Everything I read about this treatment was that you leave the office with a little redness, there\u2019s little to no downtime, but purging of future acne occurs. This seemed more than doable, definitely worth it for clear skin.<\/p>\n
The laser was up to the highest setting and I do have to admit it was pretty painful in some areas (chin, forehead). When I left the office my skin was a little pink, no big deal! The next day there were circular burns and swollen pores; it looked like I had welts all over my face. A bit more than I expected, but again everything I was seeing on reviews was clear skin or a bad before picture so I really couldn\u2019t tell. By the end of the day I had 10+ pustules within every burn mark, all over my face. I realized I never received a follow up call or the aftercare instructions, so I reached out by text and never received a response. The next day I decided to call and email and was assured purging is normal and it\u2019s sometimes seen sooner than 2-3 days. I knew something was wrong so I sent pictures, insisting I haven\u2019t seen anything like this in any pictures online or any hint at a purging this bad in their paperwork or on reviews. The doctor told me it looked like a HSV1 infection (herpes), and said that I hadn\u2019t stated I have had cold sores on my intake form. I have<\/p>\n
never had a cold sore, which is why I didn\u2019t add that to the form. The doctor prescribed me antiviral immediately, but I was on my own again to figure out how to care for my skin.
\nI am in a position that I can work from home, and I really didn\u2019t have a choice. It took a week to \u2018heal\u2019, and its not done yet. My skin was grotesque, and as I am writing this three full weeks later I am still wearing full coverage foundation on a Saturday afternoon as I find it hard to show my skin now. I have brown textured marks from where the pustules were, and my skin is still as red as it was a week and a half ago. I am terrified for the next appointment, and am wondering if the viral reaction will cause scarring. I did not pick at it as I was told it may spread, even though these pustules were very painful and itchy. The redness you see was raised and textured.<\/p>\n
I was disappointed to learn that this could happen to people who have never presented with cold sores, and not seeing anything like this on the internet made me hesitate to reach out- but probably would have insisted on a facetime check-in if the clinic had checked in on me the next day. I hope these pictures are helpful.<\/p>\n\n