374 replies to this topic

[mr. matt]

I've uploaded some 'before' and 'after' photos.

I hope that my journey helps someone out there reading this thread to see that the appearance of acne scarring can be reduced by receiving the proper scar revision procedure(s). Sometimes, it takes multiple procedures and months and years to see improvement. Such was the case for me.

I began this journey in 2009 and three years later and multiple procedures (four subcision treatments, four laser treatments, one TCA Cross Method treatment, and multiple chemical peels and dermarolling sessions) I have seen a tremendous amount of success.

Keep in mind that this is an incremental process - my improvement was no 'overnight' success but the result of not giving up, reading everything that I could find on the web about acne scarring and finding a doctor who was compassionate, skilled, and open to trying a procedure on me that was new to his practice.

My daily regiment includes:

1) applying Retin-A cream nightly to my face
2) applying a morning moisturizer containing DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Ester C
3) taking a multi-vitamin, 50 mg Zinc, Resveratrol, and Vitamin D

I dermaroll every 42 days (six weeks) and do at least one chemical peel (70% Glycolic or Lactic Acid) once a month

My objective has been this: develop as much collagen as I can and break down the scar tissue to the greatest degree possible.

http://photobucket.c...ubcisionsuccess

Password: subcision01

I would ask that you respect my privacy and not copy or share these photos. The purpose of me sharing these photos with you is to give you an idea of of how acne scar revision procedures can improve your scarring.

Be encouraged! There is hope.....

Here's to better skin for all of you....

Matt

[mr. matt]

My wife and I went shopping today and my wife began talking to me about the health benefits of food grade diatomaceous earth.

We bought a bag of it today at a gardening supply store because, apparently, it is also an 'organic' way to kill certain types of insects.

So, I did a little research online and found that diatomaceous earth is basically silica which is a trace mineral essential to the development of COLLAGEN.

For those of us who have suffered from acne scarring, we all need collagen to help repair the damage caused from scar tissue.

So, I am going to conduct an experiment for the next 30 days and use one tablespoon of food grade diatomaceous earth (silica) in a protein shake each night and see what effect, if any, I can that it has with my skin.

When I first heard about subcision, I thought it was a really odd way to deal with acne scarring. However, I went ahead and underwent the procedure and was surprised to see how effective it was on improving the appearance of my scarring.

Then, I learned about the subcision/suction method which I thought was REALLY unorthodox - using a vacuuming device to pull your epidermis away from fibrous scar tissue that has just been dislodged through subcision. Really bizarre by turned out to be highly effective for me.

So, I saw all of the above to say that I am going to try using this mineral on a daily basis to see if it helps my skin develop additional collagen. I'm already using topical Retin-A and a daily moisturizer with DMAE, Ester C, and Alpha Lipoic acid all of which are supposed to create collagen. The dermarolling sessions that I do are supposed to create collagen and, hence, it is called 'collagen induction therapy'.

Right now, I am very focused on collagen development - I understand that the scar remodeling process can continue for up to six months to two years after subcision. So, I want to maximize the amount of collagen that is developed to minimize the appearance of the remaining acne scars that I still have.

Here are some links to sites relating to the health benefits of silica:

http://www.drpasswater.com/nutrition_library/Dirk_Vanden_Berghe.html

http://www.jashbotanicals.com/articles/silica_and_your_body.html

http://www.earthworkshealth.com/human-use.php

If you look at the baseline photos that I took of my skin in 2009, you'll see that my skin showed signs of aging and an overall depletion of collagen - you can see lines on my face coupled with deep acne scars.

The photos that I took this morning show a tremendous amount of collagen development which has occured over the past three years - the acne scars have filled in with collagen to varying degrees and the lines on my face are greatly reduced. Overall, the aging of my skin has slowed down considerably.

One other learning that I want to pass on that I learned from my dermatologist was about the importance of antioxidants. The Retin-A that I use every night is a deritive of vitamin A and I apply a moisturizer with Ester C another antioxidant.

I also apply Vitamin E oil on my face on a regular basis - another antioxidant.

