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Smoothbeam Laser Acne Treatment

Retin-A Micro, Minocin & Smoothbeam....and getting worse!?


I'm a 30 yr. old female who has had acne problems since I was nine. My derm. currently has me on Minocin (which worked wonders in the past), alternating the lowest strength Retin-A Micro with an AHA mask, and Smoothbeam laser treatments (three total, last one was 3 weeks ago, next one is in one week). I started all of the medications 2 weeks before my first laser treatment and saw improvement. I continued to improve dramatically after the first Smoothbeam session. However, after the second laser session two weeks later I immediatly began having problems. A large cyst appeared and healed and 6-10 smaller red pimples that still have not gone away (they keep peeling and the whole area around my chin is very red). I've called the derm's office but they tell me to stick with it. I go back for another laser treatment next week. Any thoughts from others? Has anyone else had a course of treatment like this?? Help!?!

I'm 23 and have been struggling w/ moderate acne since I was 15 or so. I'm glad you noticed improvement after the first Smoothbeam treatment, but the results of your second treatment are familiar to me and cause a little bit of alarm.

I had 3 Smoothbeam treatments between age 18 and 19 and it absolutely ruined my skin. I had it done on my cheeks, forehead, and chin. It helped on my forehead in the sense that I rarely break out there anymore (to this day), but didn't help stop breakouts anywhere else. The first treatment was so painful and so traumatizing that they had me put hemorrhoid cream on my face an hour prior to the next 2 treatments to numb my skin. (I washed it off before the treatment, of course.) In retrospect, I have no idea why I underwent the next two treatments. I got enormous and painful cysts all over my face the first time. I was in college and didn't go to my classes for a whole week while my face healed. Eventually the cysts scabbed over and fell off, but they left hideous marks behind. My dermatologist told me it was normal, that the marks would fade, and encouraged me to do another couple treatments. The next two times weren't as painful and didn't result in cysts, but almost 5 years later the damage from the first Smoothbeam has been done. I have terrible scarring on my forehead and my cheeks, which I KNOW is from the Smoothbeam, as I never had a breakout so severe that it would result in such permanent acne scars, and the scarring is in areas where the cysts (and subsequent scabbing) were the worst. The scars are literally little craters in my skin. (My scars from acne are red blotches that fade completely away over a year or so.) I'm now exploring skin resurfacing options, but I have been told that it may not even clean up the mess, as the scars are so deep.

About to become a law student and thinking I may have a legal case (the Smoothbeam wasn't proven effective anywhere but the back at the time), I requested my records from the laser center about a month ago. (I had forgotten what the laser treatment was called, what the contract said, etc.) Well, I signed my skin away at 18 under the line that said something like, "While uncommon, Smoothbeam treatment may result in permanent scarring."

Lasers seem like miracle treatment, but please keep the risks in mind. My skin is only now getting clear by rigidly following a Tetracycline and Differin Gel regimen. That was prescribed for me in the past (before the Smoothbeam) but I only stuck to it a month, got impatient and quit. I wish my Dr. then would have encouraged me to continue that regimen longer before lasering craters into my face. My current Dr. is making me stick with it for 6 months before changing course, and it's already working wonders about 2 months in.

I'm not telling you to not do the Smoothbeam, but keep my story in mind. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it has really impacted my life in a negative way. It didn't help my acne, and it left me with scars that are hard to cover even with the heaviest foundation. I would HEAVILY discourage anyone from undergoing Smoothbeam before all other options are exhausted, because you may be one of the "uncommon" ones.

Sorry to ramble on. Hope it helps a bit.

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SmoothBeam for oily skin?


I have very oily skin and cystic acne. My dermatologist gave me a prescription for Tetracycline which i've been taking for 2 weeks now. It's calmed the acne that I had down. But I still have oily skin which is my main problem. My dermatologist recommended I took SmoothBeam laser treatments but I want to know if anyone else has taken it and how effective it is. Will it help with my oily skin?

Please help.

Smoothbeam is designed to "cure" acne. As far as I know it doesn't correct oily skin.

I had Smoothbeam done several times, and it is painful! Even with the numbing cream, on most areas of my face it felt as if I didn't have any numbing benefits at all. Take a thick rubber band and snap it against your face-- that's how it felt to me.

I used to have very bad acne, which I treated with antibiotics and Smoothbeam. My acne kept coming back. Now, I am acne free and it's because of the following:

1) I wash my face with normal bar soap.
2) When I want to moisturize, I apply castor, almond, or coconut oil to my skin.
3) I no longer use commercial cleansers designed for the face-- I was breaking out even more with their use.
4) I use a dandruff or natural shampoo on my hair. I noticed that the skin on my face and upper back breaks out if I use "fancy" shampoos.
5) I drink more water.
6) I stopped using scrubs on my skin; if I want to exfoliate, I use a hot washcloth and gently wipe my skin smooth.
7) I eat ORGANIC OR ALL-NATURAL dairy. For some reason, commercial dairies break me out.
8) I only use mineral makeup on my skin. ALL liquids break me out!

Although I had bad cystic acne, I never wanted to go on Tetracycline because of the possible side effects. I was determined to cure myself naturally and I believe I did. It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen quickly (about a month). I started doing the above things about 3 years ago, and I haven't had bad acne since. This is great for me because prior to 3 years ago, I'd find something that prevented my breakouts only to have them come back worse.

Sometimes my skin is oily, but I don't care-- as long as I don't have pimples, I figure my skin deserves to be oily when it's hot out, when I've been working out, or if I haven't washed my face within the last 24 hours.

Good luck with your face! I really hope you can cure yourself naturally:)