Acne Scar Treatments Archive 5
Stuart Fade those red marks -- vs, 03:54:37 07/11/03 Fri
Stuart,
Good and bad news. Red spots from acne can take years to fade, most fade
within a yr. However, If a scar is formed, like a dent in your skin, then
unfortunately the actual scar its self will not fade away over time. It will
seem to improve because the color of the scar improves with time, but the
actual pitt will not go away, thats a permanent scar, and like the rest of
us--we are seeking a miracle acne scar revision technique!
Stay out of the sun, sun hyperpigments the red marks and makes them red
longer.
Hydroquinone bleacing cream works for me to fade red marks, mixed with retin
A. Although one of my drs told me hydroquinone doesnt help with red acne
spots--i dont think he knew what he was talking about--it helps me. But while
your on the hydroquinone and retin-a your skin may actually turn red alover
and your acne mark might look redder, but once you stop--you will notice the
acne red spot has faded some. It will fade on its own with time--hydroquinone
and retin-a just speed the process up...especially if you get peeling from the
retin-a!
take care
Skin Needling -- VS, 03:46:41 07/11/03 Fri
Hi, I'm still waiting for skin needling responses. I've yet to receive any
emails about this procedure. What I wanted to know is the following: I live in
san jose sf bay area..what is the best tattoo parlor to go to for needling in
my area..and who is the best artist. Secondly what is the price, should a
tattoo hand gun be used or manuel hand tool, can severe scarring accur? Is
this safe.
I plan to get this done as soon as my questions are answered. so please anyone
with any info or first hand experience with needling...contact me !
sanjoseskin@yahoo.com
p.s. someone mentioned before the ocean nose on this website is annoying, they
were right-i always have to turn my volume down when I visit this sight.
Also are there any other good acne scar forums besides this one?
Dear Patsy Waxy Look -- VS, 03:40:07 07/11/03 Fri
Patsy,
You said your skin texture after Laser resurfacing look flat and grainy. There
is hope for you Patsy, how long has it been since your resurfacing? I have had
laser resurfacing also, had have had my face sanded down with sandpaper. My
skin especially after the sandpaper was horrible, the texture looked waxy.
Imagine an orange peel, thats how the texture of my skin looked, it looked
like waxy shiny red grainy orange peel. It was horrible, I thought I was
scarred even worse. The good news is--this goes away, but usually takes 1 yr
or even as long as two years to go away. That waxy look is your skin steel
healing. My Dr. prescribed me Desowen which is a topical steroid and it helped
some, but using Desowen everynight can thin the skin. Oddly enough, after each
of my resurfacings the one thing that helps take the waxy look away really
fast is Retin-A and staying out of the sun. After My skin heals from
resurfacing, and the waxy look forms, I now start using Retin A. I apply it
every night, I let my skin get super red, I let it start to peel and flake and
turn tight from the Retin-A. I go through this ugly red flaking Retin-A look
for about a good 2 months. Then I stop using Retin-A to let my skin go back to
normal, and whola the waxy look is basically gone. If it still exists I just
continue retin-a for another month.
Dont use alpha hydroxy acids or glcolic acids, if I use those--the waxy ugly
texture comes right back.
So dont worry, that waxy look will go away eventually--just give it time.
Another thing that helped with the waxy look for me after my first
dermasanding were those homepeels..I think it was the homepeel 4000. The waxy
look reduced after trying the home peel. However, the homepeels are expensive
and did nothing what so ever for my acne scarring, I actually broke out even
more from the homepeel.
THe only thing it helped with was that waxy texture reduced a bit.
Hope I was helpfull
acne scars, will they fade in time? -- stuart, 01:39:08 07/11/03 Fri
hello, i have some shallow pitted acne scars, and they are still red. I still
have breakouts now and then, but my question is: with time, will my acne scars
either fade or turn less red? Any advice would be helpful thanks.
stuart
How do I fix damage to the texture of skin caused by CO2 Laser? -- Patsy,
23:58:01 07/10/03 Thu
Hello all, I was wondering if anyone out there has had to have further
treatments to repair textural damage to the skin caused by CO2 laser
resurfacing? While Co2 helped some of my scars by 30-50% it ruined my skin
giving me a flat, grainy uneven texture plus new weird scars that are very
difficult to discribe. I wish I had stuck with my original scars. Anyhow, has
anyone had success in treating the laser damage? One thing I am afraid of it
making it worse.
Thank you very much.
Hey Eric -- Denise1, 20:21:52 07/10/03 Thu
By Eric:
It is good to hear that you are still improving... not good to hear that you
are breaking out a bit :(. Are you still on the Vitamin B-5? How much do you
take and how well is it working for you?
Denise: I'm not on B5 presently. I take other things like fish oil and
digestive enzymes. I have done very well on b5 in the past and probably oughta
take a "maintenance dose", but I'm getting a bit burned out on all the
supplements. I don't break out all that much except for around *that time* of
the month.
Unfortunately I am still breaking out though it's not as bad as it has been in
the past... I finally ordered Acne Miracle's 4-step skincare line as I need
something better than the Retin-A to keep this acne down while I wait for the
B-5 to do its work. The Acne Miracle technical support told me that I may need
to keep taking 10 grams a day for as long as 4-6 months before I experience
consistent clearing... *sheesh*. All I know is that I can't get to work on
these scars until the acne is gone. How long and how much B-5 did you take
before you experienced your own good results?
jf2: I had to consistantly take it for quite a few months like you. I had to
watch my sugar, wheat, and dairy intake as well. I find that the more I do
that, it helps a lot. I did find though that between the regulating gel, the
b5 topical gel, and the internal b5 and zinc blend, my skin was pretty
"normal" except for some oil about a week out of the month. So take heart and
you may want to switch to Spelt flour stuff and cut out all refined sugar and
dairy except for occassional treats, which is mainly what I do.
A couple of other things... you said that some of the scars you had needled
will not need to be re-needled. Are they gone or are you just satisfied with
their appearance?