All of these topicals coupled with subcision and dermarolling have greatly reduced the appearance of my scarring and improved my overall complexion.

I wanted to pass on these 'key learnings' to anyone interested as I believe that they helping my skin.......

Matt

[grj]

Wow Mr.Matt you are a genius indeed!!!

[10yearswiththis]

I've uploaded some 'before' and 'after' photos.

I hope that my journey helps someone out there reading this thread to see that the appearance of acne scarring can be reduced by receiving the proper scar revision procedure(s). Sometimes, it takes multiple procedures and months and years to see improvement. Such was the case for me.

I began this journey in 2009 and three years later and multiple procedures (four subcision treatments, four laser treatments, one TCA Cross Method treatment, and multiple chemical peels and dermarolling sessions) I have seen a tremendous amount of success.

Keep in mind that this is an incremental process - my improvement was no 'overnight' success but the result of not giving up, reading everything that I could find on the web about acne scarring and finding a doctor who was compassionate, skilled, and open to trying a procedure on me that was new to his practice.

My daily regiment includes:

1) applying Retin-A cream nightly to my face
2) applying a morning moisturizer containing DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Ester C
3) taking a multi-vitamin, 50 mg Zinc, Resveratrol, and Vitamin D

I dermaroll every 42 days (six weeks) and do at least one chemical peel (70% Glycolic or Lactic Acid) once a month

My objective has been this: develop as much collagen as I can and break down the scar tissue to the greatest degree possible.

http://photobucket.c...ubcisionsuccess

Password: subcision01

I would ask that you respect my privacy and not copy or share these photos. The purpose of me sharing these photos with you is to give you an idea of of how acne scar revision procedures can improve your scarring.

Be encouraged! There is hope.....

Here's to better skin for all of you....

Matt

Hey Matt - I called DeSpain's office to inquire about needle size and he uses an 18 guage BD needle. 18 guage is LARGE to say the least.....they use 16 guage when you give blood. Have you had any problems with insertion scarring from the needle? It doesn't look like it from your pics, but god 18 guage on the face concerns me.

I am going to see a guy that uses a 21 gauge needle for his subcisions. He has done thousands in his life time and from what the nurse said does 60 or so a week......not total patients, total subcisions. He is hard to get into, we're talking August before he can do the actual procedure. Yeah, hard to believe!

How's the 70% Glycolic peels going each month? Do you think it's worth the time and money? I know very little about peels. How long is the downtime and when do you start and end peeling? I use tazorac and if you use too much it will peel you but also leaves you red for days. Tazorac is a strong retin-a.

[mr. matt]

I've uploaded some 'before' and 'after' photos.

I hope that my journey helps someone out there reading this thread to see that the appearance of acne scarring can be reduced by receiving the proper scar revision procedure(s). Sometimes, it takes multiple procedures and months and years to see improvement. Such was the case for me.

I began this journey in 2009 and three years later and multiple procedures (four subcision treatments, four laser treatments, one TCA Cross Method treatment, and multiple chemical peels and dermarolling sessions) I have seen a tremendous amount of success.

Keep in mind that this is an incremental process - my improvement was no 'overnight' success but the result of not giving up, reading everything that I could find on the web about acne scarring and finding a doctor who was compassionate, skilled, and open to trying a procedure on me that was new to his practice.

My daily regiment includes:

1) applying Retin-A cream nightly to my face
2) applying a morning moisturizer containing DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Ester C
3) taking a multi-vitamin, 50 mg Zinc, Resveratrol, and Vitamin D

I dermaroll every 42 days (six weeks) and do at least one chemical peel (70% Glycolic or Lactic Acid) once a month

My objective has been this: develop as much collagen as I can and break down the scar tissue to the greatest degree possible.

http://photobucket.c...ubcisionsuccess

Password: subcision01

I would ask that you respect my privacy and not copy or share these photos. The purpose of me sharing these photos with you is to give you an idea of of how acne scar revision procedures can improve your scarring.

Be encouraged! There is hope.....

Here's to better skin for all of you....

