Help! Recovering from Fraxel! Rosacea??!!
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Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:35 am

Hey. I have been lurking for awhile finally deciding to get some "real" help. I am four months out of a series of Fraxel restores. The last one was very aggressive and I am still slightly red in a veiny/streaky way. I have always been on the red/sensitive side. None of the 3 dermatologist I have been to post the restores say I have Rosacea. My cheeks are warm often with no flushing. I was on Nia 24 Skin Strengthening prior to and post Fraxel so I flushed then. Anyway.....the Fraxel has left me with raised pin prick pores, rough texture (orange peel), hyperpigmentation, broken caps and post acne. Before the treatment, I had no problems with acne or pores.

My derms (4 total: 3 post/1Fraxel) are divided. Two say do nothing and heal!!!! One gave me Replenix Green Tea and the other told me to use Cerave (basically Nia 24?). The other told me to get aggressive with Retin A/Obagi. I already have broken caps mainly on my cheeks. That I will address one day when my fear of lasers of over!!!

So what should I address first: redness or, while I am red, go for the turnover!! Obviously, the texture bothers me the most but I do not want to be stupid..ier (Fraxel). I am thinking I would start with ROC since I am sensitive and move up to Retin A later. Does anyone have any experience with Pryantine XR - it would address both if it works or Kinerase for Rosacea/redness? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!

I have been using Revitalight for the past 4 weeks from a local Spa. I think I have seen improvement but wondering if I should buy my own for frequent sessions. It costs $50/session. Of course, if her light has a higher penetration than I will gladly pay.

WHEW!!! I am sure you are tired but you have no idea how long these four months have been.

Current regime: Obagi C Wash/Obagi 10% Vit C/Aveeno Sunscreen. Skin feels oily but is really dry. Thank you in advance!!
In Sweet Time

free skin care · Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:04 am

Just to clarify - is it four months since your last Fraxel treatment?

Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:19 am

Yes.....four months last week. Unfortunately, I posted this under Products. Realized my mistake and posted under Skincare. Then my question under products was moved to Skincare so I have two questions under the same heading. I think I have decided to ask more personalized questions since this is a big one to tackle overall.

Have you tried LED's? I didn't see it listed in your signature. I had a Revitalight done yesterday and I see improvement today but I am thinking it is an inflammation response. I do wonder if it can treat my broken caps.

Thanks for responding!

Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:22 am

Sorry.....I did see the lightslim once posted. Have you seen success or other members who have treated broken caps with LEDs. If so, which colors?

I am hoping my dilated pores are responding to trauma/oil glands. I see improvement in them but only slight. I know other people have the same problem with products and peels.

Thoughts on going to Spa for Revitalight vs. buying my own for more usage.

free skin care · Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:40 am

Yes, I have an Anti-Aging Lightstim, which I enjoy using. However, LED's aren't a quick fix - they require constant use and dedication in order to stimulate collagen and elastin. I honestly don't think they do much for broken caps, especially in the short term. The only treatment that I've had success with for broken caps is IPL.

Of course, the advantage to owning your own LED is you can use it whenever you want - whether it compares to a professional device is debatable but at least you can use it regularly for just one initial outlay. So I just hope that constant use of a home gadget will equal the power of infrequent salon treatments.

I would have thought that your skin would be well and truly healed by now after your Fraxel treatment. My daughter had one a month ago and her skin is completely fine.

Wed Oct 20, 2010 9:41 am

Awesome! I am glad she is seeing results! Tell her to know her settings. The higher the setting, the longer for healing and higher risk of complications. The normal range is 30-40mj. I had my last one done at 70mj, the highest.

Thanks for the LED info!

Thu Oct 21, 2010 12:30 am

i have also had some fraxel treatments for ance ice pick scars. not effective at all i still have them. my last treatment waas alos very aggressive and burnt and darkened my skin i would rather have opted for ipl treatments

Tue Nov 02, 2010 5:48 am

I did years of various laser treatments. After joining EDS, I became interested in the LEDs. Just got the Rosacea Lightstim. Have only been using it a week. I have no negative reaction to using it. My skin is a little redder immediately following, but it fades by morning. Haven't been bold enough to use it earlier in the day to see how long the fading takes. Purchase price is less then two laser treatments, so there isn't much to lose.

