Post faxel

3 months post treatment and i have seen no difference yet. Yes i needed to shell out 10k for just one session of the fraxel, pretty expensive huh and heavy on my pocket...but i'm still happy i got to experience it. 

I think this particular treatment is required to be done on a regular basis, like once every 2-3 months? But since i have work and time is not on my side for another session i'll just have to wait a little longer. Which is good so i can also have time to save up again for it hehe

Would i recommend the treatment?

Well honestly if you can afford it and have the patience for it then go for it. As long as you don't have work cause you'll need to stay home for at least a week for the crust&peeling off to be done with.

I'll try to look for a cheaper offer next time cause 10k is way too much for me.

I'm actually aiming on other derma's that offer package deals.

my before and after fraxel

In this blog ill be showing you my before and after photos when i got treated for fraxel laser. this is just my first treatment and i'm excited to see if results are for real. my large pores and scars were the target, to lessen them or make em disappear. i hope we will all get to see dramatic results.
ill be showing daily photos from post treatment till the 7th day which is one week from treatment. so people can also be aware of how the skin looks and when they can start going out again once the ugly stage is done.
this is my before-

as you can see i have obvious issues with pores, redness and scars.
no make up on these photos. were taken 2 hours before i went to my dermatologist. taken-march 20, 2013.

this is my after treatment-

 yes you can see lightly the laser dots on my skin.

 i'm not sure if there was a major improvement on the cheeks yet.

on the nose obviously some major results, it was smoother and close to becoming pore-less.
these photos were taken in about an hour or two after the procedure. march 20,2013.

---> day one, 12-24 hours after. march 21 2013. i wake up to this super sunburned and bruised face-

 it is more sunburned than it was yesterday.

i can see i little bit if shrinking in the pores.

 the swelling started to go down too, i think.

on the cheeks it's starting to heal and form patches.
the laser marks are more visible now. it's starting to show white dotted prints all over the face which will peel off in a few days.
i was allowed to wash my face after 24 hours only, so i'm still not touching it till now since it's still a bit early.

---> day two, march 22 2013. i noticed last night that my skin was starting to get grainy&rough maybe it means it's starting to repair itself.
true enough i wake up with super tight skin the upper layer has started to form a hard, rough surface and yes i did wash my face already 24 hours after treatment. after washing my skin felt kinda tight.

 no more swelling.

 sunburn effect is more darker.

 the laser marks are more visible now. but i feel maybe we should have been more aggressive on the procedure because i saw some you tube videos that went as much as 8 passes compared to mine. now i felt i was being too mild on my skin, should have watched the video before i had it done. plus i am expecting value for my money, i just hope the results are dramatic too even if it was not as aggressive.

---> day three, march 23 2013. last night after washing my face and putting on my night cream i felt my skin get really super tight, i felt it was hard to make faces or smile. it also started to get itchy a little bit on my nose.
today i wake up to this skin that was already peeling itself. yehey! just on time the 3rd day peeling starts. it's not painful it's just a bit flaky here and there, as my derma said don't try to peel it off just let it be so i'm leaving it alone. let it take it's course.

i can't really see overall results yet maybe when all the peeling is done but i did notice my pores did some major shrinking! that's good news. plus my skin is so much tighter now.

---> day four. march 24, 2013. my skin is still peeling, more now than yesterday. last night it got a bit itchy on the cheeks and nose. my skin is only tight on the peeling parts (cheeks) the rest of the face like forehead&chin has no tightening whatsoever. since i have oily skin i feel its kinda helping with the peeling not to be painful, it's not the same as chemical peels where its so irritating when peeling.

 scars are still very much visible even after peeling.

 my chin is starting to peel too.

 no activity at the forehead yet.

as you can obviously see i have oily skin that's how it looks after washing the face. i'n not sure if i have any progress from what i can see underneath the peeled skin it's still the same as it was before, what do you think?
that would be very sad if these scars were still the same after the treatment. i would feel like it was a waste of money, it's so expensive! i'm still hoping in the next days to see more positive improvements. cause right now i'm not so happy with what i see.

---> day five. march 25, 2013.
today i noticed my skin started to change and the new skin from peeling is a lot whiter and the texture is softer although it's still not done. my forehead still hasn't peeled yet, my nose and cheeks on the other had has revealed new skin already. i think once the peeling is done it only gets better from there on. i'm still hoping a lot of improvements will bee seen in the next few weeks. skin is a lot pinker now rather than sun burnt hehe

 i put sun block everyday and it makes the peeling more obvious-

it just looks better now but a bit more obvious cause of the matte sunblock the peeled skin starts to form from it. still gets a bit itchy but not all the time.

