Acne Scar Treatments Archive 8
Return to the Acne Support Group in Cyberspace home pageLooking for "JohnathanMaryland" -- FrankY, 15:57:23 02/28/03 Fri
Hey all I am looking for a poster here who I used to talk to over instand
messenger... His screen name was "JohnathanMaryland" please if u know him or
are him email me or instant message me at "FMMflight" also feel free to IM me
if you HAVE HAD silicone injections done for acne scarring.... not
contemplating then or telling me they are bad, please just im me if u have
haaaad them :) thank you...
to anna and donald -- Scott 20, 14:54:29 02/28/03 Fri
hi, i had a co2 laser resurfacing which was all that i was offered, i didnt
realise there were other alternatives until recently. I am happy with the
result but was just concerned with the texture of my skin. Thanks for the
information i think i will ask my doctor about my lymphatic drainage because i
think thats the problem. I'll check out that website aswell, thanks very much.
isolagen -- heidi, 13:50:52 02/28/03 Fri
Hi Everyone:
I suggest anyone looking for a cure to acne scars to consider Isolagen. I live
in the UK and I am gettting the procedure done in a month. I searched for over
a year for the right procedure and this seems the most promising for several
reasons. First, it is your own skin (collagen) that is replacing the hole -
not some foreign substance. I don't care how natural they say it is. Second,
the chance of more scarring is nil unlike dermabrasion and laser - the chance
of scarring increases by the way if you have ever take accutane. I am an
American living here so I have seen surgeons and derms in both countries. I
was told I will see a 90% improvement. I know it is to early to get my hopes
up but the pictures I have seen are great and undoctored. I should add the doc
will perform subscison and Nlite as well. This is because as most of you know
- subscsion by itself is not always promosing because the skin will eventully
fall back to the scarred level however isolagen will keep the skin elevated.
Nlite will help enhance the collagen production and smooth the skin.Like I said I have been through hell in my quest to conqueer these scars and
this appears to be the best answer. I know it is not FDA approved in the US
yet so yanks hang on there is something better! I use to come to this board
quite a lot but it really depresses me and I need to be positive now in the
eve of my surgery. My first treatment is in April and I will get three
injections in total - at two week week intervals. I will let you know about
the results then. I will check this board occasionaly if anyone has any
questions.Thanks
heidi
to Scott 20 and everyone else interested -- Donald, 06:49:52 02/28/03 Fri
Scott i found this website and it seems really good. Its about someone who
went for co2 and erbium for ance scarring and what their face looked like
before during and after surgery. Maybe you can give the person an email and
see what his face is like after the surgery. i hope this helps. i checked out
this other site from this girl jessica and found it to be of no use because
she did not have any bad acne scarring to begin with.. After seeing the page
link below i have a better understanding of what i might look like before and
after and what i will go through during healing. hope this helps you outhttp://home.earthlink.net/~scarsupport/
Fillers - False Hope -- Cameron, 05:26:55 02/28/03 Fri
I don't think fillers will ever help anyone unless they're treating a
particular depressed spot. Has anyone with scarring all over their face ever
had a filler and experienced good results for more than a couple weeks? I know
that when I've had collagen injections in only a few spots, my whole face
looked great for about a week because the whole thing was stretched, but then
it returned to normal (even though the collagen had not gone away yet--that
process took months).Tell me if I'm wrong (and why)! Otherwise, there's no reason to be excited
about fillers.I'll repost this FAQ that I posted a while ago.
FAQ:
Will a facelift help my acne scars?
Sorry, but a face lift will not help your acne scars, even though when you put
your fingers on the skin just in front of your ears and pull your facial skin
backwards, the acne scars seem to flatten as the skin tightens. It seems to
make mechanical sense that the scars should flatten with the face lift
operation, but it doesn't work out when you actually try it. The problem is
that the face lift won't maintain tension on the surface of the skin, and the
acne scars come back completely within just a couple of weeks after the face
lift.
Subcision for deep ice pick scars -- Solomio, 04:32:28 02/28/03 Fri
Hi to everyone who has ice pick scars, which are deep scars.
I had one really bad compound (2 were together) ice pick type scar that I had
Subcised. My result has been excellent! Subcision will not work on shallow
scars but I suspect that some people have had it done on shallow scars, and
that is why they did not get good results.PS If you have shallow scars then needling might work for you. Subcision and
needling are different procedures the thing that is the same is that both
procedures are done with needles but the needles used for each procedure are
very different in appearance and use.
Good Luck to everyone.
Needling before and after care -- Ange, 04:03:43 02/28/03 Fri
Hey everyone! Long time, no post for me. I am seriously considering having
needling done, but there's just a question of when.Cityslicker or Karen... could you give us a run-down of before prep and after
care. I know there is the A&D ointment and peptides afterwards, but what about
the before regimine? Do you take certain vitamins or topicals?It pretty much looks like I won't be having a spring break b/c of all the
snow, but if I do, I plan on having this done then.
had a consultation today.. -- heather, 22:06:10 02/27/03 Thu
I'm the "old" heather who has been posting here for a couple of years, btw..
I'm just back from a consultation with the dermatologist about treatments for
my scarring.First of all the doctor was very nice and spent a long time talking with me. I
was impressed by his candor. He told me that he wouldn't characterize my
deeper scars as "icepick" scars, but depressions. He also said that icepick
scars were very difficult to treat. He was surprised when I told him I had
been through CO2 and said that he would have expected better results in the
scars on my cheeks.He told me that he didn't think excision or punch elevation were right for me
because with excision I would be left with another scar that could be just as
bad, and punch elevation tends to not give a good long term result because as
it heals, the skin contracts. He said if he were to do a punch technique he
would choose grafting from behind the ear, because though it sometime leaves a
bump, he can go back later and correct that.The doctor said that he has tried all of the non-ablative lasers and hasn't
seen good enough results to recommend them.The options that we decided on were 3 treatments with a newer erbium laser or
spot dermabrasion possibly combined with some other resurfacing procedure.
Alternately, I could do a series of microdermabrasions (though he mentioned
that he thought microdermabrasions were being phased out for newer/better
treatments such as erbium, at least in this area). I forgot to bring up
fillers, but we talked about virtually every other treatment.His assistant showed me some chicken pox scars that she had gotten injected
with collagen, and they looked good. She said that gave her about a 50%
improvement and lasted 6 months. She said that chicken pox scars were more
bound down than acne scars, and I guess harder to treat.I'd like to get some feedback on Erbium. Is Lacey still around? I'm wondering
if the procedure is worth the time and money ($1000 for 3 treatments) or if I
should just try spot dermabrasions off the bat.I have some advice for people on this board. If your scars aren't that bad,
don't bother with an agressive treatment. My scars were not that bad to begin
with, and I should have just left them alone or tried fillers or something. We
are all much too hard on ourselves, IMO.Give me opinions on erbium, if you have any!
To Scott -- Anna, 20:51:18 02/27/03 Thu
Hi Scott,
What type of laser treatment did you have? I seem to remember someone saying
on this board that the waxy look lasted about a year. I had a doctor explain
to me once that after surgery the surgical site gets flooded with lymphatic
fluids and it can take quite a while for those to subside. I understand
cortisone creams and icing are supposed to help with the lymphatic drainage,
but this would also reduce collagen building. Your improvement sounds
remarkable though!
Best of Luck!
Anna
Bob / Amorphous / Jeremiah -- Cityslicker, 11:55:06 02/27/03 Thu
Bob, thanks for the tip on the other board. Appreciate it, I will check into
it. Or, maybe I can find someone local, now that I can say, "Hey, I've had
this done once already."I definately see an improvement. And, for the money spent, was the best
investment I've made to date. 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.Amorphous and Jeremiah, 2-3 early posters here had their Needling procedure
done at Black N' Blue Tattoo in San Francisco. I'll post the link below.
That's the only place in California I'm aware of. Regards. :-) Cityslickerhttp://www.black-n-blue-tattoo.com/splash.html
my story -- Scott 20, 03:42:13 02/27/03 Thu
Hi everyone,
I have just found this site and am another who has read messages and can
relate to the stories. I had terrible acne from 13-17 and now have numerous
scars on my face leading to inevitable depression. I went to my dermatoligist
about the scars and he said i should have laser resurfacing, i had it last
july and my acne scars have definatey improved id say about 60-70%, instead
though i have been left with a slightly swollen, slightly waxy face, slightly
worse on one side. Could anyone please tell me why this is, and/or whether
this will improve because at present i am regreting having the procedure done,
and spending just as much time in my house avoiding mirrors and certain types
of lighting!Thanks everyone, any replies would be appreciated, keep your chins up.
Laser resurfacing to Paul2 -- Paula, 18:36:08 02/26/03 Wed
Hi Paul2,
I couldn't get to that website. What did she do for her breakout? I'm going to
see my Doc today, but even the creme seems too greasy for my skin. I have
giant bumps all over my face.Yuk! I'm getting cabin fever not being able to go
in public. Day 8 of my surgery and not lookin too good. I can't wait to see
the results, but discouraged at this point.
Paulla
To Paula -- Paul2, 03:13:20 02/26/03 Wed
Hey Paula,
Don't worry about it, I think its normal and it should improve from here. Go
to this website: http://members.rogers.com/healthyfaces/co2.htm
There's this girl called Jessica that had a Co2 laser done and it showed
improvements over like 3-6 months. She had a breakout too.Paul2.
Avril -- M, 23:49:42 02/25/03 Tue
You know, I don't know what it is - it's not like a freckle or a mole - it's
just this weird color dark mark. Too bad I don't have another five days to
stay home for some time, Oh well, if it takes another treatment it will just
have to wait. Good luck to you.M
To M -- Avril, 22:30:03 02/25/03 Tue
M--
What are you treating exactly? Certain more stubborn marks may take more than
one treatment to completely disappear, but I would wait to judge until the
bruising has faded entirely. Hang in there!
Avril
best tecnique for deep scars -- Jorge, 22:29:11 02/25/03 Tue
This is my first time in this forum i founded because i was searching for
tecniques for deep acne scars i think its called depressed, that named fits
perfect because i'm depressed. Its there any method that at least leaves the
skin even and gets ridoff this moon face that i have?I was reading some of your messages and they dont show any hope. Is anybody
out there that has some success stories about serious acne scars, please if
you do let me know because i'm upset with my situation.
Just got Laser resurfacing -- Paula, 20:24:29 02/25/03 Tue
I had full face co2 laser resurfacing 8 days ago. I know I need to be patient
but I look horrible. Under my eyes are especially red and after I took the
plastic off my face started using the petroleum based gel and my face broke
out within hours. I have faith in my doc and he said to lay off the gel except
under my eyes and use a creme instead but today I feel discouraged. Any
experienced laser patients out there with words of encouragement? I'am very
blotchy red and still see my scars. Help!
Sandy
Perlane and Radiance Injections -- Lisa H, 17:36:57 02/25/03 Tue
Hi everyone. It has been a while since I have posted here. I wanted to tell
you about my experience with Perlane (hyaluronic acid) injections. It is the
same as Restylane but is thicker and is suppost to last longer. I had one cc
injected into all of my acne scars about a month ago and one cc into my lips.
For the first three days my skin looked the best it had in years. Almost as
good as it had been before acne. I would guess a 80 to 90% improvement. All I
had left to tackle were my large pores and I was already starting to think I
would soon have perfect skin. I felt great and prayed at night that this would
last the full 6 months the doctor said it would. However after those 3 great
days the forth day it was halfway gone and by the fifth day my skin looked
like it did before the injections. It was not worth the $600 I paid for it at
all. It did stay in my lips and my lips look great - very poofy. I don't know
why my body absorbed it in my scars so quickly. I am hoping soon there will be
a better injectibles for scars.Has anyone tried Radiance yet? It cost $1200 but is suppost to last 5 years. I
would feel more comfortable with 5 years than something permanent like
Artecoll or Silicone. I may try Isolagen soon when it is available but I think
it will be even more expensive.
Avril -- M, 14:19:23 02/25/03 Tue
Day five (V-beam) and I'm now afraid it just didn't work??? Most of the
purpleness is gone and it seems like the spot is just the same??? Does it fade
further in your experience?
Have you ever had a V-Beam just not work?
Needling has peeled - scar still can be seen.
Although smoother - Certainly one of the deepest and gentlest peels I've ever
experienced.I wanted to add for people doing this in the future that the lady who did mine
did not use what I pictured as a traidional type of tatoo gun. Instead I would
describe it as a short wand. Also, it did not really hurt, only stung slightly
towards the end.
As I've stated before this is probably the least traumatic procedure I've ever
had done. I never really looked "injured" in any way and now 3 days later it
is completely healed/peeled. There is suppose to be collagen growth for up to
6 months.???Peace
M
to nina -- ping, 09:29:01 02/24/03 Mon
hi nina,
i understand how you feel when you wrote of "seeing the face everyday", no
matter what people said, in the end, we are the ones best to judge for
ourselves.just hang in there, nina.
respone to enca -- ping, 09:21:44 02/24/03 Mon
hi enca, sorry for the late reply.
the doctor is using cooltouch 2 on me, so far I only know that cooltouch 1 is
being phased out. each session is spaced out 4 weeks apart and for the whole
face, she did 3 passes on me.up to date, i have gone for 2 sessions it will takes a few more sessions to
see any real results.
some people have seen positive results and some don't. it is because of the
positive feedback that people have wrote on this board that prompted me to go
for cooltouch. no matter what is the outcome, at least i give it a try. but if
i didn't try it out, then i will never knew the outcome.
Cooltouch in Singapore -- nina, 06:17:04 02/24/03 Mon
I had my 3rd Cooltouch treatment last week. Skin texture has become very soft
but scars are still there but some people think that they are now not so deep.
I'm not sure what to comment on that as I see my face everyday. I'll wait
until my 5th treatment and then will decide whether to continue Cooltouch or
find an alternative.I've mentioned before that before I decided on this treatment, I had gone for
several consultations with few best plastic surgeons in Singapore as well as
other countries such as USA. SO if any of you think that there will be one
best surgeon in Singapore that can do miracle to get rid of your scars, think
twice. Every of them is the same and they are using the same machines. The
only thing that make a big difference is the amount they charge. Some doctors
charge S$1000 per Cooltouch treatment while some charge S$500.I've been to several other treatments such as 13 Microdermabrasion, Chemical
Peels..... not just in Singapore but in other parts of the world.So think twice before you 'invest' cos most of the time, you'll ended up in
disappointment.Take care!
Need a Cosmetic Dermatolgist in Indiana! -- tlc, 23:32:31 02/23/03 Sun
I've been reading this board for over a year, but have never posted. I am 42,
female and fair skinned. About a year ago I had a horrible case of cystic acne
and am still trying to heal. The outbreaks completely stopped with 1 dynacin
and 1 Spiro pill per day. I had 4 spots that turned into open wounds with scar
tissue that seemed to keep them from ever closing. 3 of those wounds were
excised, 2 have healed well, 1 on my cheek is open again in the center of the
incision line and the 4th wound was never excised and is still an open hole. I
have tried everything I can think of to get these holes to close, but nothing
is working. I need a recommendation for a dermatologist/Facial Plastic Surgeon
anywhere in Indiana. If someone knows of someone in Chicago, I could go there,
but would not have any insurance coverage. I won't go back to the Dr. that did
the excisions, he isn't any help with these last two wounds. Any advice or
recommendation would be greatly appreciated!tlc
amorphous ??? -- PO, 23:27:21 02/23/03 Sun
I saw that you were recommending needling on the other VOY page, you claimed
80% improvement, but here you are seeking a tatoo artist-did you do it on
yourself and get 80% improvement?
To M-- -- Avril, 15:56:36 02/23/03 Sun
M,
I am treating redness and blotchiness and capillaries. I am very fair, so it
really shows up. The mark is likely just a bruise. Sometimes if the mark or
marks are stubborn, the doctor will put the laser on a higher setting and it
will cause the skin to bruise. Yes, having fifty is stressful, but I know that
in a few days they will be gone and I will look better than before. Hang in
there, it will fade.
Avril
Avril -- M, 15:00:15 02/23/03 Sun
What are you treating? I am completely irritated with my one spot, fifty would
cause me alot of stress!Day 3 V beam - Still purple-red w/ pink edges
Day 2 Needling = Light pink/ The skin feels very firm and healthy. The scar is
still apparent.Peace
M
needling in southern CA -- amorphous, 08:57:57 02/23/03 Sun
Anyone happens to know tattooist/make up artist doing needling in the southern
California area?I'd appreciate any help on this because all those I called up to request the
procedure totally freaked out about this relatively unheard-of procedure:(
Micro Dermabrasion is awesome -- Jake, 08:22:28 02/23/03 Sun
I had my first microdermabrasion last week. They also added a slight jessner
peel + vitamin mask and the improvement in my skin has been unbelievable to
date.My scarring is probably a grade 1-2. Reddish marks on the cheeks and under
bright lights, u can probably see small indentations on the cheeks.But after the process, the redness from my cheeks has lightened and the scar
is slightly less noticeable. However, I was peeling like a snake for 4-5 days
but it's all been worth it.I'm excited and looking forward to my 2nd treatment, 2 weeks later. I'm not
expecting miracles, but slight improvement is something I am hopeful of as
well as removing some pigment blotches.On top of this, they gave me a Vitamin E moisturiser to use and I must say,
things are going great guns!
skin needling and hyperpigmantation -- Melissa, 07:19:48 02/23/03 SunJust a note to all who are interested in skin needleing. Make sure that you
look into it and know what you are getting into. It is a great effective way
(as far as we know) to resolve the scars, but please know that you are messing
with not only the top layer of skin but layers underneith as well, Once
someone starts to tattoo, they really never know what the skin is going to do
with out the end result because the top surface is not where the trueth lyes.When a tatto artist looks at the skin, she not only has to look at what is in
front of her, but also what tone of skin they have, the texture of the skin,
medical problems that may be involved, color of hair, eyes, age, procedures
that have been done in the past, medications that they are on. All of these
questions and more need to be answered before you can make an informed
decision. When tattoing pigment into the skin all of these things are of
utmost importance, when tattoing plain water into the skin the questions are
just as important because each person is an individual with a differant
makeup. Skin hyperpigmantation can occure when needleing, if you have
experienced hyperpigmentation before I would be very careful of anyone who
says that needleing can lighten the skin. Hyperpigmentaion is from trama to
the skin and how your skin reacts to that trama. No matter what anyone says,
needleing can be trama to the skin, just like a scratch on the face can be
trama to the skin.Please be very careful that you get yourself involved with only the most
knowlegeable professionals that you can find. Good tattoo artist or permanent
cosmetic people are out there, but do you're homework. Don't ever take what
anyone says too seriously until you know that it comes from an exstreamly
educated point of viewI am not anti needleing at all, I am just concerned about the fact that at
this time there really are no guide lines involving this procedure and that
leaves alot of us in a position where it is up to us to make sure that we get
the best possible care.
