2 hrs mainly because the Aquaphor drove me crazy and it felt good to clean it off. I’m told to discontinue the use of on my chin area due to millia (white pimples). Instead, in this area, I was to apply Cetaphil Lotion. The staff feels that the consistency and frequency of my wound care possibly aided in the lack of the normal peeling process I had which was minimal to none. With each cleaning, I would notice a little peeling. The swelling started to subside. The redness seemed to become more intense.
Day 4: The daily improvements are drastic compared to how I looked 2 days prior. I am re-dressing every 3-4 hours. The worst part now is the itching. I had no itching on my face but a lot on my neck. Even now on day 11, I still itch at times.
Day 5: Time for my second check up. All’s fine and I am to continue staying inside. I live in Florida and just walking out the door would cause my face to fluster then feel a burning sensation. I was told I could start to wear make-up. I felt that due to the redness (which was not too bad); I was not going to be able to comfortably go out but was surprised of the coverage I got. I applied Doctors Bag tinted sunscreen which I got from the Doctor then mineral powder.
Day 6: An exciting day…..My look was great. No fine lines or dark spots. My skin was a beautiful even tone with no fine lines. I realize some of this was still due minimal swelling but it looked great.
Day 7: Third check up. The staff seemed very excited on the progress. My instructions were no physical activity for 3 weeks, apply sunscreen every day and stay out of the sun. My next visit will be in 4 weeks at which time they will consult me on routine maintenance.
Day 8: I went to watch my tennis team play and had amazing compliments such as I looked 10 years younger. My neck is a bit saggy and has not made the improvements my face has.
The following is my personal opinion of this process:
The most important thing is to use a Doctor who is VERY familiar with this procedure. Ask how many times they have done Fraxel. They have to start somewhere but I wouldn’t want to be one of their first few patients. There are different settings for different areas so ask what their plan is for you. I will admit although I was informed of everything, I didn’t realize how this could have turned out. My normal attitude is that most things are not a big deal. I truly lucked into choosing and receiving the care from the staff who I would highly recommend. Having 6 days of doing nothing, I found out just how horrible some experiences were. The only thing I was told that I do not agree with is that although it is best to have someone to care for you the first day, it is not mandatory. I live alone and did not plan on having help but had it not been for my friend, I would have not had such a great recovery and would have been much more uncomfortable. Thanks to her for taking the initiative to know this was necessary.
Accelerate the healing process by re-dressing OFTEN. I was supplied a gauze but ran out. My friend bought me cloth gauze which was MUCH more comfortable on my sensitive face.
Don’t get down due to your being uncomfortable with an ugly, greasy face thinking it will be a while before you can go out in public. Laugh and make fun of this alien face you will have for a couple of days. It will get better really quick if you have done the right things.
I have no idea how I will look 1 week, 1 month or 1 year from now much less the 5-10 years they say this should last but if my look now is indicative of how it will be, I feel confident this was a choice I would again make.
Hope this is of help to any who are considering this procedure. I am writing this for no other reason than to inform you of my thoughts. Although I highly recommend my Dr. I have not been coaxed into this by him for any reason.
Just had a 5 month follow-up and would love to...
Just had a 5 month follow-up and would love to share with you all how great an experience this has been. I knew that the procedure had an impact on how I had aged, but never to this extent......After seeing the "before and after" pictures, it was unbelievable to see the difference. I can truly say that 10 years has been taken off my looks. Hats off to the doctor and their staff for not only doing this procedure but also for spending time with me going over the maintenance, etc that I need to abide by. I would strongly recommend this to anyone who is a good candidate and would like to stress the importance of having an experienced doctor for I feel this was the key to my success story...........Thanks to you all for what you've done......
It has been almost 2 yrs since my Fraxel Repair...
It has been almost 2 yrs since my Fraxel Repair and I am still very happy with the results. My skin looks great. I am starting to get a few age/brown spots again and need to address this. I assume living in Florida and being in the sun more than the average person is a big contributing factor to this although I do wear sunscreen at all times.
Provider Review
Board Certified Otolaryngologist
2050 W. County Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
This question is answered in my comments.