Matt

Hey Matt - I called DeSpain's office to inquire about needle size and he uses an 18 guage BD needle. 18 guage is LARGE to say the least.....they use 16 guage when you give blood. Have you had any problems with insertion scarring from the needle? It doesn't look like it from your pics, but god 18 guage on the face concerns me.

I am going to see a guy that uses a 21 gauge needle for his subcisions. He has done thousands in his life time and from what the nurse said does 60 or so a week......not total patients, total subcisions. He is hard to get into, we're talking August before he can do the actual procedure. Yeah, hard to believe!

How's the 70% Glycolic peels going each month? Do you think it's worth the time and money? I know very little about peels. How long is the downtime and when do you start and end peeling? I use tazorac and if you use too much it will peel you but also leaves you red for days. Tazorac is a strong retin-a.

Dr. DeSpain has never let me see the Nokor needles that he uses, so I'll take your word for the size of needle that he uses.

No, I have never had any problems with scarring at the insertion site - the insertion points have always healed very quickly and left no marks.

As far as the chemical peels are concerned, I typically do them on a Thursday evening before I go to bed, take the next day off, and return to work the following Monday. I've been doing these for about four years or so and it takes about four to five days to fully recover. One key learning that I want to share with you: the peels are more effective if you use Retin-A topically for several weeks before the peel and it's also important to get all of the soap and oil off of your skin before you apply the Glycolic Acid.

I may do another 25% TCA peel this summer when I have a week off from work - these peels really cause peeling.

Hope this helps.

Matt

[tognaccini]

I hope that my journey helps someone out there reading this thread to see that the appearance of acne scarring can be reduced by receiving the proper scar revision procedure(s). Sometimes, it takes multiple procedures and months and years to see improvement. Such was the case for me.

It helped and still helps, thanks to your thread i went for a journey myself and i had my first subcision+filler (Restylane) almost 7 weeks ago, my second round of subcision+filler is doing five weeks today and four weeks had passed since i had the MixTo laser. Your share was like a miracle to me, i've read the entire thread twice and then decided to find a doctor who would performs subcision, fillers and CO2 fractional laser, it took me some months to find one but eventually i did find one. I asked for Pearl laser but i didn't find one here in Portugal who would performs it, so i decided to go under the MixTo. I'm still experiencing some redness but i've been told that some redness, mainly in the scars surface, may occur and can be seen for a few weeks to a few months. It doesn't bug me at all, its March and spring is coming so i know it weill get better even without sun exposure.

Your description is just perfect, my rolling scars are still improving these days and i feel that tingling sensation from time to time, mainly at night, so i know that something is building under my skin. I've read that the improvements can been seen even about two months after the procedure, did you feel that your scars filled throughout six or eight weeks after subcision?

People must be awared that results aren't immediate, you should be patient and take in mind that it takes time but eventually you will see results some weeks (at least 4 weeks) following the procedure. Subcision combined with laser can do a lot for your scarring, lasers alone for some kind of scars may be not effective.

Sorry about my english and yet again thanks mr matt.

Edited by tognaccini, 13 March 2012 - 04:52 AM.

[mr. matt]

I hope that my journey helps someone out there reading this thread to see that the appearance of acne scarring can be reduced by receiving the proper scar revision procedure(s). Sometimes, it takes multiple procedures and months and years to see improvement. Such was the case for me.

It helped and still helps, thanks to your thread i went for a journey myself and i had my first subcision+filler (Restylane) almost 7 weeks ago, my second round of subcision+filler is doing five weeks today and four weeks had passed since i had the MixTo laser. Your share was like a miracle to me, i've read the entire thread twice and then decided to find a doctor who would performs subcision, fillers and CO2 fractional laser, it took me some months to find one but eventually i did find one. I asked for Pearl laser but i didn't find one here in Portugal who would performs it, so i decided to go under the MixTo. I'm still experiencing some redness but i've been told that some redness, mainly in the scars surface, may occur and can be seen for a few weeks to a few months. It doesn't bug me at all, its March and spring is coming so i know it weill get better even without sun exposure.

