1445 replies to this topic

[Lapis lazuli]

I had a deep peel performed on me on 4th january, still i am so red like lobster, and most of my scarring is still there , and my plastic surgeon said that after redness fades away, he would like to do stem cell therapy on me....and he is talking about results that would last probably up to 40 years from day of the treatment..... i didnt have time to read whole topic, but has anyone undergone this procedure and what are your thoughts about it?

Thanx in advance

As far as I know there are currently very few doctors offering the treatment discussed in this thread... What exactly does your doctor mean when he says "stem cell therapy"? I assume you're not seeing Dr. Khan in the UK?

nope, this is plastic surgeon from Serbia that is operating also here in my country, he was very famous while he was in USA.... basically what he said to me is that he is going to take fat from my body , and then from that fat to exclude stem cells , and then inject them into my face.....if i understood him correctly....sorry if i can't explain this abit better...

Well, that's wonderful. That's great that you can get this done. What will your surgeon charge, if you don't mind me asking?

[Marko_MNE]

I had a deep peel performed on me on 4th january, still i am so red like lobster, and most of my scarring is still there , and my plastic surgeon said that after redness fades away, he would like to do stem cell therapy on me....and he is talking about results that would last probably up to 40 years from day of the treatment..... i didnt have time to read whole topic, but has anyone undergone this procedure and what are your thoughts about it?

Thanx in advance

As far as I know there are currently very few doctors offering the treatment discussed in this thread... What exactly does your doctor mean when he says "stem cell therapy"? I assume you're not seeing Dr. Khan in the UK?

nope, this is plastic surgeon from Serbia that is operating also here in my country, he was very famous while he was in USA.... basically what he said to me is that he is going to take fat from my body , and then from that fat to exclude stem cells , and then inject them into my face.....if i understood him correctly....sorry if i can't explain this abit better...

Well, that's wonderful. That's great that you can get this done. What will your surgeon charge, if you don't mind me asking?

we havent arranged anything yet, he still needs to monitor my condition after this deep peel he has performed on me, i mean for sure there is going to be some effect from it, but not what i was hoping for. So when i said to him that , and when he saw that I obviously care alot to get rid of this damn scars, he mentioned this procedure including stem cells. He started doing this recently, and he has performed alot of procedures with it , but i havent asked if he has treated scars with it so far. He is coming to my home town on 27 when i will see him again , and ask him to explain to me abit better about whole this stem cell thing. I have paid 2000 euros for the peel, and he said if he needs to correct something, that would be free of charge including the stem cell procedure if it ever happens.

[Lapis lazuli]

we havent arranged anything yet, he still needs to monitor my condition after this deep peel he has performed on me, i mean for sure there is going to be some effect from it, but not what i was hoping for. So when i said to him that , and when he saw that I obviously care alot to get rid of this damn scars, he mentioned this procedure including stem cells. He started doing this recently, and he has performed alot of procedures with it , but i havent asked if he has treated scars with it so far. He is coming to my home town on 27 when i will see him again , and ask him to explain to me abit better about whole this stem cell thing. I have paid 2000 euros for the peel, and he said if he needs to correct something, that would be free of charge including the stem cell procedure if it ever happens.

That's amazing, that you can get it done for free! I mean Dr. Khan charges about 6000 Euros, if I remember correctly. So that's really great that you can get it free of charge. You're very lucky. People here have been very positive about the results as far as I've heard. They say it has definately made a big improvement. Their scars aren't completely "gone" but they just look a lot better. Better to a degree that it was worth the money they spent. So that's very promising. Anyway, good luck with your treatment! I hope it goes well.

[Marko_MNE]

we havent arranged anything yet, he still needs to monitor my condition after this deep peel he has performed on me, i mean for sure there is going to be some effect from it, but not what i was hoping for. So when i said to him that , and when he saw that I obviously care alot to get rid of this damn scars, he mentioned this procedure including stem cells. He started doing this recently, and he has performed alot of procedures with it , but i havent asked if he has treated scars with it so far. He is coming to my home town on 27 when i will see him again , and ask him to explain to me abit better about whole this stem cell thing. I have paid 2000 euros for the peel, and he said if he needs to correct something, that would be free of charge including the stem cell procedure if it ever happens.

