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Hi. I was in touch with cosmetic services at Kaiser Walnut Creek about treatment of persistent facial redness and broken capillaries. I learned that they use a nurse for their laser treatments. I wanted to see if anyone has advice or thoughts about using someone other than an MD for laser treatments of the face? Has anyone had this treatment at Kaiser Walnut Creek, and how did things go? Or are there other medical centers/doctors that you can recommend for this type of work? Thanks for your help. anon
Hi. I am looking for a great but affordable doctor or laser center in the east bay or Walnut Creek to have my rosacea on my face treated. Thank you! anon
Does this service exist? I'm looking for someone to help me manage my aging skin, which seemed to take a turn for the worse the day I turned 40. Mild rosacea. Uneven tone. Dryness. Freckles. Ruddiness. Ick. I made the mistake of booking a consultation last week with a dermatologist who specializes in photo facials. This turned into a hard sell for thousands of dollars in laser treatments, which apparently I must undergo or else I will look like one of those people in her photo album with the bulbous noses and scarlet, blotchy faces. Really, I don't think it's that bad. I'm hoping to manage this with skincare and makeup tips, although I would like to work with someone trustworthy who will direct me to appropriate treatment (laser or otherwise) if it would be beneficial. I'd love to find someone in Walnut Creek or nearby if possible. Thank you! Don't want to look like W.C. Fields
As someone with Rosacea, I can tell you for sure that a 'skin guru' is not a reality. While facials are helpful for some skin types, they are very irritating to rosacea/aging skin types, and actually make you even more red.
For now, my advice is to take a deep breath, and then buy
the best sunscreen you can find. You should get this from a
dermatologist, not Walgreens. I'm sure you could get it
from the doctor you already saw without having to make
another appt. Then get some mineral make-up (I like Bare
Essentials on 4th street) which will do a nice job of
covering up the red. It won't help your skin, but will
cover things up nicely until you are ready to take the next
step. good luck
I've finally had enough of the persistent red, flakey skin. I've heard
from a few sources that the creams aren't really so effective. (but let
me know if they really work for you) I'd like to try the laser
treatment. Can anyone recommend a provider? or identify any that proved
ineffective? Prefer Oakland, but could travel a bit. Also - any idea
how much this costs? (will call but maybe I need to brace myself first)
does anyone have any experience getting this covered by insurance? too
rosy for too long
I'm hoping to get feedback from someone who has had a Fraxel
laser-- either type. How important is it to choose the
right doctor for a laser procedure? The cost is $1500 for 1
session with an experienced doctor in SF or $1000 in the
East Bay with a less experienced doctor (and that adds
up--especially if you need to do it 4 times). Or would you
recommend doing the stronger version once and getting it
done? Any thoughts on pros and cons and your experience
would be terrific. And: how do you find a good doctor (my
friends don't get lasers:) My skin has becoming more and
more bumpy (not acne; these are the underground bumps that
never go away) and very orange-peel in texture. I am ready
to try anything. Retin-A and Obagi have not made a
difference. Any help is so appreciated! 48 going on 60
Hi,
I'm 36 and I have had sun spots start to appear on my face
since my 20's. They are not *really* bad, but I would like
to lighten, and even remove them completely. I had a
consultation with Dr. Tomi Wall and she recommended laser.
She said that my spots weren't so severe that it wouldn't
take more than 2-3 treatments to see results.
My questions are:
1 - has anyone had this type of treatment done and what was
your overall experience? how severe were your spots?
2 - how much did your treatment cost?
3 - did your sun spots come back? how soon?
4 - any experience with Dr. Tomi Wall? She's in the same
practice as Katie Rodan (of proactiv)
Thanks
I am looking for a highly skilled, dependable, reliable,
trustworthy, affordable cosmetic surgeon who does fraxil treatments.
I want to get rid of acne scars, sun damage and fine lines and
wrinkles.