Your description is just perfect, my rolling scars are still improving these days and i feel that tingling sensation from time to time, mainly at night. I've read that the improvements can been seen even about two months after the procedure, did you feel that your scars filled throughout six or eight weeks after subcision?

People must be awared that results aren't immediate, you should be patient and take in mind that it takes time but eventually you will see results some weeks (at least 4 weeks) following the procedure. Subcision combined with laser can do a lot for your scarring, laser alone for some kind of scars may be not effective.

Sorry about my english and yet again thanks mr matt.

After my first subcision procedure, the results were fairly dramatic as I had a lot of dense fibrous scar tissue holding down my epidermis. My dermatologist told me that the scar tissue in my right cheek was so dense that the Nokor needle was actually bending during the procedure.

However, it did take weeks and months after procedure number one to see the scars beginning to fill in.

The last subcision treatment that I had was coupled with suctionning my cheeks with a vacuum sweeper (LOL!). The results after this procedure were the most dramatic - the scarring on my left cheek improved dramatically and considerably. So much so that three of the four scars are no longer visible.

The scar remodeling process typically is a slow and incremental one - taking weeks and/or months to see improvement.

Slow and steady wins the race....

Matt

[tognaccini]

After my first subcision procedure, the results were fairly dramatic as I had a lot of dense fibrous scar tissue holding down my epidermis. My dermatologist told me that the scar tissue in my right cheek was so dense that the Nokor needle was actually bending during the procedure.

Experienced the same with my first subcision treatment, it was messy. Some says it doesn't hurt but it does or maybe the numbing injection didn't take full effect in the right time. So i really felt the fibrous being released and the doctor was so kind that apologized everytime i showed some discomfort. I really felt that he was having some diffilcuties while trying to release some of the dense fibrous scar tissue holding down my epidermis and by that time i just wanted him to stop but you have to be mentally prepared and have in mind that are no results if you are expecting to apply some creams and to get your appearance better without pain. With my second one it didn't hurts that much really, some scars aren't that attached so it sounded like paper being cutted.

I'm pleased to know that can take weeks or/and months to see improvement, it makes me believe that some of the scars will fill and level up completely. Some others will get better looking but i know it will take some more procedures like subcision combined with co2 fractional laser to get better results. However i will wait for some months now and see how it gets.

I've read about that suctionning method and it looks interesting, however i didn't find any here in Portugal but i will still looking outside and maybe buy one directly from the united states. For the next subcision session i will discuss that with my doc. For now i'm thinking on applying dermaroller myself. Everything that helps the collagen to remodel is a bless.

And there are some more positive points about this journey, i quit smoking some months before and im caring and protecting my skin with a SPF 50 every single day. Smoking is a waste of money, even more when you are healing and building the foundations of your skin.

Edited by tognaccini, 13 March 2012 - 09:44 AM.

[10yearswiththis]

I've uploaded some 'before' and 'after' photos.

I hope that my journey helps someone out there reading this thread to see that the appearance of acne scarring can be reduced by receiving the proper scar revision procedure(s). Sometimes, it takes multiple procedures and months and years to see improvement. Such was the case for me.

I began this journey in 2009 and three years later and multiple procedures (four subcision treatments, four laser treatments, one TCA Cross Method treatment, and multiple chemical peels and dermarolling sessions) I have seen a tremendous amount of success.

Keep in mind that this is an incremental process - my improvement was no 'overnight' success but the result of not giving up, reading everything that I could find on the web about acne scarring and finding a doctor who was compassionate, skilled, and open to trying a procedure on me that was new to his practice.

My daily regiment includes:

1) applying Retin-A cream nightly to my face
2) applying a morning moisturizer containing DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Ester C
3) taking a multi-vitamin, 50 mg Zinc, Resveratrol, and Vitamin D

I dermaroll every 42 days (six weeks) and do at least one chemical peel (70% Glycolic or Lactic Acid) once a month

My objective has been this: develop as much collagen as I can and break down the scar tissue to the greatest degree possible.

http://photobucket.c...ubcisionsuccess

Password: subcision01

I would ask that you respect my privacy and not copy or share these photos. The purpose of me sharing these photos with you is to give you an idea of of how acne scar revision procedures can improve your scarring.