Denise: The pits are incredible!!! I keep referencing them because I never
expected so much filling in for them as I was always told I'd have to have
them punch grafted or excised. I believe that I will not have to needle but 2
or maybe 3 out of the 5 again. What's so cool is that the largest one that I
hated the most has improved so much it's unbelievable. I will get it needled
again, but I'm gonna tell her to GO EASY on the pits I get needled again.
As far as other scars I'll get needled, I'll re-needle most of the ones I got
needled before, but not all of them. I keep improving and getting better, even
here 3 months later. I did a strong salicylic acid peel and noticed a strong
difference after that. I guess that while you might see an indent of a tiny,
tiny scar if you look really close, I see no sense in needling something that
is pretty much closed, even though there might be a tiny itty bitty dent.
I cannot say enough good about the SUPER CP Serum. I see that we have another
visitor who is having great results with the CP Serum and it really is
extraordinary when combined with peels and Retin A.
I believe part of my great result is the SB serum and Retin A, which boosts
collagen by 80% as well.~~~
Also, as far as I know Smoothbeam is FDA-approved for acne scarring and acne
of the back only. Can Smoothbeam still be used to treat facial acne? And if so
are the results long-lasting? I agree with you also that Smoothbeam is a good
option for treating milder acne scarring and that the pcitures and feedback on
it are good, and the price is not unreasonable.
Denise: Yes, it has been approved for facial acne and acne scarring. I am
going to go for this probably starting in August. There are some people who
are doing needling/smoothbeam spaced apart and seem to be very happy with the
results so far. It costs $400 a treatment here and I was told by phone that it
would take three treatments.
Personally, I think that with the fact that the needling will stimulate the
collagen, and the fact that Smoothbeam does too, that they will provide a good
combination for me.
Hope that helps! E-mail me anytime if you have any other questions!
Well, I hope I didn't ask too many questions and I look forward to hearing
back from you! :)
-Eric
cp serum for ance scars -- Srina Yeo, 10:22:42 07/10/03 Thu
Hi guys, thank you for all contributions about ance scars.
I gone thru the ance scars dicussion since one year ago and I think you guys
are great.I am very prompt to ance scars. I have ance scars through out my
whole face since I am 12 year old and I am now 40 years. I have been living in
self conscious for so many years and can't face up. After going so many years
of different kind of treatment my scars improve very little. My skin doctor
told me the only thing that can improve my scars is skin resurfacing and I
have find out alot of information about skin resufacing through internet.
Through internet alot of said chance of having more scaring is very high but
not my doctor. Eventually, I bravely give a try on skin resurface on my nose
area only on April 2003 as my nose have quite alot of pitted scars.
After the treatment, she use a kind of special plaster to plaster my face, we
have to remove the plaster every day and clean my face for about 6-7days.
After the seven days I am quite happy with the result because I can see the
improvement and there is no form of other new scar, but the doctor tell me
that that there will be more improvement in six month's time. I am very
impatience, so after reading about the cp serum that Denise has proven so I
start to use in three week ago. Now my pitted scars are more like a pore. I
should have using after immediately after the 7 days of treatment because I am
scare it may get worse instant of better which after so many years of
treatment and I am very sidly improve. Guys I am writing to tell you that cp
serum works marvellous. After so many years of experience treating ance
scars,I have analysed that to treat ance scars, first you have to remove the
first layer of the skin and go with cp serum. I am going to try strongest peel
from skin biology next two days for my whole face and go with the super cp
serum. If the strongest peel don't work well, I will go for skin resurfacing
and go with super cp serum.
Denise- Acne Breakouts & B5 -- Eric, 22:43:24 07/09/03 Wed
Hi Denise-
It is good to hear that you are still improving... not good to hear that you
are breaking out a bit :(. Are you still on the Vitamin B-5? How much do you
take and how well is it working for you? Unfortunately I am still breaking out
though it's not as bad as it has been in the past... I finally ordered Acne
Miracle's 4-step skincare line as I need something better than the Retin-A to
keep this acne down while I wait for the B-5 to do its work. The Acne Miracle
technical support told me that I may need to keep taking 10 grams a day for as
long as 4-6 months before I experience consistent clearing... *sheesh*. All I
know is that I can't get to work on these scars until the acne is gone. How
long and how much B-5 did you take before you experienced your own good
results?
A couple of other things... you said that some of the scars you had needled
will not need to be re-needled. Are they gone or are you just satisfied with
their appearance? Also, as far as I know Smoothbeam is FDA-approved for acne
scarring and acne of the back only. Can Smoothbeam still be used to treat
facial acne? And if so are the results long-lasting? I agree with you also
that Smoothbeam is a good option for treating milder acne scarring and that
the pcitures and feedback on it are good, and the price is not unreasonable.
Well, I hope I didn't ask too many questions and I look forward to hearing
back from you! :)
-Eric
To cityslicker and all interested about exoderm update -- Kit, 18:14:06
07/09/03 Wed
Hi, sorry for the late reply again, pals.
Ok, My redness now has gone to pink-ish instead of reddish, and this is all
due to the great copper peptides that many of you have recommended. It is
great!
It is strange though, as I began to use them after about 2 months of exoderm,
the skin actually became redder and so I stopped. But after about 5 months of
redness (gradually fading), I begin using copper peptides and shortly after a
week, the skin seems like growing and the redness fading at a speed which to
me is incredible. I am now continuing the copper peptides, but not the
salycyclic acid. I guess my skin is still too thin to apply that, so I guess
copper peptides will be sufficient at the moment.
As for the improvement, I can hardly describe it. I just wonder have anyone of
you feel the same that everyday in the morning right after you wake up,
everything seem smoother than in the night when u begin to sleep. I just
wonder how come the skin becomes less tightened during the evening or night.
Does anyone of you have a good reason for it?
You see, as I have shifted house, the mirror which I have been using for a
long time has been changed. So under different lighting conditions, I just
don't know what to say....about improvement. But all I can say now is that the
whole skin becomes whiter....and after applying copper peptides for about 2
weeks, the skin becomes more natural than before. I just hope they will become
better. It is strange also that once I pull my skin (using a little bit of
force only) the entire skin becomes smoother .... so I certainly hope that
either injection or subcision/excision will do the rest and improve my scars.
