73 replies to this topic

[AcnePwns]

I went back to my doctor on Friday and had some followup pictures taken. Unfortunately my skin was very red and irritated that day so the pictures didn't come out very well.

I could still see enough that I was very disappointed. I saw visible and significant improvement after the first round of Total FX, but after the 2nd one it doesn't look like I got much more. And my scars are still very bad. We talked a little bit about fillers, and I said I would try it. I booked an appointment for this coming Friday.

I ended up crying that night, wondering if I would ever be able to look normal.

I took these pictures today. Both of my right cheek from different angles. I don't know what to do anymore...

Your scars are pretty minimal. What filler are you using by the way? I suggest Perlane. It's the exact same thing as Restylane, but thicker. It works a bit better for scars. I think you can get 30%-60% improvement with fillers. You should ask your doctor how much experience he has had with fillers and scars because skill plays a big factor when it comes to injections. If you have any question about Restylane/Perlane, feel free to PM me.

[JM0524]

Minty,


I feel the same way. I've been trying to get rid of my stupid scars and I still haven't found anything that works. However, I ain't gonna give up cause I am certain that one day something will work. And if I can say something to make you feel better, I'd totally hit on you if I were not taken But seriously, I am pretty sure that most of the guys won't even notice those tiny scars. Your beauty is way stronger than those minor imperfections !!!

[DudleyDoRight]

MintyPeas, as I have said many times, it takes 3-4 treatments for optimum results. Did we ever resolve the depth of penetration that you were treated at. I have my 3rd Repair scheduled for Oct 30, and I will do a 4th in May 2010 if needed.

[AcnePwns]

dudley...co2 fractionals offer mixed results for acne scarring..i know people who have had 4-5 (yes that many) and had minimal results.

stop selling this as a great proceudre..its vastly overrated..it works reasonably well for some patients but you will find most end up dissapointed..you are actualy in the minority..

however i do feel if its combined with bio medicine it can def be a lot more useful..however at this point rather then potentialy damage the skin beyond repair with more co2 fractionals ( yes horror stories are abaundent..ive come accross 3 new ones in the past 5 days!) lets see how the fillers go for her..they might actualy prove to be more useful then laser.

i sent you a pm minty peas..my heart goes out to you.

There are many lasers out there. Some work better than others. Are you referring to Fraxel Repair?

[DudleyDoRight]

ICareToHelp, you must specify which type of laser you are talking about. I have never heard of anyone who has had 4-5 Fraxel Repairs. You are probaly talking about Restore or some lesser laser. I am speaking specifically about Fraxel Re:pair, with the possible inclusion of DeepFX, and these must be performed at high treatment levels, which is not for everybody. I have posted warning threads several times. Confusion reigns supreme in the laser world. Fraxel Re:pair wasn't even introduced until Jan 08 and there is a minimum 4 month waiting peridod between treatments, so somebody would have to cram a lot of laser work in a very short time, which would be very expensive and require a lot of down time. My 3rd Re:pair will be done at the about 18 months after the first, which is a reasonable time frame. Number 4 if needed, will be done at the 24th month.

[Minty Peas]

Thank you for the replies, JM, testy, everyone. You're all very kind - it definitely makes me feel a lot better.

Dudley, I think we concluded that my treatments were at a depth of .45mm. In comparison with your Repairs, I know that's not very deep. If I were going to do it again (which isn't totally out of the question), I'd ask if I could just do the Deep FX only at the 17.5mj setting.

AcnePwns, we didn't decide last time which filler it would be other than one of the hyaluronic acid based ones. I will definitely mention Perlane vs. Resylane, but in the end I wonder if it would be best to go with her preference, the one she has more experience with injecting.

[Datura]

Your scars look too shallow for fillers. I generally think fillers are a bad idea, unless you are dealing with only a few scars. You have to deal with top ups and the filler getting absorbed too quickly and at different rates. It's just way too high maintenance. Have you thought of PRP or dermal grafts? They are safer than laser and have a good success rate.

