40 replies to this topic

[bibs]

I promised myself that if I found something that helped my acne scars I would share them with all of you here. This board has helped me so much through one of the roughest periods of my life and I'll always be grateful. I hope my story helps someone else who went through what I did.

2 years ago, I got two smoothbeam treatments that wreaked havoc on my skin and my life. After the smoothbeam, my moderate acne erupted into huge awful cysts, and my once scar free skin became completely red and pockmarked within 6 months. I had never scarred before, but the smoothbeam must have weakened my collagen, because every cyst left a dent, and after the acne cleared up, I was more horrified and devastated by the scars. I had rolling and box and icepick scars concentrated in an area on each cheek. My once smooth skin looked ripply and awful. I don't have any photos of that time because it literally made me sob to look at them. I would have dreams that I still looked like I did before the scars, and wake up to look in the mirror at a completely changed face.

After a few months of total devastation, I decided I had to get a positive attitude about things or else I would just die from depression. I decided I was stuck with scars, but I would try and make my skin as healthy as possible. I also worked on trying to smile and be attractive from the inside, since I no longer had confidence in my outside. I also spent a lot of time reading these boards, trying to find anything I could to help my scars.

My first resolution--to not make PERFECTION the goal. if I did, I knew I would only be disappointed. My second resolution-- to try the most low risk things first. I thought Smoothbeam was the short cut answer to flawless skin, and I learned the hard way that shortcuts are a huge risk. Research on this board made me decided TCA cross was a low risk, inexpensive thing to try first.

My trial cross was really tentative. I only crossed two scars that were a bit isolated. At first the results were amazing. One scar looked like it had almost closed up! But after the scab fell off, it kind of went back to what it was--but a bit shallower, less defined. Pretty happy with this, I went ahead with my first cross and did a bunch of my most hideous scars. After the scabs fell off, I didn't see much difference until a few weeks later, when I realized my scars were not as noticeable as they once were. The mirrors that depressed me, no longer made me want to hide. I was still scarred, but overall, not as bad as I was before.

I waited a couple months before my second cross because I was sort of resigned to that level of improvement. But once you get used to things, you start getting dissatisfied again, so I went ahead with the second cross. Again, not much difference right off, but a month or so later, I realized that my right cheek, which had looked like cellulite, had smoothed up and looked like a normal cheek with just a few shallow scars! a complete difference. my left cheek had the deepest scars, but they were much less shallow and noticeable. the overall look of them had improved.

my third cross was just a month ago. A lot of time had passed, and I was fairly satisfied with the results of the 2nd cross, but after seeing my reflection in a store window on a sunny day, i was motivated to do another. I am so happy. Some of my scars have disappeared completely now, and in comparison to a year ago, I am STUNNED at the difference. I don't get depressed when I look in the mirror now. I don't shy away from photos. I like to try on clothes in department stores again and even the worst lighting isn't so bad.

I know it hasn't worked for everybody, but over the course of a year, I have done 3 crosses, and I am AMAZED at the improvement. I don't know what in particular helped me, but I wonder if the fact that I gave plenty of time for my skin to heal helped with collagen production? My crosses were literally months apart. In addition, I use Squalene Oil every day on my skin. This has softened it up SO much and made my skin look really healthy. Recently I also started using a hydroquinine cream a couple times a week to bleach the red. Without the red in the scars, they are way less noticeable. I also started using Burt's Bees Royal Jelly Radiance cream...which also softens my skin.

I still have scars and I'll never have flawless skin...but I am so much closer to normal than I ever was a year ago. I really recommend TCA cross. HAVE PATIENCE with it though. and with your skin!

[bibs]

one more thing! i saw my mother for the first time in over a year and was dreading it because I didn't have scars when I saw her last. Even though I was happy with the 2nd cross, I still had scars, and my mom can be really critical. When she saw me, she said--"What happened to your face? You have holes in it." --not to be mean, but because she really didn't know what happened. Still it hurt. Well, I did the third cross and a recently mentioned that I felt happier about my scars. She said, "What scars? Oh--right. You can barely see them." She had completely forgotten about the comment she had made before.

[Dazarooni]

one more thing! i saw my mother for the first time in over a year and was dreading it because I didn't have scars when I saw her last. Even though I was happy with the 2nd cross, I still had scars, and my mom can be really critical. When she saw me, she said--"What happened to your face? You have holes in it." --not to be mean, but because she really didn't know what happened. Still it hurt. Well, I did the third cross and a recently mentioned that I felt happier about my scars. She said, "What scars? Oh--right. You can barely see them." She had completely forgotten about the comment she had made before.

That's nice to hear bibs.