Well, needling in Singapore has never been heard before so I dare not entrust
my skin to another irresponsible practitioner again. Singapore is one of the
worst area for acne scar treatment. They do almost nothing ...but claim they
have good medical skills. Just feel like puking when they said that.
Needling In SF Bay Area? -- VS, 17:24:29 07/09/03 Wed
Hi,
Ok its official, I'm fed up with my remaining scars. And this morning after
coming home from the gym, And seeing everyone with such smooth skin, even
people in their 60's with skin smoother than me--(and i'm 22.) I am going to
deffinately give needling a shot and hope and pray for good results without
any side effects.
Before I do my needling I need the following questions answered. So any help
would be appreciated. Where is the best place in SF bay area to get needling
done. Who is the tattoo artist that I need to ask for. How much does it cost?
I promise to all of you, once I get my needling done I will keep all of you
posted from DAY 1 to my final Results. I would even post pictures from day one
to final results of my face if I had a digital cam--but sorry I cant afford
one right now...but I'll try to be as detailed in my description as possible.
So again, I want to do this as soon as possible. I'd like to know the best
place in san jose SF bay area to get needling done,,what technique of needling
to be used (hand tool or tattoo gun?) What type of needles..etc. Also the name
of the best tattoo artist who has done this type of needling for acne
scars...and the cost!
I'll be looking forward to your responses... sanjoseskin@yahoo.com
Hey Eric -- Denise1, 15:43:20 07/09/03 Wed
I was going to e-mail you, but thought others would benefit from my latest
update....
All is going very well, and my scars are all continuing to improve. I plan on
going for my second round of needling next week. Many of the scars I had
needled, I will not have to re-needle.
It has worked very well for me. Since I break out a little, I will probably go
for Smoothbeam and that hopefully will continue to smooth out my skin. Many
people seem to be having remarkable results with Smoothbeam on the Acne.org
website.
So my update is that all is going well and I continue to improve and the
collagen continues to fill in.
ERIC--Needling -- Beth, 12:49:37 07/09/03 Wed
Hi Eric,
I WISH the remarks about needling were made by me, but I was actually quoting
a guy named MARC who posted them several months ago. I think he did go to
Black & Blue in CA and had Indexa as his needler--but I'm not 100% positive of
that. I am just hoping he is doing well and enjoying life and simply hasn't
had reason to visit these boards again. I just wanted to know how his results
have held up.
Thanks for responding though. Beth:-)
Beth & VS- Needling in SF Bay Area -- Eric, 04:25:38 07/09/03 Wed
Hi guys-
VS I just wanted to say that I think your support group is a great idea. I
live in Novato, about 45 minutes away from SF and am probably going to go
eventually have needling done to do away with my acne scars once my still
active acne clears up. FYI guys, Accutane worked great for me but five months
later, the acne came back! Not as bad as before, but still enough to where I
am concentrating all my efforts to getting rid of it! I think a support group
would be perfect, like Greg's group in DC. Great idea!
Beth- That is awesome to hear about your improvement! Very good! Which artist
did you go see? Many people here recommended Idexa at the Black N' Blue Tattoo
Parlor in SF. Did you get it done by her or another artist? Just wanted to
compare notes!
To All- My e-mail is posted and available, so if anybody wants to talk, feel
free to e-mail me!!
Denise- All going well with you still? You've made so much progress in the
last year alone it's incredible! I hope we all make as much headway as you do
in our quest to repair our skin from the ravages of acne!!
Peace out y'all :)...
-Eric
San Jose SF BAY AREA Skin NEEDLING -- VS, 00:03:34 07/09/03 Wed
Hi Everyone
I had an idea just right now. I am from San Jose- San Francisco Bay area. Why
dont all of us from the bay area start like an acne scar support group or
something, and share our experiences with one another about DR's in the
California bay area? I think that would be helpfull to us.
Also for those who have had NEEDLING DONE IN SF bay area...can you email me.
I'd like to chat about your needling experience and results, it sounds like
something risky to do--but i'm thinking about giving it a try---to smooth out
my remaining acne scars... I would really like to learn more..so BETH and
others who have done kneedling in sf bay area..please email me.
I can be contacted at my new email addy that I created just for acne scar
discussions...its SanJoseSkin@yahoo.com
needling in Florida -- amez, 18:54:51 07/08/03 Tue
Hello,
Wondering if anyone knows of a good needler/tatoo artist who does needling in
Florda (proferably near Tampa or Sarasota). I've called around to a couple of
places and they haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Thanks. This sounds like a good remedy...Feel free to reply to all or directly
to my email. I'm really interested in this procedure so I hope to hear from
anyone with info. I've also called docs in the area and have gotten nowhere.
Very frustrating! And Mary, thanks for the info on more natural cures--always
good to hear about those.
thanks...
--amy
MARC (who did needling 9 months ago) Are you still around? -- Beth, 15:56:06
07/08/03 Tue
I am looking for MARC who on 11/07/02 wrote:
___________________________________________________________
>>For those of you that are interested, I wanted to follow-up my post from 2
1/2 weeks ago. It's been almost 3 weeks since had needle dermabrasion done at
a tattoo place in the bay area (CA.) (see prior posts for details)
At 3 weeks, I am extremely pleased with the results. I have noticed a
significant improvement in my skin and scars. The(very)small but numerous
shallow scars on my cheeks and chin have smoothed out considerably, and many
are gone. The bumpy texture on my chin has almost completely smoothed out, the
deeper ice pick type scars (i only had a few) are much improved (less deep)
and most importantly for me, the uneven/large pore texture and "waxy" look to
my skin (which I attributed to a CO2 from 4 yrs ago) is completely gone.>>
___________________________________________________________
My skin texture looks exactly as you described yours looking before you had
the needling. I am just wondering how well these results have lasted. I think
you were one of the originals who went to the Black & Blue tattoo place in CA.
