I look like I’ve aged 10 years in 6 months

I will start by saying I gave this procedure 1 out of 5 stars and not the place I received the treatment. Although some things went wrong in the procedure like the machine and hard time with the eye shields, the place and staff were very lovely, clean, good manners and professional.

So I first went for a consultation regarding pigmentation issues (freckles) and minor fine lines. I had my hopes set on getting the fractional co2 laser but was told this wouldn’t be an option and to come back in around 10 years as I’m currently 33 and she explained it would be better to get it in my 40’s... I thought ok I understand that and appreciate when a doctor declines a procedure you want if they think it’s in your best interest. The doctor did however suggest I get 4 treatments of fraxel 1927 for the pigmentation on the highest setting. Although it was going to workout more expensive than the co2 that was just one treatment, I took their advice and booked in for my first treatment.

The treatment itself wasn’t all that bad, there is pain of course but that was to be expected. The staff were lovely and the doctor was very informative and took her time with me which was lovely. I got the treatment up around my eyes also so had to have eye shields put in... a second nurse came to put them in as the doctor said she was very quick and good at doing it. I can’t even describe how gross getting eye shields put in is and even though you get numbing eye drops you can still feel them and yuck... the doctor also had a hard time getting them out and had many failed attempts. The machine the lady was using kept cutting out and so in the end I had to hold a part of the machine that cooled my face so she could get it to work. I feel like because of this she went over areas on parts of my face way to much as she kept stopping to restart the machine and then going over the same area more often than I was told she would.

The healing was to be expected, I looked like Frankenstein for a good week until all the bronzing had came off and wow my skin looked like I had dreamed it to look, flawless and clear and plump and I was sooooooo happy. Then after a few weeks of wearing no make up because I was so happy I noticed some of the pigmentation on my cheeks starting to return. I must mention I’m the whitest person on earth with dark hair and dark freckles.. then week by week more and more. I did exactly as the doctor explained and I slathered my face in sunscreen 2-3 times a day and on top of that I never go in the sun so my skin was never exposed to the sun without sunscreen and even when I had sunscreen I avoided the sun like the plague!

So now nearly 6 months on.... I look horrible, it was a waste of money. I have enlarged pores even on my top lip which was the part that stayed the reddest after the procedure and I must say I had redness for a lot longer than they said I would... I even think now my face colour has somewhat darkened. All of my freckles are back plus more and weird browning in areas in my skin especially the forehead and upper lip. I can even see the pattern of the laser within this weird browning that I never had before. I look like I’ve aged 10 years in 6 months and now I have to wear way more makeup than before to try cover my shitty skin. I would never go back to get the other three sessions as I’d probably look like a 100 year old orange peel if I did.

Anywho I did a load of research for years on different lasers, treatments etc and I wish I had of gone with what I first wanted and not be talked into something else that has ultimately made me look worse. I read the bad reviews on fraxel and thought “that’s just a small percentage, that won’t happen to me” but it did and it does and these are the risks you/we take. Everyone somewhere has a bad experience with something, it’s inevitable but this seems to have a growing amount of bad reviews all with the same issues after so best to stay away from fraxel!