Acne Scar Treatments Archive 5
Return to the Acne Support Group in Cyberspace home pageStuart Fade those red marks -- vs, 03:54:37 07/11/03 Fri
Stuart,
Good and bad news. Red spots from acne can take years to fade, most fade
within a yr. However, If a scar is formed, like a dent in your skin, then
unfortunately the actual scar its self will not fade away over time. It will
seem to improve because the color of the scar improves with time, but the
actual pitt will not go away, thats a permanent scar, and like the rest of
us--we are seeking a miracle acne scar revision technique!
Stay out of the sun, sun hyperpigments the red marks and makes them red
longer.Hydroquinone bleacing cream works for me to fade red marks, mixed with retin
A. Although one of my drs told me hydroquinone doesnt help with red acne
spots--i dont think he knew what he was talking about--it helps me. But while
your on the hydroquinone and retin-a your skin may actually turn red alover
and your acne mark might look redder, but once you stop--you will notice the
acne red spot has faded some. It will fade on its own with time--hydroquinone
and retin-a just speed the process up...especially if you get peeling from the
retin-a!
take careSkin Needling -- VS, 03:46:41 07/11/03 Fri
Hi, I'm still waiting for skin needling responses. I've yet to receive any
emails about this procedure. What I wanted to know is the following: I live in
san jose sf bay area..what is the best tattoo parlor to go to for needling in
my area..and who is the best artist. Secondly what is the price, should a
tattoo hand gun be used or manuel hand tool, can severe scarring accur? Is
this safe.
I plan to get this done as soon as my questions are answered. so please anyone
with any info or first hand experience with needling...contact me !
sanjoseskin@yahoo.com
Dear Patsy Waxy Look -- VS, 03:40:07 07/11/03 FriPatsy,
You said your skin texture after Laser resurfacing look flat and grainy. There
is hope for you Patsy, how long has it been since your resurfacing? I have had
laser resurfacing also, had have had my face sanded down with sandpaper. My
skin especially after the sandpaper was horrible, the texture looked waxy.
Imagine an orange peel, thats how the texture of my skin looked, it looked
like waxy shiny red grainy orange peel. It was horrible, I thought I was
scarred even worse. The good news is--this goes away, but usually takes 1 yr
or even as long as two years to go away. That waxy look is your skin steel
healing. My Dr. prescribed me Desowen which is a topical steroid and it helped
some, but using Desowen everynight can thin the skin. Oddly enough, after each
of my resurfacings the one thing that helps take the waxy look away really
fast is Retin-A and staying out of the sun. After My skin heals from
resurfacing, and the waxy look forms, I now start using Retin A. I apply it
every night, I let my skin get super red, I let it start to peel and flake and
turn tight from the Retin-A. I go through this ugly red flaking Retin-A look
for about a good 2 months. Then I stop using Retin-A to let my skin go back to
normal, and whola the waxy look is basically gone. If it still exists I just
continue retin-a for another month.
Dont use alpha hydroxy acids or glcolic acids, if I use those--the waxy ugly
texture comes right back.
So dont worry, that waxy look will go away eventually--just give it time.
Another thing that helped with the waxy look for me after my first
dermasanding were those homepeels..I think it was the homepeel 4000. The waxy
look reduced after trying the home peel. However, the homepeels are expensive
and did nothing what so ever for my acne scarring, I actually broke out even
more from the homepeel.
THe only thing it helped with was that waxy texture reduced a bit.
Hope I was helpfullacne scars, will they fade in time? -- stuart, 01:39:08 07/11/03 Fri
hello, i have some shallow pitted acne scars, and they are still red. I still
have breakouts now and then, but my question is: with time, will my acne scars
either fade or turn less red? Any advice would be helpful thanks.stuart
How do I fix damage to the texture of skin caused by CO2 Laser? -- Patsy,
23:58:01 07/10/03 ThuHello all, I was wondering if anyone out there has had to have further
treatments to repair textural damage to the skin caused by CO2 laser
resurfacing? While Co2 helped some of my scars by 30-50% it ruined my skin
giving me a flat, grainy uneven texture plus new weird scars that are very
difficult to discribe. I wish I had stuck with my original scars. Anyhow, has
anyone had success in treating the laser damage? One thing I am afraid of it
making it worse.Thank you very much.
Hey Eric -- Denise1, 20:21:52 07/10/03 Thu
By Eric:
It is good to hear that you are still improving... not good to hear that you
are breaking out a bit :(. Are you still on the Vitamin B-5? How much do you
take and how well is it working for you?Denise: I'm not on B5 presently. I take other things like fish oil and
digestive enzymes. I have done very well on b5 in the past and probably oughta
take a "maintenance dose", but I'm getting a bit burned out on all the
supplements. I don't break out all that much except for around *that time* of
the month.Unfortunately I am still breaking out though it's not as bad as it has been in
the past... I finally ordered Acne Miracle's 4-step skincare line as I need
something better than the Retin-A to keep this acne down while I wait for the
B-5 to do its work. The Acne Miracle technical support told me that I may need
to keep taking 10 grams a day for as long as 4-6 months before I experience
consistent clearing... *sheesh*. All I know is that I can't get to work on
these scars until the acne is gone. How long and how much B-5 did you take
before you experienced your own good results?jf2: I had to consistantly take it for quite a few months like you. I had to
watch my sugar, wheat, and dairy intake as well. I find that the more I do
that, it helps a lot. I did find though that between the regulating gel, the
b5 topical gel, and the internal b5 and zinc blend, my skin was pretty
"normal" except for some oil about a week out of the month. So take heart and
you may want to switch to Spelt flour stuff and cut out all refined sugar and
dairy except for occassional treats, which is mainly what I do.A couple of other things... you said that some of the scars you had needled
will not need to be re-needled. Are they gone or are you just satisfied with
their appearance?Denise: The pits are incredible!!! I keep referencing them because I never
expected so much filling in for them as I was always told I'd have to have
them punch grafted or excised. I believe that I will not have to needle but 2
or maybe 3 out of the 5 again. What's so cool is that the largest one that I
hated the most has improved so much it's unbelievable. I will get it needled
again, but I'm gonna tell her to GO EASY on the pits I get needled again.As far as other scars I'll get needled, I'll re-needle most of the ones I got
needled before, but not all of them. I keep improving and getting better, even
here 3 months later. I did a strong salicylic acid peel and noticed a strong
difference after that. I guess that while you might see an indent of a tiny,
tiny scar if you look really close, I see no sense in needling something that
is pretty much closed, even though there might be a tiny itty bitty dent.I cannot say enough good about the SUPER CP Serum. I see that we have another
visitor who is having great results with the CP Serum and it really is
extraordinary when combined with peels and Retin A.I believe part of my great result is the SB serum and Retin A, which boosts
collagen by 80% as well.~~~Also, as far as I know Smoothbeam is FDA-approved for acne scarring and acne
of the back only. Can Smoothbeam still be used to treat facial acne? And if so
are the results long-lasting? I agree with you also that Smoothbeam is a good
option for treating milder acne scarring and that the pcitures and feedback on
it are good, and the price is not unreasonable.Denise: Yes, it has been approved for facial acne and acne scarring. I am
going to go for this probably starting in August. There are some people who
are doing needling/smoothbeam spaced apart and seem to be very happy with the
results so far. It costs $400 a treatment here and I was told by phone that it
would take three treatments.Personally, I think that with the fact that the needling will stimulate the
collagen, and the fact that Smoothbeam does too, that they will provide a good
combination for me.Hope that helps! E-mail me anytime if you have any other questions!
Well, I hope I didn't ask too many questions and I look forward to hearing
back from you! :)-Eric
cp serum for ance scars -- Srina Yeo, 10:22:42 07/10/03 Thu
Hi guys, thank you for all contributions about ance scars.
I gone thru the ance scars dicussion since one year ago and I think you guys
are great.I am very prompt to ance scars. I have ance scars through out my
whole face since I am 12 year old and I am now 40 years. I have been living in
self conscious for so many years and can't face up. After going so many years
of different kind of treatment my scars improve very little. My skin doctor
told me the only thing that can improve my scars is skin resurfacing and I
have find out alot of information about skin resufacing through internet.
Through internet alot of said chance of having more scaring is very high but
not my doctor. Eventually, I bravely give a try on skin resurface on my nose
area only on April 2003 as my nose have quite alot of pitted scars.
After the treatment, she use a kind of special plaster to plaster my face, we
have to remove the plaster every day and clean my face for about 6-7days.
After the seven days I am quite happy with the result because I can see the
improvement and there is no form of other new scar, but the doctor tell me
that that there will be more improvement in six month's time. I am very
impatience, so after reading about the cp serum that Denise has proven so I
start to use in three week ago. Now my pitted scars are more like a pore. I
should have using after immediately after the 7 days of treatment because I am
scare it may get worse instant of better which after so many years of
treatment and I am very sidly improve. Guys I am writing to tell you that cp
serum works marvellous. After so many years of experience treating ance
scars,I have analysed that to treat ance scars, first you have to remove the
first layer of the skin and go with cp serum. I am going to try strongest peel
from skin biology next two days for my whole face and go with the super cp
serum. If the strongest peel don't work well, I will go for skin resurfacing
and go with super cp serum.
Denise- Acne Breakouts & B5 -- Eric, 22:43:24 07/09/03 Wed
Hi Denise-
It is good to hear that you are still improving... not good to hear that you
are breaking out a bit :(. Are you still on the Vitamin B-5? How much do you
take and how well is it working for you? Unfortunately I am still breaking out
though it's not as bad as it has been in the past... I finally ordered Acne
Miracle's 4-step skincare line as I need something better than the Retin-A to
keep this acne down while I wait for the B-5 to do its work. The Acne Miracle
technical support told me that I may need to keep taking 10 grams a day for as
long as 4-6 months before I experience consistent clearing... *sheesh*. All I
know is that I can't get to work on these scars until the acne is gone. How
long and how much B-5 did you take before you experienced your own good
results?A couple of other things... you said that some of the scars you had needled
will not need to be re-needled. Are they gone or are you just satisfied with
their appearance? Also, as far as I know Smoothbeam is FDA-approved for acne
scarring and acne of the back only. Can Smoothbeam still be used to treat
facial acne? And if so are the results long-lasting? I agree with you also
that Smoothbeam is a good option for treating milder acne scarring and that
the pcitures and feedback on it are good, and the price is not unreasonable.Well, I hope I didn't ask too many questions and I look forward to hearing
back from you! :)-Eric
To cityslicker and all interested about exoderm update -- Kit, 18:14:06
07/09/03 WedHi, sorry for the late reply again, pals.
Ok, My redness now has gone to pink-ish instead of reddish, and this is all
due to the great copper peptides that many of you have recommended. It is
great!It is strange though, as I began to use them after about 2 months of exoderm,
the skin actually became redder and so I stopped. But after about 5 months of
redness (gradually fading), I begin using copper peptides and shortly after a
week, the skin seems like growing and the redness fading at a speed which to
me is incredible. I am now continuing the copper peptides, but not the
salycyclic acid. I guess my skin is still too thin to apply that, so I guess
copper peptides will be sufficient at the moment.As for the improvement, I can hardly describe it. I just wonder have anyone of
you feel the same that everyday in the morning right after you wake up,
everything seem smoother than in the night when u begin to sleep. I just
wonder how come the skin becomes less tightened during the evening or night.
Does anyone of you have a good reason for it?You see, as I have shifted house, the mirror which I have been using for a
long time has been changed. So under different lighting conditions, I just
don't know what to say....about improvement. But all I can say now is that the
whole skin becomes whiter....and after applying copper peptides for about 2
weeks, the skin becomes more natural than before. I just hope they will become
better. It is strange also that once I pull my skin (using a little bit of
force only) the entire skin becomes smoother .... so I certainly hope that
either injection or subcision/excision will do the rest and improve my scars.
Well, needling in Singapore has never been heard before so I dare not entrust
my skin to another irresponsible practitioner again. Singapore is one of the
worst area for acne scar treatment. They do almost nothing ...but claim they
have good medical skills. Just feel like puking when they said that.Needling In SF Bay Area? -- VS, 17:24:29 07/09/03 Wed
Hi,
Ok its official, I'm fed up with my remaining scars. And this morning after
coming home from the gym, And seeing everyone with such smooth skin, even
people in their 60's with skin smoother than me--(and i'm 22.) I am going to
deffinately give needling a shot and hope and pray for good results without
any side effects.
Before I do my needling I need the following questions answered. So any help
would be appreciated. Where is the best place in SF bay area to get needling
done. Who is the tattoo artist that I need to ask for. How much does it cost?
I promise to all of you, once I get my needling done I will keep all of you
posted from DAY 1 to my final Results. I would even post pictures from day one
to final results of my face if I had a digital cam--but sorry I cant afford
one right now...but I'll try to be as detailed in my description as possible.
So again, I want to do this as soon as possible. I'd like to know the best
place in san jose SF bay area to get needling done,,what technique of needling
to be used (hand tool or tattoo gun?) What type of needles..etc. Also the name
of the best tattoo artist who has done this type of needling for acne
scars...and the cost!
I'll be looking forward to your responses... sanjoseskin@yahoo.com
Hey Eric -- Denise1, 15:43:20 07/09/03 Wed
I was going to e-mail you, but thought others would benefit from my latest
update....All is going very well, and my scars are all continuing to improve. I plan on
going for my second round of needling next week. Many of the scars I had
needled, I will not have to re-needle.It has worked very well for me. Since I break out a little, I will probably go
for Smoothbeam and that hopefully will continue to smooth out my skin. Many
people seem to be having remarkable results with Smoothbeam on the Acne.org
website.So my update is that all is going well and I continue to improve and the
collagen continues to fill in.
ERIC--Needling -- Beth, 12:49:37 07/09/03 Wed
Hi Eric,
I WISH the remarks about needling were made by me, but I was actually quoting
a guy named MARC who posted them several months ago. I think he did go to
Black & Blue in CA and had Indexa as his needler--but I'm not 100% positive of
that. I am just hoping he is doing well and enjoying life and simply hasn't
had reason to visit these boards again. I just wanted to know how his results
have held up.Thanks for responding though. Beth:-)
Beth & VS- Needling in SF Bay Area -- Eric, 04:25:38 07/09/03 Wed
Hi guys-
VS I just wanted to say that I think your support group is a great idea. I
live in Novato, about 45 minutes away from SF and am probably going to go
eventually have needling done to do away with my acne scars once my still
active acne clears up. FYI guys, Accutane worked great for me but five months
later, the acne came back! Not as bad as before, but still enough to where I
am concentrating all my efforts to getting rid of it! I think a support group
would be perfect, like Greg's group in DC. Great idea!Beth- That is awesome to hear about your improvement! Very good! Which artist
did you go see? Many people here recommended Idexa at the Black N' Blue Tattoo
Parlor in SF. Did you get it done by her or another artist? Just wanted to
compare notes!To All- My e-mail is posted and available, so if anybody wants to talk, feel
free to e-mail me!!Denise- All going well with you still? You've made so much progress in the
last year alone it's incredible! I hope we all make as much headway as you do
in our quest to repair our skin from the ravages of acne!!Peace out y'all :)...
-Eric
San Jose SF BAY AREA Skin NEEDLING -- VS, 00:03:34 07/09/03 Wed
Hi Everyone
I had an idea just right now. I am from San Jose- San Francisco Bay area. Why
dont all of us from the bay area start like an acne scar support group or
something, and share our experiences with one another about DR's in the
California bay area? I think that would be helpfull to us.
Also for those who have had NEEDLING DONE IN SF bay area...can you email me.
I'd like to chat about your needling experience and results, it sounds like
something risky to do--but i'm thinking about giving it a try---to smooth out
my remaining acne scars... I would really like to learn more..so BETH and
others who have done kneedling in sf bay area..please email me.
I can be contacted at my new email addy that I created just for acne scar
discussions...its SanJoseSkin@yahoo.comneedling in Florida -- amez, 18:54:51 07/08/03 Tue
Hello,
Wondering if anyone knows of a good needler/tatoo artist who does needling in
Florda (proferably near Tampa or Sarasota). I've called around to a couple of
places and they haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Thanks. This sounds like a good remedy...Feel free to reply to all or directly
to my email. I'm really interested in this procedure so I hope to hear from
anyone with info. I've also called docs in the area and have gotten nowhere.
Very frustrating! And Mary, thanks for the info on more natural cures--always
good to hear about those.
thanks...
--amy
MARC (who did needling 9 months ago) Are you still around? -- Beth, 15:56:06
07/08/03 TueI am looking for MARC who on 11/07/02 wrote:
___________________________________________________________
>>For those of you that are interested, I wanted to follow-up my post from 2
1/2 weeks ago. It's been almost 3 weeks since had needle dermabrasion done at
a tattoo place in the bay area (CA.) (see prior posts for details)At 3 weeks, I am extremely pleased with the results. I have noticed a
significant improvement in my skin and scars. The(very)small but numerous
shallow scars on my cheeks and chin have smoothed out considerably, and many
are gone. The bumpy texture on my chin has almost completely smoothed out, the
deeper ice pick type scars (i only had a few) are much improved (less deep)
and most importantly for me, the uneven/large pore texture and "waxy" look to
my skin (which I attributed to a CO2 from 4 yrs ago) is completely gone.>>
___________________________________________________________
My skin texture looks exactly as you described yours looking before you had
the needling. I am just wondering how well these results have lasted. I think
you were one of the originals who went to the Black & Blue tattoo place in CA.
