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I am 22 years old Asian who received Factional...
I am 22 years old Asian who received Factional Thermolysis for acne scar treatment. Not only I want to share my experience, but I also want to give some advice for those undergoing laser therapy.
First thing first, Fractional Thermolysis is likely the most safe form of laser treatment for acne scars. By this I mean that there is less likelihood of side effects. It is neither ablative nor non-ablative. It works like an iron and straightening out the skin. Although the efficacy may not be as good as the ablative one, I wanted to choose the safest route.
Shallow acne scars were gone after only first treatment. Deep boxcar scars had about 20% improvement. I was fortunate to have received at least 20%-30% improvement after just first one; don't expect this result. Moreover, I received many, many compliments on my skin. Some people were fascinated by it. Safe to say, I had great experience with this technology.
Okay, choosing the right treatment is important, but I would like to emphasize that after-care is equally as important if not more. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE. Yes, I study medicine. I am aware some doctors say "Wear spf50 and you should be fine." But as a precaution, you should not go outside at least for 2-3 days. If possible 7 days. By the way, it takes approximately one full month for your whole facial skin cells to be recycled; hence, you have the treatment every month. After 7 days, if you do go out, wear sunscreen heavily. This is important because hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, erythema are likely side effects from sun exposure. After all, why would you want to spend 3000 dollars and then damage your skin and cause more problem. You skin is burnt. Do not damage it more. It is just a common sense. Wear sunscreen at home if possible with Cetaphil lotion. Erythema will last about a month, so don't stress over it. Keep hydrated. Eat healthy. Don't get stressed.
You see, I don't have a picture of my acne scars. Almost the whole point of this post is to tell you one thing. Do not get exposed to sunlight after any laser treatment even with sunscreen or sunblock to make sure you don't experience any long term side effects. 5 days sound good. It may sound extreme, but I studied both pharmacy and medicine and my side interest is particle physics, so I do have a good reason behind it.
Other things that you should be aware:
- Discontinue isotretinoin (accutane), retinoid, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid for three weeks before undergoing laser therapy.
- Cool cloth is for reduce swelling. You do this for 48 hours after receiving treatment. Then use warm towel to speed up the healing process.
- Do not think about the price. Personally I recommend dermatologists in Japan or Korea. They are much more experienced and cheaper. Surprisingly many of them carry the most advanced technology for acne treatment. My Korean dermatologist completed a laser therapy program at Harvard. Trust me they know what they are doing just in case you are skeptical of their credentials.
- Sun screen is your best friend. It protects you not only from the sunlight, but any type of light.
- I believe white, black, brown people are more prone to hyperpigmentation and hypopigementation side effects, so you guys have to be more careful.
- Don't forget antibiotic ointment. Infection is possible.
My skin improved a lot. Not just the scars, but the overall skin tone. I received many compliments, and I feel very fortunate for not experiencing any side effect. I am going to discontinue after 3 treatments. Again, just make sure to avoid sunlight. I received the treatment in evening, at 6:00, just to make sure i can avoid sunlight. I remember being very self-conscious, I didn't even watch TV and made sure the lights were dim.
Would I recommend laser therapy? Hmm..... Still I don't know... If I do recommend, I would have to follow up on him/her and monitor very closely. I don't think laser therapy is not kind of treatment that you can just do it and send patients home and tell them to come next week. Well, that is my personal opinion.
First thing first, Fractional Thermolysis is likely the most safe form of laser treatment for acne scars. By this I mean that there is less likelihood of side effects. It is neither ablative nor non-ablative. It works like an iron and straightening out the skin. Although the efficacy may not be as good as the ablative one, I wanted to choose the safest route.
Shallow acne scars were gone after only first treatment. Deep boxcar scars had about 20% improvement. I was fortunate to have received at least 20%-30% improvement after just first one; don't expect this result. Moreover, I received many, many compliments on my skin. Some people were fascinated by it. Safe to say, I had great experience with this technology.
Okay, choosing the right treatment is important, but I would like to emphasize that after-care is equally as important if not more. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE. Yes, I study medicine. I am aware some doctors say "Wear spf50 and you should be fine." But as a precaution, you should not go outside at least for 2-3 days. If possible 7 days. By the way, it takes approximately one full month for your whole facial skin cells to be recycled; hence, you have the treatment every month. After 7 days, if you do go out, wear sunscreen heavily. This is important because hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, erythema are likely side effects from sun exposure. After all, why would you want to spend 3000 dollars and then damage your skin and cause more problem. You skin is burnt. Do not damage it more. It is just a common sense. Wear sunscreen at home if possible with Cetaphil lotion. Erythema will last about a month, so don't stress over it. Keep hydrated. Eat healthy. Don't get stressed.
You see, I don't have a picture of my acne scars. Almost the whole point of this post is to tell you one thing. Do not get exposed to sunlight after any laser treatment even with sunscreen or sunblock to make sure you don't experience any long term side effects. 5 days sound good. It may sound extreme, but I studied both pharmacy and medicine and my side interest is particle physics, so I do have a good reason behind it.
Other things that you should be aware:
- Discontinue isotretinoin (accutane), retinoid, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid for three weeks before undergoing laser therapy.
- Cool cloth is for reduce swelling. You do this for 48 hours after receiving treatment. Then use warm towel to speed up the healing process.
- Do not think about the price. Personally I recommend dermatologists in Japan or Korea. They are much more experienced and cheaper. Surprisingly many of them carry the most advanced technology for acne treatment. My Korean dermatologist completed a laser therapy program at Harvard. Trust me they know what they are doing just in case you are skeptical of their credentials.
- Sun screen is your best friend. It protects you not only from the sunlight, but any type of light.
- I believe white, black, brown people are more prone to hyperpigmentation and hypopigementation side effects, so you guys have to be more careful.
- Don't forget antibiotic ointment. Infection is possible.
My skin improved a lot. Not just the scars, but the overall skin tone. I received many compliments, and I feel very fortunate for not experiencing any side effect. I am going to discontinue after 3 treatments. Again, just make sure to avoid sunlight. I received the treatment in evening, at 6:00, just to make sure i can avoid sunlight. I remember being very self-conscious, I didn't even watch TV and made sure the lights were dim.
Would I recommend laser therapy? Hmm..... Still I don't know... If I do recommend, I would have to follow up on him/her and monitor very closely. I don't think laser therapy is not kind of treatment that you can just do it and send patients home and tell them to come next week. Well, that is my personal opinion.
Provider Review
Dr. Kim