skin destruction - Vancouver, BC

Cjjr, is there any way u could re-post that Web site? Looks like someone removed it!! I'm am so sorry all of you have gone through this and must admit, you've saved my bacon. I was ready to schedule an appointment for treatment of premature ageing around my mouth (deep lines) but thought I'd research a little to get an idea of what to expect. After reading this I am definitely going to skip it and be grateful for what I have. I'm so grateful to all of u who had the courage to share your experience. Thank you and wishing you the best!

Wow! Same here. I went to a few ps who refused to revise a scar because it would make it worse but the laser docs don't see the potential for damage even when you walk out of their office fried to a crisp!

I spoke with a dermo who said not all skin types are meant for laser, which makes sense. As an Irish person with a fair complextion the laser caused larger pores and more wrinkles. I went to ps for help with pores he suggested Fraxel. I trusted his word, never expecting all this damage! I have started using Emu oil and I want to believe its helping with all the lines. Hoping that with time it will help improve the overall texture as well.

When I read stories like this it makes me furious. How could these "docs" not know that these lasers cause damage ? If they know then they definitely have no conscience.

Exactly. At the time I was annoyed that this doc and others (I went to a few) wouldn't touch my scar, I felt like he didn't care that I had a scar on my face that bothered me, and I felt helpless that I couldn't do anything about it. But now I realize he was acting in my best interest. Thing is when you have something like a scar that really bothers you, you will do almost anything to try and improve it, sometimes ignoring the risks. So that's why you need a caring doc to give you the facts and flat out refuse to treat you if it's not in your best interest. The fraxel practitioners don't do that, they prey on the vulnerability of people who will do anything to improve something they are unhappy with, even if it's clearly the wrong treatment for them.

You speak the truth. I should have listened to my original doctor who said to leave it alone. Yet still to this day I hope I can find something to not only improve the scar I had but the damage done by the laser. I know to be much more cautious now however and will insist on a test patch of any treatment I use.

Yeah, it's very hard to be told to just leave it alone, that it may improve over time (we're talking 6 months-2 years which is a long time to wait, and it still will only probably be improved a little). So I still would try anything again as well to improve the scars I have, never laser again, but I would always be willing to get them surgically revised in the faint hope they might be improved! But it's a lesson learned to be very wary of any treatment-cosmetic or medical backfiring.

Agree. I had one derm tell me there was nothing that could really be done for my post-acne pigmentation and broken blood vessels. I then went to the Dr. who did the IPL, and they acted like the other derm was terrible and badly misinformed for telling me that, of course IPL can fix that! Then what did I end up w/? Even worse pigment and more broken blood vessels than ever. I should have believed the first derm. She was being truthful. I just wish she had explained it a little more so I understood better. I didn't realize until after I had IPL and researched it more what the risks truly were. The doc who did the IPL acted like there was no risk.

I had it done last year and I think it got rid of two age spots that had been bothering me for some time and resistant to hydroquinone

I hit 'post comment' accidentally. However, I did think that after some months my skin actually looked worse, like more fine lines and more droopy. In fact, I went to two other practitioners to ask what I should do about age spots (more were showing up) and I had heard about pulse laser and didn't understand the difference. Both of them said that "fraxel should not make you worse, it is supposed to stimulate collagen" but we don't do it anymore (implying it is bad), we do pulse laser. I find the whole thing odd and like you can't get a straight answer. I had begun to think the "worsening" I felt I noticed may have been coincident with my normal aging at 44 but after reading the comments here, I am wondering if it is the fraxel!!!!

Exactly... They all chat [RS bleep] and try suggest pointing another laser beam at you... For a small fee of course.

Im 44 and had fraxel a year ago, my skin is awful now. Wrinkles where there were none before, loss of volume around mouth and cheeks. Ive been to so many docs, all claim not from fraxel. Has anyone found anything to help?

Go get them Cary!! Someone needs to stop plp from getting hurt. I tried so hard, my complaint was dismissed just a couple of weeks ago.

You hit the nail right on the head georgiedoll. Lasers are bad news and they have no idea what the outcome will be. Their playing Russian Roulette with people's faces to make a buck. And the powers that be allow it to continue. Its all about money and greed.

Cjjr. I wish some of these women who feel compelled to undergo this radical treatment took some time to better their skin naturally. They should try eating fresh food & veggies, limit alcohol or cut it completely, not smoke, and their skin will thank them. A laser is no magic wand and its sad that they have been sucked in into believing it is. You are right. They are playing Russian roulette with their skin and then crying about the outcome. It makes me sick to my stomach how some women are so gullible and delusional.

I think that's a bit rude to say some woman are gullible & delusional we have doctors & surgeons who have done years of training to do procedures most of us do research and go to the right places & trust the trained professionals a good doctor or surgeon starts with the worse case scenario so you don't have bigger or better expectations I myself would of considered possible doing laser in the future but because of all the reviews now I most definitely won't not everyone knows of this site. Food & diet can only Do so much it can't stop the hands of time and genetically people are different so they age differently would you say that a lady that wanted a breast lift after kids to feel better is gullible that she could look better but had a bad result due to a bad doctor? I don't think there is anything wrong with seeking out ways to slow down the ageing process we go to professionals for advice and nothing should be approved to use on the market without research that it's safe it's called a duty of care they can't just approve medications deemed unsafe

Keep in mind - a lot of women do eat well and take care of themselves. A lot if people use laser treatments to minimize scarring from an accident or acne. Something completely out of their control. I also know that everyone's experience with lasers are different.

Who the hell are you to come on here and make judgments of women who have been destroyed by a laser treatment?? You don't know damn thing about the circumstances involved with all these women and to be perfectly honest with you, most of these women have taken impeccable care of their skin their whole lives. Myself included. For something marketed as completely safe and fda approved with none of the horrible side effects disclosed.. How can it be our faults?! You are a troll and need to mind your own business. Lasers are destructive and most of us had to learn the hard way.. But please keep your condescending comments to yourself. Maybe one day you'll open your eyes. For now, troll on.

It's just a way to make money. They could care less about ruining someone's face and life.

Agree. They could care less, because they know that for every so many bad outcomes, there will be x # of good outcomes. They know the bad outcomes will mostly be unable to ever take any legal action or any action that would result in them losing any $$, so when they look at the money to be made vs. the tiny, tiny fraction they'd lose, for them it's profit, profit, profit.