[Minty Peas]

Your scars look too shallow for fillers. I generally think fillers are a bad idea, unless you are dealing with only a few scars. You have to deal with top ups and the filler getting absorbed too quickly and at different rates. It's just way too high maintenance. Have you thought of PRP or dermal grafts? They are safer than laser and have a good success rate.

I'm only doing the filler on one or two of my deepest rolling scars which you can see in the picture. I have several small scars on both cheeks, but the big one in the middle of my cheek is the one I'm really self conscious about. I haven't thought of PRP or dermal grafts...I doubt my scars are serious enough for a graft.

[DudleyDoRight]

ICareToHelp, I repeat I only comment on Ablative Fractionalized CO2 lasers, introducing non-ablative lasers into the mix is comparing apples to oranges. Here is an upcoming article on DOT and Repair that should be introduced soon. This site is very informative.
http://www.fractionalc02.com/co2laserblog/...s-smartxide-dot

[Datura]

Your scars look too shallow for fillers. I generally think fillers are a bad idea, unless you are dealing with only a few scars. You have to deal with top ups and the filler getting absorbed too quickly and at different rates. It's just way too high maintenance. Have you thought of PRP or dermal grafts? They are safer than laser and have a good success rate.

I'm only doing the filler on one or two of my deepest rolling scars which you can see in the picture. I have several small scars on both cheeks, but the big one in the middle of my cheek is the one I'm really self conscious about. I haven't thought of PRP or dermal grafts...I doubt my scars are serious enough for a graft.

Well, you never know. My scars were fairly shallow and I was able to get dermal grafts and I didn't think I could either. It's not perfect, but it's helped more than other things I've tried. If a doctor is skilled with grafts, they can do shallow scars as well. Unfortunately, it is next to impossible to find a doctor who does grafts, which is why I recommended PRP as well. It's growing in popularity and it seems more doctors are open to using it. I've never had it done myself, but I've heard some positive results from people here who have tried it. But if you're thinking of getting filler for just one or two scars, then I think it's not as big a deal.

[Minty Peas]

Well, you never know. My scars were fairly shallow and I was able to get dermal grafts and I didn't think I could either. It's not perfect, but it's helped more than other things I've tried. If a doctor is skilled with grafts, they can do shallow scars as well. Unfortunately, it is next to impossible to find a doctor who does grafts, which is why I recommended PRP as well. It's growing in popularity and it seems more doctors are open to using it. I've never had it done myself, but I've heard some positive results from people here who have tried it. But if you're thinking of getting filler for just one or two scars, then I think it's not as big a deal.

PRP is certainly intriguing, but it seems that it's still hard to find people willing to do it. All the PS's around here just seem to want to to sell you on whatever laser device they happen to have in their office. It's always good to be considering a multi-method approach to scarring, and I'm not done yet...I'll be interested to see where we are five years from now.

[PraisethelordforacneNOT]

What is PRP? And who performed your dermal grafts datura?

[wenc3160]

Well, it looks like the new Glominerals foundation the doctor sold me on was to blame for my breakout. Money down the drain.

I went out and bought Bare Minerals and, although it is a powder foundation, for some reason it looks a lot better than Everyday Minerals on my skin. It doesn't settle into the pores and lines as much. Maybe it's made with larger particles, I don't know.

Anyway, it's been a month (in three days). Still red, but getting better every week. Skin texture feels normal now. It doesn't feel any different or dryer than the surrounding skin when I run my finger over it.

Scars also look good. Swelling is down and scars are visible again, but looking very good. In my bathroom mirror I only really notice them at certain angles. Right now I'd say my scars are 70-80% improved after two rounds of Total Fx. Despite the redness, I feel so cute!

I am excited to go back to my doctor and see my followup photos in a few weeks. Here's to seeing continued improvement over the next six months.

Minty:

I had Fraxe Repair done on September 23 and after ten days I could wear makeup again. They highly recommended mineral makeup by Jane Iredale. I absolutely love it. It really does cover the red in your skin. Of course it is pricey but it is worth every penny. And if you should try it you can order online and purchase the compact not the liquid. The liquid make up doesn't cover at all!!!! Hope this helps you. It also has healing properties in it. It has zinc which is great for your skin. From what they tell me, her makeup has been around for thirty years. Everyone else is just now getting on the band wagon about mineral makeup. Truly you will love Jane Iredale make up. I can't rave enough about it. I'm in in no way associated with the company so I'm not pushing her product for any reason other than to say I think it is the best thing on the market.