That's amazing, that you can get it done for free! I mean Dr. Khan charges about 6000 Euros, if I remember correctly. So that's really great that you can get it free of charge. You're very lucky. People here have been very positive about the results as far as I've heard. They say it has definately made a big improvement. Their scars aren't completely "gone" but they just look a lot better. Better to a degree that it was worth the money they spent. So that's very promising. Anyway, good luck with your treatment! I hope it goes well.

we will see what will happen , I will keep you updated definitely

[elevate]

i check this message board frequently for before and after photos from people who have had this procedure done, but so far no such luck.

i say this with no animosity or condescension whatsoever, but i'm curious why people are so reluctant to post their results. i fully understand people go through their emotions and may be afraid of judgment, as i know scarring is a very sensitive thing, especially for people on this forum, but through my eyes, i am just very eager and curious about this procedure, and would like empirical documentation of what this procedure can do so that i may choose or not choose to pursue it. It's a very objective thing for me, as I am sure it is for most people on here.

also, i think sharing photos here benefit everyone. if more people see the results, more people will become interested in the procedure, and more people will have it done. thus creating a higher demand for the procedure which eventually leads to greater funding, lower cost and greater advancement towards finding the cure for scarring.

that said, i think the people who have had the procedure done may be playing their cards a little close to their chest, and i fully understand why, but i'm asking out of curiosity to please share. after all, it's not what you know, it's what you contribute.

thanks for hearing my request.

[ylem]

I think stem cells sound much like the other procedures...from the reviews I am not feeling there is a possible drmamtic improvment from this. I say, just like dermabrasion, pray for 50% at best. Any one of us with deep scarring is going to die with it unfortunately

[colkurtz88]

I think stem cells sound much like the other procedures...from the reviews I am not feeling there is a possible drmamtic improvment from this. I say, just like dermabrasion, pray for 50% at best. Any one of us with deep scarring is going to die with it unfortunately

I understand the frustration. I really do. There's no doubt, if there was greater demand for a cure for acne scars, we'd have a cure by now. unfortunately, not many people suffer from actual scarring. This is what's so frustrating. We fail the pain everyday but feel overlooked. Just look at all the stuff man has been able to create through engineering and science. It's astounding and to not be able to permanently correct the level of skin so that it's even with the surrounding skin is just as astounding. It may be awhile before we get to that level, but we'll get there. These stem cell advancements are going to be like the computer industry the past several decades. advancements are going to come, and their going to come fast.

[Lapis lazuli]

There's no doubt, if there was greater demand for a cure for acne scars, we'd have a cure by now. unfortunately, not many people suffer from actual scarring. This is what's so frustrating. We fail the pain everyday but feel overlooked.

I dunno man, I dunno. I've read this on Renovo's Wikipedia page:

"The US commercial market for prevention and reduction of scarring in the skin is valued at approximately US$4 billion per annum, and the market is larger in patient volume than Depression, Osteoporosis, Asthma and Diabetes"

[Lapis lazuli]

Any one of us with deep scarring is going to die with it unfortunately

Well, I think a cure will come around sooner or later. It's just a matter of time. How much time remains to be seen, though.

[elevate]

I think stem cells sound much like the other procedures...from the reviews I am not feeling there is a possible drmamtic improvment from this. I say, just like dermabrasion, pray for 50% at best. Any one of us with deep scarring is going to die with it unfortunately

ylem, i'm sorry to say this, but cynicism gets you nowhere. i've noticed a lot of your post in the past, and they are always so defeatist. what good does it do? you have no more say in what the future will bring than anyone else here, so what makes you so sure?

i know you are suffering and i understand, and would suggest you see a therapist. he/she will not cure your scarring, but it is a place where you can vent your negative emotions and be heard (you will be heard moreso than on these forums at least), and just being heard goes a long way, trust me. it won't relieve your scars, but it does relieve some of the misery.

