42 with Rolling Acne Scars on Chin and and the Beginning of Small Surface Wrinkles - Fort Worth, TX

I did Fraxel on my face many years ago with a great outcome. I used the Fraxel in the past for acne scars and a more even skin tone/texture. However, as I've gotten older I've noticed that the acne scars that were almost non existent after my first round of Fraxel have returned and seem worse than ever. I know it's because of aging and my skin getting looser. So, I decided to go back to my dermatologist and and try Fraxel again to help turn back the clock and smooth out my acne scars. Since I've done Fraxel in the past, I only had to pay for a "maintenance" Fraxel session. The doctor has upgraded his Fraxel machine,m and I chose to use the IPL laser first, followed by the actual Fraxel laser. I think the new machine is called Fraxel Dual. Both lasers were part of the same machine.

On the day of treatment, I was given a numbing cream for my face, followed by a cooling gel to be used with the IPL. The IPL was uncomfortable, but not unbearable. It's like a rubber band snapping at your skin along with the feeling of heat. After the IPL was finished, the cooling gel was removed, and my face was prepared for the Fraxel laser. I was given a device that blows very cold air to hold near my face to help cool off any warmth or stinging from the laser. I was thinking that this would be the worst pain I've ever experienced (after reading some reviews on here), but it actually hurt less than the IPL. I was pleasantly surprised. I was told that since it's an erbium laser, there would only be one pass made on my entire face. On this site, many reviewers say that they get 4-8 passes per treatment, so I'm not entirely sure I got the full benefit of the laser. But, so far so good. I left the office with a very red face. It looked like I had a bad sunburn. I didn't want to be seen in public the day I had the treatment because I was so red, but over the days from the treatment, the redness has slowly faded and my skin has started to feel like sandpaper. I'm still pink and some of my discoloration has started turning darker and is starting to flake off. It's hard to know yet if this treatment is worth it because I'm not finished healing. I will write a follow up in a week or so.