Discouraged after first IPL
Joined: 04 Feb 2008
| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:20 pm Post subject: Discouraged after first IPL | |
| I had my first IPl a week ago. I really haven't noticed much change and the redness is still as prominent as ever. I feel discouraged, but i realize it usually takes multiple treatments. Rosacea has just ruled my life for the past year or so and somedays it's hard to even want to live anymore. Should i be discouraged after one IPL or am I expecting too much too early? | |
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Jan 2007
Location: new york
| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject: | |
| Hi and welcome to the Forum.
A week is not enough time to assess results. It might take a couple of months in fact and treatment is cumulative. What are your symptoms and what other treatments have you tried in the past? Best wishes, Melissa |
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Joined: 04 Feb 2008
| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:29 pm Post subject: | |
| i've been using oracea and finacea, but i dont see them doing anything ... antibiotics only mask symptoms because they have anti-inflammatory properties .. they're such a ripoff treatment for rosacea. when are researches going to do their job and actually find out what causes this?!
my symptoms are just redness in the cheeks, on the nose, and on my forehead. my whole face turns red though. it's very depressing and discouraging because i know the real me is below all this redness and ugliness ... i can barely stand it. btw, what r u doin for ur skin? u look beautiful  |
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Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Jan 2007
Location: new york
| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject: | |
| Hi,
Thanks for the compliment. I've always protected my face from the sun and eaten healthfully so maybe that has helped but it didn't stop me from getting rosacea unfortunately. I mainly flush and burn and have had 5 VBeams so far. I was on Solodyn for 14 months but have discontinued that for about 6 weeks now. IPL can help you with your symptoms hopefully and since you have just started it will take some time so don't give up hope. Have you read the threads pertaining to laser and IPL? They are very informative. Here are 3 threads that I highly recommend: ./topic-3790.html ./topic-4040.html ./topic-8659.html I know how frustrating it is. I also wish that there was a cure already but until then you definitely will find something that will help control your symptoms. The key is perseverance and patience. Personally I'm not so good with the patience part but I'm trying. Good luck! Melissa |
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Joined: 04 Feb 2008
| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject: | |
| It's so odd because the redness is so much worse on one side of my face .. the other side is practically white! i don't understand how that could be. i have looked in the mirror today and i can notice the small little capillaries .. does IPL only get rid of so many at a time or what? | |
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: West Yorkshire, UK
| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:04 pm Post subject: | |
| Hi there,
I think it is to early to tell how well the IPL has worked. For me it takes a few weeks to see any effect. It wasn't until after my third treatment that I noticed a substantial difference. I would stick with it. best wishes Moomy _________________ currently using; finacea, lightstim, IPL and n-light. |
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Joined: 18 Apr 2007
| Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:32 pm Post subject: Hi qscott, words of encouragement | |
| Try not to worry. One IPL is just scratching the surface. I was so sensitive the first time I went into see Dr. Soldo, he had to turn it way down and then did only one pass on me (his trademark method is to do 3, various reasons for this). So it's taking me quite a while to see improvement, but I am seeing significant improvement. But after just the first one, not much of anything visible to me, but the doctor said he could see some improvement, and given what bad shape I was in when I got there, he said this was very good news. 2nd treatment we did 2 passes and now we're up to 3, and the settings are hgher and I'm tolerating them and they are more effective.
But it takes time, esp if your doctor or provider is being very careful, as they should be. IPL isn't a laser so isn't as targeted or focused as a laser is, so it takes longer, but is gentler (which we need) and deals with more issues at once, as opposed to a laser which does only one or two things very well. Hang in there. If your person knows what they're doing, you should actually be able to see improvement after a couple more treatments. ;o) Bridget |
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Joined: 04 Feb 2008
| Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:40 pm Post subject: | |
| I have fairly fair skin and the doctor said my skin was responding well .. i just hate that it looks so red again, but at least it sounds like i'm not the only one that has required a few treatments for it to work. it's just so frustrating and depressing |
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Joined: 18 Apr 2007
| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:51 am Post subject: qscott | |
| yes, it can be that's for sure. You get your hopes up is the thing and then something happens and you realize how much you were counting on it. That's the worst part I think.
Some people do get red after treatment and this can take some time to go away. My neck/collar (we do face/neck/chest each time) always get red and this takes several days to calm down. I use a home made antiinflammatory cream on it and sometimes Elidel too, and take oral anti-inflammatory supplements, and I also use Oracea, the new RX form of low-dose doxycycline for rosacea. And control what I eat and drink no alcohol and stay out of direct sun and wear a sunblock every day. The IPL has made a huge difference for me. Hang in there! ;o) Bridget |
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Joined: 23 Jul 2005
| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 7:17 am Post subject: | |
| They always use a lower setting the first time. I've been frustrated by this in the past also. Don't worry, the treatments should get more effective. But if there's no change after the next one, ask your Doc if s/he thinks you're not a good candidate, or else tell them to pump up the settings. _________________ KNOWLEDGE = POWER |
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Joined: 16 Jun 2005
| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:35 am Post subject: Re: Discouraged after first IPL | |||
Please, don't be! Make sure your doctor increases the energy each visit. |
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