[elevate]

I dunno man, I dunno. I've read this on Renovo's Wikipedia page:

"The US commercial market for prevention and reduction of scarring in the skin is valued at approximately US$4 billion per annum, and the market is larger in patient volume than Depression, Osteoporosis, Asthma and Diabetes"


[/quote]

this is an interesting statistic. i'll have to fact check it.

[ylem]

I think stem cells sound much like the other procedures...from the reviews I am not feeling there is a possible drmamtic improvment from this. I say, just like dermabrasion, pray for 50% at best. Any one of us with deep scarring is going to die with it unfortunately

ylem, i'm sorry to say this, but cynicism gets you nowhere. i've noticed a lot of your post in the past, and they are always so defeatist. what good does it do? you have no more say in what the future will bring than anyone else here, so what makes you so sure?

i know you are suffering and i understand, and would suggest you see a therapist. he/she will not cure your scarring, but it is a place where you can vent your negative emotions and be heard (you will be heard moreso than on these forums at least), and just being heard goes a long way, trust me. it won't relieve your scars, but it does relieve some of the misery.

I've been seeing therapists for over 10 years now. I have good days and bad days, but recently hit another slump. Ive been on this board and having countless surgical procedures for the scarring. What really got me down was I was on a flight last month and sat down next to this woman that greeted me. I got to talking with her and asked her what she does. She revealed to me that she is a dermatologist. So, of course I proceeded to tell her about my acne and scarring. I mentioned it was quite severe and she agreed, " yes I can see you have extensive scarring and some'activity', meaning existing breakouts. I hurt so much to have a random dermaotlogist tell me my scarring was severe. I spent so much money and I still have scarring that is considered a severe. I know there is no hope for me. I've tried so many procedures, including:

wire brush dermabrasion
10 rounds of Fraxel restore
8 rounds of silicone microdroplet
20 punch excisions
smoothbeam

There are more procedures I am leaving out, but I have spent 20,000 plus, and my scarring is still considered severe by others, not just me. So, all that proaganda about 'me being my worst critic' is not true in this case. I can't bear to show my face. I hide behind hoods and scarves. I cower when I am in a position whne the sunlight hits my face and I catch my reflection. I look like the side of the moon. It's devastating to have spent so much and tried so hard and have it all get me nowhere.

I also went back to my derm who did the Fraxels and he looked rather concerned when he saw my face again. He agreed again that my scarring looked pretty bad and that he suggested radiesse would help. Of course, everyone on here disagrees with its effectiveness, so once again I don't know what to do. I can't just not do anything about it.

Edited by ylem, 23 January 2010 - 10:59 PM.

[smoothmove]

Ylem,
I know you had the excisions and dermabrasion, but most of the other stuff you tried weren't necessarily "surgical" such as lasers and silicon. Have you considered or tried needling/dermarolling? I also didn't see subcision listed.

[Mr President]

I think stem cells sound much like the other procedures...from the reviews I am not feeling there is a possible drmamtic improvment from this. I say, just like dermabrasion, pray for 50% at best. Any one of us with deep scarring is going to die with it unfortunately

ylem, i'm sorry to say this, but cynicism gets you nowhere. i've noticed a lot of your post in the past, and they are always so defeatist. what good does it do? you have no more say in what the future will bring than anyone else here, so what makes you so sure?

i know you are suffering and i understand, and would suggest you see a therapist. he/she will not cure your scarring, but it is a place where you can vent your negative emotions and be heard (you will be heard moreso than on these forums at least), and just being heard goes a long way, trust me. it won't relieve your scars, but it does relieve some of the misery.

I've been seeing therapists for over 10 years now. I have good days and bad days, but recently hit another slump. Ive been on this board and having countless surgical procedures for the scarring. What really got me down was I was on a flight last month and sat down next to this woman that greeted me. I got to talking with her and asked her what she does. She revealed to me that she is a dermatologist. So, of course I proceeded to tell her about my acne and scarring. I mentioned it was quite severe and she agreed, " yes I can see you have extensive scarring and some'activity', meaning existing breakouts. I hurt so much to have a random dermaotlogist tell me my scarring was severe. I spent so much money and I still have scarring that is considered a severe. I know there is no hope for me. I've tried so many procedures, including:

wire brush dermabrasion
10 rounds of Fraxel restore
8 rounds of silicone microdroplet
20 punch excisions
smoothbeam

There are more procedures I am leaving out, but I have spent 20,000 plus, and my scarring is still considered severe by others, not just me. So, all that proaganda about 'me being my worst critic' is not true in this case. I can't bear to show my face. I hide behind hoods and scarves. I cower when I am in a position whne the sunlight hits my face and I catch my reflection. I look like the side of the moon. It's devastating to have spent so much and tried so hard and have it all get me nowhere.

