Facial Procedures : Microdermabrasion : Chemical Peels : Laser
Laser Resurfacing - My Biggest Regret Ever
I have had the most horrible experience with laser resurfacing. I know some people get amazing results from this, but my skin absolutely hated it. My skin wasn't that bad before the laser (some mild active acne, clogged pores, and marks) but my dermatologist recommended laser resurfacing to smooth out my skin some more and I stupidly agreed without doing my own research.
She showed me all these before and after pictures that were amazing and absolutely convincing and told me I would see great results from one laser procedure and perfect, clear skin from a second and third one. She said that this type of laser resurfacing was the best for my type of skin (Asian, clog-prone). She also told me that, unlike chemical peels, this type of laser resurfacing is like a lunch-time procedure and wouldn't result in anything makeup couldn't cover (yea, right!).
I recall asking her if I would get any breakouts from it and she told me no and that any current active acne would just dry up/fall off and heal very quickly. Ugh, I really should've looked into it more before getting it done. (It is VERY important to do your own homework before taking any kind of action! And make sure you ask your dermatologist all sorts of questions!)
Needless to say, that derm is no longer my derm.
Here's a thorough breakdown of my (sad and negative) laser resurfacing experience (sorry, no pictures!):
PRE-LASER:
I actually didn't do any kind of pre-laser preparation. I basically went to see a dermatologist about my acne and got the laser procedure done simply because she recommended it. I also thought that the laser resurfacing would help treat my acne faster than any topical and I definitely wanted to get rid of my acne ASAP.
At the time, I was so fed up with my skin that I decided I didn't know what was best for it and that a professional dermatologist would. So I did everything she told me to do. I did no prior research and didn't ask enough questions. I pretty much went into it blindly (which I really regret...I strongly suggest that everyone do solid research before any serious procedures!)
DAY 1: (Day of the Laser Resurfacing)
The type of laser resurfacing I got was called 黑面娃娃 in Chinese or "black-face doll" in English, using a 1064 nm Nd-YAG laser. What happened was, they put some numbing cream on your skin, coat your face with a thin layer of black carbon, put glasses over your eyes, and zap away.
Two runs of laser pulses were made on my forehead, nose, and cheeks. Even though they put the numbing cream on my face, it still HURT like crazy! I actually cried because it hurt so much....But the whole procedure was over fairly quickly. The numbing cream took about 10 minutes and the laser zapping part took less than 5.
While the laser part hurt, my skin didn't feel much different after the procedure. They put a cooling paper mask on my face for about 15 minutes (which stung a bit) and then sent me home.
When my mom picked me up from the dermatologist's office, I actually scared her because my face was so red. It literally looked like someone had drawn all over my face with a permanent red marker that I had been trying to wash off without success for many days.
For post laser-care, I was prescribed a topical and oral antibiotic (which the dermatologist didn't even tell me I had to take before the laser....although ultimately, you are responsible for your own skin and asking all possible questions, so I was just too stupid to assume the dermatologist knew everything. I really regret being so passive throughout the whole ordeal).
I was told to liberally apply the antibiotic ointment throughout the day to keep my skin moisturized and prevent infection. I was also told to stay out of the sun and use paper masks (popular in Asia) around the clock to help further soothe my skin.
DAY 2:
My skin was still very permanent marker-red. It was a bit drier than normal, but not dry enough to cause any peeling of sorts. The parts of my skin that were thinner (under the eyes and around the bridge of my nose) started to get some red dots that faded after a few days (I was told this is common for those who get laser for the first time. Some hydrocortisone cream helps it go away faster).
Aside from the red dots, I also got whiteheads all over my face (which I was told to leave alone because they would dry up and fall off on their own......which did NOT happen!) I did leave them alone, but I kept on getting more and more by the hour. I had five in the morning, but around 15 before I went to bed! WTF!?
I continued to cover my skin with the antibiotic ointment and drink lots of water. I used a paper mask every half hour and took the oral antibiotics as told.
1 WEEK POST-LASER
My skin was still very red. Not as red as right after the laser, but still very noticeably tomato-y. I looked like I either had a very serious sunburn or some kind of steaming accident.
After three days of the antibiotic ointment, I switched to using Aquaphor and aloe vera gel. I continued to get lots of whiteheads, however, not just surface whiteheads, but deeper and bigger pimples as well. I wasn't sure if the ointment was causing the breakouts or if I just had one coming... But I still took the oral antibiotics and stayed out of the sun as instructed.
Compared to before I got the laser, my skin was much, much worse. I was broken out in painful pimples all over my cheeks and whiteheads all over my forehead and I looked like a red bobble head.
On the plus side, the laser did smooth out some fine lines I had on my forehead and faded some old acne marks. It also did not seem to make my skin as sensitive as chemical peels did.
Whatever the dermatologist said about this laser being a "lunch-time" procedure was a lie! If I had known better, I would have definitely scheduled some downtime because the redness was impossible to cover with makeup.
3 WEEKS POST-LASER
I was very gentle with my skin during this whole time. I left all the breakouts alone (didn't pop anything like I normally would have!) and just hoped for the best.
I went back to the dermatologist for my follow-up visit and she told me that the breakout was very normal (what a hypocrite!) and that they would go away with another laser procedure. She also suggested that I get a lemon peel to help "dry" up my acne.
However, I was definitely not going to get another facial done, much less another laser procedure, while my skin was still so red and broken out.
When I think back, I wonder what the heck that dermatologist was thinking in the first place! Sadly, some dermatologists are just in it for the money...
2 MONTHS POST-LASER
At this point, I started to really hate the dermatologist for recommending the laser procedure but I hated myself even more for doing this to myself. My skin was still red (laser induced erythema) and I was severely broken out. However, although I was red and broken out, my skin was not irritated or sensitive.
After the laser, I think my acne escalated from mild/moderate to moderate/severe. It was definitely in much better shape before I got the laser done.
I went to a new dermatologist because my skin was really, really bad. He prescribed Skinoren 20% Cream for my current acne lesions and it took another 3 months of purging for my skin to finally smooth out.