26 replies to this topic

[Dan]

Hi Everybody,

Our new volunteer contacted Dr. Garcia and asked if he would be willing to do an interview with us. He agreed. We'll be talking to him on Friday and will ask him your questions. Please post questions below in this thread and we'll ask him for you!

Thanks,

Dan

[Libertine.]

What is his opinion on fillers and what type of scars will they work on best?

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: I often perform subcision first so the scar is not tethered. I usually use juvederm ultra and/or curlane (sp?).

[grapesrgood]

question: what exactly are redmarks? I heard they were hyperpigmentation or they are damaged blood vessels. So which is it?

2: I also have had the same redmarks for about a year and there is no sign of fading. Is this normal?

3: what is the best treatment for the red marks.

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: Redness is from broken blood vessels, and thin skin. Try to let the body do its magic and heal on its own. I would perhaps add squalane oil, and Omega-3s to the diet. Also when you’re handling your skin make sure to pat dry and not use irritating products.

[ilbambino86]

question, about fraxel: 1st: it works better on what kind of scars?
2nd: so far, how much improvement have they noticed between
fraxel 1 to the fraxel 2?

3rd: on average, how much improvement do doctors see with fraxel
2 on the patients?

4th: is fraxel the best treatment for acne scars on the market now?

thanks, as i will be considering this treatment when i am done with accutane.

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: Fraxel is best for shallow rolling soft shoulder scars. (see full interview--in near future--for more on Fraxel)

[fraxelface]

Dr. Garcia does not perform fraxel and is not a big fan of it if you look at his Q&A. I always am suspect of doctors who seem to really promote their machines over ones they don't have. Looking at some of his answers I have to say they don't trend with the results we are seeing her. I will be curious to see what others think if they look at his Q&A. Also, I didn't agree with this answer, because I think, at least in my case there is microswelling for at least 2 weeks that mask the scar depth:

Dear Dr Garcia. I am trying to schedule treatments. How long would you recommend waiting after Fraxel before doing Sculptra injections in specific scars (ie to let swelling go down for accurate injection)? Thanks
Answer: well I think most of the swelling from a Fraxel is gone in about 5 days so maybe a week or so should do. JG 5.17.07

For more on fraxel, see Dr. Garcia's full interview which is coming shortly.

[lestat02882]

I'd like to hear Dr. Garcia's opinion on Needling for rolling scars. And more specifically, if he's heard of Frank from Transitions, I'd like to hear his thoughts on him and his technique.

I do not have this answer yet either. I will try to ask Dr. Garcia soon.

[*Ariana*]

1) Why is it that TCA cross is not a common procedure for scar treatments among doctors today?

2) What is the longest lasting filler on the market; any news on the potential fillers in the future?

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: The TCA cross does not work very well. The longest filler on the market is probably radius right now. A new filler coming out is called artifill. But be cautioned that depressed scars will need to be released first before filler is injected.

[christpunchers]

My red marks arent going away. Its been over a year, and it doesnt want to fade at all. When in the morning when my skin is calm it looks ok, the red marks dont look very deep, but as the day goes on, gets warmer, and i have to go out in the sun, the red marks intensify 5 times. What can I do about this? What is the best treatment for these marks, and can they even be eliminated?

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: Redness is from broken blood vessels, and thin skin. Try to let the body do its magic and heal on its own. I would perhaps add squalane oil, and Omega-3s to the diet. Also when you’re handling your skin make sure to pat dry and not use irritating products.

[reOowSEXtasy]

I'd like to ask him if sea water is any effective on red marks?

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: I don’t think you’ll notice a huge difference. Some things that may help a bit are squalane, topicals that contain copper, and vitamin C orally.

[imtrying]

is the co2 ultrapulsed laser the best treatment for acne scars

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: The pixilated CO2 is good. However, other CO2s are comparable. This is not the only one. Pulsed computerized is probably the standard of care as of now. Keep in mind that I don’t think any laser is perfect.

[just another1]

Is there any deep research being done on controlling/slowing down/curing hyperactive sebaceous glands? I'm talking for those of us who become an oil slick minutes after a thorough washing, even with so called oil control cleansers.

Perhaps the medical industry has something now available I'm not aware of?

Thanks

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: Blue light and IPL may help to a mild extent. Accutane obviously can shrink oil glands significantly and permanently. Jojoba and emu oil can also help control oil.

[sweeping]

Guys, he has a question and answer section on his website, which is pretty extensive. You may want to read all of it before posting any new questions, as they may be redundant.

just another1 - have you tried accutane?
imtrying - depends on the type of scar. Read the faq on top of this section for more info.

[tabula_rasa]

Do you see potential for substantially better treatment of scars in any current developing science / technology (stem cell, recell, laser etc) ? Which appears most promising and how soon do you think it will be available?

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: Hopefully within the next two years we’ll see some strides. I do think we’ll see a huge difference in the future. For instance, tumor necrosis factor is interesting.

[katiekat]

is the co2 ultrapulsed laser the best treatment for acne scars

I've been reading his site for awhile now. I think I can answer this one. Yes, he believes the co2 is the best treatment. However, greater downtime and greater risk. But greater results.

[Martin84]

A lot of questions here are for serious problems. I am curious what Dr. Garcia recommends for mild acne and how to treat/maintain this with over the counter products.

Also,

when having used to much of a topical, skin can flare up with red spots and irritation. are there some recommendations on how to repair your skin before using the topical again? I ask this because I think irritation may be something that sustains my acne....on the other hand, completely stopping with medication is also not acceptable.

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: For mild acne I would recommend a mild facial cleanser, Omega-3s, a low glycemic diet, retinols, microdermabrasion for some people, IPLs. Eliminate aggravating factors if and when possible.

[Connie08]

What OTC product is best for little red marks?

Dr. Garcia's reply to your question: Squalane oil, emu oil, jojoba oil, and even just regular extra virgin olive oil can help a bit.

[just another1]

Friday has come and gone, did Dr. Garcia show up? If so, where are the answers?

Thanks

[UnHappenstance]

This seems like it would be difficult to ask questions based on personal concerns if a picture or patient is not present. It seems to me that it would be more beneficial if dr. garcia would go in depth on all procedures and describe in detail what effectiveness each has for each type of problem and person based on skin type and skin issue (scars, acne, redmarks, etc.)beginning with pre- dermabrasion and ending with fraxel and future plans for new treatments as well as risks including the ones he has seen personally and the ones he has heard of. This sounds like a good idea but will probably be less than satisfying as just having people who feel like they have a question they want to be answered for the time being be answered by a dr. because if I was him I would feel as though someone were asking me a bunch a questions which could only help certain individuals that not everyone could really benifit from or rather that their were hole in places that could be filled with information. we need to get something that really breaks this stuff down to the real substance of it all and disguard what is repetative as well as on the lower end of what is frequently asked. The FAQ for this scar treatment board has about the most useful amount of info but needs to be updated, preferably by a dr. who could be extensively interviewed on all that he knows about everything he knows about scars.

[grapesrgood]

so where are the answers?