Fraxel Restore - 60 Year Old Female 3 weeks later- Not sure if it is worth it.

I had a fraxel restore treatment one week ago. After reading about the experiences of others and the ratings, I was very apprehensive. But after a week, I am totally thrilled and delighted with the results, and am considering one more treatment although I don't think I need one. I'll decide in a few months once I see the full effects. My situation is that with very fair skin, acne throughout much of my young adulthood and lots of sun damage, I had mild surface scars, redness, brown spots and very large pores especially on my nose and upper checks. I also have a few sebacious hyperplasia spots. The fraxel restore procedure and side effects were completely as described by the physicians assistant who performed it. There were no surprises. First the numbing cream, then one hour to take effect, then the procedure. I had four passes with rather low to moderate settings. The PA was expert and so reassuring, explaining at every moment what she was doing, how many passes, what direction and where on my face she was going to work on next. She started with my forehead, then went around my mouth, my cheeks, nose and the ended with eyebrow area and around the eyes. She joked that she saves the eyes for last since it is the most painful. And it did burn but it was over in an instant. The first passes on my face were easy but it did sting and feel hot as she got to the third and fourth pass. The whole treatment lasted 20-25 minutes. It was very bearable. The side effects were as described. I left the office very red and with slight pain that felt like a hot sunburn. The stinging subsided when I was home and iced my face. I had taken Advil before the treatment and took it throughout the next few days. The next day was worse in terms of swelling and redness as I was told it would be. I used 3 pillows the first night and slept well. I think I was exhausted from the anxiety I had in anticipation of the treatment. My skin was sandpapery and very dry and itchy but you can't scratch it. It started to peel on the third day in small, dandruff like bits. I used Cerave cleanser with warm water applied by hand, Cerave moisturizer and Aquaphor. She said I would not need the Aquaphor as that is used for the more intensive Fraxel ablative procedures but I found it worked better at keeping my skin hydrated v. reapplying the regular moisturizer every few hours. I continued to apply ice packs especially on my eyes as that was the most swollen area. I had my procedure on a Wednsday and did not leave the house until Monday, five days later. My skin was so dry, itchy, flaking and red that I didn't feel comfortable going out. Even though you can use makeup, it accentuates the dryness and made me look like I had alligator skin. We had some friends over on Saturday and I just lubed up and told them that I had some dermatology treatment. It didn't look too bad and they really didn't notice much. So anyone who tells you that you can go back to work or school in a few days is not really telling the truth unless you heal quickly. By Sunday, it was much better and by Monday I was fine. I wish I had done this so much sooner. My skin is smooth, very polished and fresh looking. Pores are much smaller although still larger than I would like but hey, nothing is perfect. What is wonderful is that I use less makeup and I do not need to touch up during the day. In fact I could go out with none or very little makeup but since I havent left the house in 45 years without makeup, I am still stuck on wearing foundation. I have a new confidence and am by no means with flawless skin, I am no longer embarrassed by my blotchiness and old acne marks. I also had the sebacious bits cauterized off during the procedure while my skin wa numbed. My advice is to make sure you use a reputable board certified dermatologist and don't buy any package. Get one treatment and see how you do. I also think, by reading the postings on this site, that expectations need to be reasonable and that you need patience to heal. Give it five days to get better and don't panic when you have side effects. If you go to an experienced and reputable physician whom you can trust and who will give you an honest assessment of what procedure is right for you, you will do fine. I will try to update my post in a month for a progress report.

It's now 2 weeks since my first fraxel restore procedure and, unfortunately, many of the benefits I saw after a week have disappeared. I am assuming that the polished, tighter look and diminishment of acne marks and pores was due to the swelling. I had assumed that after a week, the swelling would have been gone but apparently this was not the case. My skin is better than before the treatment - no doubt about that - and I hope I will see improvements in the coming weeks. My forehead, which had no acne marks but did have lines and some sun damage is most definitely tighter and very smooth. I am still peeling very slightly and have about 5 small whiteheads on my check and chin. I am treating them gently and just covering them with makeup. The improvements were not as much as I had hoped for given the excitement I felt after a week. I will see what happens in the coming months and decide if another treatment should be done. I would appreciate what others have experienced after 2 weeks and if my results are typical.

3 weeks post Fraxel Restore, my skin is back to much of its original condition. My husband says he sees a mild difference but I think he is being kind. I am hoping that this collagen building promise happens with improvements to come. I am still breaking out - at age 60! Every few days there is a new breakout, usually whiteheads. Luckily they don't last more than a few days and I treat them gently. I presume the breakouts are due to the fraxel stirring up bad stuff and that it will end soon. So far, my mind is not yet made up whether it was worth it. I am mildly depressed about the results given the high hopes I had.