24 Year Old Female, Co2 Fractional Laser on Superficial Cystic Acne Scarring - Loveland, CO

I have had cystic acne for the past 3 years. I've had acne in the past but nothing to speak of. After I decided to get a birth control uterine device called Mirena all hell broke loose on my skin!! Gradually I began having cystic acne my 6th month on the mirena. I brushed it off and figured I wasn't taking care of my hygiene well enough and started eating better, exercising more, investing in expensive skin products etc. My acne exploded my first year and I would have clusters on my cheeks, sometimes 6 cystic acnes clustered together atop or side by side. I of course started wearing more makeup to conceal the blemishes but I'm sure all it did was aggravate the problem. I wasn't sure what was wrong with me then my next year I started getting ovarian cysts!!! I knew something was wrong. Some doctors told me it had absolutely nothing to do with the mirena. I mean really???? Absolutely "nothing?" My acne was obviously due to a severe hormonal imbalance and by the end of my 3rd year I decided to have it removed. I didn't want to be on medications, birth controls, or use harsh chemical based cleansers or skin care. I maintained eating well and started supplementing with something called vitex. When i used vitex it took about 2-3 months to see a change. I honestly could literally feel it working. I took it at the same time everyday for the suggested directions on the bottle. If I didn't take it at the same time everyday and took it later I could feel my breast swell at times as a Reaction. It definitely helps to balance hormones! I swear by this! I also supplemented with a high count of probiotics, stopped dairy, calc+d+magnesium, and spirulina+chlorella. I completely stopped having bursting ovarian cysts and my cystic acne slowly but surely calmed down. I simplified my facial regimen to josie marans Argan cleansing oil and cleansing it off with a lukewarm/cold washcloth each time and using sanitas moisturizer and Burt's rose water to tone here and there. This had been my only answer out of all the things I've tried. I learned and realized that most cases of cystic acne is due to hormonal imbalances, stress, and a leaky gut. It takes so much time and patience! But now I'm 90% healed and it's been a full year now without the mirena. My acne was bad enough for accutane but I refused it! Any who! I've been looking I to getting a laser treatment for sometime now and went to get co2 fractional a by a guy named johnny at VaVoom aesthetics in Loveland colorado for my stretch marks last year. He did an amazing job and they happened to have a living social special for $299 for a face treatment. I had this done in my face yesterday. Despite the fact that I had a severe case of cystic acne, all of the gentle actions I took helped with the healing process over the year and my skin did not get the pitted scarring like most. I feel for anyone who suffers from any type of acne and still get some to this day. The kind of scarring I have is more superficial. A lot of redness, uneven skin tome/texture, and hyper pigmented looking spots. I have few pitted ones but they are barely noticeable unless you are extremely close. Johnny is an amazing and experienced person in laser. Everything went smoother than I thought. I was extremely nervous because I've had ipl phptofacials done over the year and they were more painful than this! I am excited to see my results. These photos are from yesterday prior to the procedure. I was in tons of pain and was pretty lethargic. I've been drinking lots of wAter, aiming for a gallon a day and eating well. Your nutrition and water I take could make or break the results! Today has been tough but I'm pushing through!