Thanks! Beth
Mary -- bob, 05:21:43 07/07/03 Mon
Last year I used 100% rose hip oil for a month on depressed and pitted scars
on my face and my scars started looking even worse so I stopped. Shortly
afterwards I started using Copper Peptides and % Acids and have been using
that for 6 months now with decent improvement. It's slow but steady. My scars
were severe to start with anyway. Some people are doing what's called TCA
Cross for pitted scars and response is positive so far. TCA is a short name
for a certain type of strong acid and Cross is the method of putting that acid
directly into the pit by a doctor. I don't think the TCA Cross is for
depressed (boxcar, rolling) or raised scars. It's only for pitted scars if I'm
correct. For depressed scars some are having Needling done with positive
results. Even better results are being seen by following up the Needling with
Copper Peptides.
Natural remedies can help -- Mary, 04:42:06 07/07/03 Mon
I am wondering if any of you have ever tried rosehip oil for pitted acne
scarring. I have been using some for the last couple of months twice a day on
a slightly indented scar (about a year old?) on my back/shoulder area and it's
definitely improved - not as pitted. I noticed an improvement very quickly -
in a couple of weeks I think. I have also been testing it on a few of the
scars on my face and I think they look slightly better. Rosehip oil is always
advertised by manufacturers as being helpful for scarring associated with acne
and chickenpox - apparently the fatty acids help with skin healing. You are
apparently not supposed to use rosehip oil on oily/acne prone skin although I
don't think I've had breakouts as a result of the oil.Another thing that is apparently good is comfrey root. You dig up the roots
from a comfrey plant, chop them finely in a little water and cook for a while
until it's gooey. (Comfrey root has natural allantoin in it). You put on as
mask twice a week and leave on overnight. I read this in a small herbal book -
apparently helps with all scars including old pock marks it says. I've also
read in another herbal book where it apparently helped heal one woman's scar
which was 80 years old. I've only just started with this - I usually add a bit
of the leaf in there too (Caution: excessive comfrey is harmful for the liver
(I hope applying externally is OK)
Fat Transfer -- Cityslicker, 09:58:54 07/04/03 FriPerhaps you missed this part: He said, if you lay it down right, it should
take hold and blood vessels will grow into those areas and it will begin to
live permanently.
?Cityslicker -- ------, 15:48:09 07/03/03 ThuThanks for replying Cityslicker.So I get from your response that it is
LONG-LASTING and NOT permanent?And as for Artecoll,I heard that was a
"permanent" filler.
To: Mike D. -- Mystery, 17:21:52 07/02/03 Wed
1 syringe of Artecoll cost $850.00 Canadian. My doctor did not charge for the
test excisions that he did at the same time. I only had to pay an additional
hospital fee (I think $75.00) on top of it.I have mostly ice-pick scars, and the Artecoll did NOT produce a good result
for me. The deeper ones did not show significant improvement after initial
injection. Some of the shallower ones looked a lot better for a few months,
but alas, it is all gone now. Artecoll is supposed to be absorbed by the body,
but is supposed to stimulate production of body's own collagen which in my
case it didn't.I think excision is the best route for me and I hope the remaining ones I want
to get done don't cost too much.
To: Mike D. -- Mystery, 17:20:09 07/02/03 Wed
1 syringe (1 cc ?) of Artecoll cost $850.00. My doctor did not charge for the
test excisions that he did at the same time. I only had to pay an additional
hospital fee (I think $75.00) on top of it.I have mostly ice-pick scars, and the Artecoll did NOT produce a good result
for me. The deeper ones did not show significant improvement after initial
injection. Some of the shallower ones looked a lot better for a few months,
but alas, it is all gone now. Artecoll is supposed to be absorbed by the body,
but is supposed to stimulate production of body's own collagen which in my
case it didn't.I think excision is the best route for me and I hope the remaining ones I want
to get done don't cost too much.
Fat Transfer -- Cityslicker, 02:28:55 07/01/03 Tue
In answer to question about Fat Transfer, I cut n' paste from one of my
previous postings - I paid $1500 for Fat Transfer. He decided to take the fat
from my abdomen area and said I'd be getting a 2fer. Which was Liposuction and
Fat Transfer combo, as he needed to take fat from legs (thighs), buttocks or
abdomen, he would just take it from both sides of my abdomen and do a
Liposuction also. He said seriously, but I wasn't sure if he was joking, that
you want to take the fat from an area where you just can't seem to get rid of,
that way, it'll be long lasting also when you transfer it. He said, if you lay
it down right, it should take hold and blood vessels will grow into those
areas and it will begin to live permanently. Basically, you overfill those
areas and he said, only about 50% will take and then you come back for 1-2
additional treatments. His office said, he can do Cooltouch II and Fat
Transfer on the same day, now that he has the fat stored. But these have to be
scheduled different days originally, and he only does Cooltouch II on the last
Monday of the month or every 4 weeks. He freezes the fat for later use, and if
I understood correctly, it will last indefinately in the freezer.Mystery- Punch excision and Artecoll -- Mike D, 20:56:28 06/30/03 Mon
You mentioned that you had artecoll injections and punch excision done in
Toronto, Canada. How much did it cost for those procedures and was there any
complications? What kind of scars do you have? Did the procedures work? Is
artecoll the best filler in Canada or are there others on the way? I know, I
ask way too many questions. Sorry.Thanks,
Mike DTo All: Subcision & Punch excision -- Mike D, 20:43:07 06/30/03 Mon
What are these techniques? How much do they cost in the U.S.? Are there any
side effects?
Hey Cityclicker,? for you -- ???, 18:18:59 06/30/03 Mon
I was just wondering how much you payed for the fat transfers and is it a
permanent procedure?Where did the fat obtained come from,which part of the
body?
Question for Kit -- Cityslicker, 09:52:55 06/30/03 Mon
Kit, thanks for your previous update. Glad to see you are making progress and
your redness is still improving. One question I'm curious about is the overall
improvement in your scars. How much improvement have you seen in your scars
since you had Exoderm, 10-100%??? Thanks!!!!
Beth - Update -- Cityslicker, 09:43:39 06/30/03 Mon
Beth, for my needling results, my previous summary is still the same for me. I
didn't get as great of an improvement as Denise1, but she's got me excited
about needling and I've had it done. The tattoo artist I seen did use a hand
tool, but sounds like the tattoo gun may bring better results, and I would be
interested in trying that also.
I definately had an improvement. And for the money spent was one of the best
investment I've made. Some of my smallers scars and wrinkles have improved
from 10-30%. My larger scars not as significant, maybe 5-10%. But realize, I
have over 100 scars of various sizes, icepicks, large pores, fingernail
indents, etc.,etc. Just be advised, that when I say a 20-30% improvement on
scars, its little baby large pores, not quite ice pick. Overall improvement,
not dramatic, but significant enough to me, that I would certainly try again
when I'm able to take 5-6 days off.Update on my Fat Transfer: It's been about a month since my second Fat
Transfer injection. I've gone from a 90-100% percent improvement (for 2
depressed indents only) to about a 60-70% improvement on my left side, and
about an 75-80% improvement on my right side. My left side was my worse side
before the injections. I've gone from doing cartwheels, to the reality that I
seem to be slowly losing my results each week. I definately need another
injection, but will wait a 2-3 months probably, to see how much further these
results degrade. I'll be happy with any improvement that I can retain, just
uncertain what my final results will be.I still continue to see pore size shrinking from Cooltouch II and pleased with
the results from that. One of the problems to judge is when you have so many
different size pores and scars etc., its hard to gauge improvement, when some
pores improve dramatically and other large pores or saucer scars etc., improve
minimally. But I can see a difference and improvement overall from all
treatments I've had combined. Progress is slow, but surely.
To Plastik and Maya -- kit, 17:08:27 06/27/03 Fri
Maya: thanks for the emu oil info.
Hey the copper peptides are great! The remaining redness actually gone after a
few days aof application. I will continue it. As for emu oil, I will try to
order from somewhere.Plastik: Hmm..... I am actually wondering the figure "many" which you are
talking about. I only think if one has to go through so many procedures and
treatments which you are referring to, I guess that guy should be 40+ by now
if he or she started treatment at the age of early twenties. One will actually
need to wait for a period to see the real results after any treatment. Anyway,
a number of procedures only started in recent years. And we musn't expect in a
single treatment, we will be cured. So I am wondering what do u mean end of
the road? At least I know I have more than 5 different kinds of treatment I
have not go through yet (hopefully will not of course), so we shouldn't feel
that demoralized at all. Anyway, there are a few more coming out too (some
might not have been known yet). Different treatments will not always react the
same to all kinds of skin, and different people will have different
expectations.Anyway, my main attention to your mail is actually what kind of "plastic
surgery" are u referring to? I have only heard of face transplant once and
this might have been carried out once recently (new technique). What kind of
"plastic" are u talking about? I am sure if there is really such thing for
scars, people like us should have already done that long long ago! Our money
spent on such treatments are not cheap either. Hmm....i am just
wondering......... ^_^Plastic Surgery -- Plastik, 07:31:02 06/27/03 Fri
I think many of us have reached the end of the road for our scar treatments.
Spending thousands on laser treatments and other procedures have brought us
short-of-perfect results. Has anyone of you considered plastic surgery as a
last resort?
To: Leila -- mystery, 17:19:48 06/26/03 Thu
I had full face dermabrasion done twice several years ago.
What to expect:
1. lots of down-time: your face will be raw/weeping the first few days, then
it will crust over and you will barely be able to smile, eat, etc. It didn't
hurt, but was itchy (don't scratch, just pat with cold water)2. You will be depressed because you will look like something out of a horror
movie while you are still crusted over.3. Once the crusts come off after 7 - 10 days (helping with application of
mineral oil daily) your face will be red/pink and will look like you had a
sun-burn (severe), but this can be covered with heavy cosmetics like
dermablend or clinique continuous coverage. Another alternative is to use a
green-tinged makup (like from prescriptives) to counter the redness.4. The skin will be extremely sensitive to the sun and to avoid burning and/or
hyperpigmentation and/or hypopigmentation you must apply strong sunblock every
day.,5. The final result won't be apparent until about 6 months later after the
swelling has gone down and the skin colour has stabilized. (Be aware that the
extreme smoothness you see right after the crusts come off is because of the
swelling, and is NOT idicative of the final result).
24 hour Update on my N-Lite and Subcision -- Maya, 12:47:18 06/26/03 Thu
The swelling is down to only 10% now (I don't think anyone would notice) - and
there is next to no bruising.I have been taking these Arnica and Bromelin pills (recommended for bruising)
for the past 2 days. Also covering myself in copper peptides and emu oil every
2 hours - seems to have minimised pain too.With all this in mind, the down time will be 2 days and I'll be out and about
tomorrow! :)
Had subcision and N-lite today (+ info on Isoalgen) -- Maya, 22:16:06
06/25/03 WedI saw Dr Tony Chu at Hammersmith Hospital, London - he was very pleasant, he
took a good look at my scars and said that I had a combination of boxscars and
Ice picks .. that all the skin surrounding my scars was fine..Originally, I had asked for subcision, N-Lite and Isolagen (www.isolagen.com)
He said the following:
1. Subcision will not help with ice picks, (ice picks must be punched excised)
but quite good for either rolling scars or boxscars. If subcision is performed
on ice picks, it tends to block off oxygen(?) on the ice picks and an abcess
normally follows which creates a cyst and therefore more scarring.
2. I was not a suitable candidate for Isolagen at present because Isolagen is
not useful for deep pits, only useful for shallow scarring/rough
skin/wrinkles/large pores etc .. he said to save my money (nice guy) and
consider it at a further date if I wasn't happy with the other procedures he
would perform on me.
3. That N-lite was good at killing acne, but not a guarantee. N-Lite only
helps normal pimples.. but does not work on cystic acne.
4. No one can have subcision if they have active acne since it would create an
enormous infection leading to a big break out.First thing that happened today was:
1. N-Lite - just a light pass (setting at 2.7 I think) which took no longer
than 5 minutes .. only for around 2 seconds did I feel a stinging sensation.
Totally painless really and no redness. I asked the derm if more passes would
improve the skin but she said that they had experimented with this and a light
pass was as effective as several passes at the same time.
2. Another derm took a couple of photos (just for their records) and put some
silicon gel on my cheeks to make a plaster-cast model of my scars (so that
they can measure the improvements in the future) - it only took around 1
minute for the gel to set before it was removed.
3. Dr Chu then performed subcison on around one third of my scars (most of the
boxscars) - first, he injected me with anesthetic in around 10 different
places on my face (this really hurt, I had tears in my eyes), then he subcised
the boxcars which took around 10/15 minutes ... a nurse was present all the
time, and would hold a swab to my face quite tightly where the subcision had
taken place (Dr Chu said this was to help limit swelling and stop the blood
flow) - it took a good 10 minutes for the bleeding to stop.
4. Dr Chu injected one exsisting cyst with cortison (I think) to kill it.(All the above 4 took nearly 2 hours with lots of hanging around in between.)
Dr Chu said he wants to see me again in around 4 weeks and will get an
appointment sent out to me for late July/early August so that he can 1. do
more subcision, 2. perform punch excision on the ice picks.The reason why he did not do the punch excision today was because they had run
out of the punch tools which have been on order from the States for over a
month.About the punch excision, he said that the scar would be punched out, and one
stitch would be put in place. This would leave a hairline scar which would
replace the ice pick hole. 5 days after, the stitches need to be removed. He
said a lot of swelling usually takes place.Dr Chu then wrote me a prescription for 4 weeks worth of antibiotics
(Clindamycin) which I need to take 3 times a day.How did I look after the subcision? Swollen!!! My cheeks and forehead puffed
right out and i could feel it being lumpy. (A kind of mild elephant man look)
It's now around 7 hours after the procedure and the swelling has come down a
lot - there are a few red marks where the needles went in but nothing much. My
face is still slightly swollen and feels bruised. I am waiting to see if
bruises (which is what Dr Chu said is likely to happen) appear on my face.Dr Chu did not recommend any after care, but I am slathering my face with
Copper Peptides and Emu Oil.Also, I am taking herbal supplements of Arnica and Bromelin which are supposed
to help with bruising and swelling (along with all my normal vits)About Isolagen - It seems to now be at the stage where people are starting to
have injections, I spoke with one of the nurses and she said that people have
been pleased so far.Dr Chu said that once the lab has the Isolagen ready, there is only a 1 week
leeway for getting the injections started, that if there was a delay, Isolagen
labs would charge amazing amounts of money to store the fibroblasts - that
Hammermith hospital don't have the sterile facilites to do that.
Shelly and Maya -- Ben, 18:38:03 06/25/03 WedThanks Maya for the thread link. I did not see that Shelly had posted about
her experience on that particular thread Shelly can you answer my questions
below?thanks beth -- amez, 18:01:38 06/25/03 Wed
thank you for the needling info. that place looks very cool. wish i could
afford a trip up there--do let us know how it goes. anyone know of such a
place in central florida? has anyone purchased the roll-cit? any good results?
--amyAMEZ--Needling Hand Tool Info -- Beth, 13:39:26 06/25/03 Wed
Hi Amez,
You can read about the needling hand tool at the link below. Just copy and
paste it to your address bar.http://www.transitionspmc.com/needling.htm
This is where I will likely be going next month to see if my skin can handle
needling on ANY level.Beth
Shelly Can you tell more about the TCA treatment? -- Ben, 18:51:31 06/24/03
TueDo you know what percentage TCA your doctor used? Did you have only one
application and where was your "hole"? Are you refering to an icepick scar or
a pit? Do you have a new type of scar now?thank you!
"hand tool" for needling -- amez, 18:43:06 06/24/03 Tue
Beth (or anyone who knows),
What is the hand tool you refer to as an option for tatoo gun needling? This
sounds like a good first step for people like me looking for a step up from
copper peptides/creams to see some increased results, but aren't yet ready for
full-on needling.What kinds of results could I expect from this method and how would I explain
this up to a tatoo artist? Also, for those who have done needling, do you sit
in the front of a tatoo parlor and have them go to work on your face while all
the people there for regular tatoos look on with wonder?
thanks,
--amy
Denise--Emu Oil -- Beth, 15:02:40 06/24/03 Tue
Hi Denise,
Thanks for the info regarding the emu oil. I actually tried it about two years
ago and had a reaction to it, but that was when I was reacting to everything
including water. Perhaps I will order it again and see if I respond better to
it this time. I am sure it would be more mild than CP Serum to further improve
healing after my upcoming needling session. Thanks again for your help. Beth
To: Greg---That's Great News! -- Beth, 14:55:29 06/24/03 Tue
I am sooo happy for you, Greg! Thanks for the wonderful report.