Looking as young as I feel
I've seen lots of ads lately for laser treatments to
rejuvenate the facial skin ... supposedly they can boost
collagen production, minimize redness and brown age spots,
etc. Do they really work? I've seen ads for something
called Laser 360 and Genesis Skin Rejuvenation ... I'm sure
there are lots of options. Has anyone had success with
these? If so, which practice did you go to and what kind of
laser do they use? Was there downtime, redness, peeling,
etc.? And how much does this cost? It seems everyone
requires a consultation before quoting a figure but I don't
want to spend time going to a place for a consultation if
the treatment isn't effective. Thanks!
Anon
I have long been embarrassed by my red nose & upper chest. I thought they
were simply byproducts of my Irish heritage, but upon a recommendation
from a facialist, I consulted with a laser therapy office.
Apparently this redness is built-up sun damage (despite my near-
obssessive use of sunblock) and can be corrected with laser therapy.
I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has had laser treatment for a
similar problem. Did the treatments work? Are you pleased with the result?
How bad was the swelling/bruising and did you really have to hide for a
week?
Would you recommend your practitioner?
a whiter shade of pale
I went to the Cosmetic and Laser Surgery Institute in Greenbrae,
Dr. Diana Parnell, 415-461-1036. She is excellent, their fees are
not the highest around, and I've found the atmosphere to be
friendly and comfortable. I had treatments there (both from her
and the highly trained and skilled nurses) for other things as
well (laser removal of brown sun spots, laser treatment of
thickened skin on my nose, and botox in my brow), and I never had
bruising from anything- very brief redness at most (like one
day). If you go for the complete laser facial resurfacing (way
outside my budget), then apparently you are in recovery for a few
days.
In case you're wondering, the laser stings, but it's very quick,
and if you need to take a little break between zaps they're very
nice and understanding.
Long ago, I went to a different doctor to try a laser treatment
for my facial redness and I had hideous bruises for over a week-
he obviously did not know how to calibrate his machines properly.
In case anyone's wondering about botox, I love it, it makes me
look a lot friendlier and more relaxed to not have a chronically
crumpled brow, and when done right you don't feel or look
''paralyzed''- I still have a very expressive face!
Less red, spotted, and crumpled
I have several broken blood vessels on my face, (mostly under my
eyes) that seem to have worsened over time and after pregnancies
and such. I have heard that laser treatments can remove these
unsightly marks. Does anyone have any info on this? Or
suggestions on different types of treatments? I would love
recommendations for Doctors and/or specialists in this area.
Also, how much does something like this cost?
Julia
I went the Laser and Cosmetic Surgery Institute in Greenbrae, 415-461-1036 for all
these processes, and have been extremely happy with them all the way around. The
treatments for the facial spider veins were $300. each, the same as you paid. When I
called around before choosing a doctor, it seemed that $300. was the going price
for that particular laser. Some of the other treatments at the CLSI were less than at
other places and I chose them partly by price, but also because I was very impressed
by the level of experience and training of the (2 women) doctors there. They have
something like 16 different lasers for treating different conditions.
My only previous experience with these things was a number of years ago- I went to
one doctor for the face veins, and a different one for the leg veins. The first doctor
was a brute, and left my face so bruised that I looked like I had been beaten up for
over a week. In the second case, the treatments just didn't do much.
My facial spider veins are the result of Rosaecea combined with too much sun
exposure which is a common cause- they were pretty bad, both superficial and deep
(but not as bad as I've seen them on some people), and I needed 3 treatments to
make a really significant difference because some were deep (my skin looks MUCH
better now!).
I too was told that they would likely recur to a bothersome level in 1-3 years
because of the underlying Rosaecea. But it turns out that Rosaecea is an auto-
immune condition, and they are having some success in using a cream called Elidel,
which is used for other auto-immune skin conditions, to calm down the Rosacea
and thus slow the return of the broken veins. It's not a cure (there is no cure). And,
of course, religious use of strong sunscreen is an absolute must.