I just ordered the Purple Emu products to see if they'll help.

free skin care · Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:06 am

I don't think you can compare LEDs with laser treatments such as Fraxel - IMO they are like chalk and cheese. My Pearl Laser cost AUD$2,000. Which laser treatments did you have that were so inexpensive?

free skin care · Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:34 am

I absolutely agree with Keliu. The ONLY thing that has ever worked for me on rosacea and broken caps is the IPLS.
The LEDS just do not have the same laser capabilities to "zap" a broken cap, which is what is needed. An IPL will basically dissolve it.
I have used my Baby Q since it first came out here and it has never done anything for the caps or really the rosacea. I use finacea for that. I also took Oracea for months, but got tired of taking an antibiotic.
The LED is for "hopefully" stimulating collagen but can't say that I see a big improvement in that.
All it does for me is plump up the skin temporarily and help my product absorb.
I use it once a week in front of my husband while watching TV to show him that I do use it and alay my guilt for buying such a costly and basically useless gadget.
I think my vaculifter has done more for my skin in a shorter time than the LED did as far as collagen goes.

Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:48 am

AnnieR
I know you had one treatment with the Fraxel re:store in '08 I believe. I then read where you had another type of laser - maybe the CO2? Which type and when? Also, did you see results or not enough for the money.

free skin care · Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:47 am

AnnieR wrote:

I also took Oracea for months, but got tired of taking an antibiotic.

AnnieR, sorry for off topic but what was your experience with the Oracea? Did you have broken caps at the time you were using the Oracea, and did it seem to lessen the redness of them?

Wed Nov 03, 2010 4:57 am

Keliu wrote:

I don't think you can compare LEDs with laser treatments such as Fraxel - IMO they are like chalk and cheese. My Pearl Laser cost AUD$2,000. Which laser treatments did you have that were so inexpensive?

I went for laser treatments for at least 12 years with the same dermatologist. He used several different machines over the years, most recently one they referred to as the "1060." In my most recent round of treatments, he used a second machine that he also used to remove sun spots on my hands. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of that one or the type of laser.

Treatments were $250 and I went every 4-6 weeks for a LONG time. I'm assuming cost has to do with the area in which one lives and the number of treatments one gets--but I really don't know.

free skin care · Wed Nov 03, 2010 5:27 am

I'm pretty sure the 1060 relates to IPL. Although IPL treatments can be painful, they are not as invasive or as costly as "resurfacing" lasers like Fraxel.

How come you have had 12 years of treatments - how come you had to go every 4 to 6 weeks for such a long time? What were you treating? Hope you don't mind my asking!

Wed Nov 03, 2010 6:04 am

Keliu wrote:

I'm pretty sure the 1060 relates to IPL. Although IPL treatments can be painful, they are not as invasive or as costly as "resurfacing" lasers like Fraxel.

How come you have had 12 years of treatments - how come you had to go every 4 to 6 weeks for such a long time? What were you treating? Hope you don't mind my asking!

Not at all. I joined this website in an effort to help me learn alternative treatments for my rosacea. I was diagnosed with rosacea over 20 years ago. My skin has always been allergic and sensitive, even as a child (I'm allergic to the sun and most sunscreens.) Used Metrogel for years. When I started with this dermatologist, he switched me to Noritate and when it came out, we added Finacea. My face continued to be really red all of the time and I'd get occasional papules for which I took antibiotics.

I started with the laser treatment because I was getting papules on my nose. I didn't want to end up looking like W. C. Fields with rhinophyma, as you can well imagine. The treatments ultimately cleared this up and I don't get papules on my nose any longer.

I never had the broken capillaries and I do think the laser treatments kept my rosacea from getting worse. I also think the "second" laser helped reduce some of my "aging" facial lines from deepening.

We had a cold, bitter winter last year and my skin became more irritated then usual. It reacted badly to all the moisturizers I tried (more redness and stinging.) I gave up the laser treatments, as I thought if would exacerbate this issue. I found Tamanu Oil and it "cured" the irritation. I never went back for more laser treatments and stopped the prescription topicals without negative effect.