I also went back to my derm who did the Fraxels and he looked rather concerned when he saw my face again. He agreed again that my scarring looked pretty bad and that he suggested radiesse would help. Of course, everyone on here disagrees with its effectiveness, so once again I don't know what to do. I can't just not do anything about it.

ylem, i've read your story and i feel for you mate. i cant imagine how you feel abou terrible scarring but understand how you feel when you try something and it doesnt work. there is another member here by the name of ernestoria who had some pretty terrible acne scarring. i think he has seen results too so maybe chat to him. i think just beat the bullcrap and go for the most invasive treatment you can find. some doctors also use a variety of extreme treatments in one sitting too, just to further the results and you can get a discount because of this. not to mention the long downtime with ongoing treatments. dont just use one method at a time, especially if its bothering u so much. i truly hope this helps and please do chat to the ernestoria guy.

Edited by cartwheeling_monkey, 24 January 2010 - 04:32 AM.

[Vanzzzz]

I think stem cells sound much like the other procedures...from the reviews I am not feeling there is a possible drmamtic improvment from this. I say, just like dermabrasion, pray for 50% at best. Any one of us with deep scarring is going to die with it unfortunately

ylem, i'm sorry to say this, but cynicism gets you nowhere. i've noticed a lot of your post in the past, and they are always so defeatist. what good does it do? you have no more say in what the future will bring than anyone else here, so what makes you so sure?

i know you are suffering and i understand, and would suggest you see a therapist. he/she will not cure your scarring, but it is a place where you can vent your negative emotions and be heard (you will be heard moreso than on these forums at least), and just being heard goes a long way, trust me. it won't relieve your scars, but it does relieve some of the misery.

I've been seeing therapists for over 10 years now. I have good days and bad days, but recently hit another slump. Ive been on this board and having countless surgical procedures for the scarring. What really got me down was I was on a flight last month and sat down next to this woman that greeted me. I got to talking with her and asked her what she does. She revealed to me that she is a dermatologist. So, of course I proceeded to tell her about my acne and scarring. I mentioned it was quite severe and she agreed, " yes I can see you have extensive scarring and some'activity', meaning existing breakouts. I hurt so much to have a random dermaotlogist tell me my scarring was severe. I spent so much money and I still have scarring that is considered a severe. I know there is no hope for me. I've tried so many procedures, including:

wire brush dermabrasion
10 rounds of Fraxel restore
8 rounds of silicone microdroplet
20 punch excisions
smoothbeam

There are more procedures I am leaving out, but I have spent 20,000 plus, and my scarring is still considered severe by others, not just me. So, all that proaganda about 'me being my worst critic' is not true in this case. I can't bear to show my face. I hide behind hoods and scarves. I cower when I am in a position whne the sunlight hits my face and I catch my reflection. I look like the side of the moon. It's devastating to have spent so much and tried so hard and have it all get me nowhere.

I also went back to my derm who did the Fraxels and he looked rather concerned when he saw my face again. He agreed again that my scarring looked pretty bad and that he suggested radiesse would help. Of course, everyone on here disagrees with its effectiveness, so once again I don't know what to do. I can't just not do anything about it.

ylem, i've read your story and i feel for you mate. i cant imagine how you feel abou terrible scarring but understand how you feel when you try something and it doesnt work. there is another member here by the name of ernestoria who had some pretty terrible acne scarring. i think he has seen results too so maybe chat to him. i think just beat the bullcrap and go for the most invasive treatment you can find. some doctors also use a variety of extreme treatments in one sitting too, just to further the results and you can get a discount because of this. not to mention the long downtime with ongoing treatments. dont just use one method at a time, especially if its bothering u so much. i truly hope this helps and please do chat to the ernestoria guy.