TCA Cross is a slow process for sure and lots of patience is needed. Big improvements will not occur overnight and it's a long, drawn out process. Walking around with red blotches on your face isn't very pleasant either.

I think that too many people expect to see great results in such a short space of time, only to set themselves up for a big disappointment. If anything I was guilty myself of that. I try to do a cross every 2 months apart. I think that a TCA Cross every 4-5 weeks apart is not right as the skin needs longer to heel when using 100% TCA. My scars at 9 weeks after treatment look much better than they did after 5 weeks. I found that after 9 weeks, the redness had complete faded and scars were shallower and much less noticeable than they were after 5 weeks.

I think it's critically important to allow ample time for the skin to fully recover and heal and Cross treatments spaced 4-5 weeks apart does not help maximise the potential results as acid is being put on skin that hasn't fully healed from the previous treatment.

[Smokeyjay]

Hydroquinone doesn't work for red marks though.. Just a heads up.

[bibs]

thanks smokejay. i felt like it was kind of evening out my skin tone, but maybe that is something else or just my skin healing naturally?

dazarooney-- i definitely agree! the improvement seemed to just sneak up on me after a couple months. one day, i would just notice in usually bad lighting, that my skin was way more plumped up, the scars smaller. it pays to wait.

[stacpearl]

Hey,

Looking at all different options for diminishing my acne scars. What is TCA Cross?? Also, anyone have any experience with acne needling, portrait, or dermabrasion?

[Denise2]

one more thing! i saw my mother for the first time in over a year and was dreading it because I didn't have scars when I saw her last. Even though I was happy with the 2nd cross, I still had scars, and my mom can be really critical. When she saw me, she said--"What happened to your face? You have holes in it." --not to be mean, but because she really didn't know what happened. Still it hurt. Well, I did the third cross and a recently mentioned that I felt happier about my scars. She said, "What scars? Oh--right. You can barely see them." She had completely forgotten about the comment she had made before.

That's nice to hear bibs.

TCA Cross is a slow process for sure and lots of patience is needed. Big improvements will not occur overnight and it's a long, drawn out process. Walking around with red blotches on your face isn't very pleasant either.

I think that too many people expect to see great results in such a short space of time, only to set themselves up for a big disappointment. If anything I was guilty myself of that. I try to do a cross every 2 months apart. I think that a TCA Cross every 4-5 weeks apart is not right as the skin needs longer to heel when using 100% TCA. My scars at 9 weeks after treatment look much better than they did after 5 weeks. I found that after 9 weeks, the redness had complete faded and scars were shallower and much less noticeable than they were after 5 weeks.

I think it's critically important to allow ample time for the skin to fully recover and heal and Cross treatments spaced 4-5 weeks apart does not help maximise the potential results as acid is being put on skin that hasn't fully healed from the previous treatment.

So true, Daz! We should PIN this post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've said it once, I've said it 50 times....between 8-12 weeks is when you see the most improvement. The scars ALWAYS look WORSE when the scabs first fall off, then it's amazing how they fill in the in the proceeding 3 months.....

[Hopesprings]

I'm with denise. From experience, it does take at least 2 months to see change. Usually the improvement continues into the 3ed month. I would bet that it continues even further but I've never given it more than 3 months in between.

[Denise2]

I'm with denise. From experience, it does take at least 2 months to see change. Usually the improvement continues into the 3ed month. I would bet that it continues even further but I've never given it more than 3 months in between.

Actually, you are absolutely correct. I know because as I've said many times on the board here....I have taken my time doing scar revision on myself because my skin simply doesn't bother me much anymore. I do want to do more crosses, but I can say with certainty (because I go so long between crosses and only do a few a year at this point), that yes, in fact, the improvement seems to continue on and on even past 3 months. That is absolutely right. I do want to add that I believe a lot of my skin care efforts (peels and peptide-laced topicals), help the process as well.

[Hopesprings]

I do want to add that I believe a lot of my skin care efforts (peels and peptide-laced topicals), help the process as well.

You got that right, siser
I absolutely believe that the peptides and peels inbetween add a lot. It's exactly what I do and a lot of it thanks to you and what I read of your experiences on this board before ever starting with all the procedures.

So thanks

[bibs]

Actually, you are absolutely correct. I know because as I've said many times on the board here....I have taken my time doing scar revision on myself because my skin simply doesn't bother me much anymore. I do want to do more crosses, but I can say with certainty (because I go so long between crosses and only do a few a year at this point), that yes, in fact, the improvement seems to continue on and on even past 3 months. That is absolutely right. I do want to add that I believe a lot of my skin care efforts (peels and peptide-laced topicals), help the process as well.

i'm with you! i will probably do some more crosses sometime, but my skin doesn't bother me anymore to be messing with it that much. it's taken about a year, but it's made a HUGE difference. i go up to mirrors in lighting that used to depress me 3 months ago and i'm like--whoa! not bad!