Hope this isn't TMI.

free skin care · Wed Nov 03, 2010 6:20 am

Thanks for the info - sounds like you've had quite a battle. I've also had several IPLs - I had serious broken caps and my doctor also thought that I might have rosacea (he wasn't 100% sure). However, initially I only had one intense treatment done on a high stetting. The doctor said should have one treatment a year for maintenance (which I've continued to do). I still have broken caps but they're far less noticeable that they used to be but I admit the ones at the base of the nose can be very stubborn.

I'm just surprised at the amount of treatments you've had to have. I know that some doctors like to give a series of "milder" treatments but I think you're much better getting one intense treatment - even though you might suffer some bruising and swelling (meaning some downtime). But the pain factor is about the same as the lesser treatment.

Wed Nov 03, 2010 6:50 am

I had one treatment that ended up being "intense." It was back in the day when the laser felt like they were snapping rubber bands against your face. I hadn't gone for a while and the laser was at it's prior strength--I thought more was better back then. I did have horrible bruising and swelling and had to be put on steriods. My doctor felt terrible, I guess he doesn't believe in the same philosophy as your doctor.

I really trust this doctor. He specializes in cosmetic and cancer procedures (Mohs and reconstructive surgery.) Keeps up on the latest and won't keep doing procedures he doesn't think work, just to make money (got rid the laser for neck crepe because he didn't think it worked well.)After seeing the great results I got from OCM, he actually tried it to see if it was something he'd want to suggest to other patients.

free skin care · Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:27 am

Sorry-just saw the questions.
I had the Fraxel and then year before last had the CO2 laser. Can't say it did anything other than I had some fat loss on my face in areas that had to have juvaderm put in. No improvement in texture. He said it takes up to a year to see results, but I have not seen anything definative at all.
The IPL's in general did more for my skin than the lasers.
The lasers I think are just too harsh, considering the downtime and I think it made my rosacea flare back up/coupled with breakouts. I will not do that route again as they did more harm in damaging my skin than improving. When you stretch and cause fat loss, that just makes it worse. And recovery for the CO2 was brutal, with the oozing and crusting. I could not even touch my own face, hubby had to help me, sweet thing. He has a stronger stomach.
Oracea was okay, but very expensive unless you have their discount card. I think the finacea is a better fit for me, as I hate taking long term antibiotics. But boy does my derm push the Oracea, no matter how I tell him it isn't working, so that makes me wonder. I just quit and didn't tell him.

free skin care · Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:34 am

Also, the oracea doesn't help with broken caps, mainly just the pimples. Once you have the broken caps, they can only be "zapped" or dissolved in order to dissappear in my personal experiance.
Back in the time when I had my first IPL, the pain was horrible with the "snap", could not do them with the numbing cream for sure.
Now they are so gentle, I don't even use the numbing cream, which they actually said was better to help the IPL. Barely felt it. I even wondered if I couldn't feel it did it do anything, but it did!

free skin care · Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:53 am

AnnieR wrote:

Also, the oracea doesn't help with broken caps, mainly just the pimples. Once you have the broken caps, they can only be "zapped" or dissolved in order to dissappear in my personal experiance.
Back in the time when I had my first IPL, the pain was horrible with the "snap", could not do them with the numbing cream for sure.
Now they are so gentle, I don't even use the numbing cream, which they actually said was better to help the IPL. Barely felt it. I even wondered if I couldn't feel it did it do anything, but it did!

Thanks, AnnieR. I was hoping to hear the Oracea helped with the redness of broken caps, but it still looks like IPL is the only answer.

free skin care · Wed Nov 03, 2010 4:09 pm

AnnieR wrote:

Now they are so gentle, I don't even use the numbing cream, which they actually said was better to help the IPL. Barely felt it. I even wondered if I couldn't feel it did it do anything, but it did!

What, what, what????? GENTLE!!!! Every IPL that I've ever had done has been excruciatingly painful - are there now painless machines? Do you know the brand name?

free skin care · Thu Nov 04, 2010 8:33 am

No, it was a differant med/spa that my DIL gave me a gift certificate for. No numbing cream, no swelling, no downtime. It was awesome but I can't say the results were overwhelming, very slight but still improvements. I think you have to have a few of these, more like a maintenance or package. I will go back!

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