I am going to try needling in July, but I am going to request that the guy use
the hand tool (soft tap) since my skin is still so very sensitive. If I do not
react from that less aggressive method, I will likely go to see Lillian in
D.C. this winter for a treatment with the tattoo gun. It sounds like she is
really good with this treatment. (If you went to Lillian, that is. I believe
she is the only one I have read about in your area who offers needling and
you'd be the third person who has said they were happy with their needling
results at her hand if that is who you saw.)Thanks again for sharing. Please keep us posted as the months go by and
improvement continues. Beth
Needling with Lilian in Alexandria,VA -- greg, 13:25:12 06/24/03 Tue
hey folks,
11 days post-op and all looks well....forehead has improved by 50% and that's
before any collagen has been generated-that will come later....i've spent over 10 grand on scar repair-i wish this were around 5 years ago
when i got suckered into erbium laser for 5 grand(it did nothing!)if i were starting over i would do needling *first*...low-tech is *better*
than hi-tech when it comes to scar repair!will keep you all posted on progress...
Thanks,
GregSara-Subcision -- shelly, 21:57:07 06/23/03 Mon
Wanted to let you know that the subcision procedure was about a 50%
improvement...i also got it done 4x in the past yr....the TCA on ice picks is
GOOD.....i had one big hole in my face and after he filled it , its
gone...there is still a small surface scar but no hole, it closed it up...
the healing is a week, I notice the first 3 days dont look too good but then
it clears up fast....also, i dont know how much your getting done, but mine
are saucer like scars all over my cheeks, so he worked pretty extensively.If you have any questions, let me know....I wrote about Smoothbeam laser, dont
know if anyone has heard of it but it supposedly a mircle laser for scars and
acne...its not that much $$$ and hopefully it will work, but it could just be
a come on.....not sure...Good Luck....
Kit - about emu oil -- Maya, 13:55:44 06/23/03 Mon
Thought I'd answer for Denise since she is so popular here!
I've been using the emu oil too and it really is an excellent moisteriser and
seems to help keep inflamation down.From the homepeels.com website:
"From Skin Biology, EMU OIL S Lipid Replenisher for Skin is a peroxide-free
emu oil supplemented with the super-powerful antioxidants of Ubiquinone,
7-keto DHEA, mixed isomers of natural tocotrienols, and mixed isomers of
vitamin E.It is a super-charged emu oil for anti-aging and light moisturization!
Replacement of key skin lipids (oils) often accelerates skin repair and can be
a helpful treatment for dry skin and eczema. Also, conditions such as burns,
psoriasis, and eczema often benefit from emu oil.The supplements in Emu Oil S are Ubiquinone which helps skin energy
metabolism, 7-keto DHEA which helps endogenous lipid synthesis in the skin,
mixed natural tocotrienols and natural vitamin E which are powerful
anti-oxidants to protect agains skin damage and aging.Topically applied tocotrienols selectively accumulate in skin and serve to
protect it against ultraviolet damage and oxidation. (Traber et al 1997).In recent controlled studies, 7-keto DHEA has been shown to improve sense of
well-being, immune and mental function, and muscle tone in middle aged men and
women.Ubiquinone also serves as an important lipid-soluble antioxidant in the skin
and other organs protecting against free radical damage from peroxides that
damage collagen and elastin, which produces a loss of elasticity in the skin
and wrinkle formation.Ingredients: Peroxide-free emu oil supplemented with Ubiquinone, 7-keto DHEA,
and mixed natural tocotrienols. "
Denise1, about emu oil -- Kit, 10:55:17 06/23/03 Mon
Denise1,
I have actually heard a lot of talking about emu oil, but it really beats me
what actually is its benefits. Can u tell me as I am quite ignorant about it.
How good can it help the skin? Thz
Beth -- Denise1, 04:40:04 06/23/03 Mon
Beth, it's not a retinol product at all. It works deep in the skin to
stimulate collagen, but can bother people with sensitive skin.You should e-mail them and ask for samples and explain your situation! It
can't hurt and all they can do is say no. They are very knowledgable and
return e-mails within a few days. One thing you might be able to tolerate well
is the emu oil, which is very gentle, non-pore clogging, and leaves the skin
like silk. I think even the most sensitive skin can tolerate it. Check out the
needling thread at acne.com; Niko just got needling done by the same lady who
did mine and is raving about the emu oil, which is what I used in conjunction
with the copper peptides specifically for healing.E-mail them, I'm sure they will be glad to help!
Any ever had a Dermabrasion procedure? -- Leila, 18:34:00 06/22/03 Sun
Has anyone recently had the TCA Peel or the Dermabrasion procedure? I recently
had both and am in recorvery currently. I wanted to know if anyone was pleased
with their results. I want to know what I have to look forward to or not.
Q about Copper Peptides & Q for Cityslicker -- Beth, 17:25:34 06/22/03 Sun
To Denise (or) anyone familiar with the copper peptide stuff:
Is copper peptide strong like Retin? If it is a strong serum I don't think my
skin will be able to tolerate it. My skin still reacts under most skin care
products and becomes more scarred looking as a result of the irritation they
cause. (Remember I am the one who was initially burned/sensitized from a
glycolic acid treatment.)To Cityslicker:
How effective would you say that your needling treatment was overall with this
much time passing?I am considering having a needling treatment at Transitions in July, but will
likely have them use the hand tool since my skin is soooo sensitive. I would
rather risk having less improvement than increased skin injury. I read that
the hand tool does not leave bruises or scabs. Anyone have any thoughts or
comments about this?Beth
Question for Bernard -- ELT, 23:25:10 06/21/03 Sat
Was just wondering if you could share the name of the Dr. that performed your
dermabrasion and also let me know where he/she is located. I have had a few
procedures done on some acne scars and am still not happy with the results on
one. I keep researching and hoping that one day I will find someone who be
able to correct the scar to my satisfaction.Thanks.
ELT
Am glad to hear you are happy with your results.
Greg -- Mia, 19:47:39 06/21/03 Sat
Greg,
How was the demonstration by Lillian Omar?
Israel Exoderm: to cityslicker -- Kit, 05:31:11 06/21/03 Sat
Well, it is indeed true to what the physician had said. It will take three to
six months for the skin to grow back and it has somehow taken six months for
the redness to fade. However, my skin is often slightly redder than others and
also thinner, so for my case, I deduce I will take another 1 to 2 months for
the redness to be completely gone. Given a redness rating of 1 to 10 (very
very red for 10), the redness currently is about 2 to 2.5. However, if I don't
stay at home and go out for a walk in the evening, the red is totally
completely gone. I guess I need some form of exercise (simple) to keep the
blood circulation flowing instead of clouding on my face.However, there are a few areas of discolorations which the physician had also
mentioned before. The reason for it is because he had to perform deeper than
the rest of the regions and he too mentioned it will fade with time too. So
now I just wait and see.Well, you see, if I have got the choice (most often in real world, there's no
such thing as what if), I would recommend the treatment with Dr Rullan
instead. Well, because he speaks English much better than the Israelis!
Furthermore, I think he has the second and third phase of Exoderm, whereas in
Israel, he just used the original which was only the first phase. But I really
don't understand if the skin is already that red and thin, how can someone
possibly perform chemeoabrasion again? If anyone truly understands the
procedure, I guess chemeoabrasion + Exoderm can definitely bring greater
results.Remember, I am not recommending any type of Exoderm here. It is just my
personal opinions...that's all. Do more research first before trying. I never
know that the downtime is so long and this is only the one thing I have missed
out, because my skin normally recovers in matter of days...but this time it
really takes months. I guess Exoderm reallly go that deep into the skin.Anyway, now I am looking at Isolagen and subcision. I still prefer the idea of
using one's skin molecules to regenerate the collagen back. It sound to me
more logical, but it is what the results that count. So I am now hoping to get
some replies from those who are preparing for the Isolagen treatment.One last thing to say - I strongly feel that you must get a doctor that really
cares for you, and if Dr Rullan is true to what most of you have mentioned, go
to America then. If you are already living in the US, that would be even
better. It took me 17 hours to get to Israel and along the way I'd got so much
of check-ups and interrogation at the airport. At times, I really feel like
biting them. Other than at the airport, most Israelis were quite nice. I had
got the chance to see the Mediterrean sea a lot of time.Don't mind my spellings ok? I am getting lazier to check on them. Hehe.
Israel Exoderm: to cityslicker -- Kit, 05:30:49 06/21/03 Sat
Well, it is indeed true to what the physician had said. It will take three to
six months for the skin to grow back and it has somehow taken six months for
the redness to fade. However, my skin is often slightly redder than others and
also thinner, so for my case, I deduce I will take another 1 to 2 months for
the redness to be completely gone. Given a redness rating of 1 to 10 (very
very red for 10), the redness currently is about 2 to 2.5. However, if I don't
stay at home and go out for a walk in the evening, the red is totally
completely gone. I guess I need some form of exercise (simple) to keep the
blood circulation flowing instead of clouding on my face.However, there are a few areas of discolorations which the physician had also
mentioned before. The reason for it is because he had to perform deeper than
the rest of the regions and he too mentioned it will fade with time too. So
now I just wait and see.Well, you see, if I have got the choice (most often in real world, there's no
such thing as what if), I would recommend the treatment with Dr Rullan
instead. Well, because he speaks English much better than the Israelis!
Furthermore, I think he has the second and third phase of Exoderm, whereas in
Israel, he just used the original which was only the first phase. But I really
don't understand if the skin is already that red and thin, how can someone
possibly perform chemeoabrasion again? If anyone truly understands the
procedure, I guess chemeoabrasion + Exoderm can definitely bring greater
results.Remember, I am not recommending any type of Exoderm here. It is just my
personal opinions...that's all. Do more research first before trying. I never
know that the downtime is so long and this is only the one thing I have missed
out, because my skin normally recovers in matter of days...but this time it
really takes months. I guess Exoderm reallly go that deep into the skin.Anyway, now I am looking at Isolagen and subcision. I still prefer the idea of
using one's skin molecules to regenerate the collagen back. It sound to me
more logical, but it is what the results that count. So I am now hoping to get
some replies from those who are preparing for the Isolagen treatment.One last thing to say - I strongly feel that you must get a doctor that really
cares for you, and if Dr Rullan is true to what most of you have mentioned, go
to America then. If you are already living in the US, that would be even
better. It took me 17 hours to get to Israel and along the way I'd got so much
of check-ups and interrogation at the airport. At times, I really feel like
biting them. Other than at the airport, most Israelis were quite nice. I had
got the chance to see the Mediterrean sea a lot of time.Don't mind my spellings ok? I am getting lazier to check on them. Hehe.
Kit - Update ??? -- Cityslicker, 01:03:24 06/21/03 Sat
Kit - It's been about 6 months since your Exoderm, what percentage of
improvement do you feel you've gotten? How long were you red, and if your
still red what rating would you give? Would you recommend to others or knowing
what you know now and had never done it, would you still choose to have it
done? Thank you for any feedback you can offer. Regards. :-) CityslickerDenise and Eric -- Kit, 18:06:43 06/20/03 Fri
Hi,
I'm getting kinda confused here... I always thought that Eric is the first
batch of "pioneers" to recommend copper peptides for scars. Now it seems to me
that Denise is also in favour in this type of cream treatment.I guess it must have brought extremely good results to both of you then. I
have ordered the P&R cream with exfol but ditch them somewhere in my closet. I
guess it's time for me to use them seriously now. It's extremely great to have
both of you around...
Kit here again -- Kit, 17:31:09 06/20/03 Fri
Hi, it has been a long time and I have really noticed so many mails which I
have not followed. It seems there are more positive news. From now onwards, I
will be coming in often especially I have just changed my ISP to a faster
connection provider.
Eric and Maya -- Denise1, 03:05:21 06/20/03 Fri
To Eric, you said:
I noticed on one of your recent posts that at night, you appply Super CP Serum
and then Retin-A followed by Emu Oil to moisturize. I have not tried this and
think it could be a winning combination. How long do you wait after applying
Super CP Serum before adding the Retin-A... and about how much serum do you
use? Does it make the application and spreading of the Retin-A Micro gel more
difficult or flaky?Denise; Eric, I usually apply the SUPER serum, then right afterwards, I apply
the Retin A. About 20-30 minutes later, I'll apply the emu/jojoba oil. I love
jojoba oil. It has the same consistancy as the sebum in your skin and helps
your pores stay clear. I use a clear kind that has been filtered, and isn't as
heavy as the regular, more golden colored stuff. It sinks in better. Sometimes
I will even mix manuka oil in with the jojoba/emu combination. Sounds like a
lot, but they are all beneficial and seem to work synergestically. The emu oil
is such a fantastic anti-inflammatory, much like topical alpha lipoic acid.
It's extremely high in oleic acid, which is why a lot of people use it on
sports injuries and muscle problems. That's how powerful an anti-inflammatory
it is. I have found it doesn't break me out, either.Sorry to bug you... but I would like to try this and think you probably have
the best idea on how to use this stuff...Denise: No problem, Eric! You can always post here or e-mail me. I put my
e-mail up and you can contact me anytime. We are all here to help each other.
We all found out that we cannot depend on dermatologists, unfortunately.
Except for Dr. Rullen and a few others. Anyway, feel free to store my e-mail
and contact me anytime.Maya: I have no idea if you can get your stomach needled or not. I too, have
had a lot of success on using copper peptides on stretch marks. It's really
good stuff. I have used it on a terrible scar I should have gotten stitched as
well and it really helped that tremendously.About your needling....I personally think that from the reports I'm hearing,
that the hand tool just doesn't work as well as a tattoo gun. BUT....pits are
hard to treat. Oddly enough, out of the five big ones I have on my cheek, the
largest and deepest one is filling in beyond my wildest dreams. I will
probably get 3 out of the 5 pits needled again, but not all 5 like I
originally thought. But pits are absolutely the toughest to treat.I don't know that needling would work too well, Maya, on your stretchmarks.
But you know what? I've heard that celebs get non-ablative laser treatments on
stretchmarks, with pretty good success. You oughta do an internet search on
it. Do word combos like: stretchmarks - laser treatments....that type of
thing, and see what you come up with.Anyway, I'm hoping and praying that you will have the skin of your dreams. You
actually do have pretty skin. At least it's not all uneven with large pores
and whatnot. That's good! You are a beautiful lady, so I think that no matter
what you'll do, you'll look good! But I hope that the subcision helps a lot,
and that the isolagen works too. That would be awesome. Thanks for the nice
compliment about my knowledge. I think after battling acne for 43,027 years, I
would know a thing or two. BLAH! Believe me sistah, a lot of my "knowledge"
comes from trying literally every single thing on the market. And I'm not
kidding. I couldn't even begin to tell you the money I've spent......
Acne Cured -- Barry Kingsbrook, 01:06:50 06/20/03 Fri
Hello,
I am 43 years old and suffered from acne for years. I then was
left with alot of scars. Long story short I have been looking
for a cure for the last 10 years or so and feel I have come up
with it. I started a company called Clear Solutions Research,
Inc. I wrote a 55 page e-book that gives all the details. I
know this is a scar site...but alot of people are still getting
breakouts. Check out my site...
www.acnecured.comWe have helped thousands around the world, and we can help
you too. CLEAR SKIN IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT!!!!
subcision and TCA -- Sara, 01:04:46 06/20/03 Fri
I have read past posts on subcision and n-lite. I am just wondering if anyone
has had any positive outcome with the procedure and how much improvement. I am
scheduled to have the procedure with Dr.Rapaport in August. Is subcision only
successful with a collagen filler?
Also, Dr. Rapaport will be doing a new procedure to help with my ice pick
scars. He will take a special wooden stick will TCA Acid and place it in the
center of the scar. It's supposed to heal and make the scar smaller. I can't
find any info on this procedure and was wondering if anyone else has had it
done. It sounds like a kind of excision with acid. I was also wondering what
the healing time on this is. Thanks!
Denise- Using CP Serum and Retin-A -- Eric, 22:45:41 06/19/03 Thu
Hi Denise-
I noticed on one of your recent posts that at night, you appply Super CP Serum
and then Retin-A followed by Emu Oil to moisturize. I have not tried this and
think it could be a winning combination. How long do you wait after applying
Super CP Serum before adding the Retin-A... and about how much serum do you
use? Does it make the application and spreading of the Retin-A Micro gel more
difficult or flaky?Sorry to bug you... but I would like to try this and think you probably have
the best idea on how to use this stuff...Thanks,
-Eric
Denise -- Maya, 21:23:03 06/19/03 Thu
Thanks for that - I have ordered 2 x 1oz bottles of the super CP serum!! I'm
glad it doesn't stain!Your needling certainly has worked better than mine. I had 2 sessions and only
had a maximum of 30% improvement (and it's been 2 months since the last one).