Thanks! Beth
Mary -- bob, 05:21:43 07/07/03 Mon
Last year I used 100% rose hip oil for a month on depressed and pitted scars
on my face and my scars started looking even worse so I stopped. Shortly
afterwards I started using Copper Peptides and % Acids and have been using
that for 6 months now with decent improvement. It's slow but steady. My scars
were severe to start with anyway. Some people are doing what's called TCA
Cross for pitted scars and response is positive so far. TCA is a short name
for a certain type of strong acid and Cross is the method of putting that acid
directly into the pit by a doctor. I don't think the TCA Cross is for
depressed (boxcar, rolling) or raised scars. It's only for pitted scars if I'm
correct. For depressed scars some are having Needling done with positive
results. Even better results are being seen by following up the Needling with
Copper Peptides.
Natural remedies can help -- Mary, 04:42:06 07/07/03 Mon
I am wondering if any of you have ever tried rosehip oil for pitted acne
scarring. I have been using some for the last couple of months twice a day on
a slightly indented scar (about a year old?) on my back/shoulder area and it's
definitely improved - not as pitted. I noticed an improvement very quickly -
in a couple of weeks I think. I have also been testing it on a few of the
scars on my face and I think they look slightly better. Rosehip oil is always
advertised by manufacturers as being helpful for scarring associated with acne
and chickenpox - apparently the fatty acids help with skin healing. You are
apparently not supposed to use rosehip oil on oily/acne prone skin although I
don't think I've had breakouts as a result of the oil.
Another thing that is apparently good is comfrey root. You dig up the roots
from a comfrey plant, chop them finely in a little water and cook for a while
until it's gooey. (Comfrey root has natural allantoin in it). You put on as
mask twice a week and leave on overnight. I read this in a small herbal book -
apparently helps with all scars including old pock marks it says. I've also
read in another herbal book where it apparently helped heal one woman's scar
which was 80 years old. I've only just started with this - I usually add a bit
of the leaf in there too (Caution: excessive comfrey is harmful for the liver
(I hope applying externally is OK)
Fat Transfer -- Cityslicker, 09:58:54 07/04/03 Fri
Perhaps you missed this part: He said, if you lay it down right, it should
take hold and blood vessels will grow into those areas and it will begin to
live permanently.
[Edit]
?Cityslicker -- ------, 15:48:09 07/03/03 Thu
Thanks for replying Cityslicker.So I get from your response that it is
LONG-LASTING and NOT permanent?And as for Artecoll,I heard that was a
"permanent" filler.
To: Mike D. -- Mystery, 17:21:52 07/02/03 Wed
1 syringe of Artecoll cost $850.00 Canadian. My doctor did not charge for the
test excisions that he did at the same time. I only had to pay an additional
hospital fee (I think $75.00) on top of it.
I have mostly ice-pick scars, and the Artecoll did NOT produce a good result
for me. The deeper ones did not show significant improvement after initial
injection. Some of the shallower ones looked a lot better for a few months,
but alas, it is all gone now. Artecoll is supposed to be absorbed by the body,
but is supposed to stimulate production of body's own collagen which in my
case it didn't.
I think excision is the best route for me and I hope the remaining ones I want
to get done don't cost too much.
To: Mike D. -- Mystery, 17:20:09 07/02/03 Wed
1 syringe (1 cc ?) of Artecoll cost $850.00. My doctor did not charge for the
test excisions that he did at the same time. I only had to pay an additional
hospital fee (I think $75.00) on top of it.
I have mostly ice-pick scars, and the Artecoll did NOT produce a good result
for me. The deeper ones did not show significant improvement after initial
injection. Some of the shallower ones looked a lot better for a few months,
but alas, it is all gone now. Artecoll is supposed to be absorbed by the body,
but is supposed to stimulate production of body's own collagen which in my
case it didn't.
I think excision is the best route for me and I hope the remaining ones I want
to get done don't cost too much.
Fat Transfer -- Cityslicker, 02:28:55 07/01/03 Tue
In answer to question about Fat Transfer, I cut n' paste from one of my
previous postings - I paid $1500 for Fat Transfer. He decided to take the fat
from my abdomen area and said I'd be getting a 2fer. Which was Liposuction and
Fat Transfer combo, as he needed to take fat from legs (thighs), buttocks or
abdomen, he would just take it from both sides of my abdomen and do a
Liposuction also. He said seriously, but I wasn't sure if he was joking, that
you want to take the fat from an area where you just can't seem to get rid of,
that way, it'll be long lasting also when you transfer it. He said, if you lay
it down right, it should take hold and blood vessels will grow into those
areas and it will begin to live permanently. Basically, you overfill those
areas and he said, only about 50% will take and then you come back for 1-2
additional treatments. His office said, he can do Cooltouch II and Fat
Transfer on the same day, now that he has the fat stored. But these have to be
scheduled different days originally, and he only does Cooltouch II on the last
Monday of the month or every 4 weeks. He freezes the fat for later use, and if
I understood correctly, it will last indefinately in the freezer.
Mystery- Punch excision and Artecoll -- Mike D, 20:56:28 06/30/03 Mon
You mentioned that you had artecoll injections and punch excision done in
Toronto, Canada. How much did it cost for those procedures and was there any
complications? What kind of scars do you have? Did the procedures work? Is
artecoll the best filler in Canada or are there others on the way? I know, I
ask way too many questions. Sorry.
Thanks,
Mike D
To All: Subcision & Punch excision -- Mike D, 20:43:07 06/30/03 Mon
What are these techniques? How much do they cost in the U.S.? Are there any
side effects?
Hey Cityclicker,? for you -- ???, 18:18:59 06/30/03 Mon
I was just wondering how much you payed for the fat transfers and is it a
permanent procedure?Where did the fat obtained come from,which part of the
body?