M / V-Beam -- johnny, 01:28:11 02/23/03 Sunwhen I had IPL done a few months ago, I also had a dark brown spot from it. It
happened in November, and you can still see remnants of it now, though it's
been consistently getting better. I think if you give it some time, it should
be fine. The first week always looks the worst. after that, it usually
subsides enough taht you can go out, whether because it actually gets better
or because you're just used to it.in any case, i never went back for IPLs because it caused the exact problem
that I was trying to treat! what a waste of $1000 (4 sessions)
Needling done today -- M, 00:41:26 02/23/03 SunWell this is soooooo NO BIG DEAL guys. The redness from the V-beam I had done
thursday makes the pinkness from the needling look silly!I can still see the scar, although at first it did swell to a point where I
could not.
My scar was very, very, very shallow. I will keep an update on whatever
"filling in" occurs in the next 8 weeks.The lady was great - she had done her own face and succesfully gotten rid of
many wrinkles and scars. I will definately go back for a second on the scar
and in addition some light wrinkling on my forehead as I said this is a light
procedure. I've had peels that looked more severe.The "spot" from the laser is currently enough to keep me from going out
though! It's hard to beleive this will ever go away - day 2.Peace
M
M re V-Beam -- Avril, 22:14:36 02/22/03 SatM--
Yes, the spot will go away-it will just take a few days though. Presently I
have about fifty (yep, I counted) of them due to a particularly aggressive
V-Beam treatment yesterday, so I will be hiding out for at least four days or
so. Best of luck!
Avril
hi ping -- enca, 22:01:59 02/22/03 Satmay i ask some questions on cooltouch? how often apart are your sessions? are
you using cooltouch or cooltouch ii, or do you know? much more importantly,
how many passes are they doing around the affected areas?what is your impression so far? i realize that cooltouch supposedly takes a
few months for the results to show. have you noticed anything? have/had you
met anyone who underwent cooltouch with positive results? i guess what i'm
wondering is, what made you decide to try cooltouch? are you trying it because
you have heard of or seen good results, or simply out of hope that it will
make a difference?
scares me -- enca, 21:58:48 02/22/03 Satuncontrolled DNA therapy? it sounds like a prescription for skin cancer ten
years from now. no way.
DNA CryoStem -- Ade, 18:30:03 02/22/03 SatI was wondering if anyone has used DNA Cryostem, a Stem Cell Skin Therapy. In
this process a semi frozen fluid containing bozine stem cells is applied the
skin. These stem cells allegedly transfer flawless skin DNA into your skin to
promote repair and reduce wrinkles. 6 sessions are recommended over 6 month
period. With each session skin defects are supossedly reduced as the skin goes
through its normal 28 day shedding/renewel cycle.
It doesn't appear to be widely available, it looks like its only been around
within the last 2 years. If anyone has had experience with this treatment
please post your feedback.
The links below provide more informationhttp://www.cliniquereneux.com/dna_cryostem_skin_therapy.htm
http://www.dnaskin.com/
scarface -- ping, 09:46:53 02/21/03 FriTry looking our local Yellow page, search under medical or doctor.
Best of luck to you.
V Beam -- M, 23:46:57 02/20/03 ThuWhoa! I went to have the odd little dark spot removed and now I have a giant
purple/black mark! I'm sure it will heal fine, right??? Any advice on this
one?Needling still scheduled Sat.
M
Accutane -- eek, 19:32:07 02/20/03 ThuWhen i was 20 i went on Accutane to treat mild crystic acne which was
beginning to scar. While on accutane i got a lot of huge crysts (some like an
inch round) which disappeared and left icepick scars all over my face. I am
now 23 with quite severe facial scarring especially on cheeks. I also somehow
got bad acne on my back now which i never had b4. The accutane did get rid of
the acne but i feel this was a bad trade off for quite severe scarring. Stay
clear of accutane unless you have really severe crystic acne. (just my
opinion)
Doctors in Singapore -- Scarface, 16:08:03 02/20/03 ThuPing,
Where can we find a list of plastic surgeons / derms in Singapore?
JOHNNY -- LIL BOY, 11:30:19 02/20/03 ThuThanks for your response, even though I got sad because of it; I'll get over
it! I was hoping that someone would tell me that micro-dermabrasion helps
enlarged pores, but I guess not. Although, I am glad that I didn't start a
micro-dermabrasion craze for nothing.I wonder if any other people have eating issues like us, even though ours are
different.-LIL BOY
lil boy - microdermabrasion -- johnny, 00:05:32 02/20/03 ThuI had 6 sessions of microdermabrasion done once every 2 weeks to help with
shallow scarring and enlarged pore type scarring. it did nothing. I cannot
recommend it, although others might have had better experiences. It might
depend a lot on the skill of the doctor, but I got nothing.Also, I am the opposite of you in that I tend to lose weight when I get
depressed. I think it's a subconscious effort to starve myself to death, but
who knows. I just don't have an appetite.
Ilustrations of types of Acne scars !! -- Tiki43, 23:30:36 02/19/03 WedI finally found a website that gives actual pictures of acne scar types.
ENJOY!
Isolagen -- Shubb, 22:21:45 02/19/03 WedJust wanted to check if anyone has had Isolagen treatment yet. I think it is
up and running in the UK, and Australia is set to start it in the next month
or so, with the US still waiting for the FDA approval before starting.For those who don't know, Isolagen is the process of taking a small sample of
your cells (fibreblasts) from behind your ear, and sent off to a lab to get
muliplied into millions of cells, and then have them re-introduced to your
body where the scarring is. Same results as a filler would provide however
thought to be fairly permanent because you are filling with your own cellsFor info check out www.isolagen.com ....Looks pretty promising!
DOES ANYONE SUFFER FROM?!?!?! -- LIL BOY, 13:01:22 02/19/03 WedHello.
I have posted here quite a few times, but I haven't shared much about my life
as an acne sufferer.This might sound a bit odd to some, but I have an eating disorder that is due
to my acne. Ever since I started getting acne, around the age of 17,
depression became a daily part of my life. With that depression, I noticed
that I started eating abnormaly. Basically, I became an emotional eater. With
that, I had gone from being a healthy looking young guy to being overweight.The most I ever weighed was 216 lbs. Being 6'1, some might think it's not a
lot, but it is. During this time, I was in deep denial of the whole situation.
I kept eating and eating, but I always thought that I was skinny. I even made
myself believe that I was skinny because I would buy big clothing.Anyway, I started to realize that I was big; a friend of mine would even
comment on my stomach, and I believe this cost me to want to lose weight. I
started to watch my eating drastically....sometimes only eating once a day,
and I slowly began to lose the weight. The least I ever went down to was 165
lbs. I had lost more than 50 lbs!!!Anyway, the problem is that all I do is go UP and DOWN, UP and DOWN with my
weight. I haven't stayed at a constant weight! It's been hell for me! Plus,
the fact that I can't control my eating pisses me off because I break out more
because of it.I know this might sound weird to some, but even though I know I break out
more, I can't control my eating!!!! :( Also, just seeing my scars depresses
me; I have been trying to be positive, but my mind is much more powerful! I
just start thinking of how ugly I am.Maybe I shouldn't even talk about this because it might not pertain to any of
you, but I just wanted to share this with you because I know that nobody knows
anything about me.LIL BOY :(
This beautiful girl gave me a good bye kiss today, and I felt sick to my
stomach. :((
Where in CA -- Jeremiah, 19:14:31 02/18/03 TueHi there
I have been reading about needling from everyone that has tried it. It sounds
simple and effective from what we have been reading. I was wondering if anyone
knew any Doctors or tattoo artist in CA that knows of this method. Can anyone
help?
thanks
Also this forum is great. =))
KAREN! -- Sosie, 17:57:47 02/18/03 TueMay I ask what type of scars you have seen the most improvement on with
needling?
MICRO - DERMABRASION -- LIL BOY, 01:21:00 02/18/03 TueI was wondering if MICRO DERMABRASION helps close the pores and/or get rid of
the scars that are pore-like. Right now I'm just focusing on the smaller
scars.By the way, I was thinking of telling the doctor doing the micro-dermabrasion
procedure to not go over the bigger scars with the micro-dermbabrasion tool
used!!! I figure that if I don't want the bigger scars to go deeper, then I
shouldn't mess with them with micro-dermabrasion.Does this make sense, or is it better to get micro-dermabrasion on my whole
face?!?!-LIL BOY
Cityslicker, take heart! -- Karen, 00:07:52 02/18/03 TueHey Mike!
Oh Mike! I am glad that you have seen a little improvement so far, but I can
almost promise you that you will be much happier in another month or 2. Like I
said - both times I went, after about a week (after I had had that DEEP peel)
I was virtually no improvement. I think that this procedure is very much like
what a lot of lasers are SUPPOSED to so in that the collagen stimulation keeps
coming for at least a couple of months afterwards. It was only after about 3-4
weeks that I really began to notice some good improvement.I highly agree with Mike that Kevin is a great place to go to to have this
procedure done. He is such a sweet guy, and obviously (to me anyway) his
technique was very effective. I am going back again in just THREE WEEKS to
have the needling done again. I highly encourage anyone to give this a shot,
just go there and get a test patch done, and see if you see any improvement
yourself. Go to his website at Kevin's Tattoo Zoo and give him a call, or find
someone in your area who will do it - just a little patch if you are unsure. I
am still very happy with my results. I think it will take around 3 or 4 times
total, and I think I will be very pleased with my results at that point. I
plan to give it at least 3 times whenever I can, I am in school and I work so
I only have certain times I can take off. I am hoping that I get even better
results this time around. If you cannot find someone around you who knows how
to do it, send out an email to tattoo artists and tell them a little about the
procedure. That is how I first contacted Kevin, just give it a shot!Good luck to all, no matter what you are doing!! Karen:)
Answer for Dorrie -- Cityslicker, 23:26:53 02/17/03 MonHi Dorrie, I only see my Dermatologist about once or twice a year, and I don't
think I asked him about needling, saline injections, or subcision, not that I
can re-call. I checked with about 6 different tattoo artist in my immediate
area before I made the 2400 mile round trek and none had heard of it at all.
The one lady that said she had, referred me to an accupuncturist. I made the
journey primarily, because I wanted someone who had done the procedure before
and was a least familiar with it.Kevins website is http://www.kevinstattoozoo.com I will tell you though, I was
only the third acne facial patient that he had done. We talked about the
procedure while I was there. He said, he had never heard of this procedure
until Karen called, and then E-mailed him the various links and info. So, I'd
be surprised if he knew of anyone in your area, but his number is on his
website. (Also my real name is Mike, if you do talk to Kevin) Good-luck. :-)
Cityslicker
Site I found -- Donald, 23:04:27 02/17/03 Monhello just want to tell everyone that i found this great site about laser
resurfacing. This person has pictures of what his skin liked like before,
during and after the laser.
here it is http://home.earthlink.net/~scarsupport/
Scarring and Accutane -- Kenny, 22:43:14 02/17/03 MonI was perusing the board and noticed some of you speculating on whether
Accutane causes scarring. From my experience, it most certainly did. I am 24
years old, and I've had acne since I was 16. I was almost 17 when I got my
first cyst on my right cheek. I had another 2 cysts in the same location over
the next 2 years, and one huge cyst between my eyes (this tenacious bastard
had to be drained twice).I went to college at age 19, and I had very little scarring. The next summer,
after I turned 20, I went on Accutane to "cure" myself of the wonderful gift
that nature and genetics had bestowed upon me. Well, I will tell you, my face
cleared up beautifully, by back however, exploded with cysts. Over the next 5
months (the duration of the treatment), I had nearly 60 cysts on my back (not
all at one time, mind you, maybe 4-6 at any given time). But my face looked
nice, right? Well, my face started breaking out in cysts again about 6 months
after I stopped the Accutane. So what else could I do but start round 2 of
Accutane? Well, round 2 cleared my back and my face up, but the 70 cysts I had
left my back looking like I was shot with some 20 aught buck.Thus, I had CO2 laser treatment on my back twice (this was 4 years ago), the
scars are remarkably better, but the hyperpigmentation has not yet dissapated.
So for those of you thinking about getting CO2 on your back, keep in mind that
you may still have some effects 4 years afterward.But I digress, now comes the bad part (yeah, I haven't gotten there yet),
scars suddenly started appearing on my face. These scars were appearing in
places where cysts were years before, but hadn't been there since. Well, that
was 4 years ago, and my face looks worse now than it has ever looked. It's
like scars have appeared from nowhere and the ones that I had are simply
worse. I attribute this to Accutane, due to its effect of stunting the healing
process.Anyway, I am currently on DesOwen for Dermatitis, and Klaron, Triaz, and
Avita(tretinoin) Gel for Acne (yup, that's right, my acne's back, but no
cysts). I have taken Accutane, Tetracycline, Minocycline, Erithromycin,
Retin-A in my several years in fighting this battle as well. If anyone has any
questions regarding the efficacy of these medications, I'd be happy to answer
them.
? for Cityslicker -- Dorrie, 14:51:33 02/17/03 MonCityslicker, did you ever ask your derm about needling, if so what did he say
about it?
Also, would you mind posting the tattoo artist's phone # or website, I would
like to know if he knows someone in NY or NJ who does the same proceedure. If
you won't post it on the board, please feel free to e-mail.
I would also be curious if anyone's asked their dr. about needling and saline
injections. I am going to my derm on Friday for collagen, & will ask him, but
somehow, I think I know what his response will be.
-Dorrie-
MICRO - DERMABRASION -- LIL BOY, 10:08:46 02/17/03 MonI was wondering if MICRO DERMABRASION helps close the pores and/or get rid of
the scars that are pore-like. Right now I'm just focusing on the smaller
scars.By the way, I was thinking of telling the doctor doing the micro-dermabrasion
procedure to not go over the bigger scars with the micro-dermbabrasion tool
used!!! I figure that if I don't want the bigger scars to go deeper, then I
shouldn't mess with them with micro-dermabrasion.Does this make sense, or is it better to get micro-dermabrasion on my whole
face?!?!-LIL BOY
Youthfull Essence Home Microdermabrasion -- Generm, 08:58:56 02/17/03 Monhas anyoone tried youthful essence home microdermabrasion for acne? If so, did
it also help with your scars?Please let me know i'm desperate to order this machine because im tierd of
paying alot of money for series of microdermabrasion treatments. They
advertise it for antiaging but they also said it was good for acne but never
stated about scarring, just if it helped get rid of wrinkles i don't know for
what reason why it cant help with scarring. well thanks and good luuck to all
and god bless:)
Maryann, Eve, M, / Update -- Cityslicker, 08:12:45 02/17/03 MonHi Maryann, yes I can relate with the insecurities, but I say, why not take a
chance on love. Something tells me, if your dating this guy for a year, he's
looking past your scars anyway. And if he can't look past them, you know, he's
not the one for you. Besides, won't you let him make that decision, it sounds
like your making the decision for him (that he's not going to accept you.) If
you keep pushing him away, he'll certainly get the message, and away he'll
stay. How ironic that you want to be accepted with your scars, but yet your
pushing away the very people who are trying to get close to you. (I know, easy
for me to say, I've had 2 dates in 7 years, so can relate.) I do wish you
well.Hi Eve, you can find any strength of glycolic acid from 10-70% diluted or
undiluted, on EBAY, and fairly reasonable. Just type in the word in the search
for health products, personal care category, etc.Update: I E-mailed Kit last week. He said, he was about ready to start posting
here again and asked me to send him the link, which I did, hopefully, he'll be
posting again soon.Well M, I can relate to being nervous about needling, I took the plunge last
week and had the majority of my face done. I had trouble sleeping, a couple of
nights before, thinking maybe I'd be scarred even more by the tattoo artist.
HA!HA!. But it was a breeze, I mean, yes it stings, but I was worried that it
might cause even more scarring. It went real well, as far as that goes, and
after 7 days, no one would even know I had it done. But for me, I drove 1200
miles to N.Carolina from Texas to have this done. I had it done at Kevin's
Tattoo Zoo, the same place that Karen had her's done, and I must say, you
won't hardly find a more caring and compassionate person to do this procedure
for you. I highly recommend Kevin and he put me right at ease. Even when I
called him on the phone, I felt extremely comfortable. He also seen me on a
Sunday, which is by appointment only. So I was the only client and didn't have
to embarissingly walk the gauntlet past a whole place of people waiting for a
tattoo. Also, his office is beautiful, just as Karen said.He did about 5/8th's of my face and forehead, nose, chin, cheeks into the
beard line, etc, scar on the neck, just mainly scars and wrinkles. He charges
$600 for the full face, $300 for just the cheeks and he charged me $450 for my
full procedure. It took about 2 hours total, and I drove 7 hours back to
Atlanta the same day. I stayed in Atlanta Sunday night and drove 11 hours back
to Texas the next day.Sunday nite, after the procedure, looked pretty horrific. Everywhere he
needled was rasberry colored looking, similiar to a port wine stain color, if
you've ever seen one. So, you could tell everywhere he needled. Wasn't really
bloody, as in red, just this rasberry color and face/skin swollen slightly. He
had me put apply a vit. A&D ointment that he gave me, til I got back home.