Yea ylem. I've read your posts for quite a while now. You always mentioned how severe your scarring is and how much it affects you. If you have as many deep scars as ernestoria, perhaps you can try his treatment? His scars really look alot softer and shallower, which goes a long way in improving your confidence.

Furthermore, his skin tone is rather dark but he doesnt seem to have too much hyperpigmentation from fraxel repair, so perhaps his combination treatment will be your answer.

[Lapis lazuli]

I dunno man, I dunno. I've read this on Renovo's Wikipedia page:

"The US commercial market for prevention and reduction of scarring in the skin is valued at approximately US$4 billion per annum, and the market is larger in patient volume than Depression, Osteoporosis, Asthma and Diabetes"

this is an interesting statistic. i'll have to fact check it.

Yes, it's very interesting isn't it? I was kind of surprised to read it, as well... Let us know what your findings are, ok?

[elevate]

I dunno man, I dunno. I've read this on Renovo's Wikipedia page:

"The US commercial market for prevention and reduction of scarring in the skin is valued at approximately US$4 billion per annum, and the market is larger in patient volume than Depression, Osteoporosis, Asthma and Diabetes"

this is an interesting statistic. i'll have to fact check it.

Yes, it's very interesting isn't it? I was kind of surprised to read it, as well... Let us know what your findings are, ok?

i read the study and it seems the patient volume relates to the number of people with acne, so it doesn't surprise me that is up there with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, etc. as a common disorder. if you consider anyone with acne as part of the market for people who would be interested in scar prevention (which i think renevo did for marketing reasons), then there's no surprise it's a lot - sort of a misleading association. i think people with severe scarring seeking an a posteriori cure makes up a much smaller demographic.

anyways, with that said, i will reserve any further comments to allow for people to post their before and after photos

[Lapis lazuli]

i read the study and it seems the patient volume relates to the number of people with acne, so it doesn't surprise me that is up there with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, etc. as a common disorder. if you consider anyone with acne as part of the market for people who would be interested in scar prevention (which i think renevo did for marketing reasons), then there's no surprise it's a lot - sort of a misleading association. i think people with severe scarring seeking an a posteriori cure makes up a much smaller demographic.

Thanks for sharing that. So you think it's marketing, eh? Interesting...

[Mr President]

i read the study and it seems the patient volume relates to the number of people with acne, so it doesn't surprise me that is up there with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, etc. as a common disorder. if you consider anyone with acne as part of the market for people who would be interested in scar prevention (which i think renevo did for marketing reasons), then there's no surprise it's a lot - sort of a misleading association. i think people with severe scarring seeking an a posteriori cure makes up a much smaller demographic.

Thanks for sharing that. So you think it's marketing, eh? Interesting...

hey guys, i hope you dont mind if i post here. i have to admit, i, finding this post pretty interesting. i cant help but think people with some form of scarring would be massive, but severe scarring would only be a tiny portion of the world. i read yesterday that our approach to reducing scarring is stoneage in comparison to the advances made curing other conditions. i appreciate its such a difficult thing to resolve, but i wish companies out there would start allocating more resources into finding better solutions.

[Lapis lazuli]

hey guys, i hope you dont mind if i post here.

Why would anyone mind?

i have to admit, i, finding this post pretty interesting. i cant help but think people with some form of scarring would be massive, but severe scarring would only be a tiny portion of the world. i read yesterday that our approach to reducing scarring is stoneage in comparison to the advances made curing other conditions. i appreciate its such a difficult thing to resolve, but i wish companies out there would start allocating more resources into finding better solutions.

I still think it's being realized out there that scarring is a big problem for many and things are going towards the discovery of a cure or a better solution, as fast as possible. It might be so, like a lot a people say, that some of the companies are taking advantage of our suffering to make money. But that doesn't change the fact that there are still good people with their hearts in the right place out there as well, who are looking for ways to help people with scarring. So, yeah, personally I think things are going as fast as possible.

Edited by I do not have acne, 26 January 2010 - 03:44 PM.