Question for Kit -- Cityslicker, 09:52:55 06/30/03 Mon
Kit, thanks for your previous update. Glad to see you are making progress and
your redness is still improving. One question I'm curious about is the overall
improvement in your scars. How much improvement have you seen in your scars
since you had Exoderm, 10-100%??? Thanks!!!!
Beth - Update -- Cityslicker, 09:43:39 06/30/03 Mon
Beth, for my needling results, my previous summary is still the same for me. I
didn't get as great of an improvement as Denise1, but she's got me excited
about needling and I've had it done. The tattoo artist I seen did use a hand
tool, but sounds like the tattoo gun may bring better results, and I would be
interested in trying that also.
I definately had an improvement. And for the money spent was one of the best
investment I've made. Some of my smallers scars and wrinkles have improved
from 10-30%. My larger scars not as significant, maybe 5-10%. But realize, I
have over 100 scars of various sizes, icepicks, large pores, fingernail
indents, etc.,etc. Just be advised, that when I say a 20-30% improvement on
scars, its little baby large pores, not quite ice pick. Overall improvement,
not dramatic, but significant enough to me, that I would certainly try again
when I'm able to take 5-6 days off.
Update on my Fat Transfer: It's been about a month since my second Fat
Transfer injection. I've gone from a 90-100% percent improvement (for 2
depressed indents only) to about a 60-70% improvement on my left side, and
about an 75-80% improvement on my right side. My left side was my worse side
before the injections. I've gone from doing cartwheels, to the reality that I
seem to be slowly losing my results each week. I definately need another
injection, but will wait a 2-3 months probably, to see how much further these
results degrade. I'll be happy with any improvement that I can retain, just
uncertain what my final results will be.
I still continue to see pore size shrinking from Cooltouch II and pleased with
the results from that. One of the problems to judge is when you have so many
different size pores and scars etc., its hard to gauge improvement, when some
pores improve dramatically and other large pores or saucer scars etc., improve
minimally. But I can see a difference and improvement overall from all
treatments I've had combined. Progress is slow, but surely.
To Plastik and Maya -- kit, 17:08:27 06/27/03 Fri
Maya: thanks for the emu oil info.
Hey the copper peptides are great! The remaining redness actually gone after a
few days aof application. I will continue it. As for emu oil, I will try to
order from somewhere.
Plastik: Hmm..... I am actually wondering the figure "many" which you are
talking about. I only think if one has to go through so many procedures and
treatments which you are referring to, I guess that guy should be 40+ by now
if he or she started treatment at the age of early twenties. One will actually
need to wait for a period to see the real results after any treatment. Anyway,
a number of procedures only started in recent years. And we musn't expect in a
single treatment, we will be cured. So I am wondering what do u mean end of
the road? At least I know I have more than 5 different kinds of treatment I
have not go through yet (hopefully will not of course), so we shouldn't feel
that demoralized at all. Anyway, there are a few more coming out too (some
might not have been known yet). Different treatments will not always react the
same to all kinds of skin, and different people will have different
expectations.
Anyway, my main attention to your mail is actually what kind of "plastic
surgery" are u referring to? I have only heard of face transplant once and
this might have been carried out once recently (new technique). What kind of
"plastic" are u talking about? I am sure if there is really such thing for
scars, people like us should have already done that long long ago! Our money
spent on such treatments are not cheap either. Hmm....i am just
wondering......... ^_^
Plastic Surgery -- Plastik, 07:31:02 06/27/03 Fri
I think many of us have reached the end of the road for our scar treatments.
Spending thousands on laser treatments and other procedures have brought us
short-of-perfect results. Has anyone of you considered plastic surgery as a
last resort?
To: Leila -- mystery, 17:19:48 06/26/03 Thu
I had full face dermabrasion done twice several years ago.
What to expect:
1. lots of down-time: your face will be raw/weeping the first few days, then
it will crust over and you will barely be able to smile, eat, etc. It didn't
hurt, but was itchy (don't scratch, just pat with cold water)
2. You will be depressed because you will look like something out of a horror
movie while you are still crusted over.
3. Once the crusts come off after 7 - 10 days (helping with application of
mineral oil daily) your face will be red/pink and will look like you had a
sun-burn (severe), but this can be covered with heavy cosmetics like
dermablend or clinique continuous coverage. Another alternative is to use a
green-tinged makup (like from prescriptives) to counter the redness.
4. The skin will be extremely sensitive to the sun and to avoid burning and/or
hyperpigmentation and/or hypopigmentation you must apply strong sunblock every
day.,
5. The final result won't be apparent until about 6 months later after the
swelling has gone down and the skin colour has stabilized. (Be aware that the
extreme smoothness you see right after the crusts come off is because of the
swelling, and is NOT idicative of the final result).
24 hour Update on my N-Lite and Subcision -- Maya, 12:47:18 06/26/03 Thu
The swelling is down to only 10% now (I don't think anyone would notice) - and
there is next to no bruising.
I have been taking these Arnica and Bromelin pills (recommended for bruising)
for the past 2 days. Also covering myself in copper peptides and emu oil every
2 hours - seems to have minimised pain too.
With all this in mind, the down time will be 2 days and I'll be out and about
tomorrow! :)
Had subcision and N-lite today (+ info on Isoalgen) -- Maya, 22:16:06
06/25/03 Wed
I saw Dr Tony Chu at Hammersmith Hospital, London - he was very pleasant, he
took a good look at my scars and said that I had a combination of boxscars and
Ice picks .. that all the skin surrounding my scars was fine..
Originally, I had asked for subcision, N-Lite and Isolagen (www.isolagen.com)
He said the following:
1. Subcision will not help with ice picks, (ice picks must be punched excised)
but quite good for either rolling scars or boxscars. If subcision is performed
on ice picks, it tends to block off oxygen(?) on the ice picks and an abcess
normally follows which creates a cyst and therefore more scarring.
2. I was not a suitable candidate for Isolagen at present because Isolagen is
not useful for deep pits, only useful for shallow scarring/rough
skin/wrinkles/large pores etc .. he said to save my money (nice guy) and
consider it at a further date if I wasn't happy with the other procedures he
would perform on me.