Also, he said he wouldn't do the procedure unless I ordered the Procyte Tissue
Repair Creme that is used for people who had laser surgery. So I ordered that
on Thursday from Drugstore.com, 2-day express shipping, and it was here at the
house Monday nite, when I got home. It's a copper-peptide based creme that
enhances tissue repair, I kept on my face for 5 days, with the therory being
you apply it on your face every 2-3 hours the first day and every 6-8 hours
for the next 7 days. Basically, you don't want your face to dry out. If your
considering needling, just go to a search engine (Google.com or similiar) and
do a word search for Procyte Complex Cu3 Intensive Tissue Repair Creme. Or go
directly to Drugstore.com, which was the cheapest I found.It's been 7 days, and was rasberry/red for the first 4 days without much
change. The 5th day the redness faded about 60-70%, it was also the first day
I went out of the house. The 6th day it had faded another 10-20% and still, no
one would have noticed or questioned me, and today, just faintly noticeable at
all, and I went anywhere I wanted comfortably the last 2 days.Now for the results. I see a slight improvement of 10-20% on some scars and
wrinkles, with about a 20-30% improvement on a depressed scar. My skin texture
seems to be smoother all over in the areas needled but noticebly smoother in
the scar-free areas. I still haven't peeled, but just a tiny few places, as
some people have stated. Perhaps as the weeks go by, I'll see a more gradual
improvement.My complexion is fair, (brown hair/ red beard) with Rosacea, broken blood
vessels, etc. Before I started, my scars have been graded mild to moderate on
a 1-3 scale, with 1-being mild, 2-being moderate and 3-being severe. I was
told, I have class 1 scars mostly, mixed with some class 2.In summary, after a week, no major improvement, but slight enough that I will
probably try again in the future. Just don't want to make the 2400 mile round
trip. I'll keep you guys updated if I continue to see improvement. :-)
Cityslicker
. -- sarah, 07:03:54 02/17/03 Monit's used to treat acne SCARS, not blemishes.
i'm not sure what ingredient causes it to slowly peel the scar away.
it takes about 8 weeks for new scars to disappear, and approx. 6 months for
old scars.
SCARS or BLEMISHES? -- LIL BOY, 06:56:49 02/17/03 MonIs MEDERMA for acne scars or blemishes? I just don't see how a peel can remove
an acne scar. They're probably not depressed scars huh?LIL BOY
Sarah -- bob, 06:56:42 02/17/03 MonA while back when I was first trying to decide what I wanted to try I looked
into Mederma and it seemed to me that it was not going to be useful for pitted
and depressed scars so I never got it because that is the type scars I have. I
think it is intended for flat and raised scars.
. -- Sarah, 06:49:20 02/17/03 Monnope, it helps clear up acne. i just saw an ad for it..
both my roommate and i use Mederma...and it works great for us both. i've
never had acne before, but everytime i get a pimple here and there, it scars.
so i figured, if i prevent them from even coming, then i won't have to deal
with the whole process of eliminating the scar.
but my roommate had acne and is now using mederma to remove the scars left
behind.
SARAH -- LIL BOY, 06:40:58 02/17/03 MonWhy are you interesting in MURAD? Is it also for acne scars?
The reason I'm asking is because you say MEDERMA works GRRRRrreat!
LIL BOY
HOPELESS -- LIL BOY, 06:35:12 02/17/03 MonLike you, I have also read a lot on these forums that takes me to believe that
there is no cure for acne scars.I also try to be optimistic, but then again, I try to be realistic too.
If we never find a "cure" for acne scars, we have to start accepting ourselves
for the way we are. I am trying so hard to do just that, and it's taking a lot
of crying, embarrasment, sadness, anger, shyness, etc... and singing!LIL BOY
Me again! -- Sarah, 06:35:02 02/17/03 MonOOooh yeah....
you apply MEDERMA 3 times a day,
after about a week of using it consistently, it will peel layers of the
affected area... slowly fading the scar.
MURAD...worth your $??!! -- Sarah, 06:30:42 02/17/03 MonHi, I recently heard about this highly expensive "Acne Complex Kit" called
Murad ($70)...I've had mixed opinions on it. Does it work? If not, then what
does?And responding to the person about acne scars... MEDERMA works GRRRRrreat!
It's a little pricy, but definitly worth your $!!!
A CURE????????? -- HOPELESS!!!!!!!, 05:10:56 02/17/03 MonFrom what i have been reading alot of people are saying there is no cure for
acne scars!!! I have tried to be optimistic about the whole scaring thing but
it is really hard when people say there is no cure!!! If there is no cure then
whet is the point!! Why do we even bother to try?? Has anybody had any real
good experience with acne scar treatment where there scar improved 90% to
100%???? If so what kind of scars did you have?? Lets all keep positive
people!!! A cure is out there, if there is a will there is a way............we
will beat this, there IS a cure!!!!
MICRO - DERMABRASION -- LIL BOY, 02:12:10 02/17/03 MonI was wondering if MICRO DERMABRASION helps close the pores and/or get rid of
the scars that are pore-like. Right now I'm just focusing on the smaller
scars.By the way, I was thinking of telling the doctor doing the micro-dermabrasion
procedure to not go over the bigger scars with the micro-dermbabrasion tool
used!!! I figure that if I don't want the bigger scars to go deeper, then I
shouldn't mess with them with micro-dermabrasion.Does this make sense, or is it better to get micro-dermabrasion on my whole
face?!?!-LIL BOY
Acne has scarred my life -- Maryann, 23:43:17 02/16/03 SunAge : 29
Gender : Female
Country : Australia.Hi all, I just found this website and I was somewhat comforted that Im not the
only one. I am currently on Roaccutane and even though the side effects can be
a little harsh I am glad to be finally rid of those horrible cysts. What i am
finding though now is that the scars on my face have become noticably bigger.
My acne and scars have stopped me from doing so much in my life. I havent had
a relationship in seven years bc Im worried that my partner will be put off by
my scars. i only date in the evening where I can cover up my face. Does anyone
else feel this insecure. My friends have suggested that i see a counsellor re
this problem. I have now been dating a guy for approximately one year and hes
getting kinda tired with all my excuses of not spending time with him during
the day. this is crippling me and I wish I could talk to someone about this.
Does anyone have some advise for me????
M / needling -- jack, 23:28:13 02/16/03 Sunhey M,
I've been trying some home needling (using a small gauge insulin needles left
over from trying home salin injections) and to my eyes, it's done quite a bit
of good. Moreso than anything I've done at the derm (IPL, microderm), or at
home with topicals (exfol/copper peptides, etc.) IPL, in fact, caused some
bruising and marks/scarring about four months ago that hasn't gone away yet.
After that happened, I decided not to go to derms again for awhile and try to
treat my scars myself. I feel like I have a good understanding of my skin.
Unfortunately, I"m still prone to some mistakes. Just last week, I burned my
face with glycolic acid (30%) when I tried spot treating a scar (dipping a
qtip in the acid and holding it against the scar. ) Hopefully it'll heal up
all right.. Right now, a week later, it's still red and there's still an
exposed wound. I actually did a needling session and a glycolic acid spot
treatment at the same time. I wanted to compare how both did on scars. They
are both similar scars and are shallow, pick scars. not ice-picks, but the
enlarged pore type, but definitely scars. if I stick my finger on it and push
down hard, I can definitely feel that the skin is different. In any case, Of
the two spots I treated, the needling is looking much better without an
exposed wound (though still reddish brown). The scar is still there, but it's
smaller. Perhaps because I was only doing this by hand, I missed some spots,
but it definitely looks like if it heals up, it'll be better overall. I think
needling is so far the best treatment I've seen on my skin, though I have to
say I've not done dermabrasion or lasers (nor am I willing.) The glycolic acid
isn't without its merits, but it really doesn't do much for anything but the
most shallow of scars. and even then, I think it's only masking the scar and
not really eliminating it. The jury's still out on the one spot I burned last
week. We'll see what happens with that one... I just hope it doesn't cause a
new larger scar. but if it does, I'm going to try to treat it with needling.
If it heals up and improves the scar, I'll still have to go with needling
cause it's less stressful. hehe.I hope your needling session goes well. I'd really like to try going to
someone for that myself, but I don't really want to do my whole face/cheeks at
once. Just one spot at a time, because then I don't mind going out to work or
out to play at all. But I'm sure, for example, if you got it done at a tatto
place, the gun will have a much better coverage than I can possibly do with my
hand. I believe you'll be happy with your results. Please write your
experiences after you're done.Jack
Needling in one week -- M, 18:18:04 02/16/03 SunSo it seems there are many positive, a few less than spectacular and a couple
negative reporting on this procedure. I'm scheduled Saturday. My scar is
shallow but (I feel) large about the circumference of a nickle. Any opinions?
Pro's or Con's? New reports?I'm suppose to do one round now and one in June.
Also, I'm going to have her go over a couple of hyperpigmented marks b/s she
says this will get rid of /lighten them. I'll let you guys know.A little nervous.
M
Report about acne scar treatments -- Ram, 15:40:44 02/16/03 SunThe following URL is an interesting four-page PDF report of acne scar
treatments:
http://www.acne.com/surgery_8.pdf
re:excision -- ping, 13:06:14 02/16/03 SunScarface,
Yes, I know that some difficult scars required multiple excisions. Make sure
to wait for several weeks before doing anymore excisions in order for the new
wound to heal properly.
Skin Culture Peel 4000 -- Jules, 13:00:12 02/16/03 Sunwhat does everyone know about this product it sounds really scary to me - i
dont have acne just one quite large scar on my cheek which came from a scab i
picked and poked at...its really getting me down and while i dont mind paying
i dont want to place an order if its not going to work for me
thanks for reading
Skin Culture Peel 4000 -- Jules, 12:58:51 02/16/03 Sunwhat does everyone know about this product it sounds really scary to me - i
dont have acne just one quite large scar on my cheek which came from a scab i
picked and poked at...its really getting me down and while i dont mind paying
i dont want to place an order if its not going to work for me
thanks for reading
To Dee: Glycolic Peel -- Eve, 04:47:39 02/16/03 SunWhere did you get your 40% glycolic peel? I am currently using the
Tri-Reduction Combo for scars and began yesterday to incorporate the Super
Cop, which is much stronger. Skinbio suggested using a weekly peel, so I
contacted Makeup Artists Choice, as recommended by Skinbio. They told me that
since I tolerate the Tri-Reduction Combo well, I might could start with the
40% or even the 50% glycolic peel. (My facial scars are old and many.) After
reading your experience with the 40% peel, I think maybe I should start with
the 30% and work my way up. I have been using the copper peptides for about 3
weeks. I haven't noticed any improvement yet, except I think my skin tone is a
little more even. I think the only thing that would really make a dramatic
difference in the appearance of my facial scars is a very aggressive
dermabrasion, which I am not willing to do at this time. So, for at least the
next few months I am going to continue with the copper peptides (including the
Super Cop) and incorporate a weekly peel. Keep us posted with the results of
your efforts.
Experience with new products -- Dee, 21:55:25 02/15/03 SatI tried the 40% glycolic peel on Thursday. First I did a patch test on my neck
and it didn't even sting or tingle after 10 minutes. Then I rinsed it off and
it wasn't pink or anything. So, I decided to go ahead and try it on my chin. I
followed their instructions, first I washed my face and neck with a soap free
cleanser and a wash cloth, then with witch hazel, then with the ph pre
treatment and when it dried I put on the glycolic. It did burn/sting but I was
used to that since I had it done before at a doctor's office. They said to
rinse it off it it burned but it subsided quickly and was tolerable so I left
it on and kept checking it. They said to expect a "tingling sensation" and a
feeling of warmth, which I did. My chin was pink and after 8 minutes I noticed
some little white bumps forming so I rinsed it off with soap and water. Now
it's Saturday and my chin isn't pink anymore but it is dry and has some little
blister like bumps and scabs and I think it's going to peel. I had this happen
after a TCA peel also. I think a little peeled off when I washed it the other
day. Anyways, I think the 40% was a little too strong. I wrote the co. and
asked them for suggestions/feedback, maybe there is a way to dilute it a
little. I'm curious to see how my skin is after it heals. The anti-shine matte
stuff I bought works well to stop oily skin. The copper peptide serum seems
good so far but I've only been using it a couple days. The sulphur mask isn't
very strong. I think I prefer sacylic acid to dry pimples out more - spot
treat. I might try the tea tree oil sometime also. The mineral makeup seems
good but I have clinique right now so will probably use that up before
ordering anything else. I'll let you know how my skin heals from the glycolic
peel. I may try it on my face later and just rinse it off right after. Maybe
you just need to build up a tolerance.....
Joe & Pocket grafting -- Dorrie, 19:07:28 02/15/03 SatJoe, I had the grafting done -- the skin was taken from behind my ear by Dr.
Orentreich in NY. I did everything that did not require "down time". I had no
down time just a band-aid on my face. I didn't think it was so effective for
me -- but it may be for you. You should give it a try.
As far as I'm concerned there is no real cure for this scarring yet. My scars
look terrible in shadow, but in "good" lite, they are fine.
I now just do collagen & mircodermabrasion. I am waiting for the other fillers
to become legal, and then will try them
To Annette -- Mary, 17:39:16 02/15/03 Sat
Annette I figure you have spent around 12K on Photofacials, and your face is
still red?I hope you have gone to a lawyer?
This is how you will get your money back so you can go ahead and try some
other treatment for your skin problem.
If you wait too long you may not be able to sue because of the limitations
placed on a case such as yours in the state where you live.The doctor who took your money, and did not deliver the goods won't care a bit
about your misery because most don't.You know it is very possible that there was something wrong with the
particular laser that was used for your treatments. I have heard of persons
getting temporary red splotches from this type of laser BUT NEVER have I heard
of a person being treated for your condition and not responding to the
treatment.
Joe on Pocket Grafting -- DaveB, 16:56:44 02/15/03 SatBe very wary of that "pocket grafting"! I had that exact procedure done, only
the doctor called it "derma implanting". That was four years ago, and I am
still struggling to overcome the consequences.Even as the doctor was doing the procedure, it just felt wrong. Immediately
afterwards, things did look pretty good, but that was just due to my whole
face being swollen. When the swelling went down, I had large bumps on my skin
that looked rather cyst-like; I don't see how any laser could have corrected
it. The doctor--this all happened in Seattle--looked a bit disconcerted about
the results himself (never a good sign), and tried to bring the lumps down
some with cortisone. That only seemed to make things look worse.
Soon afterwards I moved downed to Phoenix for a while, and sought treatment
from other dermatologists. Though they didn't say so directly, it was obvious
that they were horrified about what had been done to my skin. The doctor I
ended up going with started out initially with more cortisone treatments. The
nightmare was only beginning, however.Most of the implants soon started becoming infected, this ultimately causing
scarring much worse than any caused by acne. (The few that didn't become
infected eventually just turned into smaller lumps on the skin, the implants
later working their own way out). Really, it was terrible. Now, years later, I
am still working to alleviate the scarring caused by this whole misadventure.
Things are looking better, but this is after having punch-and-sews done on the
bigger scars (limited effectiveness), two CO2 laser treatments (did nothing
for the scarring, but plumped up the skin and eliminated wrinkles!), three
subscisions (did nothing for me--maybe too soon [nine months] after the laser
treatments?), several microdermabrasion treatments (worsened everything,
causing new scars and lines), four cooltouch treatments (these may have been
at least somewhat effective--I'm still waiting), and countless collagen
injections (temporary but effective). I just recently had a test spot done for
needling, but after seven weeks the results don't look too promising. (This
may be, however, because it has only been about seven months since the last
cooltouch treatment).So, anyway, think twice before going through with the pocket grafting. The
doctor who did the procedure on me, by the way, did ultimately give me a full
refund (as did the doctor who did the subscision treatments). He was probably
just happy to avoid a lawsuit.
Pocket Grafting and Laser -- Joe, 15:46:49 02/15/03 SatHi, I am curious why I haven't seen anyone here discuss pocket grafting. I am
going to have this procedure done in late March. The surgeon said he takes a
piece of skin from behind the ear, a hidden spot, and then inserts that piece
of skin inside the scar. It's supposed to last forever since it's your own
skin and your body won't get rid of it. Anyone ever heard of it? The only
worry is that he said he tries to over-correct the scar, meaning he makes it
above surface level. Then, afterwards, it should flatten down a little, and if
need be he does CO2 laser on it. That's what really freaks me out, because CO2
laser really messes your face up. I was wondering if anyone here has had CO2
laser done? If so, please e-mail me and tell me what your healing experience
was like, I would really like to hear from you.
As a side note, I picked a pimple last night and made a scab (a really bad
habit of mine). I had ordered CP serum from skinbiology last month, so I
decided to try it on the scab. I am really impressed with how fast the scab
went away. I don't see any results of the CP serum on my depressed scar
(nothing topical seems to help it at all), but it really looks like it speeded
up the healing time of my scab.
Bio Oil -- Larry, 12:30:12 02/15/03 SatHi everyone, I've been off for a while, but now I'm back so that we can fight
together physically and spiritually this curse.But I have a question for now; I've got this product branded Bio-Oil, it says
for scar tissues I have to apply it 3 times daily. I was wondering if I have
to wash clean my face before every applicatoin, or apply it to the previous
film of oil?Thank you, I'll be posting some comforting words very soon.