Maybe I didn't use the right after care. Also, I didn't have the benefit of a
tattoo gun, but each pit was needled seperately.I am having subcision and N-lite on the 30th - at the same time, Dr Chu will
be taking a skin graft from behind my ear to organise Isolagen for me. Really
hope this works!!A question for you - I am currently using 40% glycolic peels twice a week AND
tri-reduction P%R with retinol on my stomach stretchmarks -I've had around 30%
improvement in 6 weeks (it does say that it takes 4-6 months for full effects_
- but some of my stomach area is a little saggy (I am down the gym 4 times a
week - so there's plenty of muscle under the sagging!!) do you think needling
the whole stomach area with a tattoo gun will help smooth this out? What do
you think? Any advice???Thanks Denise - you are such a star with your knowledge. Hope everyone
appreciates you as much as I do.
Dan -- Denise1, 21:08:02 06/19/03 Thu
Oh yeah, Dan. Manuka oil has about 30 times the antibacterial activity than
tea tree oil.Hope that explains why it's so good for acne.
Hey Maya -- Denise1, 19:31:38 06/19/03 Thu
How are you, my Chinese/Indian/British girlfriend!?
Regarding the Super CP Serum, it does NOT turn you green. They have said that
about SuperCop, but NOT the Super Serum.I ordered the Supercop to spot treat my needled areas because I kept hearing
that it worked really, really well. I had read the ingredients list before on
SuperCop and was put off that it had about 4-5 pore clogging ingredients, one
that was rated a 4!!! EESH. Anyway, I got it just to spot treat and hopefully
it won't break me out. I did apply it to my scars/needled areas and I can see
how it could stain your skin if you lay it on too thick.I am very curious as to if this is going to help the needled areas even more.
But I must say, I believe that the SUPER Serum is fantastic!!! I had some
reddish purple spots that were on my face for like.....6-7 months and were
showing no sign of leaving. After 4 weeks with the Super Serum, they have
faded a LOT! Plus, my scars are really doing so very well (the needled ones).I cannot wait to go get my needling done again at the beginning of July. I go
on vacation next week, but plan on doing it sometime soon after I get back.Hey Dan, the manuka honey is fantastic. I get this gel that sinks into the
skin from: www.allnaturalcosmetics.comLook under acne products and you'll find the manuka honey/oil gel. It has aloe
vera and vitamin e in it also. It soothes, tones, and tightens the skin. It's
an excellent product.The pure honey is good, but for daytime use, I would recommend the gel at the
all natural website. The pure honey might be too sticky to lop all over your
face during the day. But the pure honey would be great to take internally.
Unfortunately, we don't have manuka honey here in the states.....oh well.
Good treamtent -- Henrik Andersson, 18:40:01 06/19/03 Thu
Hello there,
I've suffered from severe acne for 5 years and I had almost given up all hope.
Then I consulted a homeopath two months ago and she gave me medicine and now
I'm almost free from my acne. In one month I guess all my acne will be cured
and gone. Looking forward for the removal of my acne scars this autumn as
well!Please contact a homeopath when your in trouble!
Henrik Andersson, Sweden, 20
Smoothbeam Laser -- Shell, 18:37:02 06/19/03 Thu
Hi Everyone, havent written to the board in a long time....just wanted
everyone to know that I've got subcission done 4 x in nj in the past year and
the results are ok.....unfortunetly....I have depressed and some ice picks and
there has been good improvement but they are still there..
Was it worth all the cost....I guess, but i wish it gone already/......ANYWAY,
i was wondering about the new Smoothbeam that supposedly is a miracle to
people with acne and acne scarring.....has anyone had it done?????
Appreciate the info....Thanks for listening and remember everyone
Keep your head up.....much love..shelly!!!! -- Mystery, 16:39:32 06/19/03 Thu
What the h*** is 'needling dermabrasion'? Dermabrasion by its very definition
the removal of the epidermis and a bit of the subdermal layer. This is
accomplished using a mechanical action usually using a 'diamond' burr.So what do needling and dermabrasion have to do with one another? I hope this
isn't one of those buzzword names (i.e. 'microdermabrasion') hoping to
capitalize on a legitmate procedure which can produce good results.Sorry if I sound P.O'ed, but I hate it when marketing types try to put one
over on people to take advantage of them.....
WHY YOU ARE SO TIRED while you are mega dosing on B5 -- Solomio, 10:57:29
06/19/03 ThuHi,
I normally post on the clearskin4me board.
I have been in the habit of doing research for others and myself when a
question comes up that concerns vitamin supplementation. I do this research
because I am interested in the affect that supplementing the diet has on
health and good health equals clear skin.Here is a link to a response that I placed on the ClearSkin4me board the other
day that will answer the question about B5 that has surfaced on this board.
One of your posters wanted to know why they were so tired all of the time
since they started taking mega doses of B5.
http://clearskin4me.com/viewtopic.php?t=1942
I think you will have to copy the code into your URL in order to access it.Briefly, what you will read is how to lower CORTISOL levels and reduce STRESS
in your body. When you lower Cortisol (a hormone from the Adrenal Glands)
levels, with MEGA DOSES of B5, you put yourself into a state where you will
not produce enough Cortisol to support your everyday physical functions. In
other words you will put yourself into a state of exhaustion. That is what
happens when you do not have enough Cortisol ... you get tired.If a person takes mega doses of B5 and does NOT feel very tired this means
that this particular person had an unusually high Cortisol level in their body
BEFORE they started taking the mega dose of B5 every day. In other words, this
particular type of person really needs the mega dose of B5 the most to lower
their Cortisol/stress levels.Try taking a multi-B complex vitamin at the same time you take your mega dose
of B5. I do not know if this will help with the exhaustion but it is worth a
try. At any rate you will be decreasing your intake of mega doses of B5 as
time goes on and when you do decrease the B5 your Cortisol level will rise and
you will no longer feel so tired.Here I have to add that I think I posted on this board once in the past...from
reading this board, over a period of time, I learned how to fight my acne
scarring. My fight has been successful. I have had Subcision for a large deep
scar...I no longer have that scar thanks to what I read on this board. I even
got the name of the doctor, on this board, who did my successful Subcision.
The doctor who is so good at doing this procedure is: Georgia Abrams, M.D.,
she is located in Saratoga, California.My shallow scars have been reduced too, thanks to information I gathered from
this board.
Thank you Greg,
Solomio - ClearSkin4me.com
Denise, Tell me about the Manuka Honey Gel... -- Dan 3, 23:48:43 06/18/03 WedWhere do I get it and what does it do for the skin?
Seems to me that adding glucose to ones skin would be feeding the bacteria and
fungus on our skin.
Does this cause any increase in breakouts?
thanks
Denise! -- Maya, 22:15:06 06/18/03 WedHey gorgeous Denise :) - just wanted to say thanks for all the information you
put here about the the super CP serum - have just placed my order! Have been
using the standard CP serum and found it very useful as a skin soother after
peels, but it didn't seem to do much for pitted scarring so am looking forward
to getting this.By the way, I just love the Manuka Honey Gel.. and I love the Emu oil too - so
thanks for your recommendations on that.A question about the super CP serum - since you are using it in the morning,
doesn't it leave a blue tinge?
Elicina, etc. -- Amy, 19:15:28 06/18/03 WedPeople have recently asked about elicina. I'm on my fourth jar and will not be
repurchasing. All in all, I've found it to be a good overall beauty cream for
fading redness and possibly softening mild scarring (I've got a range) but it
does not do the wonders it claims. I'm still on my first bottle of CP Serum so
can't give a data-based opinion on that. Any advice on a good overall cream
that can take the place of Elicina for me and that can be used in conjunction
with the copper peptide lotion? I live in a humid region and have normal to
oily skin (used to have extremely oily skin but my tone remains changed from
my accuntane use four years ago) so it can't be greasy.
thanks,
--amy
RJ -- Denise1, 15:29:38 06/18/03 Wed
Hey RJ; answers to you here:
1) How many times a day do you use the Super CP serum?
Denise: Morning and night.
2) Do you have any thoughts on how I should use it in conjunction with
Retin-A? Should I use the Super CP serum in the morning? Or, should I apply it
at night after I apply the Retin-A? I believe you also use Retin-A. How do use
use the Super CP and Retin-A?Denise: I do use Retin a at night, ofcourse. I put the serum on first, then
apply my Retin A. I then allow about 20 minutes to pass, and I then apply some
jojoba/emu oil and massage it in for moisterization. You can use Super serum
in the morning, yes. That's what I do.3) Would you recommend that I start using the regular CP serum before moving
on to the stronger Super CP? How long should I use the regular CP before
switching to the Super CP?Denise: Yeah, you might want to get the smallest regular serum first, then
after about 4-6 weeks of use, start with the Super serum, to make sure that
your skin can tolerate it.I really appreciate your thoughts and comments. Thank you so much.
Denise: Glad to help. IMHO, the Super serum seems to work almost as well as
the expensive ALA solution by Perricone. I have never seen red spots and
shallow scars improve as much as when I used that stuff. But it's very
expensive. This serum though, seems to remove scar tissue very quickly, and
that includes old red/purple acne spots.
Super CP Serum Questions For Denise1 -- RJ, 01:00:17 06/18/03 Wed
Congratulations on the improvement with your scarring. The needling and Super
CP serum combination seems like a real winner for you. It’s great to hear when
one of our brethren achieves substantial improvement in their acne scarring.I hope you don’t mind but I have a few questions about your use of the Super
CP serum. Let me begin by saying that I have been using Retin-A(.05% cream)
for the past three months. I have been thinking about adding another topical
to further stimulate and speed-up my collagen production. However, I wasn’t
sure what to use besides the Retin-A for my shallow, enlarged-pore like scars.
Then a few days ago on this board I read your strong endorsement of the Super
CP serum and I am thinking that a Retin-A and Super CP serum combo is the way
to go. Could you please answer the following questions:
1) How many times a day do you use the Super CP serum?
2) Do you have any thoughts on how I should use it in conjunction with
Retin-A? Should I use the Super CP serum in the morning? Or, should I apply it
at night after I apply the Retin-A? I believe you also use Retin-A. How do use
use the Super CP and Retin-A?
3) Would you recommend that I start using the regular CP serum before moving
on to the stronger Super CP? How long should I use the regular CP before
switching to the Super CP?I really appreciate your thoughts and comments. Thank you so much.
Eric -- Denise1, 21:27:21 06/17/03 Tue
Eric; I am answering your question a paragraph at a time:
I am reading more and more positive reports about needling and am excited
about what it may offer... since you seem to have the most experience with
needling, thought I might pose these questions to you:1)Some people seem to be confusing subcision with needling. Does needle
dermabrasion break up the scar tissue in the skin like subcision does? If so,
what is the difference between the two then? Needling seems to be helping more
with your scars than any single subcision would seem to.Denise: Yeah, I like needling because it works on different scar types.
Subcision seems to work on deep, rolling type scars and some shallow scars but
that's it. It does break up the scar tissue but is relatively non invasive.
There's not but so much that can go wrong when it's done right.2)Is it possible to treat scar all over the face? I myself have some forehead
scars that I am concerned with that I would like to have needled.Denise: Yeah, I got frown lines done along with the scarred pore thingies on
my forehead done. I had all kinds of scars all over my face done. I need to
have it done again, ofcourse, but am very pleased with the progress so far.3)What is the immediate aftercare for needling? I know you used copper
peptides... did you also have to use Aquafor or such an ointment as is
normally used after lasering?Denise: I got into the emu oil because I used an Aquafor TYPE of ointment
after my TCA peel and it broke me OUT HORRIBLY!!!! I wrote to both Skin
Biology and Homepeels and asked what to do, and they both recommended emu oil.
I used copper peptides with a mixture of jojoba and emu oils when healing from
the procedure when I was scabbed over. That helps the scabs and the healing
process so much better than Aquafor, which has petrolatum, I believe.4) Regarding use of Retin-A Micro (which I like a lot!). Does one need to stop
using it for a while before doing needling to thicken the keratin layer back
up? And how long after needling before you started to reapply it?Denise: Yeah, I stopped using it 6 days before the needling, and started back
up after my scabs fell off. It helps with the collagen stimulation, especially
when combined with the peptides. The SUPER CP Serum is working fantastic.Thanks Denise, I hope you can help me... this seems like such an exciting
technique, and I am eager to get to it as soon as my acne is under control!
It's been about 1.5 months since I started B5 and my skin is better but not
clear yet... especially my forehead, which seems to be responding more slowly
than my cheeks.Denise: Yeah, sometimes it takes 4-5 months to see the full effects, so give
it some time. As long as you are getting better, that's a good sign.Take care Eric, and I believe that you will do great at Black and Blue. That's
where Happy Needler got her needling done and she was...well...HAPPY.
TO Mystery -- ELT, 13:30:40 06/17/03 TueMystery - Thank you for providing the info. on your Dr. I live in Canada as
well, Montreal to be more precise. So, a trip down the 401 is not out of the
question. Thanks again.
Needling Questions 4 Denise -- Eric, 06:55:17 06/17/03 Tue
Hi Denise-
I am reading more and more positive reports about needling and am excited
about what it may offer... since you seem to have the most experience with
needling, thought I might pose these questions to you:1)Some people seem to be confusing subcision with needling. Does needle
dermabrasion break up the scar tissue in the skin like subcision does? If so,
what is the difference between the two then? Needling seems to be helping more
with your scars than any single subcision would seem to.2)Is it possible to treat scar all over the face? I myself have some forehead
scars that I am concerned with that I would like to have needled.3)What is the immediate aftercare for needling? I know you used copper
peptides... did you also have to use Aquafor or such an ointment as is
normally used after lasering?4) Regarding use of Retin-A Micro (which I like a lot!). Does one need to stop
using it for a while before doing needling to thicken the keratin layer back
up? And how long after needling before you started to reapply it?Thanks Denise, I hope you can help me... this seems like such an exciting
technique, and I am eager to get to it as soon as my acne is under control!
It's been about 1.5 months since I started B5 and my skin is better but not
clear yet... especially my forehead, which seems to be responding more slowly
than my cheeks.-Eric
Isolagen SUZANNE -- Alex, 01:07:44 06/17/03 TueHi Suzanne, you said your getting isolagen done by dr chu? Is dr chu in the
united states? Is isolagen available in united states?
To: ELT -- Mystery, 17:05:50 06/16/03 Mon
ELT, I am located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The doctor that performed that
excisions (and artecoll injections) is Dr. Lloyd N. Carlsen, who is a renowned
cosmetic surgeon. He also has a clinic/hospital in the Bahamas.
nancy -- bob, 03:36:25 06/16/03 Mon
From skinbiology.com I use trireduction with retinol cream and super cop cream
.Super cop cream has retinol in it and is even stronger than the trireduction
with retinol cream. But using super cop all the time can get a bit harsh so
that's why I use the trireduction some. I have the super cp serum and do use
it some.All these products have copper peptides in them.
There are other variations of copper peptide products that they have. You
should spend time reading around skinbiology's site (warning--there's a lot to
read!). Most people use the exfol cream or exfol serum (2 % saliylic acid)they
carry to assist with the copper peptides. Eventally some people move up to
stronger acid(I'm using 30% glycolic acid that I got from makeupartists.com
;but I only use it once or twice a week because of it's strength)to assist the
copper peptides.I've been just using the acids and copper peptides for 5 1/2 months for severe
pitted and depressed scars. I've had good improvement. Denise 1 did needling
first and then followed up with copper peptides and is having great results in
less time. The 30% glycolic acid I'm using is suppose to do something like
what the needling does (remove scar tissue attached to the scars); but is much
slower than needling. Acne.org (in the scar section) has a great needling post
thread devoted just to needling. Skinbiology has a discussion forum located at
delphiforums.com devoted just to the use of copper peptides and acids.
Copper Peptides and Super CP Serum -- nancy, 00:11:27 06/16/03 MonAge : 33
Gender : Female
Country : United StatesI have just recently found this wonderful website after a particularly hard
day and even though I have read many of the posts, I guess I need some
clarification on a few things. I have read a lot of recommendations for using
copper peptides and then moving onto the Super CP Serum. What i would like to
know is what type of copper peptides are people using and where to get them as
well as where to get the Super CP Serum. Sorry to ask what apparently is a
common question yet again. Thanks in advance. :-)
Copper Peptides and Super CP Serum -- nancy, 00:09:50 06/16/03 Mon
I have just recently found this wonderful website after a particularly hard
day and even though I have read many of the posts, I guess I need some
clarification on a few things. I have read a lot of recommendations for using
copper peptides and then moving onto the Super CP Serum. What i would like to
know is what type of copper peptides are people using and where to get them as
well as where to get the Super CP Serum. Sorry to ask what apparently is a
common question yet again. Thanks in advance. :-)
To Mikey and 8 week needling update -- Denise1, 22:40:58 06/15/03 Sun
Mikey, I believe that b5 does indeed make some people a bit more tired than
usual. Once your acne is under control and you decide to lower the dose for a
"maintenance" dose, then perhaps you won't struggle with fatigue so much. But
you aren't the only person I've heard that has had that problem.As for my 8 week update, all I can say is good things about my scars lessening
and filling in.For anyone interested in needling, I have to strongly encourage anyone first
all to get some copper peptides and then move on to the SUPER CP Serum. This
should help the collagen stimulation tremendously. Oddly enough, I had some
shallow scars that Lilian DID NOT needle that are shrinking since I've been
using the SUPER serum.In any event, everything still looks great and seems to be filling in more and
more all the time. I hate to beat a dead horse, but I must say this again. The
pitted scars on my cheek are looking so good. These are the scars that I was
told would have to be punch grafted or excised. I didn't expect needling to do
much with these because they are so hard to treat, but they are doing
exceptionally well. If they continue, I may not even have to have them needled
again, which would be a huge shock.Keep in mind that the Super CP Serum seems to be what is helping. I have
ordered SuperCop and will spot treat with that to see if I can get even more
results. I will still apply the Super serum all over my face, then spot treat
with the Supercop on the scarred/needled areas to see what kind of result I
can get.Nothing but good to report. I am extraordinarily happy. This is the best 100
bucks I've spent to date.I still plan on going back in July to get some more needling done on places
that were missed, and maybe to go over some places again that may not be
filled in by the time I go back.Well, that's how it's going. Just wanted everyone to know.
