In Panic Mode Days After Fraxel Dual. Hope I Heal Properly - Orange County, CA

Im 45 and had fraxel dual March 1. I had had thermage the week before and was very pleased with that procedure. It hurt, but there really was no healing process. I may have been a little pink and puffy but that was for like a day and i could wear makeup no problem. I am ashamed of myself because on a whim i purchases a package which included both treatments. I went to a top dermo office in oc cal and feel i wa well taken care of and have no complaints with them other than i had no pre op info, or what to expect discussion. Perhaps this is the norm. Anyway, back to my fraxel dual. Its sunday and i had it last thurs for dark spots and some tightening so they did four passes with each laser to target both. Procedure hurt, even with numbing cream. It was much quicker than the thermage which took over an hour. Fraxel only like 20 min. My post is about my recovery, but will just say it hurt and i have a very high pain tolerance. Right after i was fine, my skin was red and tender but smooth. I went to work the next day. I looked puffy and discolored and makep wa pointless because my skin was very rough. Still felt i didnt look too bad. Well i just kept getting rougher, puffy and red and dont want to go out due to the appearance. My face is a scab. Wherever i had the laser is a scab. The texture of my skin is toasted bread and it is started to flake off around my mouth revealing red raw skin underneath. I am panicing because i dont want this raw skin to scar and leave me worse off. Around my mouth is flaking from movement from eating amd talking. I had a sandwhich and had to smoosh it because i could feel my skin crack when i went to take a bite. I am hoping as time passes i will be happy but right now im scared and kicking myself in the butt. I was fine before doing these procedures, just perhaps a little down dwelling on my age-45 remember.

Sorry for all the rambling, i will recap. Thermage-love it. No broken or scabbed skin. It hurts but only during the actual treament. Fraxel dual-totally different than thermage and leaves you "wounded". I am on day four and no where near recovered. Expect a dark scab wherever u have the procedure and think about when u have it done-u will probably want to lay low for a week because of its appearance. Only pain after procedure is the pain u would expect from having a total face scab. Not unbearable, just uncumfortable and irritated, tight, cracky. I received a care package with cetafil cleanser and lotion, some oil to mix with cleanser, a soothing spray mist, sunscreen and another product to use before moisurizer. I have decided now that less is more. My skin feels inflamed so im cleansing, i added aquafor to the bad spots, and then i moisturize. I mist when needed and take ibupfrofin for inflamation. Took a few benadryl because i thought that may help with irritation, and my eyes were getting puffy. Hope this info is useful to someone. I would say think hard before u do it and really educate yourself on the fraxel laser. I feel i should have apreciated what God gave me let go of my age hang up. All the best.