Lots of Love, Larry
how many times excision -- scarface, 06:23:48 02/15/03 SatHi Ping,
Another question on excision for you!!Imagine: If a doctor does excision on a big scar, and there's some
improvement. Can we do another excision on the same scar a few months later
for more improvements?
Seattle/V-Beam -- Annette, 01:38:15 02/15/03 SatI need to know if anyone knows of a clinic or Dermatologist in the "Puget
Sound Area/Seattle" that uses V-Beam lasers for Rosacea. I have had 12, yes,
count them 12 photofacials..and I am worse then when I started. I am broke,
busted..and disgusted. I NEED HELP..THE PAIN IS SO BAD..THE BURNING..THE
HEAT..PLEASE HELP ME. If anyone has any info about doctors and pricing in the
Seattle area..please post..or e-mail me. I am desperate and suicidal.
enca on cooltouch -- ping, 12:59:26 02/14/03 FriHi, I am now in the midst of cooltouch. I just had my second appointment last
tuseday. Frankly, still the same old face with the same scars. I will decide
whether to continue after the fourth session is done.
General Suggestions and One Question -- clb, 07:53:11 02/14/03 FriGeneral Suggestions for any one planning to undergo collagen stimulating
procedures and/or any one who has acne lesions that are still healing.1. If you smoke, Quit smoking-
Smoking decreases blood flow which increases healing time and therefore makes
scars look worse. It also decreases the absorption of Vitamin C (an essential
vitamin necessary for the production of collagen). This is because oxygen is
needed for absorption of Vitamin C and when one smokes the levels of Oxygen
are decreased and the levels of Carbon ?Oxide are increased.2. Exercise-
Exercising increases blood flow (helpful for wound healing) , and blood
provides areas that require nutrients the nutrients they need (if they are
present in one's blood). Also, the effects of exercising manifest themselves
in an overall improvement of the skin ie. healthy glow...etc.3. Take vitamins-
There are several websites that will answer what vitamins, minerals, EFA
(Essential Fatty Acids) are necessary and/or beneficial for skin to repair
itslef (including collagen production), and just generally contribute to the
well-being of one's skin. The production of collagen requires many things, and
when you want to facilitate rapid production of collagen you might need more
that one hundred percent of the recommended daily value. PLEASE research the
supplements you consume and the contents of the supplements, because there are
several vitamins that can be harmful if over-present in the blood.
My question-Does any one know of any good scar docs in TX?Thank You and Think Positively
need input on cooltouch -- enca, 05:22:56 02/14/03 Frihey everyone...
i've been having microderms for a few months now (six of them so far) to treat
acne scars on my cheeks mainly. there's a little pigmentation but it's mostly
indentations. i can't complain about the microderms, they've cleared up my
skin, reduced pores and reduced certain scarring, but the effect is pretty
minimal. the dermatologist/esthetician/doctors are suggesting cooltouch, my
skin's kind of darker so i can't use anything else. my quesiton is, does
anyone have experience with cooltouch? it only treats indentation, right? the
cost of $250 a treatment (both cheeks) and i'm told that i'd need about eight
treatments, once a month, for about eight months. how do i know whether the
benefits are worth the cost? it's always easier to sell something in the
beginning but after the microderms ($50x8=$400) i saw how easily i could get
suckered into trying something just for a shot at hope, and the cooltouch is
5x as expensive as the microdermabrasion. plus, i'd have to continue with the
microderms every now and then. i could afford it, and i'd do anything for skin
that i'm not ashamed of, but lately i start to think, "you know, the money you
save would probably be just enough to justify getting a convertible before the
summer." and i start to think about the idea of spending money on hopes and
dreams that may or may not become reality, versus spending it on something
that i absoulutely know will thrill me. i'm in my 20s now and starting to get
to the point where i don't want to spend money on scar reduction unless
there's some bang for the buck. but, almost nowhere do i find solid opinions
on whether cooltouch was ok/great/a waste. any thoughts? pictures?
experiences? suggestions?
Subscison -- Bryan, 04:01:09 02/14/03 FriAnybody had much luck with Dr. Michael Kaminer in Boston. He is supposedly
great with the Subscision treatment. Just curious if anyone had it performed
by him and their thoughts on it...thanks
GW -Copper Peptides -- Promise, 18:11:34 02/13/03 ThuWhat type of results are you seeing and what type of scars are you working on?
Thanks Dee -- Jodi, 10:39:11 02/13/03 ThuDee, Just wanted to thank you for you response and kind words. Very helpfull.
Keep us posted.
Exfol and Tri-Reduction -- GW, 03:05:24 02/13/03 ThuHey RV,
I use both Exfol and Tri-red and if my results are anything to go by I would
say be patient, don't apply too much too soon (just break your skin into it)
and forget applying other products and give it about 2-3 months and then see
if their is improvement. I have experienced some results that I would classify
as better than anything else I have tried.GW
Icepick Treatment -- Anna, 00:43:29 02/13/03 ThuGood deal Jack. Just looking out for you! I hope your home treatment results
are everything you hoped for and more.
MICRODERMABRASION -- Mike D, 22:50:03 02/12/03 WedWell I guess it's different for everyone. I had this done several times and
had litterally no pain and no down time. As a matter of fact it was quite
pleasurable and relaxing. I certainly had no bleeding. The person who
performed this on me also gave me a "facial" after evry session to calm and
"cool" down my skin. After about 2 or 3 days you get a bit of peeling however.
Kind of like you do after a sun burn goes away. As for results, i didn't see
many. This works well for facial lines and tiny scars but not for deep ones.
The thicker your skin, the less irritation you'll have, and I have thick skin.
But that's probably why I got less results.
TriReduction & Exfol -- RV, 21:33:43 02/12/03 WedI've been using this combo for 2 weeks. Any unhealed or "active" blemish
started to get brown scabby skin. So I definitely got the impression that the
creams are potent and something was happening. Even though the brown spots
looked bad, I continued thinking I just need to "ride" it out. Well the spots
are still here and even though some of the scabbing has flaked off, my skin
looks worse than when I started. So genius that I am, I tried getting rid of
the brown patches with 40% glycolic home peel but ended up just making matters
worse by burning some areas! I'm a mess! I don't know if I should just be
diligent and continue with the TriReduction w/o retinol & Exfol Cream or give
up before it gets even worse. Anyway, I'm going to Rappaport tomorrow. Has
anyone had similar experience with TriReduction/Exfol Combo?
Reply to Jodi -- Dee, 21:32:22 02/12/03 WedHi. You can try doing 6-8 microdermabrasions one week apart and see what kind
of results you get. They are pretty expensive though, around
$75-$100/treatment. You can also try at home glycolic peels or in office. I'm
trying the at 40% buffered at home one soon, I'll let you know how it goes. If
you haven't done it before I would start at 30% and work your way up, also do
a patch test. They sell unbuffered also up to 70% but my husband wouldn't let
me sign a waiver like that so I'm sticking w/ the buffered for now. By the
way, if anyone has tried that let me know how it works. According to my dr.,
micros and glycolics are similar but micro is supposedly stronger on scars.
The good thing about them is that there shouldn't be any down time. If you
decide after to do a TCA peel, it will just allow it do go deeper so they say
it's not a waste if you do both. Obagi and Biomedic Pigment are just the brand
names used by the doctor. My TCA peels were only 35% strength, 2 layers, but
they say the higher you go the higher the risk of complications and it's more
expensive, longer recovery. It also will do more though. You can also just do
35% TCA peels close together and hopefully get the same results. I would try
the micros and glycolic peels first and if you don't see any improvement after
6-8 weeks I would stop. Some people say it took them 20 times. If I had the
time and money I would try that but I don't. There is also another at home
peel with downtime made of sacylic and beta hydroxy that skin culture sells. I
haven't tried it but would like to know what people who have thought of it.
Also makeup artists choice sells some makeup that is supposed to be good for
scars, I don't know how it works but I think they have some samples available.
I also heard Laura Mercier (Nordstrom) is really good but it's expensive. Some
plastic surgeons sell good makeup for hiding scars but I don't know what the
names are. You can make some calls to see who carries what. You can probably
buy the same thing they sell on-line for less also. I also try to avoid
fragrance in products that come into contact with my face including hair
products and detergents. Also make sure the products you use don't make you
break out. I don't think you're being punished. Everyone's got their strengths
and weaknesses, nobody's perfect!
anna - acid -- jack, 21:22:33 02/12/03 Wedactually, i did it before you posted that. I was more trying to use the
glycolic acid/copper peptides to see if that would work. Anyway, I didn't use
TCA, just glycolic, which i've used before. just not spot treating, usually
whole face.ah well. i'll give it a week and see from there.
Icepick Treatment -- Anna, 19:57:38 02/12/03 WedWhen I posted Dr. R's new treatment I was in no way thinking that somebody
would do this themselves, although I'm a great advocate of home treatment.
This is one I would definitely leave to the professionals. I would think in
order to get the precision the doctor would need to do what they do with
Exoderm and use a toothpick.
again -- jack, 19:04:31 02/12/03 Wedi forgot to mention that i only put it on for about 3 minutes. But i guess
even that's too much. If I just put a coat over my face for 3 minutes, I don't
have any problems. I guess pushing against the skin really makes a big
difference.
eeek/ glycolic burn -- jack, 19:02:23 02/12/03 Wedack,
just wanted to warn people to be careful of trying to spot treat scars with
glycolic acid. I used a 30% solution, which I didn't think would be too
strong, and I pressed against the
(shallow ice-pic) scar with a q-tip. There's a nice burn/hole there now. so do
be careful about it.Interesting, right after I did this I read the post about Rappaport using TCA
directly inside ice picks. I wonder how he can attain that kind of precision.
Using a q-tip doesn't come anywhere close to that kind of precision and so I
have a good shallower hole now around my ice-pick.. hopefully it'll heal okay.
Well, just telling people to be careful.jack
Girly-Girl & Microdermabrasion -- Dorrie, 16:10:10 02/12/03 WedI had a very different experience with microdermabrasion than girly-girl. I
must have had at least 10 microdermabrasions at my dermatologists office
(higher strength than at beauty salons). They always put it on the maximum
strength for me. It NEVER hurt, NEVER caused me to bleed. Microdermabrasion
NEVER left me embarassingly red -- just slightly pinkish -- healthy pink. In
my opinion, though it did nothing for my scars, but did clean out my pores.
And that is what I use it for. I'VE also got to say that because different
people experience things differently, you must take the advice given on these
boards, as just true to the person writing, and not necessarily true for
you...Dorrie
Mike's Plan -- Dorrie, 15:52:16 02/12/03 WedI would not use the same strategy as you. Rapaport, Geronemus, & Orentreich do
laser, subcision, dermabrasion, etc. They are all highly respected Doctors who
do the same proceedures. The way I would approach it, is go to at least 2 of
them & listen to what each they have to say. When you go to them, you can say,
"Look I'm not interested in the down time of laser, or I think subcision is
the best, what do you think?", or whatever. My thing is that you should go to
consult with the doctors 1st, and then make up your mind as to who you want to
do what. But I would not just go to 1 Dr. and whatever he says, you'll do.
Listen to 2 or 3 first, and then make up your mind. That's my opinion. Dorrie
To Dorrie and Alex -- Mike, 12:57:42 02/12/03 Wedhey dorrie, this isn't my final decision but i think i might go to dr.rapaport
for subcisions because i agree with alex when he said you have to plump up the
skin then resurface it with a laser or whatever and someone else had mentioned
that subcisions are great if you decide to do lasers afterward but im planning
to go to dr.geronemus for the laser resurfacing, so rapaport,the best man for
subcisions and geronemus,the best man for lasers, and dorrie, since you went
to both of them, what do you think of my plan ??? H.H.-- Mike
to ram about microdermabrasion -- girlygirl, 10:09:32 02/12/03 Wedram,
when they tell you that microdermabrasion is not going to hurt and that there
is no recovery time...they are LYING. during the process itself, i would
always fight to keep tears in. it's extremely rough on the skin... and my acne
isnt even all that bad. as for bleeding.. the bleeding would only happen if it
went over a pimple or something. but genreally, it would stop shortly after.
my face would be extremely red for the first 12 hours or so... and then it
would become pink... and stay that way for about 2-3 days before it completely
went away. after every session, my face looked like a gigantic hickey.anyway, for anyone considering microderm... it hurts. also, the fresh "glow"
they talk about is more like a "why is your face so darn red??" waiting to be
asked for the next couple of days. for the most part, i would always plan my
sessions early int he morning on days when i had the least amount of contact
with people to avoid as much embarassment as i could from explaining the
redness. talks that microdermabrasion specialists/dcotors/and aestecians try
to tell you about the "glow" and "no recovery time" is a lie.
Peels and more peels (Dee) -- Jodi, 09:55:58 02/12/03 WedHi there, I'm new to this forum and just read Dee's post. VERY helpfull. I
have been wanting to get a peel for sooo long but not sure which way to go.
Haven't a clue as to what is what out there. I don't even know what a tca peel
is. What about obagi blue and pigment peels..are they done together. sounds
painfull. I was looking into microdermabrasion but what do you suggest? A
combo. I'm 28 and still haven't gotten control of my acne. I use proactive and
seem to have better results from that, than differin. Tried Retin-a in my
early 20's and it wasn't the miricle cure I was hoping for...never tried the
micro though. Sorry for babbling, it's just sooo darn refreshing to be able to
talk freely about this condition which seems to have held me back from just
about everything out there.I feel so "dirty" even though I wash my face and
hands every chance I get. When I look in the mirror, all I see are these
hideous imperfections. Those little devils which keep me from fully enjoying
the beauty of life! I am so damn insecure. I must have been a bad bad person
in a former life. This is my punishment. Do you know of any good,
concealing,clean foundatins/cover ups? anyone?
TCA peel -- Dee, 22:11:57 02/11/03 TueWhen the TCA peel is performed your face BURNS, it's pretty intense. It helps
to have a topical numbing agent applied an hour before and then have a fan on
you. They also prescribed a relaxant (I would get antibiotics as well!). With
an obagi your face is blue when you leave, with a regular one it is a white
frost immediately after and then becomes pink. The next day it turns darker
and darker like a really bad sunpoisoning. On the 3rd day your face will be
very tight and probably start to crack or peel. You may have to drink out of a
straw and will have a hard time eating. Try not to move your face much because
it will crack and may peel before it's ready. The peeling is a slow process.
You can use moisturize but not much. They should recommend what to do after. I
would advise just rinsing with water and maybe cetaphil, patting with a diaper
cloth, and then applying bacitracin or something (don't use vitamin E) - some
things can delay the peeling process which you don't want. It's very hard when
your face is partly pink with brown crusty dead skin all over it. You look
scarey in the mirror. It is very tempting to rub it off or pick the loose skin
but I don't advise it. The peeling can last 7-14 days, no matter what they
tell you! It might be best to do a regular TCA peel on a Wednesday and then go
to work Thursday and Friday before it peels and you look really scarey, then
take that weekend and the following week off and you should be mostly normal.
The pink was nice - like a little sunburn and your skin seems babysoft and
smooth after. It doesn't stay that way forever but it can be done annually or
more often if you can handle it. It cost me $500 including products. If you
use glycolic or other similar acids after regularly it should help you
maintain the results. CP serum is recommended after this but I haven't tried
it yet. Good luck.
Karen -- rotten apple, 22:00:44 02/11/03 Tuehi Karen, has the improvement from the needling continued? has it stayed? was
needling really effective?
cb -- rotten apple, 21:55:33 02/11/03 Tuethanks for the info, by the way i just wanted to know, how long did the
redness last on you? i could take a week off..
My experience -- Dee, 21:54:11 02/11/03 TueThese are my experiences: I have had one Obagi Blue peel which helped soften
some scars and remove some sun damage spots also. I also had a Pigment peel
which softened some scar as well. I will tell you though that I had treatment
with Retin-a before doing my first peel and I got cystic acne so bad before it
that I probably ended up with more scars than I had before, which was
depressing. Also you have to be careful not to pick your face or try to peel
it at all or you can wind up with scars also. Figure that you may not be able
to be seen in public for 10-14 days worst case scenario if you let it come off
naturally. It has helped some shallow acne scars, they are barely noticable. I
have one deep acne scar that I am thinking about getting filled with one of
the new permanent fillers when it is available, as well as some shallow scars
and wrinkles from repeated breakouts around my chin/mouth. I have tried
Differin and that worked well to keep my skin clear, even though it also is a
form of vitamin a. I am also a former patient of Dr. Perricone and believe
that some of his advice about diet may be helpful. I haven't tried his
products for any length of time. I do like Alpha Hydrox that you can buy at
CVS in 10% solution to keep my face clear and smooth. I have also tried MD
Forte products that work pretty well. I was also on birth control (the one
that's supposed to keep your skin clear) which really helped but it made me
moody. I did do 3 microdermabrasions 2 weeks apart which appeared to smooth my
skin. I think it would better to do it weekly though. I have never heard of
anyone having bleeding from it, that doesn't sound right. My face was slightly
pink, that's all. You would never know I had it done after. I am ordering a
40% glycolic home peel (dr. strength) and CP serum, sulphor mask, mineral
makeup and some stuff that's supposed to make your face not oily. I am
ordering it from makeupartistschoice.com and will have it this Friday. I'll
let you know how it works. I do think that water, exercise, reducing stress,
healthy diet, vitamins, keeping your hair and hands clean and off your face
are helpful to prevent further breakouts. The last doctor I went to said in 10
years we will probably be able to walk into a dr.s office and have our
wrinkles and scars removed with no downtime. She didn't think my face was that
bad and said to wait until I'm 40 to get something done when I really need it
(wrinkles) because of the advances they will have.
She also said that I was looking too close in the mirror. I know how all of
you must feel and I am on a mission to find a cure, if I find one I'll let you
know! Until then, get some good makeup I guess to conceal them if possible.