To Mikey and 8 week needling update -- Denise1, 22:38:19 06/15/03 Sun
Mikey, I believe that b5 does indeed make some people a bit more tired than
usual. Once your acne is under control and you decide to lower the dose for a
"maintenance" dose, then perhaps you won't struggle with fatigue so much. But
you aren't the only person I've heard that has had that problem.As for my 8 week update, all I can say is good things about my scars lessening
and filling in.For anyone interested in needling, I have to strongly encourage anyone first
all to get some copper peptides and then move on to the SUPER CP Serum. This
should help the collagen stimulation tremendously. Oddly enough, I had some
shallow scars that Lilian DID NOT needle that are shrinking since I've been
using the SUPER serum.In any event, everything still looks great and seems to be filling in more and
more all the time. I hate to beat a dead horse, but I must say this again. The
pitted scars on my cheek are looking so good. These are the scars that I was
told would have to be punch grafted or excised. I didn't expect needling to do
much with these because they are so hard to treat, but they are doing
exceptionally well. If they continue, I may not even have to have them needled
again, which would be a huge shock.Keep in mind that the Super CP Serum seems to be what is helping. I have
ordered SuperCop and will spot treat with that to see if I can get even more
results. I will still apply the Super serum all over my face, then spot treat
with the Supercop on the scarred/needled areas to see what kind of result I
can get.Nothing but good to report. I am extraordinarily happy. This is the best 100
bucks I've spent to date.I still plan on going back in July to get some more needling done on places
that were missed, and maybe to go over some places again that may not be
filled in by the time I go back.Well, that's how it's going. Just wanted everyone to know.
needling in florida or massachusetts -- boris, 20:05:37 06/15/03 Sun
10 yrs ago I had silicone injections and a chemical peel but I don't think I
had enough filler. I am thinking of trying the needling. I have depress acne
scarring on the cheeks. Can anyone recommend a doctor in South Florida or
Boston? What should I find out about the procedure before having done, ie;
tools used, creditation, chemicals etc. Thx
B5 question -- Mikey, 17:43:09 06/14/03 Sat
I was wondering if the b5 vitamin causes fatigue...I noticed that Im alot more
tired since I have taken it, if so is there anything i can take in conjunction
with it to help with the fatigue.
Needling -- Ade, 13:19:33 06/14/03 SatThe topic of Needling has become quite populer of late. I'm wondering if this
is just another fad. Are the benefits long term, or will the positive results
ultimately subside? Has anyone had any long term experience with this
treatment?On the subject of Elicina & Copper Peptides. I can confirm that neither will
improve scaring. I used the copper peptides for 6 months, and then the Elicina
cream for a further year or so. The Copper peptides did help to inhibit acne,
but that was it. The Elicina cream plumps tha skin when your apply it (it
absorbs very well) which gives a missleading impression. Ultimately it drys
out the skin leaving it looking terrible, for this reason i stopped
periodically. However not even the smallest scars have shown any improvement.
I strongly advise against using this cream.The link to the Elicina website should be removed from this message board. The
beneficial effects of copper petides are also highly questionable.
nevermind -- steve, 04:52:22 06/13/03 Fri
ok.. i just read the testimony of the elicina users below..:D.. guess ill be
purchasing some CP serum
Elicina Cream -- Steve, 04:46:12 06/13/03 Fri
HI guys.. has anyone here ever used Elicina Cream? and if you have what kind
of results did you get?This cream looks like an interesting product..
And help will be appreciated.. Thanks
To Mystery -- ELT, 19:20:49 06/12/03 Thu
Mystery, where are you from. Just curious as to where you had artecoll and
punch exision done. I am searching for someone who is good at punch exision
and was wondering who your Dr. was and were he/she was located.
Mike D - Isolagen -- Maya, 21:00:56 06/11/03 Wed
I think it would be complicated to come to the UK to get Isolagen done -
better to wait for the FDA to approve it in the US.First of all, a skin graft is taken from behind your ear. This is sent to the
Isolagen Lab in the States who will grow the fibroblasts - that can take from
6-12 weeks.Then there are between 3 - 5 sets of Isolagen injections, each spaced 2 weeks
apart (the latter 2 may be 2 months apart).. so all in all, unless you are
extremely rich and can afford to spend 6 months in the UK, I think it would be
better to wait for the FDA to approve it.The whole lot costs £2,500 in the UK
Needling in LA -- Shari, 10:07:00 06/11/03 Wed
Does anyone know of a place where I can have needling done in Los Angeles
California?
-shari
Maya- Isolagen -- Mike D, 04:35:29 06/11/03 Wed
Age:27
Gender:Male
Race: East Indian, Dark Brown Skin
Type of scars: Small and large scars on cheek and templesIs 2500 pounds the total amount for the Isolagen procedure? How long does the
total procedure take? If you were coming from the U.S. to the U.K. how would
you plan a trip?Thanks,
Mike D.
Dave Wannstedt -- Gary, 04:25:16 06/11/03 Wed
Has anyone read anything about Dave Wannstedt, the coach for the miami
dolphins getting some sort of scar treatment. I remember seeing him in the
past on tv and he had acne scar quite severe on his cheeks and this last year
his face looked great. Just wondering if anyone knew what he had done. Thanks
ALA 5%, hydroxy acid peel ,and super CP serum -- jasmine, 23:57:36 06/10/03
TueDenise, thank you for responding to my inquiry- ALA5% and your super Cp serum,
it sounds like a great product. I am goin to try it.
ERic you mentioned ALA along with the other two products as being the best
topicals for acne scars at this time. Are you still using the 5% ALA?Can you
please tell me where I cna get it?
I have dark circles, and have been reading DR. Perricone's book which mentions
this is effective for both dark circles and acne scars. However his site does
not have the 5% ALA you guys have been mentioning. I am 29 so I also started
noticing little fine lines creeping up under my left eye, and i think this
high concentration of ALA will really help me. I WILL GREATLY APPRECIATE IT IF
SOMEONE WILL PLEASE GIVE ME THE SITE FOR %5 ALPA LIPOIC ACID. THANK YOU.
About Isolagen UK -- Maya, 18:19:55 06/10/03 Tue
Sorry, I have spoken with Dr Chus office today - no longer will they offer
Isolagen on the NHS - as that is just for the clinical trials. Private it is
£2,500
acne scar support group meeting info... -- greg, 12:42:32 06/10/03 Tuehey charlotte,
we meet monthly on the 1st sunday at 12 noon IN BROAD DAYLIGHT:-)...
here's our website:
www.geocities.com/grege20815/washdcacnescarsupportgrp.htmlif you email me i can send you a flyer with directions to the place we
meet,details,etc.will post Lilian's info on needling after the show & tell-
take care,
Greg
Needling in NY -- jade, 23:30:08 06/09/03 MonCan anyone recommend someone that does needling in the NYC area?
Needling in NY -- jade, 23:21:25 06/09/03 Mon
Can anyone recommend someone that does needling in the NYC area? (including NJ
and CT)
Artecoll experience -- Mystery, 18:19:24 06/09/03 Mon
Last year I got two treatments: artecoll, and punch excision.
Artecoll for me has been a waste of time and money. All of it has been
absorbed by now. Even after injection, the improvement was minimal.The punch excision has produced a better result. Hopefully I can get scheduled
to have the other ones taken care of.
Matt - about Isolagen costs in the UK -- Maya, 12:17:28 06/09/03 Mon
Dr Chu charges £2,500 for Isolagen - but he also includes for free subcision
and N-lite in this package. On the NHS, Isolagen costs £1,500 - but there is a
very long waiting list I believe.Chris - about Needling in London -- Maya, 12:15:15 06/09/03 Mon
Julie at Bio2Clinic in Leamington Spa offers needling - she told me that she
will soon be offering this service one day a week in London - her clinic
number is 01926 424555 - if you mention my name, she will waver her £35
consultation fee prior to needling. Good luck.
needling in Los Angeles/Asian skin? -- spunk, 07:18:57 06/09/03 Mon
Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone knows of someone in the Los Angeles area
that does needling? And also, I was wondering how Asian skin reacts to
needling? Thanks!
suzanne isologen cost? -- Matt, 00:11:17 06/09/03 Monhi there i live in the uk and am considering having the isolagen procedure
done on my acne scars. Could you tell me how much it is costing if possible
and if there is a long waiting list please?Thanks very much
Matt
Needling in DC -- Charlotte, 20:27:23 06/08/03 Sun
Greg,
I will arrive in DC 2 weeks after the 6/14 "show and tell" for a conference
and am scheduled to see Lilian for needling towards the end of my trip. So I
would really be interested in a posting from you after 6/14 and let me know
what happened. By the way, when and where do you guys meet for your support
group?Thanks,
Charlotte
Erbium Yag laser for small pitted scars/open pores on nose? and/or needling in
UK -- Chris, 17:59:23 06/08/03 SunHi, I just wondered if anyone has had erbium laser treatment for pitted scars,
espec. on nose? I am considering it, but am wary from what everyone says about
laser. I have 1 large main depressed scar which I wanted smoothed out. I
understand the erbium is not as damaging as the CO2, with less
redness/downtime. But it still isn't worth the bother if it doesn't work. And
also I am worried the thinner skin where the scar is could be damaged to
create a hole or something!I may just try it for other small hyperpigmented areas on the cheeks instead.
Also does anyone know of a tatooist who does needling in the UK London area? I
have been told by a doctor that subcision wouldn't help my scars on my nose,
but it would be interesting to try the needling to see if there was any
improvement.Thanks for the feedback
Chris
Suzanne -- Maya, 12:35:46 06/08/03 Sun
Just wanted to wish you good luck with the Isolagen injections - I am getting
the graft done in a couple of weeks with Dr Chu. I think you, Heidi and Lola
are having the injections at around the same time.Haven't heard of anyone who has actually had it done yet.
I have heard that Isolagen are now recommending a series of 5 injections, not
3.Isolagen - the time to start my treatment is approaching -- Suzanne, 11:26:04
06/08/03 Sun
I first posted some months ago telling people that I had decided to have
isolagen injections with Dr Chu. Cells were taken from behind my ear in May,
and I am now scheduled to have the first course of injections in early July.
(The date would have been in June but his schedule and mine did not match very
well.) I would find it very helpful if anyone who has had, or is in the course
of having, the injections would post and tell me of their experience. I am
excited but also a little nervous.
Skin Culture -- Just Me [Moderator], 11:14:37 06/08/03 Sun
p/s just wanted to say that I have used Skin Culture's peels in the past with
great effect [ie baby soft skin] and I loved the way my skin was afterwards
especially after the first peel. However acne breakouts over the following
weeks/months caused more acne scarring (sniffles) and I did do another peel
but it took too long (10 days plus) [with my work schedule I just didn't have
the luxury of that time out] and I have always been looking for a way to
achieve a similar effect.What I'm using with Natura Bisse [refer emails below] doesn't have the same
baby effect ie soft feel that the Skin Culture peel can offer though I love it
cos the redness has disappeared (about 50% or more) and the way it's going
I'll probably be completely free of red marks in the very near future; and all
my acne has stopped which means no new scarring! (smiles)
Tony -- Mike Deforest, 05:50:14 06/08/03 SunI don't really have any other scars. All I can tell you is that I've noticed
improvement but I guess you're right, I don't know for sure whether it's the
chicken collagen or the Sycream, or a combination of both or maybe my scars
are just naturally getting better by themselves, but since I notice
improvement, I'm going to keep on using both of them. The doctor didn't
explain why lasers wouldn't be as effective after the needling, he just told
me that they wouldn't be. He doesn't perform the needling but he knew about
it, and has a tatoo artist that he recommends for a variety of cosmetic
procedures. I don't know how much experience he has with needling patients, I
just think he knows a lot about skin and how it reacts.restalyne -- puff daddy, 05:43:45 06/08/03 Sun
Does anyone know a non aggressive way to break down restalyne quickly.
Needling -- Steve, 04:58:19 06/08/03 Sun
Hi guys.. want to check in with you guys and give you a progress report... Its
day 6 and all my scabs from needling have fallen off.My skin is fairly pink,
but nothing too bad...Right now i really dont see that much improvement.. its kind of hard to tell..
I think i may have gotten a very little improvement thus far, possibly 10%
maybe a bit more.. It seems as though the people that have gotten really good
results saw results immediately, unfortunately this isnt the case for me.. I
really wont know what kind of results i have gotten until i get home and check
under the lighting i have at my home.. I can still see all my scars frmo the
temple area and cheek area.. But it seems as though the pitting may have
responded pretty well.. im a little dissapointed, but im hopefull things will
get better with time...Thats about it for now.. Ill keep you guys updated on any further progress
Biomedic peels -- Whimsygirl, 01:21:34 06/08/03 Sun
I just wanted to share with y'all that two years ago I got a 50% improvement
in my acne scars with Biomedic salicylic acid and glycolic acid peels,
dermaplaning, Biomedic retinol cream and retin A creams. I live in Houston and
I saw Dr. Norman Rappaport down at the Medical Center in Scurlock tower. We
are not finished yet, but I took a break and went on Accutane so I would stop
breaking out. It's been almonst two years since I finished the Accutane and I
am ready to get started on the scars again!Best,
Diana
Natura Bisse links -- Just me, 00:34:18 06/08/03 SunNatura Bisse Glyco Peeling
Natura Bisse Oxygen Complex and Cream
Natura Bisse -- Just Me [Moderator], 00:28:42 06/08/03 SunHello all
It's been a while since I posted; and it's great to see so many of you sharing
such wonderful information!!I wanted to share something that I've been using for a while which was
recommended by Rianne, whom those of you that have been here since the
beginning will remember, which is Natura Bisse's Glyco Peeling 25% which
exfoliates the skin. I've been using it for a while now along with a few other
Natura Bisse products ie Oxygen Complex, Oxygen Cream which have a bleaching
effect on the red marks left behind from acne; and my skin tone has improved
so much ie the redness has more than halved and my friends and family have all
commented on how much better my skin looks without make up and even I myself
have noticed it and my self esteem has increased. I've had acne for over 25
years and the red marks etc. Using the Natura Bisse products which exfoliates
the skin regularly I no longer get any acne (touch wood!) and only get the odd
small spot - really small.The Natura Bisse products are really expensive but well worth it; and in
London I buy them direct mailorder from Harrods.As I'm 38 now and having used all the acne products for years my skin tone
isn't that great and just started using Natura Bisse's Diamond Drops which is
absolutely wonderful!! It tones up the skin and tightens the skin as well and
all the wrinkles just seem to have disappeared! Amazing! £200 though! Well
worth it!I also use Natura bisse GlycoBalance which exfoliates the skin and quite a few
other Natura Bisse products though I highly recommend the Glyco Peeling,
Oxygen Complex and Oxygen Cream and by the way the Oxygen Complex and Cream
help with oiliness.I'm so glad after all these years to finally find a product that helps with
the acne and redness that acne/spots cause. From what I've experienced so far
ie with my skin's improvement, I would say that my redness caused by the acne
scarring will almost be probably completely gone in a few months time. It's
happening slowly but surely; and I've been using the Natura Bisse products for
3-4 months. It's taken years for them to build up and they won't go overnight!
BTW the Oxygen Complex and Oxygen Cream work like a moisturiser and also
bleacher.With the redness gone the acne scarring that I have is hardly noticeable and I
have to look really hard to see where the acne scars are which is soooo
wonderful!I hope the information helps some of you as it's helped me. I normally provide
the link but don't have the time - just do a search - either for Harrods or on
yahoo and a company called Visage Beauty has information on Natura Bisse.Good luck!
Blessings
Just me
Mike Deforrest -- Tony, 04:10:32 06/07/03 SatThank you. Do you have any other scars responding to the sycream? How about
the chicken collagen, how do you know for sure that is making a difference?
What did the dr. think was wrong with needling? How would it alter the skin so
that you could not get anything else done? Has he seen this happen before?Good luck with your treatment!
