Before diving into my experience with Fraxel, I want to rewind a little and give you some context. My skin and I have been through quite a journey together—full of highs, lows, and everything in between.
The Backstory
Years ago, I was hit with a case of adult acne that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was stubborn, frustrating, and for a while, I wasn’t sure how to get a handle on it. Eventually, after a lot of trial and error (and a good dose of patience), I got things under control. I even wrote about that chapter of my skincare journey back then.
For several years after that, my skin was in a pretty good place. I started to really invest in caring for it—not just with products at home but also through professional treatments. While facials were something I occasionally indulged in, I actually found more consistent results from peels and light lasers. A few times a year, I’d book treatments to keep my skin looking clear, fresh, and even. It became one of my favorite forms of self-care.
For me, skincare has never just been about vanity. When my skin feels healthy, I feel more like myself. It boosts my confidence, lifts my mood, and makes me feel good in my own skin. That’s why I see it as an investment—one that future-me will always thank present-me for.
When Everything Changed
Fast forward to pregnancy: my skin actually held up pretty well during those months, which felt like a relief. But the real challenges came after giving birth. A few months postpartum, as I started to wean from breastfeeding, my hormones went completely haywire.
Almost overnight, I was dealing with breakouts that brought me right back to my acne years. On top of caring for a newborn, feeling exhausted, shedding hair by the handful, and dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of postpartum blues, I now had a face full of breakouts to contend with. It might sound superficial to some, but the truth is, it was one more thing chipping away at my confidence.
The breakouts themselves were tough enough, but what really got me down were the marks they left behind. My complexion looked dull and uneven, my pores seemed perpetually clogged, and overall, my skin just looked tired—exactly how I felt inside.
The Hormonal Rollercoaster
Thankfully, a couple of months later, as my cycle returned and my hormones started to regulate, the worst of the breakouts began to fade. My skin calmed down, but I was left with the aftermath: lingering marks, stubborn unevenness, and pores that seemed more visible than ever.
I can’t emphasize enough how much hormones can impact not just the skin, but also how you feel about yourself. There were days I didn’t want to leave the house without makeup, and it made me deeply insecure. It’s amazing how something as “surface-level” as skin can affect how you carry yourself day to day.
Slowly Finding My Way Back
Over the next 18 months, I committed to getting my skin back on track. I worked with my dermatologist, incorporated peels and occasional laser treatments, and maintained a consistent at-home routine. Gradually, my complexion improved. My skin looked fresher, brighter, and healthier—but I still felt there was room for improvement.
That’s what led me to consider Fraxel.
Why Fraxel?
I want to be clear: the progress I’ve made with my skin hasn’t been the result of just one miracle treatment. It’s been a mix of professional help, at-home diligence, and time. The “before” photos I’ve shared along the way don’t capture just a single treatment’s results but rather the accumulation of years of small steps.
Fraxel was the natural next step for me because it’s designed to tackle those exact lingering issues I was struggling with—uneven tone, lingering marks, and pores that looked more prominent than I wanted. I’ll be diving into my actual experience with the procedure in another post, but for now, I wanted to share how I got to this point.
A Note on Skincare
I’ll also be putting together a more detailed breakdown of the products I swear by—both old faithfuls and new discoveries that have earned a permanent place in my routine. Having the right products at home makes a huge difference in maintaining results between treatments.
For now, I’ll just say this: skincare is such a personal journey. What works wonders for one person might do nothing for another. My path has been shaped by years of listening to my skin, experimenting, and finding a balance between professional treatments and at-home care.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, I realize that my skin journey mirrors so much of my life over the past few years. It’s been unpredictable, sometimes discouraging, and definitely humbling. But it’s also taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of caring for myself—even in small ways.
Fraxel isn’t the beginning of my skincare story, and it’s certainly not the end. It’s just one more chapter in an ongoing commitment to feeling good in my own skin. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: investing in yourself—whether through skincare, rest, or anything that makes you feel better—is always worth it.