For depressed scars I personally think filling them is the best solution. You
just have to peel your face down so far to get even with them otherwise.
girlgirl, microdermabrasion -- Ram, 20:25:10 02/11/03 Tuegirlgirl, did your mircodermabrasion treatments cause any bleeding?
Two days ago I had an appointment for a microdermabrasion session. It was my
understanding that microderm is a very mild and nonablative procedure. When I
was about to start the treatment the doctor told me that there will be pain
and bleeding! I was shocked to hear that. I answered that I thought microderm
was not supposed to be like that. He said if it was not aggressive I would not
notice any imporvement on my scars. I was not ready for such an ablative
procedure, so I asked him to try it on s small area on my right cheeck and yes
it was paiful and I had a lot of bleeding! It sounded like the traditional
dermabrasion. Today the area is still swollen, wounded and very red. I am not
sure how long it will take to heal completely. I can't imagine how I would
have been if I had this "microdermabrasion" on my entire face.
ALEX, the filler? -- Dorrie, 18:14:52 02/11/03 TueAlex, do your docs use a filler on you? If so what type? Have you experienced
"down" time?
Dorrie
Icepick Treatment -- Anna, 17:51:19 02/11/03 TueI called Dr. Rapaport's office regarding their new treatment for icepick
scars. The person I spoke to said they use 65-100% Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA)
directly inside the pit. It usually takes three treatments and the results are
supposed to be very good. Unfortunately, I don't live anywhere near NJ.
rotten apple -- cb, 15:08:31 02/11/03 TueHey RA:
It's been 5 weeks since my needling...I have seen some results on my scarring,
rolling/atrophic type w/that orange peel look to it. Nothing dramatic though.
But still, encouraging enough to make me want to try another session or two.
Karen who posts on this board has had two sessions and continues to see
results. From all indications I think some of my scarring is similar to hers.My procedure cost $125. If you go to a Tatt parlor, they usually charge by the
hour. I've heard figures of $400 for a full face session. No it didn't make
things worse. Just make sure the place is sterile, the person doing the
procedure is confident and know's what they are doing.I would suggest a test area or small patch prior to going full face or
something like that. Plan for some down time, you'll be red/pink for a whileOk, hope that helps, good luck in your endeavors.
cb
my microdermabrasion results -- girlygirl, 14:33:59 02/11/03 Tuei've had mild acne on my face, chest and back since i was 13 (i am 20 now). i
dont have severe acne but it's annoying and bothersmoe nevertheless to always
feel that i'm so close to obtaining acne-free skin... but not. and breaking
out like crazy every time i have my period is no fun either. anyway, i
recently got six microdermabrasion treatments done on my face, chest and back.
on my face, i've seen really great results... it's helped to clear up a lot of
my acne... but my main goal was to lessen the scarring (which it did!). i dont
regret putting the money into it that i did. but i'll be straightup, i've had
friends who've gotten it done who have seen little to no results... so before
you go invest your money into it, i recommend asking several dermatologists
and aesticians for their honest opinions.one word of advice: do not go to a person who says they will perform
microdermabrasion on you even if you have severe acne. it does no good to have
microderm done on severe acne. only get it done if your acne is no longer
active or if you have very mild acne. otherwise, your money goes to waste.
Collagen -- Sonja, 12:25:00 02/11/03 TueI am currently on accutane (Jan 6th)and was wondering if it would be ok to
also have collagen injections in my smile lines. I was hoping to have this all
done for my May wedding.
Vitamin "K" -- Mike D, 11:04:31 02/11/03 TueAnyone heard anything about vitamin K creams?
TO DORRIE -- alex, 00:04:18 02/11/03 TueHey Dorrie,
I had my first 2 subsicions done at Dr Harris And Noodlmens office, by dr
Harris, in Campbell/Los Gatos CA.
THen my last 2 were done by Dr Gladstone, at Stanford. He is the best
dermatologist in the world in my opinion. Very knowledable, and caring, and
doesnt rip off his patients like some private practice derms do.
Hope that helped you.
Dallas/Fort Worth Doctor? -- Linda Lou, 19:23:33 02/10/03 MonIs anyone aware of a skilled/experienced dermatologist/plastic surgeon in the
DFW area who performs scar revisions (subcisions/excisions, etc)?Many thanks, in advance.
Dermabrasion -- Dermabrader, 18:36:27 02/10/03 MonI THINK THIS IS THE THIRD TIME SOMEONE ASK, BUT IS THERE SOMEONE WHO HAS
UNDERGONE DERMABRASION SHOWING SUCCESSFUL RESULTS? I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE
SOMEONE'S ADVICE.
To Linda blah blah blah! -- Enigma, 07:13:50 02/10/03 MonHow long has your brother suffered? Has he tried milder medications like
minimyocin etc.16 is too young to be on Accutane. I heard it can stunt your growth.
If he doesn't have cystic acne and he is scarring then he is doing something
wrong. Either it is his diet or he is squeezing and picking at his face.Accutane is a last resort and the doctor was right in refusing you.
Coblation -- Ram, 10:18:08 02/09/03 SunHas anyone heard of/tried Coblation for treating acne scars? It sounds
effective. Below is a paragraph from http://www.dralmeyda.com about this
procedure.-----
COBLATION
Coblation, a patented process, stands for "cold ablation." It was designed to
improve the effectiveness and safety of standard surgical methods. Coblation
uses radiofrequency (RF) energy to remove unwanted, damaged tissue through a
significantly cooler process than that of lasers.Unlike a laser, Coblation disintegrates damaged tissue layer by layer, giving
your surgeon precise control and the ability to remove and sculpt tissue while
causing minimal damage to adjacent healthy tissue. This patented technology
transcends current technology by reducing the pain and discomfort associated
with other forms of facial rejuvenation and promoting a more speedy recovery.Coblation appears to be more predictable and safer than other treatments:
There is less pain associated with Coblation than other skin rejuvenation
treatmentsThere is no bleeding
These is less chance for pigmentation change as observed with other skin
rejuvenation treatmentsDr. Almeyda can visually judge the effect of the treatment as it is performed
A level of control can be achieved that is difficult with other treatments
Coblation surgery requires shorter recovery time than traditional treatments
It combines the speed of a laser with a faster recovery time
Coblation is a relatively gentle process. Treatments last from a few minutes
to one hour depending on the size of the area being treated. Coblation
treatments gives the physician precise control. The process stimulates the
collagen regeneration beneath the outer layers of sun-damaged or acne-scarred
skin to provide a softer, younger look. Fine lines and wrinkles are removed in
a precise, bloodless fashion, providing excellent results. Coblation Facial
Rejuvenation is performed with local anesthesia.This procedure may be performed in our office. With this new method of facial
rejuvenation, treatments can be tailored to meet each patient's needs.Coblation is considered cosmetic and therefore is not covered by insurance.
The patient is responsible for payment. The specific risks and the suitability
of coblation for a given individual can be determined only at the time of
consultation. All procedures have some degree of risk. Minor complications
that do not affect the outcome occur occasionally. Major complications are
rare.
ways to heal scars -- blh, 09:19:57 02/09/03 Sundiet is very important to prevent acne. trust me. im experiement with it b4.
eat lots and lots of salmon, i guarantee u will see results. secondly, cut out
all refined foods such as white bread, white rice and sugar(ESPECIALLU sugar).
you can substitute it with honey. take cantaloupe and other orange fruits.
they are rich in vitamin A and can help prevent acne.topical products that really work: roc products. its supposed to be an
anti-wrinkle cream but it works really well on acne scars. it smoothens the
skin texture and promotes collagen growth. you can see results after 3 weeks
on red marks.herbal supplements: www.redsunproducts.com. there's a japanese product which
contains lamb placenta. it may be difficult to get this product out of asia
but you can try searching for other products which contain lamb placenta.NOTE: certain acne topical creams cause acne scarring. i always wondered why i
still had scars although i didnt squeeze or touch my zits. after switching to
tea tree oil and other natural products, my pimples went away with minimal red
marks.Do NOT use clearasil. this is very important. It may dry up the pimple
really quickly but it leaves SCARS.Neutrogena products are extremely drying as
well. I suggest you use tea tree oil or lavender oil.Acne scarring for people WITHOUT active acne: emu oil and rosehip oil work
EXTREMELY well. they provide amazing results. You can find out more about
them.There is alot of research done to prove that it helps the skin heal very
effectively. it works not only on acne scars but also for stretch marks.*** The products MERDERMA does NOT work. do not waste your money on it. i used
it for almost a month without ANY results.
CP Serum & Exfol Serum to Control Acne -- Eric, 07:09:09 02/09/03 SunHey guys-
I know this doesn't really apply to the acne scars (or maybe it does, since
the products are used to reverse them) but I've found that using Exfol Serum
in the morning and CP Serum at night, by Skin Biology, drastically reduces the
number of minor pimples I've gotten since I finished Accutane therapy. There's
nothing more annoying then more breakouts when you're trying to get rid of
scars, and these products have been proving very useful to me. We'll see how
much more useful they are when I combine them with a stronger hydroxy acid
peel weekly...-Eric
Have you heard of CYMETRA?!?! -- LIL BOY, 07:06:47 02/09/03 SunYour nonsurgical soft-tissue replacement procedure
Cymetra® restores the defects in soft tissue that cause scarring, depressions
or asymmetry. It is used by doctors who want to provide their patients with a
nonsurgical alternative for acne scar revisions, lip reconstruction, or for
correcting nasolabial folds, melolabial folds, or rhytids. Cymetra is put
through a patented process to make it safe and is injected by using a simple
procedure.What will happen after the procedure
Once any minor swelling and/or bruising from the procedure has diminished, you
should notice that the injected area begins to look more like the real you.
While this immediate benefit is easily apparent, underneath your skin Cymetra
has provided a framework from which your body's own cells will restore
functional tissue. Eventually, Cymetra will reconstruct your skin.I got this at: http://www.lifecell.com/patient/procedure/cymetra.cfm
This is interesting! Has anyone gave this a try?
CAN THIS WORK?!?! -- LIL BOY, 06:51:17 02/09/03 SunI've been wondering about this for some time.......
Okay. Do any of you know about burn victims and how they are treated? Well,
isn't it true that the doctors performing on them add "NEW" skin to their
body?!?! Or am I just tripping? I always thought that new sking was added to
them; also, my brother said that doctors can create skin!!!!Why don't doctors just add new skin to our acne scars and make them go away!
:( I'm going to look for a doctor that performs on burn victims and ask them
this!
Plasma Gel -- dave, 04:19:14 02/09/03 SunHas anyone Had Plasma Gel injections before, if so did you approve was it
painful?
Re:excision -- ping, 01:36:53 02/09/03 SunScarface,
The red marks are still evident for 4~5 days (for my case). Red marks do not
bother me much. The sitches on the scars for the first 5 days is the time
where I felt much embarrassing.
Response for Mickey -- Lee, 01:22:45 02/09/03 SunI have not seen Dr. Carolyn Jacob for any scar treatments or other treatments.
I know nothing about her other than she co-authored that paper I referred to
previously. After I read that paper, I checked to see if any of those docs
were close to me. That is how I know she is in Chicago.
Alex & subcision -- Dorrie, 01:19:39 02/09/03 SunI'm very curious about the subcision that you had, Alex. I had it done several
years ago, and I've got to say, there was no down time, and I just had a
little band-aid over the place where it was done, and there was slight
bruising In a few days, the band-aid was taken off, and the bruising which was
really nominal, was healed. It wasn't a bad recovery at all, and I performed
my everyday routines. For me, however, I did not notice such a great
improvement, as you seem to. Did you do your whole face at once? Where did you
have this done? What filler is your doctor going to use?
Dorrie
Dorrie
Jodi and Lynn and Heather and Frustrated -- bob, 00:50:31 02/09/03 SunIn case you don't know, there is a place called Skinbiology. Their website is
www.skinbiology.com--------- Skinbiology also has a forum located at
www.delphiforums.com
Recommendations? -- diego, 00:40:11 02/09/03 SunCan anyone recommend a treatment for hyperpigmentation (quarter sized brown
spots on cheekbones). I'm an olive skinned male in my mid thirties and have
tried a mix of Retin-A + Hydroquinone to no avail. Does the intense pulsed
light work for this?Anyone know a good dermatologist/plastic surgeon in Southern Cal / Orange
County. I'm steering away from a couple of questionable characters in OC, but
would like to hear recommendations. I want to stay away from Drs that do laser
resurfacing because of my skin type, past recommendations (against it) from
Drs, and because it seems effective for some people and not others. So I'm
looking for other options.Cheers.
Thank Lee -- Mikey, 23:50:08 02/08/03 Satthank you lee for the information, have you seen dr lee for any treatment?? If
so what treatments have u done and what were the outcome of the treatment?
to cb, needling -- rotten apple, 23:22:57 02/08/03 Sati saw that you had needling done... i have a few questions if you don't mind,
please, tell me
how long has it been since you had your face needled?
what were the improvements you saw? any rate? and also how bad was your
scarring?
was there a worsening of scars?
i ask all of this because i'm really interested in going to a tattoo artis and
have him needle my face, of course, without the ink.. but want to know if it
is worth it... also please tell me how much did it cost you?
thanks for your help
Subsicion and other Stuff -- Alex, 23:02:11 02/08/03 SatWell, after 4 subscions my skin has really smoothed out, some scars have
completely gone away in the sense that they have plumped up, but the
discoloration from the scar is still there.
I have a few scars left, and at this point my dr is going to inject a filler
if i choose, that lasts 1-3 yrs. I still have discoloration/red spots from
zits, which still makes it evident that I had acne. I'm on a strong regimine
of retin A 1 percent and hydroquinone 4 percent to lighten up the red spots.
If after 8 weeks that doesnt work, my dr and I are going to do a tca peel, to
even out my skin tone, altough the tca peel wont really help for the scars, it
will help with the discoloration.
As far as kneedling goes, I dont know much about it. I personally wouldnt do
it, unless a dermatologist was performing it, and there was clinical studies
of the risks and advantages. But it might be good, I just dont know much about
it. My whole Idea of scar revision, is that you have to start from underneath.
You need to plump up the skin first i.e. subscion or fillers that are long
lasting, then you can do some kind of surface resurfacing.
Subsicion and other Stuff -- Alex, 22:52:40 02/08/03 SatWell, after 4 subscions my skin has really smoothed out, some scars have
completely gone away in the sense that they have plumped up, but the
discoloration from the scar is still there.
I have a few scars left, and at this point my dr is going to inject a filler
if i choose, that lasts 1-3 yrs. I still have discoloration/red spots from
zits, which still makes it evident that I had acne. I'm on a strong regimine
of retin A 1 percent and hydroquinone 4 percent to lighten up the red spots.
If after 8 weeks that doesnt work, my dr and I are going to do a tca peel, to
even out my skin tone, altough the tca peel wont really help for the scars, it
will help with the discoloration.
As far as kneedling goes, I dont know much about it. I personally wouldnt do
it, unless a dermatologist was performing it, and there was clinical studies
of the risks and advantages. But it might be good, I just dont know much about
it. My whole Idea of scar revision, is that you have to start from underneath.
You need to plump up the skin first i.e. subscion or fillers that are long
lasting, then you can do some kind of surface resurfacing.
Response to Mike -- Dorrie, 21:49:01 02/08/03 SatMike, I think you should visit maybe 2 or 3 doctors for a consult, and see
which Dr. you feel would do the best job. I would definately not just go to 1
Dr. You say you have 10K, so use it wisely, and shop around. It seems that
you're pretty set on seeing Dr. Rapaport, and I think you should. But also
seek the advice of some of the other great dermatologists in NY, since you're
fortunate enuf to live there. Again, the other docs who are very well known
for their treatments of acne scars are Dr Orentreich, Dr Geronemus, and I also
heard a lot about (but I have never consulted with him), Dr. Sobel.
Good luck, and please let us know which Dr's you decide to consult with.
Dorrie
Anyone Heard of Skintactix? -- Heather, 19:24:41 02/08/03 SatI stumbled upon this website when researching acne
scarring...http://www.skintactix.com. I still think that Denise has a point a
very very good one about natural products...this site seemed to have a valid
case though on its product. I'm still going with the acne miracle products and
already ordered some samples from allnatural.com. Hopefully I'll get my skin
under control. Should I consult an independent dermatologist on my skin since
it still looks pink and uneven and almost waxy?
alex -- jack, 19:23:50 02/08/03 SatI would like to defend Alex for a moment. A lot of people did "yell" at him,
personal attacks, far different from the "attacks" he had against a procedure
and a doctor. He was attacking a PROCEDURE more than anything else. Dr Rullan
just happened to be practicing the procedure. He was only trying to warn other
people. Maybe he could've used less offensive wording, but that's all it
amounts to. As evidenced before, Alex still seems to use some questionable
wording. "I told you so" was terribly inappropriate. We should all be hoping
the best recovery for Kit, nothing else.But anyway, Alex, how are you looking after your 4th (5th?) subcision
procedure? and what is your take on Needling, following Ivan's encouraging
post?
Alex -- Denise1, 18:09:23 02/08/03 SatWe appreciate your apologies, but one thing I would like to note here.
No one "yelled" at you when this issue came up before. What we did feel was
that dismissing Dr. Rullen outright and accusing him of "scamming" people was
inflammatory and disingenuous. You can't expect for people to read that kind
of stuff and not say one word about it; in particular when people who post
here and have had positive outcomes or results.Hey, I don't mind anyone giving their opinions on something working or not
working, or even warning other people. But when it turns PERSONAL and
INFLAMMATORY is when there is a problem.We should all know by now that what works for some doesn't work for others and
visa versa. However, we should be responsible enough to know that attacking a
doctor personally, when there is not *PROOF* that he is a scam artist, is
inflammatory at best.Once again.....if you are skeptical about exoderm and want to explain WHY you
are skeptical, HAVE AT IT. But don't attack a licensed professional whom you
have never met. If you have not ascertained the level of healing people have
received through exoderm via interviews with said patients and whatnot, then
your charges border on slander.That, Alex, was the ONLY problem I had with your post, and I explained that
quite succinctly. If you are personally skeptical, that's fine, discuss the
nuances of peels vs. subcision or whatever but leave names out of it.