To TONY -- Mike Deforest, 01:24:51 06/07/03 SatI'm glad you asked this question. First of all I suffer from ingrown hairs
which have caused indented "lighter than normal skin" scars where my beard has
stopped growing in patches on my face from the follicles getting infected. The
collegen and the "Sycream" showed some immediate results so I wrote the
"Sycream" company an e-mail and thanked them. They warned me that the results
will vary for the next 3 to 6 months, looking better some days and worse
others and they were correct in saying that. The scars don't look as good as
they did a week ago but still look better than they did before I started. My
scars will never improve to where I want them because even if they do , the
fact that the heavy beard of whiskers that I have is bare in patches so it
accentuates the scars. However, the combinations of these treatments have
helped better than any other treatment I've tried. I hope this information
helps you. This needling thing that everyone has been talking about concerns
me. I asked a plastic surgean about it and he told me that he's not sold on it
and warned me that if I got this done and it didn't work it would change my
skin so that other laser treatments could possibly become uneffective. So he
told me to wait because there is a new laser on the way that can put the
pigment back into your skin and would be perfect for me.
Donna -- Denise1, 21:23:07 06/06/03 FriOh...forgot to ask ...
did you have the area beneath the eyes next to the nose needled?Denise: No, but this is the area I plan on getting needled the next time I go.
This is where I have a few small pits that she missed.It seems this area of the face contains more delicate skin and I was wondering
if its more risky in this area? If yes, did you see any results on scars in
this area?Denise: I would say more likely that this area is more or less the bidge of my
nose. Remember, I had some pits ON my nose done, 2 of them. But the ones on
that area you are speaking of should be able to be needled with no problem, I
would think.Do you notice any differences in outcome based on the area of the face where
you were needled? In other words did one area of your face respond better than
others?
thank you!Denise: That is so hard to say! All areas are responding extraordinarily
well.....beyond my expectations, actually. The largest pit of those five small
pits that I had on my cheek (5 in a row no less) is improving dramatically. I
had been told by 2 dermatologists that they (all 5) would have to be punch
grafted. Nevertheless, they are doing beautifully. I think one more needling
session and they will be totally gone.It's hard to say which has improved more, really. I thought that the boxcar or
the chickenpox scar by my eye would be considered the best improved, but then
I look at other needled areas like my frown lines, which are practically gone,
or that chickenpox scar on my chin, and I just shrug my shoulders and conclude
that all of them have filled in exceptionally well.
Boxcar Scars and Needling -- Charles, 20:29:03 06/06/03 FriDoes anyone have any knowledge of whether the needling technique is effective
as a treatment for boxcar scars?
hellpppp -- sunny, 20:04:32 06/06/03 Frii have had acne scars for quite some time now, i was just wondering do these
treatments actually work or will i just be burning a hole in my pocket with
nothing to state the loss for?...
just want to know if there are any treatments in the UK that will actually
work.thanx
Sunny
help? -- sunny, 20:03:29 06/06/03 Frii have had acne scars for quite some time now, i was just wondering do these
treatments actually work or will i just be burning a hole in my pocket with
nothing to state the loss for?...
just want to know if there are any treatments in the UK that will actually
work.thanx
Sunny
Denise -- Donna, 18:46:11 06/06/03 FriOh...forgot to ask ...
did you have the area beneath the eyes next to the nose needled? It seems this
area of the face contains more delicate skin and I was wondering if its more
risky in this area? If yes, did you see any results on scars in this area?
Do you notice any differences in outcome based on the area of the face where
you were needled? In other words did one area of your face respond better than
others?
thank you!
scar needling show & tell in Alexandria,VA:-) -- GREG, 12:20:51 06/06/03 Frihey folks,
Lilian Omar in Alexandria,VA does needling in her clinic- it is done with a
tattoo gun and breaks up scar tissue(similar to subcision) and promotes
collagen growth...it is a simple and *cheapo* scar fixer...fixing scars is an
expensive little hobby, so you gotta be frugal...she is not a doc(?), but i
don't care what her credentials are - if she can fix acne scars with a
better/faster/cheaper way then she's my new best friend:-)She is gonna do a show & tell at her clinic- maybe even use someone as a
guinea pig?? for a *real* show & tell??:-)
it will be Saturday 6/14 at 12 noon at her clinic/office in Alexandria,
VA....please RSVP via email to me by Friday 6/13 and i'll email you
directions(Lilian-please email me a rough set directions + where to park at
your place??-sorry-deleted the previous ones you sent)see you all on 6/14 :-)
Greg(the guy who runs the Wash.D.C. Acne Scar Support Group- the *only*
real-life support group for acne scarring in the world thank you very much:-)
MIKE Deforest -- Tony, 18:24:33 06/05/03 ThuHow are you doing with your collagen supplements and the sycream?
What type of scars are you seeing improvoement with?
scars.. -- scarface, 18:02:10 06/05/03 ThuHi Stryke,
Why don't you do more of the cooltouch sesssions? Where did you do your
subscision & cooltouch?
Additional Update: -- Cityslicker, 08:36:06 06/05/03 ThuCB thanks for the support and agree with your comments. I also am interested
in Isologen and would like to pursue that as well. But, I have put my social
life on hold for several years and am determined to make progress as quickly
as possible. I've been planning for this day to get here for years. Can't
hardly wait to get this done, but at times, I get nervous, as my skin tone is
fair and somewhat reddish anyway. I'm afraid I'm going to be red or pink for
several months too and ready to get all of this behind me.There is a slight chance I may delay til next year, but I'm trying my best to
make it happen sooner rather than later. One of my intentions is to use 3
weeks of my vacation in Oct. and have back surgery for a herniated disc in
late Oct. early Nov. which would give me an additional 6-7 weeks off work, for
a combined total of about 9-10 weeks out. But one of my considerations of
having to delay this would be because my vacation is set in stone this year
and I have to make sure my surgeon can operate on me the week I have
designated in my planning. As of yet, my surgery date is not definite. If for
some reason I can't get these 2 surgeries back to back, then I will have to
delay til next year.Also, I do work for a major airline and received a layoff notice 3 weeks ago.
They laid off approx. 225 people of which I was the last one of that number.
Fortunately for me, they rescinded 22 of us just last week, and I was able to
keep my job here in Dallas, for now. That will also play a part in my future
plans as anything can happen between now and Oct.While talking to Dr. Rullan he stated he has done over 60 Exoderm's. And one
of the things I noticed about him as we talked was: He was excited!!!! He was
actually excited about helping people with their scars and trying to make a
difference. It was just something I picked up on as I reflected back on our
conversation, you could tell he really enjoyed what he is doing, and as I said
previously, the almighty dollar was not his main focus. I mean, the man has a
scar treatment program with much of your after-care at no charge, and with a
lot of fore-thought and all the essentials that this treatment requires
considered, in my opinion.While I was there, I was inquiring about some spider veins on my face, as I
have Acne Rosacea, and he said, no problem, we can take care of those with our
new V-beam Laser they had. He said we could take care of them for $150, and
that would also take care of your office visit for today. I can assure you,
that is cheap, or cheap compared to Texas, as I spent $300 about 4-5 years ago
on some spider vein's with a different laser. Though, I did have several
bruises from the 14-15 different spots that he lasered, he had one of his
office assistants do some camoflauge make-up for me, as the lady that normally
does the make-up was out of the office. She did a very good job, all at
no-charge. And believe me, I would not hardly have been able to fly back home
without it.All in all, I'm hopeful Exoderm combined with the progress I've made with
Needling, Subscision, N'lite, Cooltoch II and Fat Transfer will give me an
adequate improvement. While I'm not expecting 100% improvement, if I get
60-70% improvement, combined with the 30-35% I've already gotten, then I feel
I will have accomplished my goal of making a dramatic improvement in my scars,
of which would also make a dramatic improvement in my life, of which, we are
all striving for.I wish you all success in your own journey. Regards. :-) Cityslicker
Denise -- Donna, 03:04:32 06/05/03 ThuThank you very much!
Denise -- Donna, 02:59:46 06/05/03 ThuThank you very much!
City -- cb, 00:40:29 06/05/03 ThuCityslicker:
Thanks for the informative post. That is interesting two different Doc's tell
you different options-laser or exoderm. Does sound like Dr. Rullan is a nice
guy who cares about his patients. Interesting that you say the before/after
pics were better in person. That leads me to believe that you can take Dr.
Rullan for his word as he said he was new to the digital photography and had
trouble w/lighting when he was commented on the photo's on his site.Must be happy about your last FT session 95-100% in your area's of concern -
that's awesome. I hope it holds up. I think FT might me an option for me
becase an area I had needled in hopes of improving didn't respond that well.
It seems like you describe, missing some of the support structure w/thin
orange peel type skin.BTW seen Isolagen site lately? They just added a video clip from the BBC. At
the very end of the video they show a still of a lady who had a large burn
scar on one side of her face. This happened in the OK City bombings. Dr
Chernoff treated her and the following pic was amazing - couldn't see any
indication of any problems at all. Granted she had make up on and
lighting/distance was different, but she did look good. I'm still thinking
that Isolagen is an option. Haven't heard a bad thing about it yet. Cool thing
is that Dr. Chernoff has an office in California. I'd be willing to travel to
see him if he could produce similar results.I am going to the Bay area later this month for a consult and hopefully
subscision. I too have to travel for treatments. The lady that answered the
phone @ my derm clinic didn't even know what subscision was? She had to ask
the doc's and they said they didn't do it and I'd have to go to a plastic
surgeon. Crazy.Good luck, like to know if you decide on exoderm.
cb
Donna -- Denise1, 23:58:16 06/04/03 WedAll of my scars have responded well over the past year, even ones ten years
old and more. The exception would seem to be the OLD OLD ones and the
chickenpox scars. If these responded, I would say it was barely noticeable.Needling seems to be excellent for scars that are more than 3 months old. And
actually, seems to work best for scars that are very old.I would say if your scars are a year old, then you should respond just fine to
needling if that's what you expect to do.
Denise -- Donna, 18:07:55 06/04/03 WedI meant to ask:
do you see a difference in improvement based on the age of your scars? IE are
the newer scars healing faster than the older scars or the other way around? I
have some scars that still have residual reddness to them as they are only
about a year old do you think that needling will make them worse?
Thank you.
Update: -- Cityslicker, 08:00:28 06/04/03 WedWanted to update you guys as to my recent visits to Dr. Rullan and Dr.
Capriotti. I've gone out of town last 3 weeks in a row, which threw me behind
with home life, and postings etc. My posting follows:I seen Dr. Rullan a couple of weeks ago. He explained the Exoderm procedure to
me and I watched a 8-10 min. film clip of several patients who have had it
done. As Steve said, Dr. Rullan is a great Dr., I'll have to give him
accolades as well, as he was the most caring, concerned, and personable Dr., I
have ever encountered for treating scars, hands down. He seemed genuinely
concerned about trying to help, and his support staff is excellent.I told him, I'd seen his postings on this board and he said, (to summarize) he
was very impressed with the knowledge that we had here, on board, and he was
equally impressed with the research we have done, and that we knew our stuff.
I asked, what kind of improvement would I expect to get, and he said, well,
you guys on Voy expect perfection, but he was projecting somewhere around 70%.
Though, he said, he would do touch-ups for free, and that was included in the
Exoderm package. I had mentioned that Steve had posted here, and that I had
read Steve's post as well. He said, Steve's scars looked good in comparison to
when he first started, and that he felt, Steve had gotten a greater
improvement than he realized.CB in answer to your question about multiple Exoderms, he felt that your best
treatment method was to do the touch-ups multiple times. And that, while you
wouldn't have to under-go Exoderm but once, you should do the touch-ups
multiple times. He felt like the Exoderm was better than Laser hands down, and
felt like a lot of Dr.'s just didn't have the experience in using the best
methods to improve scars. He said, that he himself, was still learning and
that's one reason he does touch-ups for free, as the only way to learn to
improve scars is by experience. He said, they were looking at new ways to
improve scars with the Exoderm, and he is now using that experience by
actually taping the scars on the touch-ups, if they haven't responded enough,
or sufficiently. He stated, that the best method to remove the scars, was to
melt the scars, which the Exoderm does, then, you are able to use chemobrasion
on those scars, and to be a little more agressive on them, which helps to
stimulate collagen underneath as it grows back. He said, Laser works off the
water principle, as it works best as it absorbs water from the skin, but the
problem is, as Laser absorbs all the water from your skin it becomes
ineffective, comparing it to a desert with water in it, as the water is
depleted, all you have left is sand, of which, you could not build anything
with sand, but if your face retains the water, and the moisture, just as the
desert sand with water, then the sand becomes like mud, and with the mud you
can build, mold and sculpt it.Also, I was able to review some of the pictures of people that previously had
Exoderm that is on his website, and the pictures do look better in person.
Perhaps, you lose some clarity or sharpness on the web page. The one picture,
the guy with the mustache, his improvement was dramatic, appeared 80 - 90%, or
more, to me. His scars are similiar to mine, and after reviewing his pictures,
I felt Exoderm can really benefit me. Dr. Rullan said, also, they had the new
Oxygen Therapy that they were seeing good results with, that he was allowing
his patients to use to help with the redness. He said, his collegues and
others, were charging as much as $500 per visit for these treatments, and I
could come as many as 3 times, if I wanted, after my Exoderm at no charge. He
said, if I wanted to come 3 times before I returned home, I could do that as
well.I was advised, also, they have a nurse that you could have assist you for 3
days at $100 a day. She would actually stay in the room with you and help with
your care, and to administer your pain medication. Cathy, Dr. Rullan's
assistant, said sometimes, after surgery, your eyes swell up, and it is
helpful to have someone with you. Additionally, they have a camoflauge make-up
person on staff, in the office, if you wish, that matches your skin tone
before your procedure, and then, when you are ready to return home, applies
the make-up to help ease your concerns about your redness. I think this was an
additional $30 or so, but the whole package was first rate. The primary focus
was your care and comfort. Overall, I was extremely impressed with my visit
and the whole treatment program.Also, I drove down to see Dr. Capriotti in Houston, last week. We did the Fat
Transfer again and he gave me some photo's of different angles that we had
taken. He thought, as I did, that I had gotten a good improvement with my
first visit. Also, I did the Cooltouch II treatment again. I asked Dr.
Capriotti about Exoderm again, as he does that also, and he just didn't think
it was necessary for me. Though, I believe his reasoning is: my scars are not
severe enough to warrant the Exoderm and the downtime that goes with it. He
has told me on 2 different occassions, that he thought I should do Laser.
Though too, he does not do the chemobrasion, and perhaps feels Laser would be
a better and quicker recovery for me.I returned home the same day, with my face bloated, perhaps, more so this
time, than before. He has to overfill the area, so as, when you lose the
bloatedness, enough will stay in the area and take root and begin to grow
blood vessels. The thing with Fat Transfer is, it's from your own body and is
not rejected as being foreign.The Fat Transfer is for some depressed spots on my cheeks, where I had
previously used a buff pad aggressively, on some scars, under the theory that
if you rubbed them hard enough, you could stimulate the collagen underneath.
It was a theory I had read on another message board, and thought, sounded
reasonable (at the time), big mistake. The structural support was lost in
those areas and I've been concerned about them ever since. Today, the
improvement is 95 - 100% (for these depressed area's). Though it has been 6
days since my injections. Each day, I lose a little bit more of the fullness
of the cheeks. If the improvement stayed where it is right now, I would be
extremely happy with these results. But only time will tell if additional
treatments are needed.After leaving Dr. Capriotti's office, I stopped at a local family restruarant
and ate. Naturally, nobody mentioned anything about my bloated cheeks, and I
didn't care, as I didn't know them anyway, but I only avoided family and
friends one day. The next day, I had already taken off work, as I didn't know
how bloated my face would be, but if I hadn't already had someone working for
me, I could have returned to work that day. As it was, I went to work the
second day after treatment, and no one said a word. The fullness of my cheeks
helped minimally on a few scars, but may be due to the different lighting
etc., that is now cast in that area. But realisticly, is beneficial, for
actually depressed, indentations scars, of which I had. If you are curious if
it would benefit you, you would just have to see someone knowledgeable with
this procedure.That's it for now, I will keep you guys updated, as I can. Regards. :-)
Cityslicker
Singapore -- Stryke, 06:27:08 06/04/03 WedI'm a 21 year old male from Singapore. Over the last few years i have been
seeking treatments for acne scars. My scars are all concentrated on the left
side of my face with little or no scars on the right at all. I have tried 2
sessions of cooltouch and about 4 of subcision. My really severe acne scars
have improved to a certain extent but i guess all of us want to achieve
perfect skin eventually. I'm considering glycolic or TCA peels to tighten up
my face. Anyway i've tried jessna solution and it didn't really work. Can
anyone provide me with detailed info on the effectiveness of these peels? My
main scars are rolling shallow ones. Thanks people.
Denise -- Donna, 22:34:13 06/03/03 TueThanks again Denise.
The black marker idea is the way to go!
