Is Laser Resurfacing For You?
The side effects of two different types of laser treatments with before, during, and after photos.
A year ago, when I was still in the midst of worrying about how I looked and what everyone thought of me, I decided to do a laser treatment on my face. I had these deep forehead lines that were bothering me and had been for a few years.
I’d tried every cream and even botox didn’t get rid of the sun damage. The year before that, I did a non-invasive laser with only a day of downtime but the results were minimal and not that apparent.
The fractional non-ablative laser (meaning it’s not invasive) is meant to treat some fine lines, minimal wrinkles, and brown spots. I thought, “Great, I have all of those!”
This laser treatment delivers light to the skin that penetrates the dermis, causing the skin to repair itself by replacing the old skin with new, healthier skin. Sounds great, right?
The treatment wasn’t painful, just a little shocking to the skin at times because they put numbing cream on your skin first. The whole treatment took about 20 minutes. If you are planning on this type of laser they suggest that you don’t go in the sun before and after for a few weeks. So, I booked this during a time when I knew I wouldn’t have to be in the sun.
My dermatologist suggested that for the best results, I would need 3 separate laser treatments. We spaced them out 4 weeks apart.
Here are my before and after pictures from the fractional non-ablative laser:
Dermatologists also suggest that you do this every 1–2 years depending on your results.
After a year, I noticed some of the lines returning and I loved the tightness that the laser provided. So, I decided to inquire about new laser treatments with my new dermatologist. The previous doctor was so overpriced that I decided to branch out.
My dermatologist recommended Erbium laser resurfacing. Erbium is quite different from the fractional non-ablative but she assured me that it would provide the results I was seeking.
Erbium laser resurfacing is said to treat moderate to deep wrinkles, which made me hopeful and would target my sun damage. It heats tissues on a deeper level which makes this more effective at treating sun damage and wrinkles.
The downside to this laser is the recovery time. I was told it would be only a few days but that was not the case for me. So, I wanted to write my review of this laser to help anyone decide if this is right for them.
You need a week off, or at least 5 days, because it is gnarly. At least it was for me. A friend of mine just underwent the CO2 laser, and although I loved her results, I didn’t think I could endure the pain and downtime. I was upfront with my dermatologist about this fact and she assured me it wouldn't be as bad.
But, I was misled.
Before the treatment, I was again told you need to avoid heavy sun exposure, Retin-A, glycolic acid, and vitamin C before the treatment. I adhered to all of these precautions.
The process started a home. I was given a numbing cream that I applied to my face and neck 45 minutes before the procedure. When I arrived at the office, my dermatologist wiped the cream and I laid in the chair, ready for my treatment.
Somehow, I thought the discomfort would be minimal because I was referring to my previous laser treatment the year prior. I was shocked when it wasn’t because I could instantly feel the burning, but the smell of my burning skin is what really shocked me.
This laser resurfacing treatment took a lot longer, about 45 minutes. She went over certain more troublesome areas more than once. Then, the numbing cream started wearing off and it was pretty painful.
This picture was taken in my car right after the procedure. I wanted to document the daily progress.
My skin was burning. When complete, she applied some cream and sunscreen, which made it burn even more. My face and neck were on fire the whole way home, and even though she gave me some fancy creams and gel, I couldn’t even fathom touching my face.
You know when you burn your hand on the stove, well maybe you don’t know this feeling, but I do, and you have to keep cool water on it? That is what my whole face felt like. I had a cold rag on my face the rest of the day because I couldn’t stand the pain.
I didn’t sleep at all that night. Even when a small part of my face touched the pillow, it burned. My whole family didn’t understand why I would do this to myself, and at that moment, I regretted my decision.
I was instructed to apply the skin regenerating nectar at least 3 times a day, along with this vaseline type gel called soothe and protect balm. These were both from Alastin Skincare and they are phenomenal products, but very expensive and although I’d love to keep using them, I can’t justify the cost.
After not sleeping a wink the night of day 1, here is what I woke up looking like on day two:
Can you believe that she told me that it would be a few days of downtime?
Day 2–3 were the most uncomfortable, pain-wise. Here are a few pictures from day 3:
Upon waking on day 4, the old skin started turning brown and oozing. This was very uncomfortable, too.
On day 5, my skin was still peeling but it was less uncomfortable.
During days 6 and 7, most of the skin was done peeling off but I was still in no shape to wear makeup.
On day 8, I would up and was ecstatic to see that my face was almost done peeling. That meant I could get out of my house, finally!
A few days later, when I finally applied my CC cream, I was very pleased with the results. Most of my lines were lighter, my skin was tight and the sunspots were barely noticeable.
My dermatologist suggested when I was done with my procedure, that you do this laser 2–3 times for optimal results. But, after the pain and downtime, I could not fathom ever doing it again.
All in all, I am very happy with the results but I wanted to inform anyone researching about the potential side effects. Everyone is different and this may not happen to you, but I wish I’d known all the facts and risks beforehand.
Your skin will regenerate collagen for 4–6 months after the procedure. I am now at 6 months post-laser and I am very happy with the results.
Please reach out if you have any other questions about my experience.
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