Slandering physicians whom you do not know or have never had contact with
seems unusually invective and not productive.In any event, thank you for your apology and I hope that we can continue here
and leave personalities and politics out of these discussions, and I
appreciate your attitude and post.
Marks from Excision -- Scarface, 18:07:49 02/08/03 SatPing,
I remember that you say that you have done excision.After the stitches are taken out, are there red marks on the skin? How long
would the red marks last for?
Ivan & Linda -- Lynn, 17:48:06 02/08/03 SatIvan, It's so exciting to hear of your great needling results! Please do post
over the coming weeks about how your improvment continues! We are all eager to
hear! Thanks so much for sharing your success!Linda, please get another referral to a different doctor. I attempted to get
accutane at 19 from a dermatologist whom refused to give it to me. Instead he
put me on retin-a, which cause the worst break-outs I'd ever had. My many
depressed scars were obtained during the time I was on Retin-A. I did not
attempt to get accutane again until 22, and a different doctor took 1 look at
me at put me on the strongest dosage immediately. It worked extremely well for
me, however I'm left with disfiguring scars. In hindsight, I wish I had
pursued another doctor earlier. I suffered an additional 3 years and created
many more scars. Good luck to you and your brother.
Keloid Scars -- Frustrated!, 17:47:35 02/08/03 SatI wish I had found this site sooner! I am looking for any information on the
succesful treatment of keloid scarring from acne--I have been receiving
cortizone injections for over a year now but the scarring never quite flattens
out and the redness is always there--any suggestions?
To Linda -- lsk, 17:38:39 02/08/03 SatHi Linda. I'm sorry that happened to you. Sometimes doctors seem to make a
hard situation even worse. I was just wondering if your primary care physican
could prescribe it. I usually go through mine to get everything because he
knows me and listens to me. I've had bad experiences with specialists too.
Your situation may be different, but it's an option. I was also thinking that
if you get another referral maybe you can leave the word "accutane" off, and
just say it's for "acne". That way at the appointment you can discuss it with
the doctor. Tell him how much it helped you and you think it would save your
brother from future scarring. Some doctors have really big egos, they don't
like to think that you know better than they do. So maybe if you can make it
seem like it was the doctor's idea that would help. It's just my opinion, but
it's worked for me.
Good luck!
Response for Mickey -- Lee, 17:02:37 02/08/03 SatYou had asked about good Illinois acne scar doctors. You might want to try Dr.
Carolyn I. Jacob. She has an office in Chicago. She co-authored a paper along
with Drs. Dover and Kaminer entitled "Acne scarring: A classification system
and review of treatment options." Thus, she has some expertise in treating
acne scarring. That's all I know about her but at least it's a start. Good
luck
to Ivan about needling -- Mad Man, 13:56:18 02/08/03 SatIvan,
The improvement you are seeing in your scars is noting but facial swelling
from the needling you've had. Once swelling fades in the coming few days, your
scars will appear again.I do not think that needling has any benefit on scars.
Help -- Jodi, 11:36:14 02/08/03 SatHi everybody.I am new here and want to express my appreciation for this
website. For years I thought myself a nocturnal outcast. It really does help
to know there are others out there going through my hell. My prayers and best
wishes go out to you all. I was also hoping for some advice. I am a 29 year
old female and breakouts are an everyday occurance. I am currently using
proactive. I Have tried retin-a,differin and get the same results. I have been
told by derms that my scarring is not that bad, only noticable to me. I know
this is some kind of comforting lie and It drives me crazy because all I see
when I look in the mirror are these volcanoe pores and bumpy surface. I was
hoping for some kind of guidance from anyone here about what I can use to help
clear my skin while working on these scars. what is needling? my scars aren't
really deep, just red bumps and tiny pock marks, but alot of them. Also, does
anybody know of a good foundation that both has good coverage and does not
clog pores? do any of the peels work? Please respond if you have any advice. I
have posted on this board with no response before. Please help. I appreciate
any and all responses through e-mail or message board. E-mail:
damonkers@aol.com
Linda- accutane -- ping, 09:17:09 02/08/03 SatLinda,
Accutane is the mircale for acne. I also have lots of acne
and I seem to scar very easily even without those cystic acne. Accutane solves
my acne problem.If your doctor insists on prescribe oral antibiotics for your kid brother,
that 's it. NO more further visits. Seek another doctor help on getting
accutane. It will give your brother further pain and agony on dealing with
scarring.
NEED EVERYONES OPINON ON THIS -- LINDA, 07:51:00 02/08/03 SatHi guys, my name is Linda and I frequently read your message board and it has
helped me so much. I have a little problem that I am dealing with right now
and I need your help.
My brother who is 16 has acne and is beginning to scar. I also had acne and I
scarred and my acne only stopped when I was put on accutane at the age of 23.
If someone had given me accutane earlier I would not be going through the pain
I go through now. I want my brother to go on accutane because I dont want him
to scar like me. Today I went to the dermatologist who is in our HMO group who
we had a referral for. The doctor walked in and asked what we were there for.
We told him that we are here for accutane and of course our referral said that
we were here for accutane as well (the primary physician had sent my brother
to this doctor for accutane; paperwork clearly stated this). I didnt say
another word and he started going off about how we cant twist his arm to give
us accutane and that it wasn't right. I was shocked. The doctor was so rude
and so defensive and we had not even said a word!! He was attacking us as if
we were demanding accutane and we had only said that we were here for an
accutane referral. The doctor said that because my brother does not have
"cystic" acne then he is not a candidate. I was very upset because cystic acne
is not the only type of acne that scars. I never had huge cystic acne but I
scarred! Basically, I wanted to ask you guys if it was okay for me to take my
brother to another doctor who will give him accutane. Should my brother go on
accutane? Am I doing this for the right reasons? Please advise. Thanks guys!
i just wanted to add this : -- Mike, 05:05:57 02/08/03 Sati just wanted to add, my whole face is reddish but not THAT reddish. just
reddish enough to piss me off, now for this problem, is there a simple
solution to take care of these red streaks on my face ??? and one more
thing... is it normal or COMMON to have your face FEEL SMOOTH but LOOK VERY
CRATERED and depressed ?????? thanks for reading guys... H. H. Mike
thanks for the insight dorrie and others but i got more questions -- Mike,
04:53:35 02/08/03 Sati started getting acne when i was like 12 or something, ive had it for so long
i forgot exactly when i first got them and im 22 now.Since then the breakouts
have died down but i still get small lumpy pimples every once in awhile.
Anyway, ive had only collegen injections and chemical peels done to my face up
until now.Now,my face FEELS VERY SMOOTH but when you look at my face...you can
see ALOT of "medium sized" depressed and cratered acne scars and i got a
cratered scar right on the tip of my nose which i hate the most and to make
matters worse, my whole face looks reddish.Now i've got TEN GRAND sitting on
my lap which might not even be enough that im willing to blow and AS OF NOW...
if i were to go visit a dermatologist tommorow...i would go to dr.rapaport and
have subcision and laser treaments done. would this be the right decision for
me considering my facial condition ??? what should i expect from the outcome
realistically ??? would this be enough or would i end up gathering more money
and going back for more of whatever i need ??????? - Hopelessly Hopeful Mike
ivan ! :) -- jack, 04:23:17 02/08/03 Sathey Ivan,
I'm really glad to see that you've been having good results. Hopefully more of
us will take the plunge and see good results as well. my how we change our
minds in as quick as 48 hours, when you were really worried. I know exactly
what you mean too. I've also become rather paranoid concerning anything about
my skin. I hope you get more improvements with time. Keep us posted :)jack
skin needling -- Ivan, 03:52:57 02/08/03 SatIt's been 4 days and my scars on both my cheeks are 60% improved.I can,t
believe this!Folks if you want to help yourself find a tattoo artist in your
area.The first 2 days my face was awfully red and swollen,today it's day four
and it's a light pink.Alot of my scars have vanished.I Pray that they are gone
for good.If anyone wants more info you can send me a email.I,ve been appling
vitamin a and e wrinkle oil on the areas and also taking oral vitamins and
antioxidants.I will reply to all emails.
V-Beam to Denise1 -- Mike DeForest, 03:11:25 02/08/03 SatThe settings they used wer 8 & 10. I don't really know what that means. I
think it means 8 is how much anesthic spray they use and 10 is how strong the
leaser is, which I'm assuming was the strongest if it was a scale of 1 to 10.
The swelling is gone completely, it's the purple and red marks that seem to be
not going away. I look terrible and I'm worried it's permenant as I haven't
seen that much improvement yet.
Apology -- Alex, 02:38:33 02/08/03 SatI apologize to KIT and anyone else who took offense.
However I specifically remember about 3 months ago being yelled at, put down,
and treated like dirt, becuase I told all of you that EXODERM WILL NOT WORK.
You all criticized me becuase I crushed your hopes of a miracle cure for your
acne scars.
Acne scars have changed my life too, and I am in therapy and on anti
depressents becuase of it. So i dont get all happy inside when I find out
something doesnt work. I wished exoderm had worked for kit. But it didnt, and
I knew it wouldnt, and he--nor anyone else wanted to believe me when I warned
him and others.
Again, I strongly believe lasers and exoderm DO NOT WORK ON ACNE SCARS. AND
co2 lasers and phenol peels like exoderm have a very high chance of
hypopigmentation (ghostly white skin) and even hyperpigmentation(skin
darkening). An added risk of exoderm is having waxy shiny looking skin.
I'm here to help you all, and to gain new knowledge my self of new treatments.So if i continue to discust some of you, then so be it, go ahead, dont listen
to other peoples advice, and damage your skin even more.
Oh and someone once had an argument with me that exoderms phenol is buffered
so its safe. If something was truely buffered it would become NEUTRAL, AND
would no longer have its peeling characteristics. Its simple chemistry, and
exoderm unfortunately is nothing more than a new way to Market Phenol. If
exoderm was so great, it would have been widely used in America. I mean come
on, dr buys the exoderm solution for about 200-400 bucks and charges patients
5 grand. Man drs would be jumping on that opportunity, thats a high profit
margin. But real drs know better, know that it doesnt work, nor is it safe.
Question for Pete -- lsk, 01:48:53 02/08/03 SatHi Pete. I was just curious about the people you know that had exoderm. Can
you tell me if they had any dermarcation lines? You also said they didn't get
hypopigmentation, so I was wondering if they were light or dark skinned. I
guess mainly I just want to know if you can "tell" that they had it done or
not.
Thanks!
Message back to the other Heather and other things -- Heather, 01:48:28
02/08/03 SatThat is weird that we share the same name and a messed up skin disease. Must
be some evil plot against Heathers. Hehe. Thanks for the support. I'm going
crazy though over here about my face. I actually quit Retin-A a while back
just so you know. I stopped using it a year ago and my face is still pink. I'm
trying to get my acne under control..I fear that it prolly has effected my
result. I'm just sick of the whole thing. I'm going to try these natural
products that Denise suggested. I'm going on the B5 thing and using a natural
topical cleanser. Hopefully it will prevent future scarring. Right now I'm
only getting a few medium size blemishes and a bunch of smaller ones and they
all have white heads which I heard isn't the ones that scar. Maybe I'm wrong
hopefully not though. Anyone know which type of acne does scars the easiest?
Oh and did those procedures help your skin to look more even and better
Heather? I've been thinking about contacting a dermatologist. Its hard picking
the right one and shelling out money. Anyone know a good Dermo in the
Jacksonville, FL area or Florida in general? Hmph. WHY..WHY MUST WE ALL GO
THROUGH THIS HORRIBLE HORRIBLE THING. People just don't know who have clear
radiant skin. Does anyone else watch tv or look at people and die inside when
you see their face? Blah.P.S.- Anyone have success with the Clearlight?
Mike Deforest -- Denise1, 01:20:50 02/08/03 SatMy bruises from v-beam were gone in just a few days, but cold be covered up
with makeup. But depending on the setting they used, bruises could last up to
five days or more. I think if they have already started disappearing, you
should be at peace and know they will be gone sooner than later. The last time
I had v-beam treatment, my undereye area was really swollen, and that took 3
days to go away, but you couldn't tell if I hadn't told you.
Cityslicker-Kit-Exoderm -- cb, 23:17:39 02/07/03 FriCity Slicker:
Thanks for relaying the info on Kit, we were all hoping for the best for him.
I, as well as others, am interested in learning more about this procedure and
all that goes along with it: risks, healing, results, ect.Kit - hang in there, things will get better for you. Healing takes time. I
know the redness part sucks, but I'm confident your results will appear.If folks remember Dr Rullan said 'serial' procedures like exoderm or other
peels produce results. Serial is the operative word here - or several. I
wouldn't think that full blown exoderm would be needed, just treating the
scared areas several times through a series of touch ups might yeild benefits?
Someone has to be getting benes from this procedure? Or the folks that market
exoderm 'original' or otherwise are pulling the wool over our eyes?Alex - hey guy sorry some of the posters on this board beat you up when you
last posted about exoderm. Still doesn't warrant your retalitory comments.
Poor judgement in my eyes. I also find it a very cooincidental that you happen
to check this board for the first time in 2 months, the day AFTER something
was posted about Kit's procedure? Hmmm?Peace out,
cb
Alex you disgust me -- LK, 21:15:07 02/07/03 FriRegardless of whether or not you have been correct about exoderm, the way you
gloat over Kit's misfortune is absolutely appalling. If you were not bluffing
and really are a medical student as you claimed yourself to be, I hate to tell
you Alex, the world does not need doctors like you.
Message to Avril about V-Beam -- Mike Deforest, 20:44:30 02/07/03 FriWell it's been 2-1/2 days since the procedure and some of the swelling has
gone down. I still have a lot of red and purple spots on my face however.
These are bruises they say, but they don't hurt like a normal bruise does. I
hope they aren't permenant because as of now, I look much worse than I did
before I went in. Do these discolorations fade by being absorbed by the skin,
or by coming to the surface and flaking off? Is there anything I can do to
speed this process up? Best and worse case scenarios, how long will it be
before I'm again comfortable going out in public?
New Here -- Kristy, 20:10:27 02/07/03 FriHi my name is Kristy and I am new to this room. I've been reading a lot of
your conversations and I got myself kind of lost by doing it. First off I am
18 years old and I have pretty bad acne. About 6 months ago I made my first
trip to the Dermatologist he put me on Retin-A (tretinoin), erythromycin, and
also a pill Ceftin. I have noticed that my face does not break out anymore.
But I do have scaring and I also have severe brusing on my face and I have
seen no difference in the bruising clearing up. Does anyone have any
suggestions on the bruising or anything that could help me? I would apperciate
it very much.
Thank-you,
Kristy
Jasmine and Pete -- Denise1, 19:34:16 02/07/03 FriJasmine: I don't use the Perricone 5% ALA anymore because it is so expensive,
but I do believe it helps tremendously with recent scars and red marks.Pete: Amen to what you said. This "I told you so" is not conducive to
meaningful dialogue. Anyone who has had exoderm takes quite a while to heal.
This flagrant lashing out and trying to diss Dr. Rullen, once again, seems
rather contradictory.It's childish.
No one...and I repeat NO ONE should EVER rejoice that someone hasn't had the
result they wanted from an acne scar treatment just to make a point. Ofcourse
Alex will say that he isn't rejoicing, even though he said: I told you so. How
would any of you feel if you didn't get a certain result, or thought you
didn't, and someone said: I TOLD YOU SO. This makes me cry, almost. Here we
are, in the same boat, and we make this personal attacks and "I told you
so's". Well, Alex, certain people have come here saying subcision doesn't
work, either. Maybe if it hadn't worked for you, would you like it if they
said: I TOLD YOU SO?SHEESH.
I get tired of this pettiness and holding months old grudges. It's immature.
One more thought also is this. I know that sometimes people do require more
than one Exoderm treatment. I still think it's too early to determine for
certain whether or not this could even be considered remotely successful or
not. Steve required more than one treatment, and that is a fact.
MIKE & Dr. Rapaport -- Dorrie, 15:22:03 02/07/03 FriMike, you can probably get to Dr. Rapaport's office by path train, or NJ
Transit. When you call their office, ask which is near the office.
I just wanted to share with everyone what my dermatologist, Dr. Stephen Kurtin
said to me a while back. I go to Dr. Kurtin about every 3 months or so for
collagen injections. I always ask him what in new to treat acne scars. He
shared this with me...It is not a good idea to be the 1st on the block to try
cosmetic proceedures. He said I should wait about 1 year to see how other
patients do first. Dr. Kurtin advised that with diseases like cancer, you
definately want to be on the cutting edge of technology, but with cosmetic
proceedures, it is just better to wait a little while. I see his point,
especially after reading these boards.
Dr. Kurtin did say that there are new fillers that have been very successful
in Europe, and that is awaiting FDA approval in this country. I am anxiously
awaiting for these fillers, and have a feeling they'll be approved soon.
-Dorrie-
To Dorrie and other -- Mike, 13:51:56 02/07/03 FriAfter reading some of your suggestions...i seem less likely to go see Dr.