3. That N-lite was good at killing acne, but not a guarantee. N-Lite only
helps normal pimples.. but does not work on cystic acne.
4. No one can have subcision if they have active acne since it would create an
enormous infection leading to a big break out.
First thing that happened today was:
1. N-Lite - just a light pass (setting at 2.7 I think) which took no longer
than 5 minutes .. only for around 2 seconds did I feel a stinging sensation.
Totally painless really and no redness. I asked the derm if more passes would
improve the skin but she said that they had experimented with this and a light
pass was as effective as several passes at the same time.
2. Another derm took a couple of photos (just for their records) and put some
silicon gel on my cheeks to make a plaster-cast model of my scars (so that
they can measure the improvements in the future) - it only took around 1
minute for the gel to set before it was removed.
3. Dr Chu then performed subcison on around one third of my scars (most of the
boxscars) - first, he injected me with anesthetic in around 10 different
places on my face (this really hurt, I had tears in my eyes), then he subcised
the boxcars which took around 10/15 minutes ... a nurse was present all the
time, and would hold a swab to my face quite tightly where the subcision had
taken place (Dr Chu said this was to help limit swelling and stop the blood
flow) - it took a good 10 minutes for the bleeding to stop.
4. Dr Chu injected one exsisting cyst with cortison (I think) to kill it.
(All the above 4 took nearly 2 hours with lots of hanging around in between.)
Dr Chu said he wants to see me again in around 4 weeks and will get an
appointment sent out to me for late July/early August so that he can 1. do
more subcision, 2. perform punch excision on the ice picks.
The reason why he did not do the punch excision today was because they had run
out of the punch tools which have been on order from the States for over a
month.
About the punch excision, he said that the scar would be punched out, and one
stitch would be put in place. This would leave a hairline scar which would
replace the ice pick hole. 5 days after, the stitches need to be removed. He
said a lot of swelling usually takes place.
Dr Chu then wrote me a prescription for 4 weeks worth of antibiotics
(Clindamycin) which I need to take 3 times a day.
How did I look after the subcision? Swollen!!! My cheeks and forehead puffed
right out and i could feel it being lumpy. (A kind of mild elephant man look)
It's now around 7 hours after the procedure and the swelling has come down a
lot - there are a few red marks where the needles went in but nothing much. My
face is still slightly swollen and feels bruised. I am waiting to see if
bruises (which is what Dr Chu said is likely to happen) appear on my face.
Dr Chu did not recommend any after care, but I am slathering my face with
Copper Peptides and Emu Oil.
Also, I am taking herbal supplements of Arnica and Bromelin which are supposed
to help with bruising and swelling (along with all my normal vits)
About Isolagen - It seems to now be at the stage where people are starting to
have injections, I spoke with one of the nurses and she said that people have
been pleased so far.
Dr Chu said that once the lab has the Isolagen ready, there is only a 1 week
leeway for getting the injections started, that if there was a delay, Isolagen
labs would charge amazing amounts of money to store the fibroblasts - that
Hammermith hospital don't have the sterile facilites to do that.
Shelly and Maya -- Ben, 18:38:03 06/25/03 Wed
Thanks Maya for the thread link. I did not see that Shelly had posted about
her experience on that particular thread Shelly can you answer my questions
below?
thanks beth -- amez, 18:01:38 06/25/03 Wed
thank you for the needling info. that place looks very cool. wish i could
afford a trip up there--do let us know how it goes. anyone know of such a
place in central florida? has anyone purchased the roll-cit? any good results?
--amy
AMEZ--Needling Hand Tool Info -- Beth, 13:39:26 06/25/03 Wed
Hi Amez,
You can read about the needling hand tool at the link below. Just copy and
paste it to your address bar.
http://www.transitionspmc.com/needling.htm
This is where I will likely be going next month to see if my skin can handle
needling on ANY level.
Beth
Shelly Can you tell more about the TCA treatment? -- Ben, 18:51:31 06/24/03
Tue
Do you know what percentage TCA your doctor used? Did you have only one
application and where was your "hole"? Are you refering to an icepick scar or
a pit? Do you have a new type of scar now?
thank you!
"hand tool" for needling -- amez, 18:43:06 06/24/03 Tue
Beth (or anyone who knows),
What is the hand tool you refer to as an option for tatoo gun needling? This
sounds like a good first step for people like me looking for a step up from
copper peptides/creams to see some increased results, but aren't yet ready for
full-on needling.
What kinds of results could I expect from this method and how would I explain
this up to a tatoo artist? Also, for those who have done needling, do you sit
in the front of a tatoo parlor and have them go to work on your face while all
the people there for regular tatoos look on with wonder?
thanks,
--amy
Denise--Emu Oil -- Beth, 15:02:40 06/24/03 Tue
Hi Denise,
Thanks for the info regarding the emu oil. I actually tried it about two years
ago and had a reaction to it, but that was when I was reacting to everything
including water. Perhaps I will order it again and see if I respond better to
it this time. I am sure it would be more mild than CP Serum to further improve
healing after my upcoming needling session. Thanks again for your help. Beth
To: Greg---That's Great News! -- Beth, 14:55:29 06/24/03 Tue
I am sooo happy for you, Greg! Thanks for the wonderful report.
I am going to try needling in July, but I am going to request that the guy use
the hand tool (soft tap) since my skin is still so very sensitive. If I do not
react from that less aggressive method, I will likely go to see Lillian in
D.C. this winter for a treatment with the tattoo gun. It sounds like she is
really good with this treatment. (If you went to Lillian, that is. I believe
she is the only one I have read about in your area who offers needling and
you'd be the third person who has said they were happy with their needling
results at her hand if that is who you saw.)
Thanks again for sharing. Please keep us posted as the months go by and
improvement continues. Beth
Needling with Lilian in Alexandria,VA -- greg, 13:25:12 06/24/03 Tue
hey folks,
11 days post-op and all looks well....forehead has improved by 50% and that's
before any collagen has been generated-that will come later....
i've spent over 10 grand on scar repair-i wish this were around 5 years ago
when i got suckered into erbium laser for 5 grand(it did nothing!)
if i were starting over i would do needling *first*...low-tech is *better*
than hi-tech when it comes to scar repair!
will keep you all posted on progress...
