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It's been awhile since I had this done. Is this still the best laser for broken capillaries on the face? Also, I just want to make sure that this is the one that can turn dark blue after the treatment which eventually goes away. Does the doctor need to do a test area first and then have me return at a later date or can I have the area that bothers me done at the first visit?
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For me, PDL worked quite well. I know there have been reports that the Qutera PDL has caused facial fat loss. My derm uses an older model. He also told me that a test area should be done first, to make adjustments as bruising from PDL happens rather rapidly. He said no one should bruise from PDL if it is done correctly and the area is test first. I did not bruise one iota, just had some "rolling" swelling that lasted about 24 hours and was gone. HTH
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Fat loss, that's not good. I thought that only happened with Thermage. Did it happen all over the face or just in a certain area? I wonder how a certain model could cause that. You would think they are all similar. Is it possible that it happened because the treatments were on too high of a level. Was it the Cutura model? I could not find any info on Qutera. Did you need more than one treatment? Where were your capillaries? Thanks! DCNGA wrote:For me, PDL worked quite well. I know there have been reports that the Qutera PDL has caused facial fat loss.
My derm uses an older model. He also told me that a test area should be done first, to make adjustments as bruising from PDL happens rather rapidly. He said no one should bruise from PDL if it is done correctly and the area is test first. I did not bruise one iota, just had some "rolling" swelling that lasted about 24 hours and was gone.
HTH
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It caused total facial fat loss, meaning in several areas all over the face of those I know. I admin a support forum for people harmed by Laser, IPL, and RF devices. The Quetera is the one I remember, but there have been others (newer models). I have no idea why, but I don't doubt it happened in the least. As for mine, I had broken caps all over my face, but especially at the sides of my face from my face lift. It cleared them by about 75% with one treatment. My derm charged $450 for one treatment, but told me it may take several to clear all of the caps. I could have used one more in a few months, but just never did. It's been two years and I've had more crop up and could use another treatment.
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I will call the office on Monday and find out what type of machine they use. This is a derms office that only does laser. He was one of the first to do any laser in this area. I suspect that he may have an old PDL machine, but who knows. Do you know what model was used on you? DCNGA wrote:It caused total facial fat loss, meaning in several areas all over the face of those I know. I admin a support forum for people harmed by Laser, IPL, and RF devices. The Quetera is the one I remember, but there have been others (newer models). I have no idea why, but I don't doubt it happened in the least.
As for mine, I had broken caps all over my face, but especially at the sides of my face from my face lift. It cleared them by about 75% with one treatment. My derm charged $450 for one treatment, but told me it may take several to clear all of the caps. I could have used one more in a few months, but just never did. It's been two years and I've had more crop up and could use another treatment.
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Yes, PDL is still the best. VBeam is one such laser. I have had it once for diffuse redness/telangiectasia. Very happy with the results. I didn't even have to repeat the treatment! The side effects are very minimal and very temporary. You will have what DCNGA described as "rolling swelling" and possibly a mild erythema. You will NOT have blue/black bruising. This laser targets red pigment in skin and causes minimal collateral damage. You should not experience any fat loss either.
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Ken: When I say PDL (in the instance re: fat loss--it was VBeam). And THERE WAS fat loss by at least two people from VBeam treatments. Please do not get me started in a debate as to whether or not this can/does happen. I'll be happy to give you the link to the support board and you can read the horrifying stories yourself. Zoey: I don't remember which V-Beam it is that Dr. B uses. I need another treatment myself, so I'm calling Monday to schedule--I'll let you know. D
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If I may interject, it's not so much about a machine as being about the skill level of the person operating said machine. From what I have been reading, fat loss depends on duration and/or intensity of treatment.
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Stache, if you have info or links to what you've been reading on fat loss from IPL/VBeam, etc, please send them to me. After two years of research, it is impossible to find anything that the manufacturers or that doctors will "reveal". The fat loss the ladies I deal with have experienced fat loss after only one treatment of IPL or VBeam (newer versions). Some have gone to the best docs and had this happen. It's a small fraction, but it is happening to some, nonetheless. There's no rhyme or reason, number of treatments and settings are often not indicator for these ladies/gents. There's an entire support board dedicate to this phenomenon, so it is real and it is happening.
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I'm not questioning the loss of fat.
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No, I did not think you were (at all). Just wondering where you've read this as I've searched all over and other than on message boards, there's nothing (official) about fat loss from any cosmetic devices. I promise I was not challenging, but asking a sincere question.
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DCNGA, I am aware of your position on lasers and I am not one to argue. I am just sharing my experience, which has been nothing but positive. I think it's important to present both sides, so that people can make their own informed decisions.
My impression is that for every horror story out there, there is a success story. Take everything you read online with a grain of salt.
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I had the laser brand called the "Aura" laser which I think was 358 KTP (?). It removed some red caps initially. But then the doctor was trying to screw with me, (long story) and he must have done something to the setting to make MORE CAPS as when he was doing it, he said: ' Boy, this treatment is giving you MORE caps'.
This was subsequent to my putting up a fuss about the main doctor wanting to give me 'Dr "Bozo", (not his real name) who was an newbie intern of the top laser doc, telling me that if I had dr. "Bozo" do it, I would get 2X the TIME of treatment. My initial treatment time with the head doctor was 20 min.
I insisted that the main doc do it. So what the main doc did (Dr. Dover, the laser guru) was screw with me and make his next treatment time 1/2 of the original and he did something to the laser setting as the laser ended up making more caps.