Baral now and will probably not waste any money on microderms since they seem
to be widely recognized as enhanced chemical peels which i know myself to be
useless for depressed acne scars, thanks guys... I live in NYC and i'd like to
know who the BEST OVERALL DOCTOR is according to YOUR OPINIONS...one who is
specifically specialized in dealing with depressed and cratered acne
scars....by the way,if i wanna see Dr. Rapaport,how do i go and see him if i
live in nyc and DON'T HAVE A CAR...i hope i wont be screwed by this setback
and if i am...i guess i gotta fork over money for a cab back and forth...and i
just wanna let some feelings loose for my anonymous peers who are pained as i
am from acne and have expressed them on this VERY HELPFUL and comforting
website...i just wanna pray to almighty GOD when i read a statement like
this"when will the day come when we are free from acne scars" because it
scares me to death to know that day has never arrived and i get even more
scared to think what if that day never comes !!! i just hope one day someone
will shout "OH MY GOD, MY GOD AWEFULL SCARS ARE ACTUALLY DISSAPPEARING BY A
LOT" or "OH MY GOD, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, MY HORRIBLE ACNE SCARS ARE GONE"
followed by praises for their treatments and their doctors...i pray that day
will come... and for all you sports fans like me who also suffer heavily from
acne scars....lets HOPE AND PRAY we dont end up like Patrick Ewing, charles
barkley, dan marino and the karl malones' of the world and never see the
promised land or david robinson even, who got that cheezy ring from a 52 game
season...i would not like to see a minor improvement....call me greedy but i
would DIE to have at least 90 percent of my scars gone and i mean gone, if not
90 percent, well at least let me just look at my face in the mirror and be
happy with the way it looks for once oh please...and end up like JOHN
ELWAY....he had to wait all the way till the very end to LEAVE HAPPY and
that's what i wish for ALL OF US to be happy in the end !!!!!!! Hopelessly
Hopefull... - MIke
Kit again.. -- ping, 12:28:59 02/07/03 FriKit,
Also, don't ever be bothered by what another guy call Alex posted earlier
on..on hypopigmentation and whatever. It's groundless. People have different
skin and respond differently. I remember reading people have gotta results
from exoderm. Remember, your skin is still healing and It too early to make a
difference yet.So now, don't think too much. Yah.. happy birthday too. Almost forget today is
the seventh day of Lunar new year!!
Kit, if you are reading now... -- ping, 11:42:51 02/07/03 FriHey Kit, still remember me?
I sorry to heard about the outcome. I know you are hitting a rough patch
dealing with red and sensitive skin now. I've understand as I been through
that after co2 laser. Just avoid the sun, use a sunblock. Also try visit the
skin biology web site if you haven't. There's load of information there about
skin care. Be patient about your skin, it now at the healing stage, things
will look better soon.
Whatever, don't despair. There's a lot of hypes and hopes out there on the
various scar treatments. What matter is we try at least. If we didn't, we have
already fail for letting nature takes it own course. Ya..I tried so hard and
now I still doing so..When can we be free of acne scars? Honestly, no one has the answer to that,
but I hope one day, it will arrive.
Exoderm & Alex -- Eric, 09:38:17 02/07/03 FriHi all-
Just read the news about Kit's disappointing results. I feel bad for him and I
am sorry about his disappointment, but I still have not given up hope for us.
There are still plenty of treatments available that can help us, and I still
don't think Exoderm can be ruled out as one of them.Alex... I understand that the news about Kit may have sounded like sweet music
to your ears. OK so maybe the Exoderm didn't help Kit like you said it
wouldn't. That being said and since you have been able to accomplish such
great results of your own, perhaps you can help me (and the rest of us). I
live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I think you mentioned that you had seen
a good doc there for subcision and derma sanding which gave you good
improvement. We are all looking for good doctors to help us, why not advise us
and maybe throw out his name? If he is very good and can maybe help me I would
love to meet with him/her for a consultation.With this being said I will also throw I that I don't think Exoderm is a sham.
I understand that pictures can be manipulated and BSed, sure, but I also don't
think that Dr. Rullan and Dr. Becker, the two main Exoderm docs in CA are
shams. Heck, Dr. Becker treated me for my acne, and I found him to be a caring
compassionate man! Steve said as much about Dr. Rullan. Also, Dr. Rullan
mentioned that he has patients who are willing to testify and talk about their
experiences with Exoderm. I doubt he has a list of paid liars that people call
to ask about how their Exoderms went.On a final note: the Exoderm Medical Center does not use the Exoderm
Chemabrasion procedure. They use the peel alone without the abrasion by hand.
Dr. Rullan stated that for best results, the Exoderm needs to be combined with
abrasion.Alex... please help us out and tell us what you think would be the best method
for treating our acne scars. Let bygones be bygones man... we are all
suffering from the same curse, and there is no room for bickering amongst one
another... I for one would rather rid myself of my scars than argue about what
is the best scar reduction technique.And for all the rest of us... don't lose heart yet friends. We will find a
way...-Eric
RF - Houston News Report on Scar/Wrinkle Treatment -- Charlotte, 07:30:00
02/07/03 FriI didn't watch the news report that was on tonight because I had another
commitment and forgot to tape. But from the previews I saw, I'm pretty sure it
is the autologous filler Isolagen they were going to talk about. Some of the
animated video I saw in the previews was the same as a video on the Isolagen
website. Isolagen is headquartered in Houston. I e-mailed them the other day,
interested in participating in clinical trials that may be upcoming. I got a
quick response back from their customer service rep. She said they were
awaiting FDA approval, but expected it sometime this year. She said she'd keep
my e-mail in order to check back with me about clinical trials later.Meanwhile, I'm thinking of going for a second subcision from Dr. Rapaport in
NJ, maybe before summer. I had a conversation with his main consultant person
recently, and she said that in her 2+ years of working for Dr. R, she has
observed that most patients need two subcisions to see the best results. She
recalls only one person responding extremely well with only one subcision. I
had some e-mail exchange with Mr. G a short while back, and he says he is
still seeing some filling in from his second subcision. In fact, he's thinking
he may not even need to do fat transfers that he had been considering. I wish
he would post new pictures.Last summer, Dr. R. said he would probably want to excise an ice-pick scar
when I came back for a second subcision. Now, the person from his office that
I talked to says there is another treatment he has been doing that is very
effective for ice-pick scars. Something about a chemical that he puts only
right in the little hole, but it takes about three treatments, and I can't
afford to make that many trips to NYC. So I'd probably have him excise it
anyway.And she mentioned there is a new nonablative laser he's been using that is
something like N-Lite on steroids for collagen growth. I wish I had taken
notes and gotten the names of these treatments, but I was busy at work when
she called me (she was responding to an e-mail that I sent the office a few
days earlier). I know not to fall for every new fad or treatment that comes
out. I'm very patient and try to be cautious. I've been told I needed a face
lift (when I was 35), CO2 laser, and multiple excisions (which would leave
multiple new fine line scars) by various doctors in the past. I considered
briefly what they said, but I said no to all of them and I'm so glad I did. I
trust subcision/N-Lite treatment because it did me no harm and actually helped
smooth things out some (hard for me to put percentage on improvement - sorry).
Of course, different kinds of scars have different results from subcision. I
had some tethered down scar tissue that responded.Anyway, my point is (and I realize I have strayed far from the local newscast
story) that new biotechnology/new treatments that work may be just around the
corner. In the meantime, tread carefully. And lets continue to help and inform
each other on this board as best we can.Take Care,
Charlotte
ALEX -- pete, 06:56:08 02/07/03 FriAlex-
Calm down. Were all here to learn from each other and see which treatment best
suits us. there is no right or wrong procedure but just one that will tend to
the needs that we as individuals have. i personally know about 3-4 people who
had the exoderm with between 25-60% improvement. Its also been 2-4 years since
their treatments without a sign of hypopigmentation. im not saying that it
doesnt happen with both exoderm and laser but some just react different than
others. If your gonna have this attitude everytime u post here than dont come
and post at all. Your "i told you sos" dont have complete merit nor do they
help anyone. So if your gonna act like you hate the world..do it somewhere
else. No one asked you to come to this site.
important message for heather -- heather, 05:33:09 02/07/03 Friwow, I cant believe there's another heather here going through what i have
been through. if you scroll through the archives you will find my story. You
are a slow healer like me. i went through months and months of regret and
depression after my co2 surgery. i still wish i hadn't gone through the
surgery because of how difficult the recovery was. But i did get better over
time.Stop using the Retin-a, it prolongs redness. you may want to consult with a
dermatologist on ways to speed healing, such as high powered LED's or time in
a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. i think microdermabrasion may help improve your
texture. For same reason, antibiotics help my skin heal a little faster.
really it will take time, but try to stay positive and don't do anything that
will cause more damage, such as leaving acne untreated.
phenol -- george, 05:20:14 02/07/03 Friaccording to this (cached google) article, phenol is no more hypopigmenting
than carbon dioxide. but I don't know about long-term effects. Kit's a guy by
the way, and I hope he recovers well from his procedure.if he does have hypopigmentation, maybe that new relume (laser?) procedure can
help that problem.
Exoderm - Kit -- Cityslicker, 04:13:11 02/07/03 FriPL, I'm not sure what kind of scars she had. I'd have to E-mail her again to
be certain. I'm not sure why she couldn't post here directly, all I can tell
you is: I E-mailed her back in Dec., the weekend before her visit to Israel
and wished her good-luck and asked her to keep us updated. I was anticipating
an update along with everyone else for the last 5-6 weeks. After she never
posted I started getting concerned about her and since I still had her E-mail
address, I E-mailed her about 3 weeks ago, after 2 weeks and no response, I
E-mailed her again last week. Finally she replied and E-mailed me Tuesday.According to Steve's post (that I saved), he didn't see immediate results
either and after 6 months stated that his improvement was along the lines of
40-50%. For me, I'm anxious to see what Kit's results will be after 3-6
months.
Exoderm And People Not Believing me -- ALEX, 01:37:25 02/07/03 FriHi,
I havent been on this site for close to two months. Mainly because people
lashed out at me when I told them exoderm is a scam and so is dr. Rullan.
Everyone lashed out at me. Well I hate to say it, but I told you so. If any of
you read Kits results from exoderm, she says it didnt help her scars at all,
it only helped her wrinkles.
Just like I've always said it will NOT WORK ON ACNE SCARS. AND i'm even more
sorry to say that in 2 yrs Kits face will turn ghostly white (hypopigmented),
and she will have a vivid line of demarcation. Just watch and see, in two
years that will happen to Kit, unfortunatelly. And she didnt want to listen to
me.
I'm so pissed that everyone lashed out at me for putting exoderm down, and now
you hopefully believe me.
Exoderm is nothing more than dermabrasion with phenol on your skin, and phenol
causes PERMANENT HYPOPIGMENTATION.
AND THAT B.S. ABOUT EXODERMS PHENOL BEING SAFE IS BS. TAKE CHEMISTRY CLASS AND
YOU'LL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.AND as far as dr rullan goes, you may all think he is so nice and sincere and
caring becuase he responds to your questions on the chat line. The truth is,
dr rullan is selling a product, that product is exoderm. Its his bread and
butter. Some drs spend thousands of dollars for laser machines, and charge 5
grand for full face laser, and thats how they make their profit. Dr.Rullan is
hoping the main profit for his private practice will come from exoderm, which
he prolly only pays 200-400 dollars for the exoderm solution, or makes a
solution himself for pennies, then charges 5 grand.
All you people who lashed out at me, dont even bother talking to me. Becuase I
wanted to help you all from the beggining with my knowledge, and you all put
me down.
Take care
Dr. Fitzpatrick's RESPONSE -- LIL BOY, 22:25:18 02/06/03 ThuI wrote to Dr. Fitzpatrick a couple of weeks ago two months ago regarding
Premarin Cream that someone in here had posted about. Here is my letter to him
and then his reply!Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick,
Hello. I was reading an article (http://www.asds-net.org/4q02topicals.html)
regarding Premarin Vaginal Cream and how it can help the growth of collagen.
The article only states that it can improve skin on sun damage and wrinkles. I
found this collagen growth info. to be quite interesting, and I was wondering
this: I have small acne related scars on my face. The scars aren't that deep.
Well my question is; do you think that using this cream can help improve my
scars, at least a little? Minor improvements are fine with me. Also, would I
need to consult my doctor to put this cream on my face? Or is there something
else that you think can improve minor scars? A reply would really be
appreciated. Thanks!HIS REPLY:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding Premarin Cream. This cream must be
prescribed by a physician. I would not recommend it in a male patient because
of possible feminizing side effects. There are other non-invasive treatments
that can achieve some improvement - both with lasers and topical creams. These
must be prescribed by a physician.I hope this answers your questions.
Sincerely,
Richard E. Fitzpatrick, M.D.
RE: MICRO-DERMABRASION & EXODERM -- LIL BOY, 22:17:54 02/06/03 ThuHello. I am interested in knowing if I can do a couple of MICRO-DERMBRASIONS
and then get EXODERM done?!?! Is this a good combo? Thanks!
Cityslicker/Kit Exoderm -- PL, 20:51:04 02/06/03 ThuWhat type of scars did/does kit have that she was trying to resolve with
exoderm?
Did she have hand dermabrasion also?
Response to Mad man -- Heather, 19:32:34 02/06/03 ThuHey I just re-read your post from Tuesday. I agree that accutane has some
correlation with scarring. Before I was on it I had very minimal scarring..a
few shallow permanent ones on my temples. After accutane I had a huge
permanent deep scar on my cheek and a number of other ones scattered around my
face that were smaller but still significant. And I had acne for awhile so it
shouldn't have scarred just out of nowhere so I DO think accutane is to blame.
The dermatologist office really screwed me because they also scammed me out of
$500 for microdermabrasion treatments for scars as well as put me right on
accutane without trying any other treatments. And the side effects left my
face horribly red, flaky, lips bleeding and chapped, and my hair fell out so
easily.
Houston--news clip tonight on new help for scars -- RF, 15:24:44 02/06/03 ThuTo those of you in the Houston area, there is suppose to be a segment tonight
on the 10 p.m. news (Channel 11) about a new, non-invasive procedure to help
scars and wrinkles. There weren't many details on the promo except a guy
talking about his scars. If it is anything we haven't heard of in this forum,
I will post the info.
Kit - Update -- Cityslicker, 13:50:08 02/06/03 ThuI E-mailed Kit last week and just got a response from her. She asked me to
help tell the board her results. I'll post the E-mail I received below :-)
CityslickerSorry cityslicker,
Please help me to post on my behalf telling the others Exoderm isn't really
good in treating our cases. But it is extremely good in treating wrinkles
(very good indeed). I have a few lines on my forehead and they are gone. But
if you ask me about the results, they said I need to have at least three to
six months for the layers of skin to grow back which now I am anxiously
waiting (pores will be shrinking to grow back the skin). Well, for now, my
skin is red, very shiny especially when oily. Somehow now I don't really see a
lot of improvements, I am now at a recovering stage, but if there isn't
prominant result, I will try subcision or excision after a few months. If
anyone wishes to go to Israel for the treatment, I strongly suggest you to
check further for more detailed information whether does it really help in
individual case. But bear in mind, you are going to be down for a long while.
You will be very red, real red, my friend. Anyway, it is not that easy to go
to Israel. I don't think Dr Rullan's treatment will have signifiant difference
than the Israel one. Sorry, at the moment, it probably doesn't live up to its
name but now is just only one month. I still have 2-5 months to go. Hey city,
what's the latest innovative treatment out there now? What are you treating
for your case? Is it good? Thanks.
PERICONE ALPHA LIPOIC ACID -- JASMINE, 04:50:40 02/06/03 ThuwHERE CAN I BUY THAT ALA FOR 200$ THAT WAS MENTIONED ON THIS SITE MONTHS AGO.
DENISE AND THE REST OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN USING IT, WHAT KIND OF RESULTS HAVE
YOU BEEN SEEIN NOW. ALSO WHAT ABOUT OBAGI FOR SHALLOW SCARS, DARK CIRCLES?
THANK YOU.
Re: Diego, don't go to Fulton! -- diego, 03:58:12 02/06/03 ThuThanks L.K. for the good advice on Dr. Fulton. I checked out the website you
provided and found 4 reports on him. You saved me a trip into unquestionable
territory. I also looked up Dr. Noodleman (found 1 citation) and found that
Dr. Harris clean - imagine that!Thanks M. for letting me know that needling is not subcision. So I gather that
needling is a lot like using a tattoo machine without the ink? Is this
supposed to break-up the the scarring from the inside? Does it work?Well, anyway thanks to you all for talking about your plans and what you're
doing about your scars. I'll keep reading and maybe I'll find a reputable doc
in my area with sound methods.Cheers!
To Mike -- Avril, 03:29:03 02/06/03 ThuMike,
Don't panic, the swelling and the bruising will subside, but for me it usually
takes a few days. I feel that the doctors who perform this should be more up
front about the downtime that is required for this procedure, because there is
usually period between 2-4 days that I don't leave the house. Once, my face
got so swollen that I couldn't open one of my eyes! Anyway, don't worry, you
will be fine and the treatments really do help with redness--I have been
pleased with them. Still, the doctors who try to promote this as a procedure
with no dowtime are not being honest. Just my experience.
Avril
For Ivan -- cb, 01:58:41 02/06/03 ThuIvan:
Don't freak out guy, it takes time! I had needling done one month ago, but
eventually the redness will go away. It will be blotchy by day 5/6 then turn
to pink by 8, then it will continue to fade. By day 25/30 it will be very
unnoticable if not back to normal. Remember we all heal differently.I checked out websites on tattoo aftercare/healing and even some on wound
healing. I can let you know what I did that helped me:*Wash twice a day, use finger tips, gently - no scrubbing
*I didn't get a lot of water on it...tattoo sites said this slows down
healing.
*Keep area moist A&D ointment or polysporin, something with bactirin zinc in
it.
*Don't touch/pick or anything else, keep clean and hands off of it.
*Drank tons of water, seriously I pounded 20-25 glasses a day. Besides lots of
trips to the bathroom this cleaned my system out and cleared my skin up too-a
good thing during healing.
*Supplements: vit c, zinc, MSM powder, beta carotine, cod liver oil. May sound
like overkill but they all contribute to wound healing/collagen formation*Eat right, protien, OJ - vitamin C, dark green veggies like spinach, salad,
carrots; eggs.Go to google.com and check out some sites on wound healing/tattoo aftercare.
