why do people scar differently?

i was just wondering.. why do people scar differently? looking through everybody's pictures and such, it's strange that scarring can take many different forms. ice picks, jagged, huge rolling, circular craters, etc. and it seems like, for the most part, that most of us suffer primarily from a certain type. why is this? we all have skin and we all have acne? are there certain types of acne that causes certain types of scarring? sorry, it's 3 am and i'm rambling, but it makes me wonder why certain skin reacts differently. genetics for sure has something to do with it, there may be an answer out there already that i don't know about, and this may be the dumbest thread created, or maybe even a similar topic has already been created. YOU decide...

My Experience with Dr. Lam

Hey everybody. I had a consultation with Dr. Lam yesterday. Many of you here have already heard of this brilliant man, as he is a popular doctor on acne.org. During my visit, I was very nervous but his extremely nice staff made me feel right at home. When I saw him I kinda felt like I was meeting a celebrity since I've visited his websites numerous times and heard SO much about him on these boards.

I flew in a day early (as suggested by many of you on acne.org.) I'm very glad I took your advice, since my flight got delayed several times due to severe thunderstorms. The receptionist told me that I was very lucky to come a day early because there were other patients who attempted to fly into Dallas that day that weren't so lucky. Anyways, he examined my face and told me the news: I am not eligible for silicon injections, which was the reason I flew thousands of miles. He told me my scarring was extremely minor and he could not notice it unless he was searching for it. I felt deflated but elated at the same time that I got a professional opinion from somebody who has seen thousands of acne scar cases. He did say that I could use some tca cross but even that was so minor that he would only perform one treatment, and maybe two at the most, spaced at four month intervals. I went ahead with the cross and I could tell that he was HIGHLY EXPERIENCED. He was extremely fast. After about five minutes of crossing, I couldn't help but think that that must've been the easiest $700 he made in his life (Not because the treatment is easy to perform, but because he is so skilled that he can go extremely fast.) As a side note, I know that many of you on these boards perform TCA cross on yourselves, myself included. DON'T DO IT. Seriously, the technique and everything that goes into it is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like how you do it at home. Trust me. TCA can be very dangerous, he was honestly freaked out when I told him that my aunt bought it off the internet for me. He buried his face in his hands after I told him, and even said he's had many patients have burned literally holes into their face by trying to treat themselves.

After the CROSS, my face wasn't too bad. It was a little red but I could function normally. I didn't want to go back to the airport because I had to wait like six hours til my flight (I got a later flight just in case I ran a little late.) His receptionists were so pretty and friendly, I couldn't remember the last time I saw such gorgeous women act so nice. They let me chill in the tv room. I don't want to let this slip just because I don't want any of you to abuse their hospitality, but they even got me some cake that they made, made me some coffee, and called me a cab and got me a discount fare. I couldn't even believe how cool they were. I found myself chatting away with them. One lady in particular that was at the office (I think she worked there) I got very chatty with. She looked very young for her age and she praised the work of Dr. Lam and his kind heart. After some time I asked her how long she knew Dr. Lam and she replied "I'm his mother." I couldn't believe it since she looked so young for her age. Dr. Lam made her look younger and she showed me her before and after, which was a real testament to the skill of Dr. Lam.

Dr. Lam is truly one of a kind. He is not there to take your money, otherwise he would have injected silicon into my face. He does not want to sell you anything you don't need, and he will refuse to give you something if he doesn't think it's justified, which is a breath of fresh air when you see so many other surgeons and dermatologists shoving lasers down your throat (like I have in the past) which have shown zero improvement. He told me that we are our own worst critic, which I think is a message that we all need to digest from time to time. He is totally about developing a connection with his patients and I truly believe he is a rare gem among today's money grubbing world. Doctors like him are hard to come by. It's been only one day since my cross and I still just have warm feelings about the experience I had there. Being 21 and on my own in a new place, it was the only place that nobody tried to take advantage of me. I truly appreciate everything they did.

If you read all this, I applaud you. I hope this gives you an honest feel about the guy. I'm not trying to promote him, just trying to give a rundown of what to expect when you meet him. sorry this is so long.

hypothetical question..

if the devil made you a deal: "I will get rid of your acne scars, but for a fine price. For every scar I make disappear, I take a year from your life." Would you take it? I think I somewhat would. Maybe take the five or six scars that really bug me and let him take five or six years.

sorry, it's no thread offering help, more of a study perhaps. Acne scarring can damage one's psyche to a point irreparable. It can make us desperate human beings. I was just wondering if you guys and girls would sacrifice part of your life to be scar free. My reasoning (and I'm pretty sure this will be yours as well) is that I'd rather live 50 great years than 100 miserable ones, so to speak. For no reason I'll think this scenario up in my head every so often.

flying to see dr. lam.. any advice???

hey my fellow people. i finally made the plunge to go see dr. lam in fort worth, texas for my rolling scars in mid june. i plan on getting microdroplet silicon injections done. for my first visit, the secretary told me that i would have a consultation and on that same day he would perform a session of silicon injections.
any advice from anybody who has flown in to see him would be greatly appreciated. i am only 20 years old and i have never been out of my home state of colorado by myself. i'm very nervous (not so much about the session) but about being alone in a new and big city.
1) should i get a plane ticket for the day of the appointment, planning an estimated five hour flight to get there an hour or two early (i don't mind waiting in the waiting room for a couple hours, i just don't want to get lost.)
2) should i arrange a car rental or just get a taxi? the secretary said the taxi fare should be about 100 bucks to get to his center and back. and if i get a taxi and ask for the wellness center (where dr. lam's office is located) will he understand what i'm talking about?
again, i appreciate any advice anybody here has to give me. i will of course keep everybody updated on my progress with pictures and such. i am young and i am in a little over my head, but i think i'm mature enough to make this decision. i don't have any family that is willing to take the trip or help me with this in any way. money is not so much an issue, i have saved up for a while. my expectations are realistic. anybody who has gone through this, please, your insight is welcome. thanks

need help---tca peel to reduce gross texture?

hey ladies and gents. just wanted to get your input on some of my scars. since i don't have a camera handy it will be a little difficult, but i will try to describe my scarring to you as detailed as possible.
i have minor scarring on my temples and minor scarring on my left cheek. my left temple i have about two icepicks that i am currently doing tca cross on. my right temple is virtually scarless. The same goes with my left cheek. I have two minor rolling scars on my left cheek right in the middle that don't bother me too much. My problem lays on my right cheek. Somehow I suppose the acne attacked more viciously on my right cheek because I have two rolling scars and a half dozen tiny ice picks. These are very very shallow, and they could be scarred pores. Nonetheless I am doing tca cross on them, and after my third session are starting to show signs of improvement. However when I look in a mirror when the light is shining behind me and I catch my face at an angle, my face is very uneven and the texture is downright nasty.
Is there anything I can do to smooth out the texture of my face? Possibly a tca peel or anything? I know its hard to recommend advice without any pics, and I will try to post some asap. Im starting to think that dermabrasion would be great, considering that it takes the whole top level of my face off, but I don't think a doctor would proceed with my moderate scarring. Does anybody think this is a good idea? I am half Asian/ half White, and am pretty white in comparison to most Asians. Thanks in advance to any replies.