So- if you got the results you wanted for your level of problem with a single
treatment, for $300., I would say that you did well, and should keep it up to prevent
them getting as bad as mine. You might ask your doctor about Elidel, or try out my
place.
anon
Rosacea laser treatment - where?
Nov 2011
Hi, I have had Rosacea for many years now. I have recently
been having laser treatments. Before you do the laser which
is not cheap ($300 per visit for 3-5 visits) I would try
Metronidazole topically. It works really well for the
redness and iritation. Additionally finding a very mild
facial cleanser can help. In my experience, insurance will
not pay for laser as they consider it experimental. I was
able to get it reimbursed through my pre-tax health care
account. However, they would only allow for certain severe
kinds of Rosacea that includes pustules and skin thickening
after trying other treatments. That said, the laser has
worked at reducing my overall redness and breakouts but it
is painful and costly. If you do it I recommend Dr. Tomi
Wall who is in the building across from Sutter Hospital.
Good luck.
lots to consider
Fraxel and other lasers - effective?
May 2010
I went to 'the experienced SF doctor' for fraxel, because
my neck was more wrinkly than I liked. It looked much worse
after the surgery (permanently), than it did before -
completely crepe-y. He recommended doing it several more
times. He did it one more time, and it changed nothing. It
was a terrible mistake to try this. never again
I had the 'bigger' treatment of fraxel...it cost 4K and was
quite a big deal. The results were good but it was quite
painful and the healing process took about 3 weeks or more.
Have the moderator give you my information so we can talk in
person....I am happy to share. anon
I just did my first full face Fraxel on April 29th. I think
it was worth it. I went to Dr. Sara Wasserbauer's office in
Walnut Creek. Her nurse does the actual procedure. I've also
had Titan performed there by the same nurse. I will be going
back for more treatments. I really liked the Fraxel. The
results are almost entertaining because so many things are
happening in such a short period of time. I had the
procedure in late morning on a Friday. Had to go to work
afterwards, just looked red and strange. Saturday morning I
started to swell up. I had a bunch of weird tissue coming to
the surface and sloughing off. There were areas of brown
pigment also. Sunday I was extremely swollen in the face.
Monday, called in sick to work because the swelling was so
bad, especially in the eyes. I did not go out of the house
those three days because I looked so bizarre. Material
continued to appear and then slough off. Then I started to
break out, pretty heavily in the chin, and in various places
on my face. I don't know if the Fraxel is beneficial in the
long run for the acne. It seemed to 'boil off' all that
other stuff, so maybe? It's 10 days later, and all the
redness is gone, my skin looks better, my undereye area
looks better (I've also had fillers there previously, and I
didn't think this would help as much as fillers, but this
was a nice improvement on it's own merits) Also I have an
old scar which is less visible. I've had lots of laser
treatments - CO2, Vbeam for redness, laser for freckling.
Still I showed improvement. If you have not had any of prior
treatments I would think you would show even greater
improvement. One important issue. It is critical that you
wear sunscreen, wear hats, and protect your face
afterwards, especially during summer to protect your newly
surfaced skin. If you aren't going to wear sunscreen, don't
get this done. This is not a substitute for a facelift, but
you will have nicer skin. I can't wait to do another
treatment. The Happy Fraxeler
Laser treatment for dark sun spots?
March 2010
Most definitely get this done. I'm a veteran of several types
of lasers. I've had freckles removed, which I believe is the
same laser. I had excellent results. Basically, you will
look like someone put out a cigarette on your face for a
couple of days. Then the scabby residue will fall off. As far
as the spots coming back - you will need to be religious
about protection from sun exposure. Always wear sunblock.
That is the only way. I'm so lucky to have this technology
available to me, otherwise I would be a blotchy mess.
frecklefree
Cosmetic Surgeon who does fraxel treatments
Nov 2008
I highly recommend Dr. Robert Aycock and his staff, on San Miguel
Road in Walnut Creek. I have had laser work done, restylene, as
well as plastic surgery. I am very satisfied with all of his work.
