Women will be women.  Being a woman, I was bothered by a scar on my forehead, so I have elected to do something about it.  My dermatologist excised the scar yesterday, and has stitched the incision.  Even with the one stitch being visible right now, the scar looks better.  After the incision has had about a month to heal, he will be treating it with Fraxel laser surgery.  His plan is to treat it up to four times with one month in between each treatment, but he is hopeful that only one treatment will be necessary. I will post after the fraxel laser treatment(s) to update everyone on the outcome.  If you have any experiences with the fraxel treatments, feel free to share them!

Below is some information on the Fraxel laser treatment:

The innovative Fraxel Laser has been specially designed to manipulate minute volumes of target tissue with the intention of altering the appearance of aging and sun-damaged skin over time. Tiny microscopic wounds on the body result in a healing process that responds to the coagulation of collagen fibers in our skin

The difference will be dramatic, even after the first treatment. Your skin will become suppler, softer, smoother, and feel fresh. Wrinkles and fine lines will noticeably fade as will uneven coloring and brown spots caused by aging and extended sun exposure. In fact, Fraxel is now considered as the treatment of choice for teens with acne scarring and is also effective to clear up surgical scarring.

The system has been known to be suited for all skin types with the entire process taking under 2 hours to complete under sedation. The treatment will be performed with the use of a lipid base anesthetic ointment and the blue tint and anesthetic is washed off immediately after treatment. Many patients report a prickling sensation during the procedure but are able to tolerate it well. Also, Fraxel is a treatment with minimal downtime and results have been comparable to full resurfacing techniques.

There may be mild swelling that should subside within a day or so and patients generally return to normal activities within that same time period as the redness usually fades over several days. It has been shown by clinical studies that 3-5 treatments spaced out between 2 to 4 weeks apart may produce a gradual remodeling of dermal matrix components until complete healing occurs. At that point the “good” material that contains collagen and elastin replaces the old epidermal and dermal tissue. Overall, within three months the effects are said to make a dramatic improvement.

It is important that you discuss with your surgeon if this is the correct path of action for you, have realistic expectations and work with your physician to make an informed decision.