---> day six. march 26, 2013. today and last night my face was a lot itchy i'm not sure it's because of the meds or because i actually went out yesterday. yes i had the courage to face the outside world with that face on the picture above. i was wearing sun block, maybe it's normal to itch since it's peeling already  my cheeks are still red till today it looks like i have blush on hehe my forehead seems to be the last part to peel it still has no reaction whatsoever.

i'm not sure what to expect in the next days, my face looks kinda the same i think. my face is still patchy here and there cause the peeling hasn't stopped yet. the skin on my cheeks are super soft but i can still see the scars, which makes me sad. i'll be starting my toner tonight as prescribed by my derma start on the 6th day. lets hope i get the result I've been waiting for.

---> day seven. march 27, 2013. yey! one week went by so fast. my skin is micro peeling now it's not the same as when the scabs were there now it's milder peeling and no more itching but still red here and there. i think all the laser marks are gone i can't feel any rough skin anymore my cheeks are still peeling, this time it's more of the same kind of peeling we get from chemical peels tiny bits of skin peels off. i can say i did already get to go out two days straight. the horror moment would only be the first days post fraxel cause i looked terrible after the scabs are gone it's fine to go out cause people are used to seeing micro peeling rather then scabs on the face peeling off.

i'm not sure if this is the end of seeing improvements since the burnt skin is already completely gone so i don't know yet if this is it. i know i will be peeling and peeling off more skin because of my topical medications but with regards to the scars i'm not so sure if this is the final result. cause if it is then i'm one sad lady, they are still very much there! :(

i guess ill be going weekly updates from now on since there won't be any major things happening in the coming days the ugly stage is over, i'll just be peeling from now on. lets just hope they d something for the scars.

April 3, 2013. two weeks post treatment.
yes i am still peeling for some reason but it's fine i think it's because of the topical meds i'll just wait till i finish the bottle of toner and cream.
as for any progress in the scars and pores well i can't say much has been going on cause i'm just peeling now a days and the scars are still very much visible. i don't think there are any major improvements as of the moment, sad to say.

and yes i did break out a little bit, like maybe 4-5 small zits. i really didn't feel like taking pictures or making updates at this time cause i felt that i was not having any improvements or i didn't get the result i was expecting. i was actually really regretting having the treatment done cause it's sooooo expensive!
so there you have it my two weeks post treatment and still no major improvement.

April 10, 2013. this is my third week post treatment and i still am peeling but only in some parts like my chin and upper lips. i'm still not sure if anything has changed since i got treated cause the things i wanted to be gone are still very much visible.

you can see some of my break outs from the meds 3 mini zits. i just hope this whole phase can be over so i can wear make up again. i'm not expecting anymore improvements because i'm just only peeling.

so what do i think of the whole process? umm..expensive!
but it has not yet given me the result i wanted to i'll just wait till all of the topical medications are over and then decide what to do with the obvious end result.
oh why did i waste so much money on this, i keep thinking that everyday.

Day one, treatment day

After all of my researching, reading online confessions, looking at before and after photos, i decided to have my fraxel treatment done just yesterday march 20 2013. my dermatologist is from makati medical plaza in manila. her clinic is at the 17th floor, Dra. Six Foronda. she has a lot of celebrity and model clients also in fact every visit i always come across celebrities who she is also treating. she was referred to me back in 2011 and i had some chemical peels done with her before.
when you enter the clinic you'll see a variety of derma and beauty products from her shelf-

clinic from the outside.

 reception area. this is where all the prescribed medications are stored and also where the cashier is.

the television is just beside the reception area. you can read magazines or watch tv while waiting.

I came in 15 minutes early (was so excited to have it done) my schedule was at 2pm and the secretary, ate jovy said to just wait as they prepare for the procedure.
Dra.six isn't always at the clinic, she has particular hours when she's in because she's also a dermatologist in makati medical hospital. usually the secretary makes schedules based on the clinic hours of the dermatologist especially if they have new clients so that she can explain to them personally what skin type and procedures will benefit clients best..
so i sat there in their new clinic (they had an old one at a lower floor) and watched television for a while. after 15 minutes the aesthetician called me into the treatment room for application of my lidocaine  (a topical anesthesia to numb the face), it's a must for everyone being treated with fraxel since it would be very painful without it. some patients are even required to have calming tablets before the treatment so that they wont get fuzzy or nervous when it is being done. maybe those patents are the ones who have anxiety, they are required to be relaxed during the procedure. i didn't need those drugs.
i had to wash my face first they provided me with a cloth head band to put on so my hair is away from the face. then i had to lay down so the aesthetician could put the cream on my face, she spread it all over even under my chin and then wrapped it with a plastic paper and put tape on it so it won't fall off. yes i felt like i was a meal being prepared wrapped up and ready to go lol
after being wrapped up, i was told to wait 45 minutes to 1 hour for the effect to take place and so i just watched television while waiting.