[Vanzzzz]

Well, you never know. My scars were fairly shallow and I was able to get dermal grafts and I didn't think I could either. It's not perfect, but it's helped more than other things I've tried. If a doctor is skilled with grafts, they can do shallow scars as well. Unfortunately, it is next to impossible to find a doctor who does grafts, which is why I recommended PRP as well. It's growing in popularity and it seems more doctors are open to using it. I've never had it done myself, but I've heard some positive results from people here who have tried it. But if you're thinking of getting filler for just one or two scars, then I think it's not as big a deal.

PRP is certainly intriguing, but it seems that it's still hard to find people willing to do it. All the PS's around here just seem to want to to sell you on whatever laser device they happen to have in their office. It's always good to be considering a multi-method approach to scarring, and I'm not done yet...I'll be interested to see where we are five years from now.

Dermal grafting is definitely not for you minty. Your scars are tooooo shallow

Have you thought about going to Japan or Korea to pursue scar revision? I think the plastic surgery in those countries are the best in the world.

[Jannn]

hey minty peas! we got generally same kind of scars.. I am thinking of doing fillers too or fractional photolysis(spelling?). One thing i like about fractional is the minimal downtime. But anyway let me know what you decide, to do as I will be following ur progress.

But honestly, i think those are realy shallow scars.. those pics are taken at very harsh lighting too. But yea, I know the feeling.. its like we just cant live with it being there.

Best of luck

[Minty Peas]

Hi everyone!

Just a quick update. It's been around four months since my second Total FX, and since then I also had Restylane injected into one scar. Overall I am happy with it. Of course it's not perfect, but I doubt it ever will be. Come to think of it, I was wondering why that is. Why can't we ever achieve the same look our skin had before our scars? I am not talking about "perfect" skin, just how it was before scarring. I keep thinking surely it must be possible *somehow* maybe not right now, but someday in the future we will have the ability... I don't know. That's just my dream.

I've also started using The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost every day in the morning, which makes my skin feel super soft and velvety, plus has vitamin C. I don't recommend it to everybody because there are some things in the ingredients list that might be objectionable to some people, but I've been using it daily for close to two weeks now and it hasn't broken me out.

Vanzzzz, I agree - I don't think I'd be able to find anyone willing to do grafts on me. My scars are only moderate. I haven't thought about traveling to Korea or Japan specifically for scar revision, but I do have a friend who lives in Japan, so I will probably go visit her sometime. I'm curious why you think their plastic surgeons are so good.

Jannn, thanks! Actually the pictures on page 2 of this thread I took in my kitchen in early evening with natural light coming through the window. I don't know if I consider that especially harsh, sadly.

Wenc, thanks for the recommendation. Honestly, I think I have given up on powder foundations. They dry out my skin and make it look flakey, and I wear moisturizer everyday. Now I use Almay at the recommendation of Brandy, a mod on this site, and it's been working very well for me. It lasts all day and doesn't come off even if I sweat. If I sweat with Bare Minerals on, it takes on a "cracked" appearance and looks awful. I don't usually need super heavy coverage as long as I'm not trying to cover up severe redness after a laser treatment.

Praise, PRP stands for "Platelet Rich Plasma." It's a process which uses your own blood, separating the red blood cells from the platelets (the blood cells that work to heal our bodies when we get injured). The platelet rich plasma is then injected into the scar.

[DudleyDoRight]

MintyPeas, if you have ever tried to sand down a piece of wood that has dents in it, that's about what I think when it comes to scars, and the skin is a living organ. You can get pretty intense with that piece of wood, but just think if you tried that on your skin. This is also why I believe it takes 3-4 treatments with an intense fractionized CO2 laser to give us the results we want. With Regular CO2 and Dermabrasion you are doing basically the same as sanding the wood, but you can't get to the depth of the scar.