Laser resurfacing

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
Has anyone had this done? If yes, what kind? I had Fraxel done about 4 years ago, just around my mouth, to get rid of smoker's lines & the results were awesome. But it hurt like a bear!

I have a consult Thurs (this time for my whole face) & I'm looking at Fraxel, Portrait & erbium. I know they'll all be pretty painful, but I'm interested in others' experiences. Downtime? Pain? Results? Anything else that'd be helpful? I'd really appreciate some advice.......
 
Hey Laura,
Would you be comfortable sharing how expensive it was? Or just a ballpark?

I'm wondering if I could do this on my belly when we're done with kids. I have loose wrinkly elephant skin left around my belly button. It's not sagging, and all the muscle tone is underneath. I just have this patch of skin that was stretched too far, and a non-invasive treatment would be right up my alley, since I don't need a complete tummy tuck.
I miss my bikini.
 
I don't mind at all. :) The Fraxel cost $600 per treatment, I had one treatment per month for five months. Bearing in mind I live in a pretty expensive area.

But Fraxel is more for the face. And cosmetic docs lie. "Mild sunburn" apparently is equivalent to sticking your face onto a frying pan for about 5 minutes. I couldn't eat or drink the rest of the day, I could barely move my mouth. I had to keep ice on it for about 6-7 hours. That said, the results were dramatic & permanent & I don't regret it one bit.

I have a similar problem as you but on my rear. :eek: I'm gonna ask about options for that too.
 
Wow that sounds so painful!

A couple of years ago, I spent $1,000 on a treatment called YAG. I can't remember what that stands for, but it was some kind of laser treatment that was supposed to stimulate the collagen to rebuild itself in my face.

It didn't hurt but apparently my collagen is stimulant-resistant - no results at all! I was really upset with myself for spending that much money on a treatment with no guarantees!

Now I am saving my money for this: www.lifestylelift.com. I think that it will make a real difference. It targets the areas I really want fixed - chin and neck - but is done with local anesthesia and isn't like the major surgery that a facelift would be.
 
Carolyn, what IS that? Is it threading? I can't believe there's a cosmetic procedure I'm not familiar with LOL. I googled it & couldn't find much info, except it's about 2X as much as the laser stuff. Threading is about 10 years in my future. ;) I did speak w/my doc about it in the past, she said it's not perfected yet, the threads are slipping. :eek: I'm hoping by the time I'm ready it's a good option. Have you looked at Thermage? I've seen mixed reviews on it but who knows who's right. :confused: That's why I'm asking my Qs here.

Oh, YAG is the same thing as erbium. It didn't hurt huh? Did you have any peeling or redness? I think it's still the gold standard in resurfacing.
 
LauraMax said:
Carolyn, what IS that? Is it threading? I can't believe there's a cosmetic procedure I'm not familiar with LOL. I googled it & couldn't find much info, except it's about 2X as much as the laser stuff. Threading is about 10 years in my future. ;) I did speak w/my doc about it in the past, she said it's not perfected yet, the threads are slipping. :eek: I'm hoping by the time I'm ready it's a good option. Have you looked at Thermage? I've seen mixed reviews on it but who knows who's right. :confused: That's why I'm asking my Qs here.

Oh, YAG is the same thing as erbium. It didn't hurt huh? Did you have any peeling or redness? I think it's still the gold standard in resurfacing.
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I think Lifestyle Lift and QuickLift are the same thing and I was interested in QL. Glad I read your post about threads slipping. A co-worker told me a guy in a bar (!) told him QL uses a wire. Not sure if that makes a difference.

I've always had one of those vertical lines between my eyes (like, since jr. high, except it's much deeper now) and I asked my dermatologist about it. He was like "a little botox will fix that right up." He gave me the name and number of a doctor he recommended but that was years ago, I never did it, and I've long lost the number. As I've slimmed down I've definitely started noticing fine lines in places I've never seen lines before, like the fat had been filling them in! My friends say they can't see them but I never had parentheses around my mouth before and the crepeing around my eyes (and drooping eyelids) is plenty obvious to me.

I like this thread and hope everyone will discuss cosmetic procedures here because it's suddenly become a prime area of interest for me as I approach the age of 48.
 
Laura,

Lifestyle Lift is different from threading. I had read about threading too and wasn't interested after I found out there were problems with the threads slipping - with my luck they would slip on one side of my face and not the other!

Lifestyle Lift is where they make a small incision on either side - under your ears - and pull the skin up. It is done by a certified doctor who has been trained in the procedure.

There are infomercials on about it, but I got the info from my sister who went to the place here in town that does it and talked to them. There is also good info on their website - lifestylelift.com.

My sister said there were a couple of people in the waiting room who had already had the procedure and were coming in for a follow up check up and they were thrilled with the results!

I think it is about $3K. If you do the neck, it's extra - I think the total is about $5K.

With YAG, there wasn't any burning, peeling, etc. - in fact there was NOTHING - no results at all - so I wouldn't recommend it!
 
LauraMax said:
I don't mind at all. :) The Fraxel cost $600 per treatment, I had one treatment per month for five months. Bearing in mind I live in a pretty expensive area.

But Fraxel is more for the face. And cosmetic docs lie. "Mild sunburn" apparently is equivalent to sticking your face onto a frying pan for about 5 minutes. I couldn't eat or drink the rest of the day, I could barely move my mouth. I had to keep ice on it for about 6-7 hours. That said, the results were dramatic & permanent & I don't regret it one bit.

