OK, so my chest/neck rash is about 90% gone ... and now my body - which continues to contort me with endless, annoying flare-ups, has like a red, burning pimply-looking thing going on all around my mouth. (My lips are still hugely swollen, feel like someone touched a branding iron to them, and itch like bugs crawling under my skin.)

In desperation, I made up a turmeric paste and have it encircling my entire mouth area. I read that this spice is a great anti-inflammatory. Also, one other guy who'd had MixTo laser resurfacing on his face (a link to his long blog was included in a post under my MixTo treatment thread) had the same kind of pimply-like condition, and seemed to get relief from a turmeric mask.

Anyone else out there try this? I'm going to wash it off after one hour.

And I bet I'll have a yellow ring around the mouth to contend with next.

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I Bug U

I had the tiny pimply looking stuff after my face lift and milia in the resurfaced area. Seems that is common after these procedures, but not sure it's the same thing you've got, Bug.

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DCNGA has left the board and is no longer taking PMs.
She requests that if you wish to e-mail her to use her direct e-mail address which is: laserandiplsupport@gmail.com

If yours were tiny, red, raised, painful pimply things (spaced far apart, not clustered), it could be the same thing. Maybe this is just clogged pores from so much Cetaphil lotion on top of aloe gel? I think my skin is rebelling and wanting to breathe, but it still needs lots of moisturizer as it's healing. Odd how it's just around my mouth, not on the forehead, under my eyes, cheeks, etc. (Now if I just jinxed myself by saying that, I'll SCREAM.)


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I Bug U

I experienced this same thing every time I used occlusives after a peel. Angry red bumps. My skin hates occlusives. Loathes to be covered with anything thick. Petrolatum, lanolin, any heavy cream, same results. I finally found something that works without the grease factor but it's incredibly expensive: a 2% high molecular weight hyaluronic gel. It's very viscous, more than egg white. It evaporates rapidly so you have to keep on slathering it. Some of the silicone scar gels work also. These are a minimum of $15/oz but they can get much more expensive.

Also as you have experienced, the perioral and chin areas are the most affected.

I have never understood that whole multi-billion moisturizer market thing. Why would anyone who didn't just have a peel or laser actually want to use them? I use them only when I absolutely have to and only when the alternative (scars, delayed healing) is worse.

I can't use it after peels. It hurts. Pretty much all plant extracts can be irritants after peels; I think they can be used but only after one is almost completely healed, maybe the last 2 of 8 days or something like that. But pure HA's can be ok--they've been used on diabetic ulcers.

I think the only way you can get Aloe pure is if you buy the leaf itself (one of my local grocers sells the leaves) or have a plant. The prepared solutions have the usual gamut of add-ons: pH adjustment, thickeners, chelators, and preservatives. These can be irritating, too.

This is another reason why Guyuron gets it right--he uses a silicone mask for his post-laser care. So you get the protection but not the angry skin reactions. I used to wish for such a thing and I am so glad that somebody came up with it.

It's an emulsion rather than an ointment which means it has a good water content vs. zero water as in petrolatum, aquaphor, crisco--the usual substances applied post-peel.

This looks tricky to me because emulsifiers are required to blend the water and oil phases and post-peel, emulsifiers can be very irritating to the wound, which is why only bland thick fatty things are used traditionally.

But maybe in this case the developers found an emulsifier or combination of fats and emulsifiers that was raw skin-friendly.

There is a note here:
"Do not apply BIAFINE® to dermal grafts until after the graft has successfully taken."

which makes me wonder if it's useful for full-CO2 immediately post procedural. I think it would be better in the end stages of healing.

I guess it's not more popular because of cost and availability. But personally I'd be afraid to try it! I have tried some regular blandish lotions and they all burned. I would not turn down a sample of this to try, though.

You're right Kosmeds, initially it stung like the dickens ... maybe it was too soon when I first started using it: Aloe Life Whole Leaf Skin Gel - unscented.

Biafin sounds very intriguing! I will google it right now. It does appear that just about anything but hideous, gooey Aquaphor is better suited for the end-of-healing stage.

(EDIT: I googled, and provide this link to clinical studies on Biafin: http://www.searchmedica.com/search.html?q=biafine%20cream)

I can honestly say that this MixTo resurfacing was WAY, WAAAY longer, tougher and more bothersome to recover from than my entire facial surgery I had done 6 years ago. No comparison, with the amount of fussing, discomfort, mess, uncertainty.

I am 250 frickin' miles from my doc, and drive down tomorrow for the ONE MONTH follow-up. I was supposed to go in for some idiotic oxygen facial massage after the procedure, but here I am, MILES from the doc's office. So tomorrow I will get that facial tossed in to the deal - like cake after the wedding. Bugs me. But I guess I had so much putrifying skin to get healed the treatment wouldn't have happened any sooner.

Now I'm anxious about the person doing this facial. I want to see her SCRUB her hands like she's going in to surgery. I've HAD IT with staph infections on newly lasered skin. If she touches my balloon lips I'll slug her. They feel like 100 bee stings even now.

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I Bug U

My derm gave me a whole bunch of Biafine after my laser work (he did not do the work). It did help with the redness. The trick with it is to use it as soon after the 'burn' as possible. Still, I got the sample six weeks later and it still helped me.

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DCNGA has left the board and is no longer taking PMs.
She requests that if you wish to e-mail her to use her direct e-mail address which is: laserandiplsupport@gmail.com

Well, if you are going to try a mask, as I said, my suggestion would be GREEN TEA (macha powder) and DIATOMACEOUS earth. The former is anti-inflammatory and the latter dries stuff out as to suck out impurities from the skin. Although the green tea powder is green, it does not have a staining effect as does tumeric. I would hesitate using something that is used as a DYE (tumeric is also used as a natural dye for wools) on a slightly wounded face. Hence, I would suggest the green tea powder as the anti-inflammatory.

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Can hardly walk. Need hip replacement.

Diatomaceous earth is also NATURAL. It's a type of silca dioxide mined from the earth. It's used to MECHANICALLY injure bugs. It's not a 'chemical'

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Can hardly walk. Need hip replacement.