Smartxide Dot Laser (Age 58)

I had the SmartXide dot laser done on 7-6-10. I was given 1 Demerol and 2 Xanax before the procedure and a numbing cream was put on my face. I had the face and neck done. I could feel it but the pain was not that bad. My doctor said I was the best patient he has EVER had. I did not move at all. I tried to stay calm and not move so he could do a great job. My boyfriend stayed in the room and watched and he said he was able to turn the power up on the areas with wrinkles because I was so calm.

Day 1 I looked pretty bad pretty quickly. My face was just bloody all over. I slept almost entirely for the day of the procedure and the day after. Day 2 I was pretty much out of it and my boyfriend took care of me by cleaning my face and patting it and making sure I kept the Aquaphor on it all the time. Day 3 I finally woke up and I was able to clean my own face and keep the Aquaphor on it. It started peeling (coming off on the gauze pad as I patted it) on day 3 and by about day 5 or 6 almost all of the crusty skin was off leaving behind red, sunburned appearance skin.

I had a follow-up visit 1 week after the procedure. He said it looked great. I was told to not use the Aquaphor any more and to switch to a good face moisturizer, which I did. I went to the store and bought Neutrogena brand with SPF 50 and UVA/UVB protection. I keep it on all the time.

Today is day 15 and my skin looks wonderful. It is still red but not as bright. I have been putting a mineral-type make-up on it ever so slightly to take some of the red away. I had some pretty bad, what I call criss-crossed, wrinkles on my cheeks and they are absolutely gone. My skin looks so even and nice and is just wonderful. I cannot say enough about it. My doctor was excellent.

I am very happy with my results and they say the best is yet to come when the collagen starts producting itself, which does not even begin until 1 month after the procedure and goes on for quite a few months with tightening, etc. I highly recommend this procedure. I am 58 and this easily took 15 years off my face. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

All I can say is the better patient you are, the better job they can do. If they use a higher power with the laser, you will have better results. My doctor is a dermatologist. He said most people are not still and even cry with this procedure. Good luck to all.