Thanks,
Greg
Sara-Subcision -- shelly, 21:57:07 06/23/03 Mon
Wanted to let you know that the subcision procedure was about a 50%
improvement...i also got it done 4x in the past yr....the TCA on ice picks is
GOOD.....i had one big hole in my face and after he filled it , its
gone...there is still a small surface scar but no hole, it closed it up...
the healing is a week, I notice the first 3 days dont look too good but then
it clears up fast....also, i dont know how much your getting done, but mine
are saucer like scars all over my cheeks, so he worked pretty extensively.
If you have any questions, let me know....I wrote about Smoothbeam laser, dont
know if anyone has heard of it but it supposedly a mircle laser for scars and
acne...its not that much $$$ and hopefully it will work, but it could just be
a come on.....not sure...
Good Luck....
Kit - about emu oil -- Maya, 13:55:44 06/23/03 Mon
Thought I'd answer for Denise since she is so popular here!
I've been using the emu oil too and it really is an excellent moisteriser and
seems to help keep inflamation down.
From the homepeels.com website:
"From Skin Biology, EMU OIL S Lipid Replenisher for Skin is a peroxide-free
emu oil supplemented with the super-powerful antioxidants of Ubiquinone,
7-keto DHEA, mixed isomers of natural tocotrienols, and mixed isomers of
vitamin E.
It is a super-charged emu oil for anti-aging and light moisturization!
Replacement of key skin lipids (oils) often accelerates skin repair and can be
a helpful treatment for dry skin and eczema. Also, conditions such as burns,
psoriasis, and eczema often benefit from emu oil.
The supplements in Emu Oil S are Ubiquinone which helps skin energy
metabolism, 7-keto DHEA which helps endogenous lipid synthesis in the skin,
mixed natural tocotrienols and natural vitamin E which are powerful
anti-oxidants to protect agains skin damage and aging.
Topically applied tocotrienols selectively accumulate in skin and serve to
protect it against ultraviolet damage and oxidation. (Traber et al 1997).
In recent controlled studies, 7-keto DHEA has been shown to improve sense of
well-being, immune and mental function, and muscle tone in middle aged men and
women.
Ubiquinone also serves as an important lipid-soluble antioxidant in the skin
and other organs protecting against free radical damage from peroxides that
damage collagen and elastin, which produces a loss of elasticity in the skin
and wrinkle formation.
Ingredients: Peroxide-free emu oil supplemented with Ubiquinone, 7-keto DHEA,
and mixed natural tocotrienols. "
Denise1, about emu oil -- Kit, 10:55:17 06/23/03 Mon
Denise1,
I have actually heard a lot of talking about emu oil, but it really beats me
what actually is its benefits. Can u tell me as I am quite ignorant about it.
How good can it help the skin? Thz
Beth -- Denise1, 04:40:04 06/23/03 Mon
Beth, it's not a retinol product at all. It works deep in the skin to
stimulate collagen, but can bother people with sensitive skin.
You should e-mail them and ask for samples and explain your situation! It
can't hurt and all they can do is say no. They are very knowledgable and
return e-mails within a few days. One thing you might be able to tolerate well
is the emu oil, which is very gentle, non-pore clogging, and leaves the skin
like silk. I think even the most sensitive skin can tolerate it. Check out the
needling thread at acne.com; Niko just got needling done by the same lady who
did mine and is raving about the emu oil, which is what I used in conjunction
with the copper peptides specifically for healing.
E-mail them, I'm sure they will be glad to help!
Any ever had a Dermabrasion procedure? -- Leila, 18:34:00 06/22/03 Sun
Has anyone recently had the TCA Peel or the Dermabrasion procedure? I recently
had both and am in recorvery currently. I wanted to know if anyone was pleased
with their results. I want to know what I have to look forward to or not.
Q about Copper Peptides & Q for Cityslicker -- Beth, 17:25:34 06/22/03 Sun
To Denise (or) anyone familiar with the copper peptide stuff:
Is copper peptide strong like Retin? If it is a strong serum I don't think my
skin will be able to tolerate it. My skin still reacts under most skin care
products and becomes more scarred looking as a result of the irritation they
cause. (Remember I am the one who was initially burned/sensitized from a
glycolic acid treatment.)
To Cityslicker:
How effective would you say that your needling treatment was overall with this
much time passing?
I am considering having a needling treatment at Transitions in July, but will
likely have them use the hand tool since my skin is soooo sensitive. I would
rather risk having less improvement than increased skin injury. I read that
the hand tool does not leave bruises or scabs. Anyone have any thoughts or
comments about this?
Beth
Question for Bernard -- ELT, 23:25:10 06/21/03 Sat
Was just wondering if you could share the name of the Dr. that performed your
dermabrasion and also let me know where he/she is located. I have had a few
procedures done on some acne scars and am still not happy with the results on
one. I keep researching and hoping that one day I will find someone who be
able to correct the scar to my satisfaction.
Thanks.
ELT
Am glad to hear you are happy with your results.
Greg -- Mia, 19:47:39 06/21/03 Sat
Greg,
How was the demonstration by Lillian Omar?
Israel Exoderm: to cityslicker -- Kit, 05:31:11 06/21/03 Sat
Well, it is indeed true to what the physician had said. It will take three to
six months for the skin to grow back and it has somehow taken six months for
the redness to fade. However, my skin is often slightly redder than others and
also thinner, so for my case, I deduce I will take another 1 to 2 months for
the redness to be completely gone. Given a redness rating of 1 to 10 (very
very red for 10), the redness currently is about 2 to 2.5. However, if I don't
stay at home and go out for a walk in the evening, the red is totally
completely gone. I guess I need some form of exercise (simple) to keep the
blood circulation flowing instead of clouding on my face.
