valby
30th November 2008, 05:43 AM
On Friday I had my first laser treatment. I have had rosacea for 4 years. Recently, after a thyroidectomy, my rosacea flared up. I have been getting intense burning and flushing, along with P&P's. Two derms suggested laser would be an excellent choice for me and given my olive toned skin, v-beam would be the way to go.
The derm decided that a sub-bruising (just below) would be the way to go. Enough to make you look very sun burned, but not bruised was how he put it.
I was surprised by how quickly the treatment was over. But I will be honest a bit shocked by how much it hurt...hated the burning feeling.
He did a test patch, which resulted in immediate swelling. I think he then turned it down just a touch because the side where the test patch was has swollen worse than the other (or could just be my strange face LOL).
Anyway after we had finished I applied my home made licorice serum and started applying ice. In approx 2 hrs time the redness had subsided a lot, so much so I could even walk through the supermarket. I thought my DH might has exaggerated by saying he couldn't tell I had just had laser, but nobody stared at me smile:
By that evening the swelling started to even out and turn me in to a chipmunk LOL. By the next morning I was pretty swollen. I have kept applying ice and this afternoon (Sunday) I can really feel my face coming back down. I keep applying the ice and the licorice serum. Oddly I have taken showers (haha that's not the odd bit )and my face is less red after them. Surely the laser couldn't work that quickly? The derm said about 4 weeks till I see the real results.
Anyway I will keep an update of my progress FYI. I guess the real evidence will be to compare the photo the derm took on Friday against my face when I go back at the end of Jan.
The derm decided that a sub-bruising (just below) would be the way to go. Enough to make you look very sun burned, but not bruised was how he put it.
I was surprised by how quickly the treatment was over. But I will be honest a bit shocked by how much it hurt...hated the burning feeling.
He did a test patch, which resulted in immediate swelling. I think he then turned it down just a touch because the side where the test patch was has swollen worse than the other (or could just be my strange face LOL).
Anyway after we had finished I applied my home made licorice serum and started applying ice. In approx 2 hrs time the redness had subsided a lot, so much so I could even walk through the supermarket. I thought my DH might has exaggerated by saying he couldn't tell I had just had laser, but nobody stared at me smile:
By that evening the swelling started to even out and turn me in to a chipmunk LOL. By the next morning I was pretty swollen. I have kept applying ice and this afternoon (Sunday) I can really feel my face coming back down. I keep applying the ice and the licorice serum. Oddly I have taken showers (haha that's not the odd bit )and my face is less red after them. Surely the laser couldn't work that quickly? The derm said about 4 weeks till I see the real results.
Anyway I will keep an update of my progress FYI. I guess the real evidence will be to compare the photo the derm took on Friday against my face when I go back at the end of Jan.