Just had subcision + TCA cross

Hey guys, after lots of talk I finally had subcision and TCA cross today. My derm subcized 2 major scars and an area that had 3-4 shallower scars. He also used TCA cross on 3 scars.

Right now my scars look pretty darn good - two REALLY depressed areas are now flat. I know that this is likely due to the swelling (unfortunately) - maybe if they go back to their old state I could have the same effect via temporary fillers. My concern is that I have hard lumps (can't see them, but I feel them) in two areas where I had both subcision and TCA cross. They are really tender and almost feel like cysts. Is this anything to worry about? How will I know if I have an infection?

Also, my doc gave me a prescription for antibiotics if I ever appear to develop an infection. What do you guys think, get the drugs regardless of whether I have an infection or not to be safe?

Best for large areas of shallow scarring?

Hey guys, I need some advice. My acne scars are a bit funky and are different than most people here. I do have 3-4 medium sized rolling scars, but the rest are tiny indentations that are widely scattered over my cheeks. They kinda look like enlarged pores in size (some smaller/larger), but have a visible bottom - they are only maybe.. 0.2-0.3mm deep. If I just had a couple it would not be a big deal, but I have dozens and some are so close together that they create what looks like linear scars and royally messed up texture. Heck, my left cheek is so battered that I have trouble finding healthy skin. I'm guessing they could be classified as mild ice picks?

I keep hearing that ice picks are difficult to treat. Are lasers (ie. fraxel) effective for these sort of scars if they are shallow? Or are they like larger ice picks and won't respond well to laser treatment?

Thanks.

Note: I tried retin-a but I failed to see any difference and the redness/peeling never lessened after months of use.

Want to do excision and subcision, but afraid

Hi guys, I have some scars on my face - I really don't have that many, but 3-4 are deep and stand out. They are also in very obvious places of my face (ie. in the mouth-crease area). I think subcision would work for some and one could be excised, but I'm afraid that the procedure will not work and leave me with more scars. I don't know if this feeling is based on facts or if it's just my imagination running wild. Therefore, I'm wondering if it is common for patients to experience more scarring after these proceedures... or if they are generally considered safe?

Canadian Plastic Surgeons/Derms in Ottawa/Montreal/Toronto

I was wondering if any residents can recommend any doctors from the Ottawa/Toronto/Montreal corridor? Specifically for doctors who have experience doing subcision/excision on acne scar patients. Thanks!!

Scars look great... in the morning

So every morning I look at my scars and every morning I think to myself, "hey these scars really don't look that bad" and continue look great for about 2-3 hours. But by the time I go to bed, I'm thinking "my scars look awful". I used to think maybe it was psychological, but I've been paying more attention to this and in the morning my scars are filled in and appear superficial - some are still obvious, but maybe 75% are flat. While at night, my scars are much deeper and cast shadows.

I realize that this is likely due to some form of swelling that occurs when we sleep, that eventually fades throughout the day. But I was wondering if this offers any insight as to how I should treat my scars? Would they leave if I gained some weight (I'm a guy)? Would fillers make the swelling constant?