I have a similar problem as you but on my rear. :eek: I'm gonna ask about options for that too.
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Laura
Did you flake and peel for days or was it just that day? I like to get things done where no one knows. can they do under the eyes? That is my biggest problem.
chrissy
 
I flaked for probably about 3-4 days after. My skin felt really dry & tight. And I didn't see results for a couple of months--it was really cool seeing my skin improve over time.

Actually, one of the pics on my picture trail shows me I think a day or two after I had the procedure done. It's the one w/Christine (Timber99), the tall blonde who makes me look short & frumpy. ;)
 
Please ladies do a search on reviews for lifestyle lift. I was looking at this also but when I researched the reviews there were some horrible results. It sure scared me away from them.

Susandean
 
susandean said:
Please ladies do a search on reviews for lifestyle lift. I was looking at this also but when I researched the reviews there were some horrible results. It sure scared me away from them.

Susandean
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Same here. Most of the complaints were about scarring. Pretty scary considering it's your face:eek:
I noticed the reviews mention that the doctors are not board certified either. :(
If you are going to get a lift, spend the money on a board certified surgeon. Research, research, research, and ask for references.
I would look for a surgeon who specializes in facial procedures. Also,a surgeon who specializes in micro surgery. A micro surgeon uses sutures that are so small and tight, it looks like the skin has been fused back together. This makes a huge difference in scarring and healing.
 
Ouch!

LauraMax said:
And cosmetic docs lie. "Mild sunburn" apparently is equivalent to sticking your face onto a frying pan for about 5 minutes.
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No kidding! I've had laser hair removal. They say that it is only mildly uncomfortable; "like being snapped with a rubber band."

You know what it really feels like? It feels like a laser beam burning through your follicles. It's really painful! And I'm no wimp -- I've been through natural childbirth (and lived), so when I say it hurt, it really hurt!

But I digress.

Laura, I hope that smoker damage is a thing of the past. Good luck with your treatment!
 
Pearlstrand said:
No kidding! I've had laser hair removal. They say that it is only mildly uncomfortable; "like being snapped with a rubber band."

You know what it really feels like? It feels like a laser beam burning through your follicles. It's really painful! And I'm no wimp -- I've been through natural childbirth (and lived), so when I say it hurt, it really hurt!

But I digress.

Laura, I hope that smoker damage is a thing of the past. Good luck with your treatment!
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I think every laser treatment is different. I've had spider veins done too, which is similar to the rubber band thing, it was uncomfortable but after the procedure was done I didn't feel a thing.

But I think cosmetic docs have a tendency to underestimate recovery time. And I completely agree w/the board certification. I would NEVER let an uncertified doc touch my face. Mine was referred to me by my aunt. She's been seeing her for years, has had many many procedures done by her including 2 face lifts, & the 78 YO woman looks like she's in her 50s. She's my hero. ;)

LMAO at the childbirth thing! I've never been through it myself, but sometimes I wonder if it's worse than Drill Max. :D I'm glad you survived it Kathryn. :)

Smoker damage is most def. a thing of the past. I quit 6 years ago this May, & I think it's made a world of difference in my skin texture.

Now if I could just find a way to undo the sun damage & stop the clock!
 
LauraMax said:
Smoker damage is most def. a thing of the past. I quit 6 years ago this May, & I think it's made a world of difference in my skin texture.

Now if I could just find a way to undo the sun damage & stop the clock!
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Congrats on the smoking thing. DH has struggled with it for 25 years and seems to be winning (this year, anyway).

No kidding on that sun damage! I wish I could turn back the clock and put on some sunscreen. Of course, it didn't exist back then (am I dating myself?), but baby oil and Coppertone did, so now I'm paying the price.

I think the laser will really undo the sun damage on your face, but as for the rest of it... well, let me know when you find a solution!
 
I'm another one who's regretting the sun worshipping from the past! I still love to lay in the sun with a good book, or go for a long run on a warm sunny day. Now I at least try and remember to put on sunscreen. Has anyone heard of any effective topical products that minimize the look of wrinkles? I'm trying Olay Microsculpting Cream, but so far I haven't noticed much difference.
 
Well, there are several ingredients to look for in skin products, esp. copper peptides, esther c & retinols. You can get Retin-A (the same stuff as retinols except stronger) from your derm w/a prescription, but insurance won't cover it. I actually order mine from Canada, it's much cheaper.

Kathryn, if you're dating yourself I'm right there w/you! I cannot believe we used to coat ourselves in baby oil & sit in the sun all day. I'm pretty sure it's the same thing as frying a steak. :eek: Except today we'd probably use an oil w/less calories. :D
 
LauraMax said:
Well, there are several ingredients to look for in skin products, esp. copper peptides, esther c & retinols. You can get Retin-A (the same stuff as retinols except stronger) from your derm w/a prescription, but insurance won't cover it. I actually order mine from Canada, it's much cheaper.

Kathryn, if you're dating yourself I'm right there w/you! I cannot believe we used to coat ourselves in baby oil & sit in the sun all day. I'm pretty sure it's the same thing as frying a steak. :eek: Except today we'd probably use an oil w/less calories. :D
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Wait you forgot about the tin foil under your face just to make sure the sun couldn't possible miss you!!

Been there with the baby oil thing. Hey at least our skin was soft while we were baking:confused:
 
LaughingWater said:
That's right! Had to get the neck tan too!

Did anyone here use those cute little sun tattoos (stickers you wore while sunbathing)? :rolleyes:
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No I don't remember those.

I never had one, but I remember they used to have those reflective blankets to lay on. Kinda like tin foil but soft. Kinda scary too!! Talking about frying a steak!

My skin is paying for that now!!:(
 
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