please don't mind my lovely fly away hair going static everywhere, they're just as excited as i am lol i just had the cloth head band removed.

i think 20 minutes into the lidocaine i already started to feel numb at my lips and upper eyes, it was a weird drowsy feeling.
after one hour i was asked to wash my face again and wipe it with tissue and lay on the bed. when dra.six arrived i was already prepped and waiting in the treatment room. she arrived with a celebrity's sister and mom (i don't want to mention who) they were getting botox and laser treatments as well.
she came in the treatment room and took a look on my skin, she said it's more of large pores that's the issue plus some scars. she also said a lot of people are getting addicted to the fraxel because it has the ability to remove all skin imperfections in just 2-3 sessions.
as we were getting started she put something on my eyes to keep it shut, i think it was a wet cotton pad or something. she turned on the fraxel machine and told me we were starting the procedure. she did a test on my upper cheeks i think this was a test to see if i could feel the laser. i didn't feel the first try at all, so i think she increased it twice and then i started to feel the tingling sensation on the test spot. it was a weird feeling actually i cant explain, it's like tiny water spritz, tingling sensation, small current or zapping feeling. weird weird but it was not painful at all. i was expecting something really dramatic and painful. i think she went 4 passes on my pores and scars and once or twice on my whole face. i'm not sure what the basic procedure requires but i was satisfied. a little surprised at the pain, well it was painful when the laser would hit (the fourth time it was like just a split second per hit, super fast) but once it was over it didn't hurt at all, tolerable. i didn't know also if i needed to feel the pain or not because from what read online people say it's very painful, i wouldn't say very with it it was just painful for a while. i also noticed since it's my first ever laser treatment, the smell of burning skin that was also so weird for me. it was like the smell of going to the dentist and having cavities removed, similar smell i think. i can't describe it, it's a weird smell. while dra.six was doing the procedure she kept talking to me just to make sure i was ok. she told me about the debut of julia montes (a local celebrity, she's also a patient of dra she was also a guest) and how pretty and handsome all the teenage celebrity guests were compared to how they look on television.
after she passed the laser about twice on my chin and nose plus one pass on my whole face, she did one last pass (4th) on my cheeks it was more painful now but bearable (i think) cause all that was going on in my mind during the procedure was "no pain, no gain" or as they would say in tagalog "tiis ganda". that was the last pass done. i felt kinda bruised but it was ok, i also felt that maybe i should have added one more pass to the cheeks so that it would be more intense.
When we were done, Dra.six then explained what to expect in the coming days- skin will feel and look sunburned plus the peeling would normally start on 3-4th day so i was advised to leave it alone and don't try to peel off the scabs. the peeling will be done within the week and results will be fully seen within a month. absolutely no sun exposure at all is allowed so i need to stay home for at least a week or two. she then handed me these ice rollers to cool down the burning feeling (which i didn't feel much). when i got up from the bed i was surprised to see my face was all red and i did look sunburned and somewhat swelling.

i also came to realize my true skin tone i was a yellow base I've never seen my true skin tone as dra.six would say "you have the skin tone of a Chinese" . now i see why people always mistake me for one.

this is the fraxel machine they used on me. i would call it a miracle machine lol
after i think 30 minutes of ice rolling the redness was still there so dra.six told me to wear sunblock because it was so hot outside and the sunblock would also help in concealing the redness because it's a matte formula. i was given a toner, retinol, face wash and a sunblock for post medications. i was advised to begin using them after 24 hours. i was not allowed to wet my face before 24hours. the toner was only to be used after the 6th day since the peeling will be almost done then.

upon arriving home (i'm from quezon city) one hour post procedure, i started looking and scrutinizing my lovely, swollen, poka dot face. i didn't mind it. my oh my was i amazed to see the results on my freakin' nose! absolutely baby skin i had no white heads, black heads and the age spots disappeared! i was so freaked out and happy! I've never seen my nose this clean, shiny and smooth!

you can still notice my pores on the cheeks and it still looks sun burnt. if the results are going to be the same as my nose oh my lord, i'm gonna be so happy!
this photo is one hour post procedure.
in my next blog ill provide before and after photos. i think this one is becoming too long. :)
please do follow me on my journey to achieving beautiful skin.

