Fraxel laser treatment

M

Maximus

Cathlete
OK I think I'm gonna get this. I was looking at laser resurfacing around my mouth (serious smokers lines even though I quit 2 years ago--guess the damage is done). I did a little research & was really, really amazed at the results, which are permanent, unlike botox which only lasts a few months.

Anyway, my dr. said I couldn't do laser resurfacing with a tan, which I pretty much have year round. Also it's a very invasive procedure that leaves your skin all weepy & scabby for a couple of weeks after. EWWWW!!!!! I couldn't go grocery shopping, I couldn't go to the gym--I just cannot have my life come to a complete standstill for something like this.

So while I was waiting for her to finish up with another patient I saw this brochure for the fraxel & was reading through it. When she got back I asked her about it & she said yes, it was a much more appropriate procedure for what I wanted & the recovery time is only like 2 hours (although you have to go back for 3-6 treatments). Also the cost is pretty nominal--it should be in the neighborhood of $3-400 ($1000 for the full face). It's pretty much brand new & she said she was waiting for all the equipment to come in any day now. So I'm thinking maybe in January--after the holidays are over, kind of during those winter months when absolutely nothing else is going on.

Figured I'd share for those of you like me--fairly young (37), not ready for a facelift but definitely showing some signs of aging.
 
OR you could stop laying out in the sun for hours at time. Sun damages your skin if you go out too much.
 
ZT27 does have a point. The more sun you get, the more damage. But, I think we all know that already. It may not necessarily be from smoking, but from both things.
 
It is from both. Unfortunately I don't have a choice when it comes to UV exposure--I have psoriasis & it's pretty much the only cure. I have the option of either being covered head to toe with red, scaly patches, or having relatively clear skin. It's a trade off & I'm sure you can guess what I'm willing to trade.

I do tan year round & cover my face in the tanning bed (I just use self tanner on my face to even it out). Not so easy at the beach though--I wear a hat & sunscreen but still.......

In any case, they are smokers lines & while I have a few fine lines & wrinkles in other places, I don't mind them b/c they're smile lines. I just can't stand the smokers lines, they are so freakin ugly, & if I'm seeing them now I don't even want to know what they'll look like in 5 years.

That said, I wanted to share this info with others who might want to look into it--it's fairly inexpensive, permanent, non invasive & has a very quick recovery time. I plan on doing it in January so I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Really, Angie??? I didn't know that....................

Anyway, I'm surprised about the psorasis because a friend of mine had it and she used some kind of antibiotic cream and it went away. I guess some has it worse than others.

What amazes me about people with smoking and tanning is some people are heavy smokers/tanners and they rarely get a wrinkle. My uncle is 59 yrs old. He's a HEAVY smoker and is out in the sun ALL the time and he looks a lot younger than his age. He doesn't do any botox or plastic surgery. He's a farmer, he doesn't care for that stuff. Same goes for my dad. I wonder if genetics play a role as well?
 
Yeah psoriasis is a weird thing--when I first got it I was 14 & I was literally covered from head to toe--so badly my dr. actually gave me a note to get out of gym class so I wouldn't have to change in front of the other girls. I mean, being 14 is hard enough without having to deal with something that hideous.........

So my dad gets it, he gets these little spots on his scalp & when he uses topical meds it's gone like in days. It's just not fair. I go one week without UV exposure & I break out all over the place. And my hands are the worst--which totally sucks b/c it's like the one part of your body you almost never have covered by clothing.

Wrinkles are definitely genetic too. One of the reasons I started looking into this stuff is b/c of my mom--I'm the spitting image of her & I look at her now at 64 & think my god, if I ever look like that I'd never leave the house or look in the mirror again. I guess I'm really vain but like the rest of us, I work so hard on looking good it just seems like a crime to let age undo it all. x(
 
Laura,

What exactly is this laser treatment? I mean what does it all involve? I am always interested in these kinds of things. I would never have the nerve to get a face lift - I am leery of Botox injections.

I will be 50 in December - and the thing I have that I absolutely hate is laugh lines (around my mouth) HA-HA! Well, I do laugh quite a bit, but this is no laughing matter. I do not have the lines around or under my eyes - I use some good creams.

So, could you let me in on what can be done without surgery. I feel there isn't much that can be done for these lines - I see some women in their 70's that do not have them and their whole face is wrinkled, but no laugh lines. Maybe they never laughed, who knows?

I still think that it is genetic.

Thanks,

Cheryl
 
Hey, it might not be completely from smoking, because I have noticed that I have a few lines around my mouth and I have never smoked, and I always wear spf 35 sunscreen because I am so paranoid about it. I think it's probably genetic as well, but I'm sure the environmental stressors speed up the process.

Anyways...you've got to share whether the treatment works! I've tried microdermabrasion and different creams, but nothing really works. Next up, carrying a lamp with soft lighting that follows me where-ever I go.

Keli

PS I'm 37 too.
 
I say go for it. I am thinking about something when i can take the time off work.
Your looks are mosty=ly your genes. My hubby is 50 and doesn't look it.
Sun will do damage but not if you don't go tanning constantly.
I own 3 beds and rarely get in them.1-2 times a week in a non high pressure bed I feel can be beneficial.Not 365 days a year.
The vitamin d benefit can be good especially for the blues.
My typing is horrible!!!!
I am a stylist. I believe in skin care.
I look better than my 2 younger sisters.
I tan in the summer for shorts and so i don't look too pale.
I use a 30 at the beach and still get black.
You have gotta be happy with yourself . Do what you gotta do for You not someone else.
Good luck.
Let us know if it works.
Anne


http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=8227804&uid=3969941
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Hi LauraMax,
I haven't tried fraxel laser treatment, but I do know it is one of the newer treatments. I am hoping to attend a seminar soon on it (my dermatologist sends me updates on her latests seminars..that's pretty bad when you are on your doctor's mailing list..LOL.) I have done Microderm, Photolight and Restylane. At 45 years old (almost 46 years), I am never taken for my true age so I would have to say they work. Just a word of caution, really keep your face out of the sun. One thing I will never do is leave the house without sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15 or above on my face. There is absolutely nothing in the world that will age you more. You can always make your face a little darker with make-up to match your body and no one will know the difference (that's what I do). I also use self-tanners out of a bottle and they work very well...although, I don't like them on my face.

Robin:9
 
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