I would often put up a fuss when he would assign me one of his 'newbie' laser techs as why the hell would I go to the laser guru Dover and pay the price if I wanted a newbie laser tech and not the guru himself. So, I guess the laser popping more caps had more to do with his punishing me in some way for putting up a fuss rather than the laser itself not having capacity to banish more caps and most certainly not to his 'incapacity' to set it to the 'right' level.
I've been having problems with computer since May. I'm on a loaner now and still waiting for a new one. If I don't get back to you or am not on board, it would be most likely due to another computer problem.
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I was WRONG about the V-Beam brand, it is Candella not Quetera--sorry. KC, it does not bother me in the least when someone has a good outcome and tells about it. I'm always grateful it went well because I know it can go much differently and has for many others. And you are very correct, MANY MORE have good outcomes than those who've had bad outcomes, it's just taking the chance of which category you might fall--good outcome vs bad outcome. I think some people, for whatever reason, cannot tolerate some of these devices (IPL, V-Beam, ablative lasers), such as myself and others. I don't discount anyone as I've experienced problems myself. It had nothing to do with my doctor's technique, just my own body's reaction to the laser. So yes, I'm vocal on this point and about warning others to be aware that these things CAN HAPPEN, even if the percentage is less than 1% that it can happen, it would be horrible to end up like some have from these devices, in that 1%. This lady is a member of the support forum that I moderate. She was brave enough to post pics of her face following Fraxel: http://tinyurl.com/qc8etf Here is some more "light reading" should you ever want to read the stories of the people with whom I've had extensive interaction in the last two years: http://iplandlaserdama.talkthis.com/iplandlaserdama-forum-17.htmlhttp://iplandlaserdama.talkthis.com/iplandlaserdama-about61.htmlhttp://iplandlaserdama.talkthis.com/iplandlaserdama-about6.htmlI have become good friends with a couple of these ladies, so there stories are more to me than "stories on the internet" and I take none of them with a grain of salt.
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DCNGA,
Refer to that post on blinki's board where the device operator was given a a task he did not want to do--high setting with the device. Case in point that many times these devices are just assigned to a member on staff to use them. What I'm saying is that a lot of the problem is with the operators not being conversant with the device because the laser company will sell to anyone with MD who will buy one
I've been having problems with computer since May. I'm on a loaner now and still waiting for a new one. If I don't get back to you or am not on board, it would be most likely due to another computer problem.
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DCNGA wrote:I was WRONG about the V-Beam brand, it is Candella not Quetera--sorry. KC, it does not bother me in the least when someone has a good outcome and tells about it. I'm always grateful it went well because I know it can go much differently and has for many others. And you are very correct, MANY MORE have good outcomes than those who've had bad outcomes, it's just taking the chance of which category you might fall--good outcome vs bad outcome. I think some people, for whatever reason, cannot tolerate some of these devices (IPL, V-Beam, ablative lasers), such as myself and others. I don't discount anyone as I've experienced problems myself. It had nothing to do with my doctor's technique, just my own body's reaction to the laser. So yes, I'm vocal on this point and about warning others to be aware that these things CAN HAPPEN, even if the percentage is less than 1% that it can happen, it would be horrible to end up like some have from these devices, in that 1%. This lady is a member of the support forum that I moderate. She was brave enough to post pics of her face following Fraxel: http://tinyurl.com/qc8etf Here is some more "light reading" should you ever want to read the stories of the people with whom I've had extensive interaction in the last two years: http://iplandlaserdama.talkthis.com/iplandlaserdama-forum-17.htmlhttp://iplandlaserdama.talkthis.com/iplandlaserdama-about61.htmlhttp://iplandlaserdama.talkthis.com/iplandlaserdama-about6.htmlI have become good friends with a couple of these ladies, so there stories are more to me than "stories on the internet" and I take none of them with a grain of salt. Thanks for posting this again, DC. It just brings the picture into focus.I was thinking about the fraxel myself. It is so easy to have one's face ruined and so difficult to repair it. I am really sorry for these poor women.An absolute tragedy. I do think a poster who suggested a chronic infection might be worth following up on though. It won't help the fat loss, but maybe might help the sores.
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I agree MissJ that that happens a great many times, but not 100%. Two of the ladies on the support forum were damaged in a "spa setting", not a doctor's office. Many of the others were treated by real docs, as was I. Maybe it is mostly to do with operator error, but no way to prove/disprove that as there will likely never be any on-going studies on these devices (longer than a few months, not the years it would take to compile a better rounded view of these devices). Yes, I read the poster on Doc B's board. I posted and she PMd me. She's brave and wise to take the route she did.
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spa setting is probably worse
I've been having problems with computer since May. I'm on a loaner now and still waiting for a new one. If I don't get back to you or am not on board, it would be most likely due to another computer problem.
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The girl with the pics from Fraxel had them done by a derm she's been seeing for over 10 years whom she says has always been great and has always done excellent work on her. Guess it only takes one time.
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Since MissJ brought up the name, I should probably mention that Dr. Dover did my CO2 peels. It's an invasive surgery, so it was performed personally by him. Pricey, but absolutely worth it! My VBeam and Alexandrite were done by other dermatologists, since the treatments are non-ablative and aren't as skill-dependent. But for resurfacing, I trust a very select few. MissJ, I am sorry to hear about your experience. I highly doubt he did anything on purpose. DCNGA, one way to prevent laser mishaps is to do a test patch, especially if you have a very dark or very fair skin type. MissJ wrote: So what the main doc did (Dr. Dover, the laser guru) was screw with me and make his next treatment time 1/2 of the original and he did something to the laser setting as the laser ended up making more caps.
I would often put up a fuss when he would assign me one of his 'newbie' laser techs as why the hell would I go to the laser guru Dover and pay the price if I wanted a newbie laser tech and not the guru himself.
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