Donna -- Denise1, 19:08:04 06/03/03 TueActually, Donna, I did get a few needled ON my nose. That wasn't a problem at
all. She needled 2 pits on my nose, and they are filling in nicely as well.
One is almost filled in all the way.She missed several places on my face that I wanted needled. I think it was the
light. You know how pits sometimes look worse in certain light or shadowed
conditions, right? Well, I believe that she didn't see certain pits and small
scars because I had direct light on my face with no shadows.Next time I'm taking a felt tip marker and marking my face first.:-)
Also, I wanted to make an important point about why I think I'm having good
results. Some tattoo/needling places do not use a tattoo instrument for
needling scars, but use what is called a hand tool instead, which isn't as
aggressive or dynamic.It seems that the people who get their needling done with the tattoo gun, have
better results. At least that is how it seems to me. Lilian, the lady who does
my needling, uses a tattoo gun, not a hand tool. That helps a great deal.
Denise -- Donna, 17:58:22 06/03/03 TueThank you! After reading about those who have gotten needling done I was
begining to think the nose was off limits. I keep reading how people got their
faces done but their noses were avoided. My scars are on my nose so I will be
watching for your review of your next needling. =)
Thank you for sharing all of your wealth of information. I have enjoyed
reading of your progress.
Donna & Bob -- Denise1, 15:14:37 06/03/03 TueDonna: I didn't have the pits beside my nose needled, no. I will get that done
when I go back. But the pits that were worse than those are filling in (the
ones on my cheek that were needled), but do need a second treatment, probably.
The pycnogenol I take is made by Life Plus and is called Proanthenols 100. I
don't have a link because I get it shipped automatically every month and have
no need to go to the website. You can do a word search though and get the
website for the company.Bob: Yeah, if I get Super Cop, it would only be to spot treat, not to apply
all over as I'm on Retin A. Thanks.
Denise1 -- bob, 15:05:10 06/03/03 TueJust making sure you know that super cop has retinol in it since retinol can
can cause a breakout(if I'm not mistaken) in some people that still get acne.
Thanks Guys! -- Eric, 05:28:54 06/03/03 TueHi Denise and CitySlicker-
Thanks for the tip on the artist in San Francisco! I will look her up for
sure... CitySlicker, I am also interested in your visit with Dr. Rullan and
what you guys discussed about Exoderm... as far as resurfacing procedures go,
I think the Chemabrasion is probably still better by far then laser. Very
interested. By the way, I still use CP Serum to treat this nicks and cuts I
get in my martial arts class... and it works fairly well :). I can't say I
recommend applying Retin-A though to these open wounds... that causes it to
close and scab quickly, but more likely to scar :(. But while my acne is still
active... until my B5 eliminates it, I must use the Retin-A to try and keep
some type of control over the acne. Thanks very much both to Denise and
CitySlicker for the needling advice... you guys are lifesavers!! :)-Eric
Needling in San Francisco -- Cityslicker, 03:51:56 06/03/03 TueEric, several people used Black and Blue Tattoo in San Francisco. The lady's
name that has done several people is named "Indexa", I believe. Anyway, if
you'll do a word search on google or just type in Blackandbluetattoo.com I
think will take you there as well.I'll try to update further in the next couple of days on my visit with Dr.
Rullan and my second Fat Transfer w/Dr. Capriotti, in Houston, that I had last
week, but I'm running late for work right now and will post more when I can.
Regards. :-) Cityslicker
Denise -- Donna, 03:31:08 06/03/03 TueYou mentioned the improvements on the pits on your nose did you get these
needled too? If so what was the percentage of improvement did you see to these
scars after the needling?And what brand do you use of "the world's most potent pycnogenol"?
thank you,
Bob -- Denise1, 18:55:22 06/02/03 MonSorry Bob, I missed a few of your questions. I do take vitamin C, yes. I take
about 1,000 mgs per day. I used to take a LOT MORE, though. But I also take
the world's most potent pycnogenol, which has other active bioflavenoids in
the formulation like quercetin and other bioflavenoids, and that is very, very
good also. I was taking high doses of powdered MSM also, which probably helped
as well.Over the year it's hard to say for sure what helped the most as I had several
things done but one thing is for certain; I had deep pits along my nose on
both sides and they softened significantly over the year that I did peels and
had a TCA and whatnot. On one side, if I put foundation on, you cannot even
see the pits. Ofcourse I mentioned the boxcar that softened up beyond 50% over
the course of a year. None of the other scars I had changed a whole bunch,
although those clusters of small pinprick scars on my cheek softened quite a
bit after my TCA. It's hard to put percentages, though. I would say the pits
alongside my nose improved maybe 25%-40% over the course of a year of doing a
lot of exfoliating and using the CP Serum.I might order SuperCop and use it on scars only as a spot treatment. I heard
it's pretty darn strong.
Bob and Eric -- Denise1, 15:52:20 06/02/03 MonBob: I would say that the improvement in my scars varies quite literally from
scar to scar. The chickenpox scar by my eye and the boxcar scar are literally
almost gone. I mean.....as in, totally disappeared. Don't exist. Doesn't look
like they were ever there.....etc...TOTALLY FILLED IN.The smaller scars will need more needling. The pits are healing exceptionally
well, but will probably need one more needling job to completely close them.
The frown lines I had on my head and the huge 1/4 inch scar are filling in
nicely. Bottom frown line is almost totally gone. The upper one is almost
gone.I do believe that when you get your skin on a collagen producing roll, any
needling done will only be very productive. At least, that's been my
experience. People who don't do anything to stimulate collagen may get a good
result, but why not get an EXCELLENT RESULT?Eric: I thought that there was a very good needling person in San Francisco?
Isn't that where Happy Needler got her stuff done? Doooooooooooooooh! What was
that lady's name who does needling in San Francisco?! Do a word search on
happy needler Eric, I believe she's the one who had it done right there in San
Francisco and is very happy with her results.
Johnny and Eric -- bob, 04:41:39 06/02/03 MonAt www.skinbiology.com on the webpage , by clicking on "Chapter 3-1" it brings
up another page. Then clicking on "Copper Peptides, Retin-A, and Vitamin C"
brings up a chart comparing the effects of the 3 items. Irritation is
mentioned for retin-a like Johnny mentioned. It also says many positive things
about retin-a, like more elastin and new collagen. But it does say that
retin-a also degrades the skin barrier and causes production of scar forming
factor. Perhaps one or both of these factors is what is causing Eric's
trouble? On the first webpage by clicking on "Chapter 5-1" the skin barrier is
talked about. Hope this helps.
Denise1 -- bob, 02:09:07 06/02/03 MonI looked back and it's been 6 to 7 weeks for you correct? I'm dealing with 4
severe scars.
Denise 1 -- bob, 01:32:17 06/02/03 MonI've been reading your posts here and at acne.org for a while now and thought
I would post to you. Back when I first started reading about people having
needling done(and subcision) I was wondering if using copper peptides after
the procedure would help with the building process. I don't recall reading
about people trying it and have found it interesting that you are doing just
that and it is working for you. I've been using trireduction with retinol for
5 months and super cop for over a couple of months. I haven't had needling or
anything else done. I use 2% saliylic exfol cream about 4 times a week and 30%
glycolic acid twice a week (though only once a week with the glycolic at this
time). I take 2000 mg of vitamin c daily and I believe it has played an
important role. I have been having improvement for my pitted and depressed
scars the entire time. It's slow go but after 5 months I'm around 60% to 70%
improvement. With what I now know if I had it to do all over again I might
take your route and do the needling and then use the copper peptides.
What is your improvement % and in what length of time. I'm expecting that your
way of including needling is bound to be faster. Skinbiology's Dr Pickart has
posted at delphi forums that the 30% glycolic acid I'm using is suppose to do
the same thing that the needling and subcision are doing (getting rid of scar
tissue bound to the scars). Have you posted at delphiforums?
I have the super cp serum (it was sent as a free sample along with an order).
I use it sometimes but for me it doesn't seem to work as well as the creams
do. The creams feel stronger on my scars. I no longer have to worry about acne
so I'm able to use the creams with retinol in them. Do you take vitamin c ?
retin-a -- johnny, 08:59:17 06/01/03 Sunfrom all i've read, studies have shown that retin-a thickens the epidermis,
rather than thinning it. Further, researchers have not been able to show why
or how retin-a accomplishes this, only that it does. I have read many articles
that state this same thing, so Eric, where have you read otherwise, or is this
only your own hypothesis? Personally, I was never able to use retin-a because
i found it too irritating and it made me red... I've used copper peptides for
about 6 months and it has done nothing for me. Exfol serum seems far too weak
in my opinion, and stronger acids seem to work all right for me, though they
seem to thin the epidermis. I'm not sure if that's permanent however.
Thanks Denise... Hey Steve!! -- Eric, 06:38:46 06/01/03 SunHey Denise-
Thanks some more for the extra input. Yes, I was told by my esthetician at the
time that using copper peptides and Retin-A could yield some good results
given time. At the time, I was able to use Skin Biology's Exfol Serum in the
morning, and Retin-A at night, followed by TriReduction Basic, which I would
put on over the Retin-A. The problem I am having right now is that1)I am more at risk of acne, so I can't put all these products on my face,
least of all the TriReduction, which contains olive oil.2)The Retin-A, while it is helping keep my acne under control while I wait for
the B-5 to eliminate it, has seriously thinned the outermost layer of the skin
(which is what it is supposed to do). I am a martial artist and I take
kickboxing every Saturday. The loss of this layer of the skin leaves my face
extremely vulnerable to damage. Almost every week after the first month of
Retin-A I've come home with little nicks and abrasions... which, because my
skin is so thin and because it hasn't yet been quite a year after Accutane, my
skin tends to scar easily. So this little cuts end up leaving little scars...
and sheesh, I have enough scars! I don't want any more. This didn't happen
while I was on CP Serum + Exfol Serum because the combination thickened my
skin and kept the outermost layer intact... so it didn't cut and scrape as
easily.So while I think Retin-A is a good product, it has its downsides as well...
but I think you are right about the Super CP Serum, whatever exfoliant product
I decide to use, I will probably get this as well to use on my scars. Dr.
Pickart thinks that the Exfol Serum should do the trick, but he warns that
because it is a weaker acid that it will take longer to get results... but
that it is safer to use. We'll see what happens.In the meantime Denise, I strongly think that the excellent results you have
achieved are because of two things:
*You keep your skin in excellent condition... all your peels and copper
peptides probably have your skin healing much better than it would otherwise.
*Your tattoo artist is quite skilled in the procedure.As you stated earlier, yes, I think that a more invasive approach may
eventually be appropriate... and with needling being such an inexpensive
method, it may be the way to go. I don't know of any tattoo artists in San
Francisco that can do this procedure (reliably) as of yet... I am interested
however in the artist that performed your procedure. If the results to be had
are so excellent, I would not be adverse to a couple of trips to D.C. to have
a good needling job done... still much cheaper than laser or Exoderm. So
please keep me informed of your progress... I may eventually end up in the
neighborhood to get the procedure done :)!BTW thanks so much for all the advice and help you've given me... it REALLY is
much appreciated... great to know that there are people out there who care.Steve- Good to here that you too have gone in for needling! Fingers crossed
for you dude! I think that the copper peptides would probably really help the
healing, in clinical studies, they RAPIDLY contributed to faster and much more
cleanly healed wounds. I think that has a lot to do with Denise's excellent
progress. Let us know what's happening! :)-Eric
Needling in Dallas -- James, 05:26:29 06/01/03 SunAnybody has info for Dallas area?
Thanks,
James
Strivectin -- Laura, 02:35:14 06/01/03 SunHas anyone had any luck with Strivectin? If so, were the results noticeable
enough to be worth the money?
A "MUST READ" FOR INDENTED CAR SUFFERERS -- MIKE DEFOREST, 01:23:09 06/01/03
SunI finally found something that works to improve scars. Actually it's a
combination of things that I've discovered through trial and error and I'm
exited about it and want it to share it with all of you because I know what
it's like to not want to leave the house because you can't stand looking in
the mirror. I don't know if it will work for everyone but it certainly has
helped me. I suffer from indented scars that are lighter than the rest of the
skin on my face.First of all let me tell you what I've tried in the past which have had no
results or have acually worsened things. Some of them have been painful also
so please read what I have to say...Tri reduction with copper peptides. - This stuff not only didn't help me but
made my skin itch badly. I would end up scratching my face in my sleep, and it
made the scars look worse. When I discontinued using it, the scars lightened
even more than the were making them more noticeable.Elicina "snail cream" - This didn't irritate my skin but didn't help much
either, and again it seemed to lighten my scars more than they already were.Placenta cream. - Did absolutely nothing
Differin (retin A) - did nothing
Bio pacific creams - _ did nothing
Cocoa butter - again nothing
Mederma - did nothing except make my skin appear as if it was flaking off, but
it was actually the gel flaking off.Scar So Soft - No results
Camphor oil - This irritated my skin just like the Tri Reduction did and
showed no improvement.Vitamin E, double strength. Did nothing except make the scar look greasy.
Avita - this was prescribed to me and did nothing
Alpha Hydroxys and retinol products - Another skin irritant that doesn't show
any improvementsProactive - may help acne but did nothing for scars
Tea tree oil - Smells awful and does nothing
Aloe Gel and Creams with collagen. - Sooths skin at best but the collagen
can't get down deep into the skin where it's needed.Vitamin A creams and gels - absolutely nothing
Microdermabrasion - This was suprisingly not uncomfortable as a matter of fact
it was kind of pleasent and showed some noticeable immediate results, however,
as soon as your skin flakes off and peels, your old scar is backChemical Peels - This was unpleasent. It feels like your face is on fire
during the treatment and afterwords showed less improvement than the
microdermabraision. I don't recommend this for anyone with sensitive skin
because it can cause breakouts.Laser Light treatment - This hurt. Not only did it not improve anything, but I
stayed at home for a week because of the bruises it caused. It looked like I
got beat up litterally, and it's very discouraging to see your self in the
mirror looking worse that you used to look. When the bruises went away it
showed little or no improvementWell that covers the stuff that I don't recommend so now read on because what
I have found is showing improvement and it's a great feeling!The first thing I bought was Twinlab - MaxiLIFE Chicken Collagen Type II
capsules which you take 2 a day with a glass of OJ on an empty stomach. This
way the collagen gets into your bloodstream internally. I've been taking it
for a week and unless I'm crazy, the scars are showing improvement. The next
thing I started doing is putting this cream called "Sycream" (www.Syprex.Com)
on the scars and in two days (Hard to beleive I know) the scars have improved
even further with NO IRRITATION WHATSOEVER! The only other thing I do
occasionally is that I bought some Neutrogena instant bronze and dab it on the
scar, let it dry somewhat, then wipe off the excess with a tissue to darken it
to match the surrounding skin, but I've been doing it less because the Sycream
seems to be helping that problem in a more permenant way. By the way, the
Sycream web sight doesn't make any claim to darken lightened cars, only to
lighten the darker ones but it seems to be doing it anyway. And the scars seem
to be filling in and evening out alsoI hope this information helps you all because before you go through all these
painful procedures, such as needling, I think you ought to give this a shot.
Thanks for your time...
Steve needling color of skin -- Mikey, 00:34:36 06/01/03 SunSteve I hope that you have great results with the skin needling. I was
wondering what color you skin is I understand you are asian but there are some
asians with pale skin. Would u say were are a good conditate for dermabrasion
or CO2 Laser?? do you see any type of hyperpigmentation problems after the
needling. take care and good luck god bless.
Denise -- Steve, 22:35:50 05/31/03 SatDenise.. Umm not really.. I decided im not going to do anything with my face
until tomorrow..really i wasnt going to do much but clean my skin with vinegar and water...
So i should purchase Copper Peptides? What else should i be doing?.. Where can
i purchase the peptides over the counter?I know some people saw some really good results without doing using anything
for their after care...
Please give me any info on what i should be doing and using to see maximum
results.. Thanks!
Steve -- Denise1, 21:48:55 05/31/03 SatSteve: Are you keeping your skin moist and using copper peptides?
That's very important!
Needling -- Steve, 21:42:18 05/31/03 SatHi guys.. I just returned from my Needling session.. I didnt think it was so
invasive.. My Face is bloody and it feels like its pulsating..Haha.. Man i
hope this works.. Because it Sure hurt..Ill keep you guys updated on my progress
Veronica -- a freind, 20:55:31 05/31/03 SatI am wondering how you are, just a little concerned because I have not heard
from you in a while..
Did you loose my email again?
Needing?? -- Smoky, 02:14:29 05/31/03 Sat
Can someone tell me what needling is in a nutshell?
Is it expensive and what is the closest place to Indiana?Thanks!
Haley/Maria-cortisone injections -- Tanya, 20:16:47 05/30/03 FriHi!! I was wondering if either of you had any significant shrinkage of your
indentations. I have had two of these indentations for three months, and they
are filling in so slowly. They look horrible in mirrors without good lighting.
They look so dark and deep. I hate it!! Thanks.