Send me an e-mail if you'd like! Good luck guy, don't panic, you'll do just
fine.cb
aka craig :-)
V-BEAM -- Mike DeForest, 00:24:10 02/06/03 ThuJust had the V-Beam procedure done. The doctor told me that there was a chance
of bruising but that he had it done to him, and his wife didn't even notice
when he got home. Well, my face looks like I got bitten by 30 spiders. I have
many small bruises, especially as you get closer to my eyes. My lower checks
didn't bruise at all however. He told me afterword that the bruises should go
away in a couple of days, but every hour that goes by they seem to be getting
worse not better. Anyone have any info? How long for real am I going to look
like this? I don't even want to go out of my house.
V-BEAM -- Mike DeForest, 00:20:16 02/06/03 ThuJust had the V-Beam procedure done. The doctor told me that there was a chance
of bruising but that he had it done to him, and his wife didn't even notice
when he got home. Well, my face looks like I got bitten by 30 spiders. I have
many small bruises, especially as you get closer to my eyes. My lower checks
didn't bruise at all however. He told me afterword that the bruises should go
away in a couple of days, but every hour that goes by they seem to be getting
worse not better. Anyone have any info? How long for real am I going to look
like this? I don't even want to go out of my house.
Needling -- cs, 00:06:54 02/06/03 ThuFrom what I have been reading it seems to me that needling is exactly like
getting a tatoo without the ink. Is that right? Well I got several tatoos some
years back and the tatoo artist told me to put polysporin cream on it to help
the healing and prevent infection. This might also be a good idea for those
getting needling done on their faces. Don't put any other gunk on as it might
clog up pores and won't help with the healing.
Mike -- cs, 23:54:33 02/05/03 WedMike the cooltouch and microdermabrasion treatments shouldn't cost as much as
the doctor (Bulan?) wants to charge. I am having cooltouch done now at $600 a
treatment for about 6 or so and would come to about $3600 for all. I've also
had microdermabrasions done at $150 each. I might just mention that this is
canadian dollars but I have seen other posts were people were saying it would
be around $500 or so american $ for cooltouch. Also microdermabrasion does
absolutely nothing for acne scarring. All it does is take off old dead skin
and give you a temporary rosy glow that goes away as soon as the old skin
cells build up again. Sounds to me like this doctor is just capitalizing on
the fact that he was on tv and charging as much as he possibly thinks he can
get away with. Also a good doctor does not have to advertise himself on tv as
word of mouth will get around about him.
Exoderm- Response from Israel -- Bh, 22:42:25 02/05/03 WedHi Guys thought you might be interested in this. I just had a reply from the
Exoderm people in Israel. according to them they recommend only having this
procedure done is Israel or Hungary, no where else (they even made a point of
this) as the formulas are different. They claim potenial improvement of 50-75%
at a cost of 4,500 Euro dollars for eight days recovery. I have to admit I was
very impressed with their professionalism.
Ivan stop now! -- M, 22:05:44 02/05/03 WedStop putting those things on your face!!! They are not good on large wounds
that are open, which is what your face is now. Of coarse its red it needs to
scab. You need to stay home for about eight days. Please quit touching your
face! Do not mess with your skin at all!M
To Dennis on Eliminating Fat -- Cameron, 21:35:04 02/05/03 WedIf you eliminate fat from your diet, your problems will be much worse than
acne! Maybe it's something aggravating in the animal products you were eating.
I'm sure the unsaturated fats you get from foods like avocado, olive oil, etc.
wouldn't cause acne.
Cool touch & Microdermabrasion combo -- Cameron, 21:07:48 02/05/03 WedAge : 26
Gender : Male
Country : U.S.Mike, at 24 years old, I had 5 cool touch laser treatments, each 1 month
apart, immediately followed by 8 microdermabrasion treatments (each 1 to 3
weeks apart). It didn't do me any good at all. I would spend your money on
something else. On what though? Who knows.
skin needling -- Ivan, 19:07:21 02/05/03 WedIt's been 48hrs. eactly since i had my skin needling done at the tattoo
shop.....lol.My cheeks are very dark red I hope they fade by next
wednesday(back to work).I have been appling vitamin a and e liquid all over
the affected areas 4 times a day.I look horrible!Can someone tell me how long
this reddness with be with me?Thankyou,Ivan
Diego, don't go to Fulton! -- LK, 17:18:46 02/05/03 WedThere was some talk about him earlier. Check his licence and history at
http://www.docboard.org/ca/df/casearch.htm
The guy is dirty.
Heather -- Denise1, 15:11:10 02/05/03 WedDenise: No I really appericate your respones. My skin is sensitive but its
weird because it varies. One week I could be using this product and it works
fine and then BAM all the sudden my face just can't take it. But thats besides
the point. I did a lot more research today and it seem to make so much sense
to go the natural way. Its just hard choosing which product to use...they all
promise a solution. For me personally I flucuate in terms of how bad I break
out. I use to have cystic acne and now its more of a mild to moderate acne.
One week my face will have a couple of tiny ones and thats it. The next week
I'm broken out by 2-4 major ones (not cystic anymore thank god) and patches of
tiny ones. It varies so frequently though. And I think I have combination
skin. I'm oily and dry at the same time. I really like the idea of the B5. I'm
wondering if it would help with my body acne as well.Denise: I noticed a total emlimination of my body acne when I got on b5 and I
also started taking manuka oil internally; 2 drops in juice 3 times a day. It
works as a NATURAL antibiotic. I noticed that even though I was using products
for acne or oily skin, or even sensitive skin, the stuff with synthetic
chemicals just doesn't work for me. I too, would almost cry when I would have
acne and peeling, flaky skin. I would try to put make-up on on top of my skin
and would have all this flakiness. The reason why I'm emphasizing all natural
stuff and no drugstore stuff is because it sounds like your ph balance is off
in your skin; your skin is peeling but you are breaking out and your skin gets
easily irritated. When I switched several months ago and tried to go as
natural as possible, I noticed a huge improvement in the peeling, flaky, skin
and acne both. Even the "gentlest" drugstore stuff can cause irritation is
some people. You just have to know your skin.
But I think I also saw something about possible side effects on another site.
Please let me know your opinion.Denise: Since some people seem to need varying amounts, you can always start
out at lower doses and see what happens, say, a few grams a day, or 2-3,000
mgs. The studies done with b5 were conducted at levels at 10 grams, or 10,000
mgs. per day. That seems to work well for people with severe or cystic acne.
If at anytime you feel weird or whatever, you can stop. I think that side
effects could happen, I do know I havn't had any side effects or problems at
all.
Also do you know if Acne Miracle's Vitamin C is better than the CP Serum from
skin biology?Denise: Well, I don't know that it's better, but I do know that you cannot
combine copper peptides with vitamin c because it deactivates vitamin c. I use
my copper peptides with my products that don't have vitamin c in them. But the
copper peptide is very good; I use both copper peptides and acne miracle
products as well. I also use the Living Nature cleanser, and the manuka oil
and honey gel almost as a toner; it really firms and tightens pores and skin
before I put on makeup. Also, if you want to cry on some shoulders, the acne
site I directed you to is very helpful. This is more of a SCAR board. At the
acne board, you'll find all kinds of helpful people and a lot of good
information.
I tried Vitamin C before but it was L-asorbic acid made by Skin Ceuticals. And
lastly I found this site about the candida abilcans and it has a test where
you spit into a cup right when you wake up and it tells you what to look for
it you have it. I'm going to do it tomorrow morning. THANK YOU!!!!Denise: Yeah, I tried the C by Skin Ceuticals too, but didn't find that it did
much for me; I believe that copper peptides have been clinically proven to be
more effective than topical c.Kate: Thanks for the info on Diane 35. I don't know if I would want to take a
contraceptive given my bad experiences with other ones. I want to use the
creams from Skin Biology because they say on their site that they work better
but are not ideal for acne-prone skin. I am using the trireduction in
correlation with the gels in two controled areas to see if there is a better
improvment I'll keep everyone posted. And have you had a positive result with
the Oil Olay Total Effects? Thanks sooo very much :)QUESTION: I looked around on the net about Exoderm and I was floored with the
before and after pictures. I can't even begin to describe the results..I just
can't believe. But one sceptical question is raised..if it has a non-invasive
quick recovery and obvious ridiculously fantastic results why isn't every
doctor using it? Anybody with good results that has undergone this? Let me
know please!!!Denise: Not everyone is trained in it. Only a few doctors here in the U.S.
know how to do it properly, including Dr. Rullen, who posts here
occassionally.I can't tell you all how it kills me to know that everyone is going through
this personal prison we've each created for ourselves as a result from ACNE.
Our freedom to be comfortable in our own skin and worry about lighting and
hiding in our hair never wanting to put it up in a ponytail. Just the whole
restriction on life its caused. Look in the mirror and seriously want to take
your life when you see this infected inflammed disease claiming your
face...the one thing people first notice when they see you. And during its war
on your face it leaves these even more emotionally damaging things...scars
*sigh* but I digress...I'm being awfuly pessimistic. I'm trying to be patient
over here by 8 years is like a lifetime.
gel sheets -- moby, 21:34:24 02/04/03 Tue
diego -- M, 14:10:42 02/05/03 WedDiego, subcision and needling are not the same thing.
Peace
M
Subcision - What next? (Looong post) -- diego, 07:10:10 02/05/03 WedI read one of the scar treatment archives and there was a lot of postings on
subcision, which I think is also called "needling" (someone correct me if I'm
wrong). When I had my only subcision done, I went into Dr. Noodleman's office
in Los Gatos, CA and his colleague Dr. Harris talked me into subcision (I
actually wanted to have LASER resurfacing). That was three years ago and so
I'm here to report my results...ready?...I got...a 5-10% improvement. Now I
may be understating the results because I've had lots of acne scars for a long
time and no matter what happens I admit that the scars have distorted the way
I see myself. Dr. Harris was very insightful in saying - "people do notice
your scars at first and then they don't see them anymore they see you, but to
you (pointing to me) they'll always appear like deep canyons and wide valleys.
You'll always see yourself differently than others will." Good food for
thought - this shows how very vulnerable I am to any "quick-fix" and that I do
anything to make the scars go away.So was the needling worth it? For a paltry sum of $800? For 10% improvement?
Does that mean that an 80% improvement should cost me 8 times more or $6400? I
think the answer is scary, but true. For those that haven't yet had it done or
are considering it, the procedure is weird. They (the doctor's office or
nurses) will numb your face with lots of injections, some on the surface and
then deeper ones through the inside of your mouth and so on. Then they dig a
thick inch long or so needle into the skin of your face and tear up the inside
of your skin by thrashing the needle about (that's a bit dramatic, but it
comes close to describing reality). Afterwards, your face (in case you had
lots of acne scars on your cheeks and temples like I did) - your face gets
swollen and you look like a chipmunk that stuffed a few too many walnuts into
his mouth. It can be cute and if you're a guy the girls will love your big
puffy cheeks! I got all of the mileage I could out of the situation. Could
anyone blame me?Anyway, the puffy cheeks stayed with me for about 10days and then slowly the
swelling went down and I'd look at myself in the mirror and see the one thing
I've wanted so badly since my acne went away - I saw absolutely no scars.
Those few months were some of the best in my adult life and I felt great!
Unfortunately, one by one the scars came back and I realized that I had merely
paid for a taste of happiness or I was probably duped. For that period of
bliss to last forever I'd gladly shovel out 10 to 20 times what I paid for
subcision (see what I mean about being vulnerable?). I won't do subcision
again because of what Dr's call "diminishing returns."So I came to this forum hoping to find experience, strength, and hope. I think
it's all here and I just have to read all of the submissions to learn more.Anyway, I thought I'd share with you all a very intriguing paper that I was
given by an "honest" dermatologist / plastic surgeon who actually talked me
out of trying the N-Lite and Cool Touch LASERS because he said that they'd
give me the same temporary fix that subcision did. So, there is a Dr. Fulton
in Irvine, CA who does a combination technique where he uses dermabrasion,
LASER (CO2?), strong chemical peel (TCA?), fat transfer, subcision (eek!), and
punch grafts (if needed) - all in one operation. He summarizes his
combo-procedure in a paper titled:"Rejuvination of the Acne-Scarred Face",
The American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery,
Vol. 15, No 3. 1998 pps 281-289Interestingly enough the references he lists in the back cite: Dr. Orenteich
(twice - popular guy here), Dr. Obagi (another popular guy), Dr. Noodleman
(see my story above), and Dr. Harris (yup - same guy as above).So I'm going to make an appointment to talk with this Dr. Fulton and I'll
report back his rates and what he recommends for me.Also, I've learned my lesson and from now I will ask ANY Dr. that I see to
show me 2-3 year post-op pictures / results so that I can judge whether he's
the real deal or a quack. Why? Three years is long enough after the surgery to
tell whether the procedure(s) had any lasting effect. Six months to a year
post-op pictures are nice to see (the pictures feed my desire for a clear
face), but the face of that patient can still have residual swelling that
gives the "impression" of great results. It's most important to see long term
post-op pictures if considering LASERs and Dermabrasion where "persistent
redness" or hyper/hypo-pigmentation can remain even 3 years post-op. IMHO, any
doctor worth his salt should have a portfolio showing long term results. Plus,
I will refuse to do business with any Dr. that can't supply long term proof
because I don't want to go through another period of being elated only to come
crashing down to earth again some time later.All of the above was my experience, strength, and hope. Take what you like and
leave the rest.Cheers!
read this -- dave, 06:55:44 02/05/03 Wedto everyone
i have a a few scars from acne. nothing i would call serious. but affects me
psychologically sooo much though, and therefore understand how you feel. its
hard i know to not let them get you down, especially caues i know im a good
looking guy(head swollen!).in my experience from reseach, its important to get
sleep at least 8 hrs. this will improve skin alot. healthy living. eat good,
exercise alot. on top of that look after those scars by giving attention,
perhaps with peels and copper peptides because this is what has come across to
me as the best thing for topical acne scar solutions. but remember its
important to sleep and exercise. i have seen great improvement in my scars and
skin since ive been in routine with healthy living. best of wishes to all,
especially the ladies reading this =)
moby/silicone sheets -- jack, 04:35:26 02/05/03 Wedyou can get silicone scar sheets like rejuveness really cheap on ebay.
Scar Sheets -- Anna, 04:08:07 02/05/03 WedMoby, You can purchase the scar reduction sheets at the drug store.
Radiance(new filler) Suture suspension(new procedure) clearlight and
smoothbeam. -- dave, 02:48:25 02/05/03 WedHello I read about a new procedure called suture suspension it works with
local anesthesia, recovery is said to be only 2-5 days, it stretches the skin
kind of topped of by stitches, have you ever stretched your temple area or
maybe cheeks and how the scars almost basically dissapear? i guess this could
be used for that, also a new filler called radiance supposed to last 2-5
years, can be used on acne pock scars, also does anyone know anything about
smoothbeam or clearlight for back acne, or have you had the treatment before
please share, i am looking for a place in atlanta that offers clearlight and
smoothbeam.
Exoderm, B5, Etc. -- Heather, 01:38:03 02/05/03 WedDenise: No I really appericate your respones. My skin is sensitive but its
weird because it varies. One week I could be using this product and it works
fine and then BAM all the sudden my face just can't take it. But thats besides
the point. I did a lot more research today and it seem to make so much sense
to go the natural way. Its just hard choosing which product to use...they all
promise a solution. For me personally I flucuate in terms of how bad I break
out. I use to have cystic acne and now its more of a mild to moderate acne.
One week my face will have a couple of tiny ones and thats it. The next week
I'm broken out by 2-4 major ones (not cystic anymore thank god) and patches of
tiny ones. It varies so frequently though. And I think I have combination
skin. I'm oily and dry at the same time. I really like the idea of the B5. I'm
wondering if it would help with my body acne as well. But I think I also saw
something about possible side effects on another site. Please let me know your
opinion. Also do you know if Acne Miracle's Vitamin C is better than the CP
Serum from skin biology? I tried Vitamin C before but it was L-asorbic acid
made by Skin Ceuticals. And lastly I found this site about the candida
abilcans and it has a test where you spit into a cup right when you wake up
and it tells you what to look for it you have it. I'm going to do it tomorrow
morning. THANK YOU!!!!Kate: Thanks for the info on Diane 35. I don't know if I would want to take a
contraceptive given my bad experiences with other ones. I want to use the
creams from Skin Biology because they say on their site that they work better
but are not ideal for acne-prone skin. I am using the trireduction in
correlation with the gels in two controled areas to see if there is a better
improvment I'll keep everyone posted. And have you had a positive result with
the Oil Olay Total Effects? Thanks sooo very much :)QUESTION: I looked around on the net about Exoderm and I was floored with the
before and after pictures. I can't even begin to describe the results..I just
can't believe. But one sceptical question is raised..if it has a non-invasive
quick recovery and obvious ridiculously fantastic results why isn't every
doctor using it? Anybody with good results that has undergone this? Let me
know please!!!I can't tell you all how it kills me to know that everyone is going through
this personal prison we've each created for ourselves as a result from ACNE.
Our freedom to be comfortable in our own skin and worry about lighting and
hiding in our hair never wanting to put it up in a ponytail. Just the whole
restriction on life its caused. Look in the mirror and seriously want to take
your life when you see this infected inflammed disease claiming your
face...the one thing people first notice when they see you. And during its war
on your face it leaves these even more emotionally damaging things...scars
*sigh* but I digress...I'm being awfuly pessimistic. I'm trying to be patient
over here by 8 years is like a lifetime.
gel sheets -- moby, 21:34:24 02/04/03 Tueanyone know where i can go to purchase those gel sheets that heals raised
scars??