[arya]

I thought I might add my little "success" story. A while ago, I posted a thread in which I said I was just so so depressed about the condition of my face, with my scars, etc. It was just so disheartening, but I got many warm, encouraging replies with you all telling me to keep trying.

So, I did...and I've been at it with peels, and C. peptides, but I thought I should give the TCA CROSS a rest for a few months or so, so that my skin could recuperate from it. And you know what?? Like you all have experienced, I think it HAS helped!!! Of course it's not even a 20% improvement, but just last week I did a Salicylic Acid peel, this time a little longer than usual, because I felt I should be a little more aggressive (don't know if that's the best technique, but it seemed to have worked!). Anyway, after all the dead skin fell off, my skin looks a liiiiitle bit better than it has in almost a year!!! I was really really encouraged. I think it was because of the combination of using CP and acids plus the TCA, an incredibly slow, but promising procedure.

Now I know what you're all talking about, about persevering and not losing hope, being impatient, etc. I think that really is the key to TCA cross'ing. I know that I myself feel into that trap, thinking "yet another disappointment", but when I look at some of my scars, they are less deep. And when you see that, it really is the best feeling in the world!

I know maybe I shouldn't be so hasty in saying so, but I don't think it's just my imagination. Anyway, just wanted to share this!

Good luck everyone!

[technomarine_888]

How do you do TCA cross.. please explain im so interested.. Is it just a astringent applied to face every night? pls reply guys... full blown explanation I need.. appreciating you so much I shall...

[bibs]

@arya -- SO happy you are finding success. really--just keep waiting. even 3 months from now you will see your skin has gotten better. then, you can cross again. literally, it took a year for me to get here and the difference has been night and day. but even 3 months ago i was feeling still scarred. now, it is not the first thing i see in the mirror in the morning. STICK WITH IT. be nice to your face.

@denise2-- i never did any skin peels or anything while doing the cross. but i have used squalene oil every night to moistruize my skin and it really has softened it up.

@technomarine -- you should look up TCA cross in the search function and you will get tons of posts. i learned what it was on this board. basically it's a very strong acid that you apply to the scar and JUST the scar with a toothpick. i'm not a doctor, but i've gleaned that how it works is that you cause damage to just the scar area (a bit like subsicion), which leads to loosening up of scar tissue and gradual build up of collagen. results vary from the scar completely disappearing (my smaller scars for example) to scars become shallower and less defined.

[Snowman]

i had tca cross done exactly 2 weeks ago on like 5 of my worst scars on my right cheek just to check my skin didnt react funny. It took about 5-6 days for scabs to fall off revealing pink skin (new skin i guess). They did look slightly bigger if not same size but i can confidently say already that they look much smaller than before treatment. I think 1 more on them and they should be practically gone!!

I have now decided to do my small icepick scars on my own instead of by dermo and leave the slightly larger ones to my dermo next yr

[bibs]

yay snowman! just to let you know...they might look a bit worse again for a while, but then after another month or two, you'll suddenly notice they look better again! i attribute it to swelling. after the scabs fall off, you are still a bit swelled up, but then the swelling goes down and you feel a bit disappointed, but THEN the collagen kicks in.

[Sound*of*Silence]

bibs- Thank you and lovvvvved your post.. so happy to hear about your TCA success Im really scared, but i just may try TCA cross on my ice picks.. (I was going to have punch excised in the future anyways)...figuring i have nothing to lose.

bibs..what % of TCA did you use??? thankies.

[bibs]

bibs- Thank you and lovvvvved your post.. so happy to hear about your TCA success Im really scared, but i just may try TCA cross on my ice picks.. (I was going to have punch excised in the future anyways)...figuring i have nothing to lose.

bibs..what % of TCA did you use??? thankies.

happy to help! i used 100%. It really worked on my ice picks, but i haven't done anything tinier than a toothpick.

[VolksWagon87]

This question doesn't pertain to the thread, but I hoped you guys can all answer this simple question: Can I do 30% glycolic acid peels up to a week before I do a TCA peel?

[Sound*of*Silence]

bibs- Thank you and lovvvvved your post.. so happy to hear about your TCA success Im really scared, but i just may try TCA cross on my ice picks.. (I was going to have punch excised in the future anyways)...figuring i have nothing to lose.

bibs..what % of TCA did you use??? thankies.

happy to help! i used 100%. It really worked on my ice picks, but i haven't done anything tinier than a toothpick.

Im going to try this on my ice picks too...Thank you for your quick answer. .