Deep FX

ok.... So I had Deep FX yesterday and I wanted to let you all know how the experience was for me.

A little history: I'm 23, fair skined female, with mostly boxcar and rolling scars on my cheeks. I've been dealing with acne for about 11 years but it was the more recent severe cystic acne which caused the scarring and those nasty buggers were cleared with Spironolactone mostly.

I got Deep FX fractional CO2 laser yesterday morning... I was told to get there 1 hour early for the numbing and I was expecting a cream (which is what most people have.) Instead they gave me a Valium and then they gave me about 40 numbing shots all over my cheeks OUCH!! it hurt like a mother but numbed me completely... it also puffed me up really big and make my skin white which was weird.
then I went into a a different room for the laser. The metal goggles were sorta uncomfortable but not bad, I could hear the laser but I honestly didn't feel a thing except one spot near the edge that wasnt numb and that one hurt alot. I could also smell my burning skin which was weird. the laser only took about 20 mins, she only did one pass and I asked what setting it was on and she told me 15 (which is about a medium setting.) I was given this thick gel stuff called plastibase and given directions to always have a thick layer on. for Day 1 I was to soak my face in a vinegar/water solution and then wash my face with cetaphil and reapply the ointment 3 times.

After the procedure my face was numb for about 3-4 hours, i didn't feel any pain but my face felt sort of hot and I could feel a pulsing sensation sometimes. I was covered with little pinpricks of blood and a clear yellowish fluid which I assume was plasma or puss or something. it oozed blood and the yelllow stuff until about 9 pm .

I tried to sleep somewhat propped up to prevent more swelling but it was hard.

this morning when I soaked (with vinegar) and washed my face I could tell a tiny layer of skin was coming off, I'm still swollen and red but there is no more blood.

Today I went back to the doctor for a follow up and she said it looks like its healing really well!
I'm also trying to drink a ton of water, take vitamin C, zinc, and MSM to promote faster healing.

I'll keep up with posting my progress and answering any questions..

Scar oils and Deep FX

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Scar-oils-clay-t234490.html

I'm new here and doing alot of things to try to get rid of my boxcar and rolling scars right now I am using MSM, Rose Hip seed oil, lavender oil, Tamanu oil, and French Green Clay. I gave more detals in my other post... please read and let me know if you have any good experiences with these-Thanks

Scar help with oils and clay?

I have had acne issues for 11 years, I am a 23 yr old fair skinned female. I am finally acne free (with the help of healthy eating, psyllium husk, BCP, and Spironolactone)the problem now is that the severe cystic acne left me with horrible scarring, mostly boxcar and rolling scars. It just doesn’t seem fair that even though the acne gone, I still have the evidence all over my face (this time in craters instead of mountains lol ).

Anyway... I have the red marks still but those are mostly coverable with make up so what bothers me is the indents that are impossible to hide. I'm scheduled to have the Fractional CO2 laser done (called Deep FX) in about 2 1/2 weeks which I'm hopeful will help, I've done the research and am expecting at least a 20% improvement but this is an expensive laser, I'm paying $1000 for one treatment and I will probably need at least one more treatment if not two.

In the mean time, I have been using things that I've researched online to help with my scarring. for about 3 weeks I have been taking MSM pills (1000mg)and use a MSM cream which is supposed to increase collagen production. my skin texture over all has totally improved and I can tell that my nails are stronger, I also think that this has been helping my red marks from the scars to disappear quicker than normal (I can objectively say this because I am no stranger to these evil purple and red spots)

for the past 5 days I have added a few things...
I use Rose Hip Seed Oil, Lavender Oil, and Tamanu Oil at night. These oils are supposed to help with scarring. I swear that I can already see a difference! (albeit very minimal... I just know because I'm anal with inspection everyday) I massage it into my cheeks (where most of my scars are) I also think this is helping even more with the red marks.

I haven’t broken out from the oils, I read online that it is possible that the rose hip seed oil might do that to some people, no problem here though. I think my indents are slightly improved and i'm hoping that I will continue to see improvement. I can also tell that these oils have helped my skin overall, it has a nicer glow to it and they are great moisturizers! I'm also waiting for Camellia Oil to come in the mail because I heard that it is also really good for scars... the only thing with these oils is that it could take months to really make a difference, at least that is what all the forums I've read and the research has said. But like I said earlier... the results so far are quite promising.

The only other thing that I just recently got was a bag of French Green Clay. I used it for the first time yesterday. This stuff was awesome! I just mix it with water and use it as a mask. I could literally feel it sucking my skin! I've used other masks before (my fav is the Queen Helene Mint Julep mask) but this was crazy! I got it because it is supposed to suck out toxins and stimulate the skin by bringing fresh blood to damaged skin cells, revitalizing the complexion. Because of this, its supposed to encourage healing. The experience was pretty intense for a mask, it tingled and tightened quite alot. when I washed it off my skin was red but it was really smooth and my pores were way smaller. I think this stuff is incredible but I'll limit my use of it to maybe just once a week because of its intensity.

I just want to know if there is anyone who has used any of these products with success on acne scars.
I'm also hopeful about the laser, but I want to make sure I'm doing all the natural less expensive things too... then maybe I'll just need 1 treatment and I can save at least $1000!
Any imput would be helpful, sorry this is long. This is actually my first post even though I've been using this website for years!
I have taken lots of pics to document my scar treatments... I dont really want to post them yet... I probably will a few weeks after the laser.