However, there are a few areas of discolorations which the physician had also
mentioned before. The reason for it is because he had to perform deeper than
the rest of the regions and he too mentioned it will fade with time too. So
now I just wait and see.
Well, you see, if I have got the choice (most often in real world, there's no
such thing as what if), I would recommend the treatment with Dr Rullan
instead. Well, because he speaks English much better than the Israelis!
Furthermore, I think he has the second and third phase of Exoderm, whereas in
Israel, he just used the original which was only the first phase. But I really
don't understand if the skin is already that red and thin, how can someone
possibly perform chemeoabrasion again? If anyone truly understands the
procedure, I guess chemeoabrasion + Exoderm can definitely bring greater
results.
Remember, I am not recommending any type of Exoderm here. It is just my
personal opinions...that's all. Do more research first before trying. I never
know that the downtime is so long and this is only the one thing I have missed
out, because my skin normally recovers in matter of days...but this time it
really takes months. I guess Exoderm reallly go that deep into the skin.
Anyway, now I am looking at Isolagen and subcision. I still prefer the idea of
using one's skin molecules to regenerate the collagen back. It sound to me
more logical, but it is what the results that count. So I am now hoping to get
some replies from those who are preparing for the Isolagen treatment.
One last thing to say - I strongly feel that you must get a doctor that really
cares for you, and if Dr Rullan is true to what most of you have mentioned, go
to America then. If you are already living in the US, that would be even
better. It took me 17 hours to get to Israel and along the way I'd got so much
of check-ups and interrogation at the airport. At times, I really feel like
biting them. Other than at the airport, most Israelis were quite nice. I had
got the chance to see the Mediterrean sea a lot of time.
Don't mind my spellings ok? I am getting lazier to check on them. Hehe.
Israel Exoderm: to cityslicker -- Kit, 05:30:49 06/21/03 Sat
Well, it is indeed true to what the physician had said. It will take three to
six months for the skin to grow back and it has somehow taken six months for
the redness to fade. However, my skin is often slightly redder than others and
also thinner, so for my case, I deduce I will take another 1 to 2 months for
the redness to be completely gone. Given a redness rating of 1 to 10 (very
very red for 10), the redness currently is about 2 to 2.5. However, if I don't
stay at home and go out for a walk in the evening, the red is totally
completely gone. I guess I need some form of exercise (simple) to keep the
blood circulation flowing instead of clouding on my face.
However, there are a few areas of discolorations which the physician had also
mentioned before. The reason for it is because he had to perform deeper than
the rest of the regions and he too mentioned it will fade with time too. So
now I just wait and see.
Well, you see, if I have got the choice (most often in real world, there's no
such thing as what if), I would recommend the treatment with Dr Rullan
instead. Well, because he speaks English much better than the Israelis!
Furthermore, I think he has the second and third phase of Exoderm, whereas in
Israel, he just used the original which was only the first phase. But I really
don't understand if the skin is already that red and thin, how can someone
possibly perform chemeoabrasion again? If anyone truly understands the
procedure, I guess chemeoabrasion + Exoderm can definitely bring greater
results.
Remember, I am not recommending any type of Exoderm here. It is just my
personal opinions...that's all. Do more research first before trying. I never
know that the downtime is so long and this is only the one thing I have missed
out, because my skin normally recovers in matter of days...but this time it
really takes months. I guess Exoderm reallly go that deep into the skin.
Anyway, now I am looking at Isolagen and subcision. I still prefer the idea of
using one's skin molecules to regenerate the collagen back. It sound to me
more logical, but it is what the results that count. So I am now hoping to get
some replies from those who are preparing for the Isolagen treatment.
One last thing to say - I strongly feel that you must get a doctor that really
cares for you, and if Dr Rullan is true to what most of you have mentioned, go
to America then. If you are already living in the US, that would be even
better. It took me 17 hours to get to Israel and along the way I'd got so much
of check-ups and interrogation at the airport. At times, I really feel like
biting them. Other than at the airport, most Israelis were quite nice. I had
got the chance to see the Mediterrean sea a lot of time.
Don't mind my spellings ok? I am getting lazier to check on them. Hehe.
Kit - Update ??? -- Cityslicker, 01:03:24 06/21/03 Sat
Kit - It's been about 6 months since your Exoderm, what percentage of
improvement do you feel you've gotten? How long were you red, and if your
still red what rating would you give? Would you recommend to others or knowing
what you know now and had never done it, would you still choose to have it
done? Thank you for any feedback you can offer. Regards. :-) Cityslicker
Denise and Eric -- Kit, 18:06:43 06/20/03 Fri
Hi,
I'm getting kinda confused here... I always thought that Eric is the first
batch of "pioneers" to recommend copper peptides for scars. Now it seems to me
that Denise is also in favour in this type of cream treatment.
I guess it must have brought extremely good results to both of you then. I
have ordered the P&R cream with exfol but ditch them somewhere in my closet. I
guess it's time for me to use them seriously now. It's extremely great to have
both of you around...
Kit here again -- Kit, 17:31:09 06/20/03 Fri
Hi, it has been a long time and I have really noticed so many mails which I
have not followed. It seems there are more positive news. From now onwards, I
will be coming in often especially I have just changed my ISP to a faster
connection provider.
Eric and Maya -- Denise1, 03:05:21 06/20/03 Fri
To Eric, you said:
I noticed on one of your recent posts that at night, you appply Super CP Serum
and then Retin-A followed by Emu Oil to moisturize. I have not tried this and
think it could be a winning combination. How long do you wait after applying
Super CP Serum before adding the Retin-A... and about how much serum do you
use? Does it make the application and spreading of the Retin-A Micro gel more
difficult or flaky?
Denise; Eric, I usually apply the SUPER serum, then right afterwards, I apply
the Retin A. About 20-30 minutes later, I'll apply the emu/jojoba oil. I love
jojoba oil. It has the same consistancy as the sebum in your skin and helps
your pores stay clear. I use a clear kind that has been filtered, and isn't as
heavy as the regular, more golden colored stuff. I
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