His number is 925-937-8377.
kl
I highly recommend Dr. Robert Aycock in Walnut Creek
(925-937-8377, website is www.aycockmd.com). I had some work done
this past June and continue to see him for office procedures. He
is low key, laid back and HIGHLY professional. The people in his
office are friendly as can be and there is PLENTY OF PARKING! His
surgery center is in Greenbrae. I am an ICU RN and work very
closely with doctors so believe me when I tell you, he's a good
'un.
Susan
Hi
I've had some procedures done by Dr. Michael Cedars in Oakland,
including Fraxel and have been very pleased. He is very honest
and dependable. In addition to Fraxel he also used a laser
machine on me called the MiXto laser to remove aging spots and the
V-Beam laser to remove red spots. I really liked him and he never
gave me a hard sell or tried to sell me anything he didn't think
would work.
Patty
Please call Dr. Elizabeth Slass Lee in Berkeley (on Regent St) She
is a terrific, caring, knowledgable M.D. who has a terrific
bedside manner and is truly dedicated. Her number is (510)
704-2170. I guarantee you will love her.
A former patient.
Dr. David Hicks in Concord does not do Fraxel treatments exactly-
he uses a ''light based therapy'' system from a company called
Sciton, and it is much, much better than Fraxel's machine.There
are many differences, but in general, the Sciton system is more
versatile, can do many more types of treatments, and is more
effective in fewer treatments. The Fraxel is a laser system; the
Sciton is a laser system along with a type of intense pulsed light
system. So,the Sciton can do an excellent job on acne scars, sun
damage, and fine lines.
His contact info is:
1333 Willow Pass Road, Suite 202
Concord, CA 94520
925-695-0123
rachel
Laser treatment for facial rejeuvenation
April 2008
Hi,
The procedure I recommend is TITAN, is no abrasive, no peeling, no redness. Is
laser and works strictly on your collagen, google it and look for pictures before
and after, I did do it a year ago, and I am very pleased, I am schedule for
another one this next week, sometimes you need more than once, depends on your age
and your wrinkles too. I lost over 60 pounds and my skin was sagging back then,
now needs a little around the lips (smiling lines I call them).
The doctor I recommend is Dr. Matsuoka, from Kaiser Union City, Cosmetic Surgery
Department, their phone number is 510-675-4454
they do botox, restyline, etc. etc. you name it.
I am very happy with the results, you can only do your cheeks, or your cheeks and
neck or your neck and forehead, or wherever.
About the price, could start from $1,200 and up I believe, not to sure about the
prices, depending what are u going for. They also have an easy plan payment, and
is good for a year I think, or even 18 months?
Good Luck
Susana
Laser therapy to reduce redness
April 2007
I've had laser treatments for facial, neck and upper chest
redness from sun exposure (I have light, not really pale skin,
but work outside), and they helped quite a bit. They're
expensive, and it usually takes more than one treatment, so I
didn't have enough to really eliminate the red, but went far
enough to significantly reduce it, and I'm very happy that I did.
Laser Treatment for Broken Bloodvessels on Face
May 2005
I saw Dr. Natalie Mar in Oakland in Nov. 2003 and she removed the
red spider veins on my nose with a laser. It worked very well;
however, after a year they have all come back. She tells you at
the beginning there is no guarantee that they won't come back.
It cost me $300. I would be interested to see if there are
cheaper doctors out there. $300 every time seems very expensive.
Short-term results
I've had treatments for several cosmetic dermatological conditions, including broken
facial blood vessels, (also for brown sunspots on my face, thickened lumpy skin on
my chin and nose, varicose and spider veins on my legs, and a large darkened and
reddened area on my chest and neck (sun damage)). I had botox also. Geesh- this
makes me sound like a cosmetic junky, but I'm really not- just getting older, have
had way too much sun exposure, and am not quite ready to face ALL the
consequences! Oh yeah- I'm also single and looking!
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