Introduction, deciding on fraxel.

I decided to have my fraxel treatment done yesterday at last! after now many months of dilemma! I have been living with my post acne scars and extremely large pores for almost 6 years now. i got them when i took steroids for a treatment back in college and sadly then i started to break out thus the result of my pimple face. i had the breakout pimples for less than a year. i don't normally break out since i outgrew my teenage years and i had a really good dermatologist back abroad he was my skin saver dr.sohair . finding a similar dermatologist or one that is as good as him was almost impossible to find in the Philippines but a friend of mine recommended that i try her derma dra.six foronda from medical plaza. she's good too but as you know in this country everything is all about cosmetic and not more on medical treatments so i did giver her a try. she's still my derma today and i had my fraxel done by her.
I know it's not a big deal because beauty isn't based on what you see on the outside and the scars are really not that many but the thing is it's right on my cheeks and it can clearly be identified when i am talking to someone. i wouldn't mind it at all if it were on the side of my face of anywhere else less noticeable. it used to be concealable with make up but somehow I've noticed that through the years the pores seem to be getting larger and larger and more seen. that's why i decided to give fraxel a try and every one was raving about it so i just had to see to believe.
I know scars have a lot of stories to tell of what a person has been through but sometimes it gets to the point where they get in the way of your life or they are the reason you cant get the job you want because you have visible scars. so i'm doing something about it, i just needed to do this.
It has been known that a lot of dermatologists offer this treatment for acne scars, post operation scars, wrinkles, whitening, skin tightening, age spots and so on. as my dermatologist would say the fraxel machine can remove/restore almost all imperfections on skin that's why a lot of people are crazy about it and to top it off the downtime is really really fast withing a week or two you'll see results already.
A fraxel treatment is basically a small handheld laser machine which burns the layer of skin from deep down and beyond the upper surface, so that when it dries up and heals the burnt skin will peel off and reveal new skin from underneath. thus the name skin resurfacing a new skin will resurface once the burnt ones peel off. magic isn't it!
The peeling would also depend on how fast your skin can heal to produce new skin, so it varies. they say oily skin heals faster and dry skin takes a longer time healing. i was so interested to have it done since the chemical peels are totally so different from a fraxel.
Chemical peels on my opinion, only treat the skin on the surface and not from the deeper inner skin within. which is good if you're only after a glow or you want to have spotless skin (it has nothing to do with the scars, it may lighten but it's still there). I've had chemical peels also done before one was a tca (trichloroacetic acid) peel, diamond peel and glycolic peel (glycolic acid) actually all of em peeling didn't help with the scars, it was very much still there. they only dealt with the post acne marks or dark spots/brown spots which i had no issues with and it gave me some peeling too to change the skin nothing drastic. There is another treatment in the market called derma rollers. basically what this does is roll and poke holes into your skin/scars using a roller with needles on it and then treat it with either collagen or topical creams to heal itself (done with anesthesia too).  for me i really had no experience with this simply because i did not want to further injure my skin just to make it heal and i was too afraid if how painful it would be hehe although it did work for a lot of patients with severs crater scars. i was just not up for it. plus you need to have a lot of sessions before getting the skin you want.
I think dermatology has come a long way from facials, to chemical peels, to derma rollers and now to the very much advance fraxel.  i am not in anyway trying to promote the treatment, i just want to share my very own personal experience with it so that readers would get inspired and learn more about the treatment.
I know a lot of readers are hesitant about faxel because they are afraid that laser is too aggressive but for me it was ok not so much on the aggressive side maybe because my pain tolerance is also kinda high, i didn't mind it at all. it was very much tolerable.
What inspired me to have it done?
Well it was more of the online community from forums, i got to see how client's skin have improved drastically and i wanted that for myself. although a lot of the ones I've seen were worse than my case like scars from accidents or post operations.
plus i know i can do a lot more with a scar-pore less face cause lets face it this world we live in can only judge so much from what they see on the outside.  some people would say, oh you're pretty but i can see your big pores/scars or some are kind enough to not say anything but you can see them staring at it. i just got so tired of it. so when i did get the extra money i knew what i wanted to do with it.

I will be having updated posts of my skin's journey and experience since day one till i finally achieve my goal results, maybe after a month. i'll also include daily photos so that we can compare the progress everyday.
please do join me and feel free to comment. this is my ultimate skin upgrade :)
By the way i'm 29 years old and i don't thing this procedure has an age requirement cause my dermatologist didn't mention it. so i'm guessing it's safe for any age as long as you are up for it.
Enjoy reading! :)