Tanya
Hey Eric -- Denise1, 12:13:04 05/30/03 FriHey Mr. Eric. Regarding the use of acids vs. retinols, I would say that your
skin doesn't really become immune to retinols the way it does to aha's.I'm using the Retin A in conjunction with the SUPER CP Serum and am getting
very good results.I remember you posting a long time ago about being told that using copper
peptides with Retin A over a period of time....say....18-24 months could yield
very good results. I tend to agree with that. The good thing about the SUPER
CP Serum is that some serious red marks I had (3-4 of them) are fading much,
much more quickly then normally.I'm so excited about how my scars are filling in from my needling. It's so
fascinating to me. I wish I could put a time lapse camera on my face so that
people could watch the scars closing up! I mean....it's that dramatic.
Absolutely fascinating.The largest pit (that looked just like a hole in my cheek) is filling in much
better than I ever would have thought.I believe that the SUPER CP Serum is helping A LOT.
Have you thought about adding that into your routine? If you used the copper
peptides before with no problem, this shouldn't be a problem to you, either.Anyway, glad that everything is going well and that the B5 is working well. If
you add the Super serum, and add a peel once a month, I believe you should do
well with regard to keeping your skin on the path to healing. Ofcourse I'm
sure you'll add something more invasive down the road. But for now, that's a
good combo. Plus, like I said, I believe you can keep that 5% salicylic acid
on for a while, then wash it off. I do 30% salicylic acid peels once a month
or so, and they are awesome. I like them a lot.
Denise -- Eric, 08:05:56 05/30/03 FriHi Denise-
Thanks very much for the warning. I had no idea that high concentrations of
salicylic acid can be toxic. I will most certainly not use a product that can
poison me. Wow, and so it seems that over time even strong acids will do
nothing for the skin...So, you think I should just stick with Retin-A too, hmm? I can't complain
about it... even if its not made specifically for scar reduction, my skin
still has a nice tone/glow from using it and the scars do look smoother... any
ideas on how I might add in the copper peptides into my regiment (if you think
I should even include them)? I used to just use Exfol Serum in the morning and
CP Serum or TriReduction at night, but had to change back to Retin-A Micro to
keep my acne at bay.By the way, to all who are interested, Accutane is a POWERFUL medicine that
completely cleared up my SEVERE cystic acne in 8 weeks. The downside (other
than the horrible peeling and dryness, especially around the lips) is that
more than one course of Accutane may be needed to maintain permanent results.
My acne resurfaced again about 5 months after I discontinued Accutane, but
now, using 10 gm/daily of Vitamin B5 and Retin-A Micro 0.1% nightly, my skin
is almost as clear as it was while I was Accutane, without all the side
effects.
B5 -- Mikey, 06:31:51 05/30/03 FriWhere is a good place to buy B5 vitamins?
Hello and Charlotte -- Denise1, 19:46:57 05/29/03 ThuCharlotte: Glad you found the thread! Please e-mail me if you have any
different questions, o.k.?! I believe that you will find Lilian to be very
kind and gentle. I was very nervous too....I think we all get nervous
wondering if there will much improvement, ya know? Be assured she is very good
and very kind. I would recommend her in a heartbeat.Hello...I'm not familiar with a TCA "home treatment". I have heard that Dr.
Rapaport is using 100% TCA to spot treat pits and icepicks and is having a lot
of success with it. No, I don't believe that a strong salicylic acid will do
much for scars.It doesn't dissolve or deal with scar tissue, only dead skin cells.
Hello and Charlotte -- Denise1, 19:38:45 05/29/03 ThuCharlotte: Glad you found the thread! Please e-mail me if you have any
different questions, o.k.?! I believe that you will find Lilian to be very
kind and gentle. I was very nervous too....I think we all get nervous
wondering if there will much improvement, ya know? Be assured she is very good
and very kind. I would recommend her in a heartbeat.Hello...I'm not familiar with a TCA "home treatment". I have heard that Dr.
Rapaport is using 100% TCA to spot treat pits and icepicks and is having a lot
of success with it. No, I don't believe that a strong salicylic acid will do
much for scars.It doesn't dissolve or deal with scar tissue, only dead skin cells.
Maya and Skin Culture Peels -- Patrick, 19:33:18 05/29/03 ThuMaya wrote:
"Nancy - about Skin Culture Peels -- Maya, 01:02:11 05/14/03 Wed
I used it around 2 years ago and it was disgusting!! The down time was around
2 weeks (although they will tell you it's one week) - it didn't help with
scarring at all (or acne) In fact, it made my skin sore and red for a few
months. The website with its fantastic testimonials are misleading. There have
been threads on other forums about skin culture, and in the main, they were
negative."Maya and Nancy, I have to say my experience was not that bad. I used a Peel
4000 and downtime was about 10 days. I believe that it did reduce the
appearance of my scars somewhat, but not as dramatically as some of the
after-Dermabrasion photos I've seen. I think in order to get a really dramatic
effect I would have to use it several times in row, which I intend to do.
Maybe my skin's tougher than yours, but I didn't have any post-peel redness or
soreness. Just my experience. YMMV.Have a great day!
Patrick
Amy -- Patrick, 19:19:42 05/29/03 ThuAmy said: Also, I was considering going on accutane as I am fed up of not
being able to answer the door to the postman without 5 inches of make up on.
And having a boyfriend for 2 weeks and always having the lights off when my
make up may have rubbed off then at some point them seeing me in the light
with no make up and making some comment (in a concerned way) about my skin,
and the relationship falling apart over the next few weeks and them looking at
me differently as they relise it isnt a temporary thing. For the last 5 years
I have tried everything else, always in 2 months 'whatever product' will have
worked and nightmare will be over. Of course it never was. Is it worth doing
accutane or will it make my skin much worse first and give me lots of new
scars?Amy, I had acne for 30+ years in some form or another. Accutane was the ONLY
thing that had an impact - it worked great for me. I tried almost everything
under the sun: diet, tetracycline, benzoyle (spl?) peroxide, zinc oxide,
sunlight, UV lamps, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, etc, with ZERO effect. I didn't have
an increase in breakouts with the Accutane, the acne just slowly reduced until
it was completely gone. I didn't have any of the severe well-pubilicized side
effects either - I just noticed an increased amount of sweating when working
out and my lips were drier than normal (used Chapstick for that).Hope this helps.
Patrick
Amy -- Patrick, 19:13:40 05/29/03 ThuAmy said: Also, I was considering going on accutane as I am fed up of not
being able to answer the door to the postman without 5 inches of make up on.
And having a boyfriend for 2 weeks and always having the lights off when my
make up may have rubbed off then at some point them seeing me in the light
with no make up and making some comment (in a concerned way) about my skin,
and the relationship falling apart over the next few weeks and them looking at
me differently as they relise it isnt a temporary thing. For the last 5 years
I have tried everything else, always in 2 months 'whatever product' will have
worked and nightmare will be over. Of course it never was. Is it worth doing
accutane or will it make my skin much worse first and give me lots of new
scars?Amy, I had acne for 30+ years in some form or another. Accutane was the ONLY
thing that had an impact - it worked great for me. I tried almost everything
under the sun: diet, tetracycline, benzoyle (spl?) peroxide, zinc oxide,
sunlight, UV lamps, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, etc, with ZERO effect. I didn't have
an increase in breakouts with the Accutane, the acne just slowly reduced until
it was completely gone. I didn't have any of the severe well-pubilicized side
effects either - I just noticed an increased amount of sweating when working
out and my lips were drier than normal (used Chapstick for that).Hope this helps.
Patrick
denise -- hello, 17:58:55 05/29/03 ThuHello,
I am considering doing the spot TCA treatment at home, however I am scared
straight of using TCA and would like to use a different acid to start out
with, Salicilate acid seems like a more safer choice here. Do you think the 4%
from sage would be a good choice? I am working on those large pore things
which I think are called icepicks or pits. thanks
Never Mind Denise -- Charlotte, 16:05:59 05/29/03 ThuI'm sorry I didn't see it before, but after reading more of the posts, I found
Lillian's e-mail address and a little more info on her that you wrote. I guess
I'm kind of nervous, but it sounds like a person is in good hands with her.
I'll contact her.Thanks anyway. I understand why you wouldn't want to keep answering the same
questions.Charlotte
Eric -- Denise1, 15:49:09 05/29/03 ThuEric...not trying to tell you how to conduct your life but something you
REALLY need to know!!Salicylic acid over 3-4% can be dangerous. I had a 5% solution once and I
would put it on and wash it off after a half hour or so. The reason is that I
found out from Kathi at Homepeels that the molecular structure of the higher
percentage salicylic acid penetrate THE BLOODSTREAM.You can side effects like headaches, insomnia, rashes, etc......and actually,
this happened to me until I found this out.Plus, the drawback with acids is that they eventually stop working. I had
worked up to 40% glycolic acid DAILY and it DID NOTHING FOR MY ACNE.If I were you, I'd stick to Retin A and maybe use the other stuff to wash off
after leaving it on your skin. I'm surprised they sell this stuff without any
warnings. Kathi at Homepeels warned me about this BIGTIME. She said it's
unsafe to use those high amounts unless it's for spot treating. I do have a 4%
solution from Sage Skin Care that I spot treat with.So be careful!!!!
Denise -- Eric, 07:09:11 05/29/03 ThuHey Denise-
Thanks for the additional info. I take two tablespoons of flax oil daily, and
two capsules of GLA, so I am not worried about the depletion of EFAs greatly.
My acne is not completely gone yet, but it is so much better and I am not
getting cysts anymore. I am hoping it will be gone soon.I'm glad you are liking the Super CP Serum. I know you got some good results
with the regular CP Serum and this new version is much stronger. After my acne
is cleared up, I will probably discontinue the Retin-A and use GlyMed Plus
Serious Skin Gel (5% salicylic acid, 10% each of glycolic and lactic acid at
pH 3.0) in the morning and the Super CP Serum at night. I like the Retin-A and
have gotten some good skin smoothing, but I think that the CP Serum combined
with hydroxies might be better, as these are specifically geared towards acne
scar removal, while Retin-A is not. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated
on this matter, since you have so much experience with these products... any
thoughts?I am so glad that you have achieved such excellent results with your scars
with needling. I am biding my time and trying to stay patient so that when I
am free of acne I can finally try to do something serious with these scars...
but sometimes it can be so frustrating, and yes, I do try to stay optimistic
and encourage everyone, because I believe that eventually I will be cured...
but nevertheless I do get down and depressed sometimes because I wish they
would be gone here and now... also because they serve as such a horrible
reminder to me of one of the worst and saddest times in my life. Please,
Denise, if you don't mind, I would like some info also on Lillian, your
needler... she seems to be skilled and experienced in this area. Who knows,
maybe someday my path will lead me to her to rid myself of the scars...Please e-mail me if you'd like or just post your info on the board.
Thanks...
-Eric
Denise1-Going to DC -- Charlotte, 02:53:16 05/29/03 ThuDenise,
I will be going to DC at the end of June for a conference and thought I might
check into getting needling done while I'm there. You said your tattooist was
named Lillian in a past post, but I have lots more questions. Could you e-mail
me? I'd like more info about her, how you found out about her, how to contact
her, etc.I have been reading the another message board since at least the beginning of
the vinegar/lemon juice thread, but just haven't posted there yet. I'm trying
the vinegar thing, and sometimes I think it's helping and other times I'm not
sure.Anyway, it'd be great to hear from you. It's exciting to read about your great
results.Take Care,
Charlotte
GOOD DOC -- Jon, 01:23:41 05/29/03 ThuWho is the best scar doc in Washington DC?
Eric and Jasmine -- Denise1, 22:15:27 05/28/03 WedHey Eric! I'm so glad you are responding well to the B5. It truly is effective
and I'm so thankful that I found out about it as well.Don't forget to take plenty of EFA's as your system can get depleted taking
B5. I don't know if you knew that or not. I take fish oil and Udo's Choice
oil.Anyway, yeah....my scars continue to improve wonderfully. It's almost week 6
and the chickenpox scar by my eye is almost to skin level now, and filling in
all the time. My boxcar scar is almost filled in totally on one side. All
other needled areas contiue to improve and shrink as well.I'm very happy. I'm pretty sure using the SUPER CP Serum is helping also.
Thanks for recommending that, Eric! That was an excellent suggestion.Jasmine: The 5% ALA is excellent for red marks and dark splotchy areas. I
don't use it anymore as it is very expensive. A good alternative would be the
SUPER CP Serum. That's made specifically for scar revision and a bargain at a
mere 20 bucks.
Jasmine -- nancy, 19:17:12 05/28/03 WedI picked up a book at the ucla library written by Dr. Obagi showing the blue
peel and his products. The before and after pixs of the people using his
treatments (blue peel and cream) show great improvements. However, i have
never used these stuffs so no guarantee from me. I am planning to get the blue
peel....Were u planning to do both the blue peel and cream? or just the cream?
5% Alpha Lipoic acid testimonials please and where can I get it. -- Jasmine,
01:01:54 05/28/03 WedHi, I have shallow scars and what I think are raised scars on my chin but 2
derms have said look like milia. I am currently using retin- A .1% cream which
has kept my face clear for months. I have alot of pink marks also which i have
heard on this site by DENISE are very responsive to ALA 5%. Please tell me
where I can get the highest percentage of ALA. ALSO HAVE ANY OF YOU TRIED
OBAGI CREAMS AND THE BLUE PEEL AND WHERE CAN i GET THESE PRODUCTS CHEAPER
ONLINE. I WENT IN TO SEE DR. OBAGI IN BEVERLY HILLS AND HE SAID MY SKIN
INCLUDING MY UNDEREYE CIRCLES COULD BE GREATLY IMPROVED WITH THE CREAMS
ALONE.HE CHARGES 400$ FOR THE CREAM PRODUCTS. HE SEEMED SINCERE AND GAVE ME
HOPE. HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO WAIVE THE CONSULT FEE 165$ SO THAT I COULD GET
INSURANCE THAT WOULD COVER THE ACCUTANE TX. tHAT WAS MONTHS AGO AND THE RETIN-
aND SOME ACCUTANE I GOT ONLINE, WHICH WHO KNOWS IF IT IS AUTHENTIC HAS KEPT ME
CLEAR FOR MONTHS. I ONLY USED THE SO CALLED ACCUTANE FOR 30 DAYS SO I THINK IT
IS THE RETIN A THAT;S DOING IT. I WANT TO BELIEVE HIM.PLEASE WRITE IN WITH
YOUR INPUT. THANK YOU.
Denise- B5 Effective for Acne!! -- Eric, 22:22:07 05/27/03 TueHey Denise-
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! After you post on the Vitamin B5 and acne I
bought a two-month supply from the VitaCure B5 ClearSkin website, and lo and
behold, a month later, my skin oiliness and acne is hugely reduced. I still
have a few spots here and there but no painful cysts and big pustules. I still
use Retin-A Micro at night, but no antibiotics! It's great. I will continue on
the high-dose of 10 gm per day until I am clear, then go on a maintenance
dose. Wow, I wish I'd known about this stuff a few years ago when I had really
bad acne and before my scars had formed. But oh well, it's great help now!All these techniques being used to treat scars are very exciting. Topically
alpha lipoic acid and copper peptides combined with hydroxy acids still seem
to be the best bets, and now isolagen combined with N-Lite and subcision
sounds like a winner, along with needling. Laser resurfacing sounds like it is
pretty much out the window... I think the only heavy resurfacing technique
that I would consider undergoing would be Dr. Rullan's Exoderm Chemoabrasion.
But heck, things are sounding more hopeful all the time. This is a very
exciting time... I think that for those who believe, God will come through for
us...By the way Steve... good luck with your needling!! Let us know how it goes
man... are you still seeing Dr. Rullan?-Eric
LIS -- Mike D, 18:53:04 05/27/03 TueBill,
How many times did you have to go to New York to have the procedure done? Is
it a one time deal?
elicina -- amez, 02:45:54 05/27/03 Tuehmmm. i've also been using elicina--for about five months. No white
patches...yet! Yikes. Can you describe further? Do you mean that it's
bleaching certain areas of your face? What was there before? Red marks or just
normal skin tone? I've got extremely sensitive, freckled skin (in addition to
scars, aren't i lucky!). You know, people have commented that my freckles are
fading on my face. I apply the elicina all over, not just on areas, that could
be what's causing the white areas for you and the overall lightening for me?I'm half way through my fourth jar and am debating whether to buy more. I
can't tell if it's the elicina or the rest of my regimine that's doing the
job, but the scars are minimizing. How long will you be sticking with the
snails? Can you also further describe the affect it's had on your scars (i.e.,
what type did you have and what percent improvement have you experienced).thanks,
-amy
Elicina cream -- Tom, 02:04:31 05/27/03 TueAge : 20
Gender : M
Country : AustraliaI have been using Elicina for about 6 months now and there has been a little
improvement in my acne scars. Just recently however, some white patches have
started appearing on my cheeks, does anyone know what this is from and more
importantly how to get rid of this. thanks