Be encouraged! There is hope.....

Here's to better skin for all of you....

Matt

Hey Matt - I called DeSpain's office to inquire about needle size and he uses an 18 guage BD needle. 18 guage is LARGE to say the least.....they use 16 guage when you give blood. Have you had any problems with insertion scarring from the needle? It doesn't look like it from your pics, but god 18 guage on the face concerns me.

I am going to see a guy that uses a 21 gauge needle for his subcisions. He has done thousands in his life time and from what the nurse said does 60 or so a week......not total patients, total subcisions. He is hard to get into, we're talking August before he can do the actual procedure. Yeah, hard to believe!

How's the 70% Glycolic peels going each month? Do you think it's worth the time and money? I know very little about peels. How long is the downtime and when do you start and end peeling? I use tazorac and if you use too much it will peel you but also leaves you red for days. Tazorac is a strong retin-a.

Dr. DeSpain has never let me see the Nokor needles that he uses, so I'll take your word for the size of needle that he uses.

No, I have never had any problems with scarring at the insertion site - the insertion points have always healed very quickly and left no marks.

As far as the chemical peels are concerned, I typically do them on a Thursday evening before I go to bed, take the next day off, and return to work the following Monday. I've been doing these for about four years or so and it takes about four to five days to fully recover. One key learning that I want to share with you: the peels are more effective if you use Retin-A topically for several weeks before the peel and it's also important to get all of the soap and oil off of your skin before you apply the Glycolic Acid.

I may do another 25% TCA peel this summer when I have a week off from work - these peels really cause peeling.

Hope this helps.

Matt

Thanks Matt all of your info is extremely helpful to me in making decisions on what I should do. Question: where do you buy your 70% Glycolic peels at? And are you happy with the product?

Thanks

[jacno]

Just took a look at ur photos, you have had great results, looks like you had minir scaring in the past noone body would wven think twice about ur scars. You deserve great skin, good luck!

[mr. matt]

I've uploaded some 'before' and 'after' photos.

I hope that my journey helps someone out there reading this thread to see that the appearance of acne scarring can be reduced by receiving the proper scar revision procedure(s). Sometimes, it takes multiple procedures and months and years to see improvement. Such was the case for me.

I began this journey in 2009 and three years later and multiple procedures (four subcision treatments, four laser treatments, one TCA Cross Method treatment, and multiple chemical peels and dermarolling sessions) I have seen a tremendous amount of success.

Keep in mind that this is an incremental process - my improvement was no 'overnight' success but the result of not giving up, reading everything that I could find on the web about acne scarring and finding a doctor who was compassionate, skilled, and open to trying a procedure on me that was new to his practice.

My daily regiment includes:

1) applying Retin-A cream nightly to my face
2) applying a morning moisturizer containing DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Ester C
3) taking a multi-vitamin, 50 mg Zinc, Resveratrol, and Vitamin D

I dermaroll every 42 days (six weeks) and do at least one chemical peel (70% Glycolic or Lactic Acid) once a month

My objective has been this: develop as much collagen as I can and break down the scar tissue to the greatest degree possible.

http://photobucket.c...ubcisionsuccess

Password: subcision01

I would ask that you respect my privacy and not copy or share these photos. The purpose of me sharing these photos with you is to give you an idea of of how acne scar revision procedures can improve your scarring.

Be encouraged! There is hope.....

Here's to better skin for all of you....

Matt

Hey Matt - I called DeSpain's office to inquire about needle size and he uses an 18 guage BD needle. 18 guage is LARGE to say the least.....they use 16 guage when you give blood. Have you had any problems with insertion scarring from the needle? It doesn't look like it from your pics, but god 18 guage on the face concerns me.

I am going to see a guy that uses a 21 gauge needle for his subcisions. He has done thousands in his life time and from what the nurse said does 60 or so a week......not total patients, total subcisions. He is hard to get into, we're talking August before he can do the actual procedure. Yeah, hard to believe!

How's the 70% Glycolic peels going each month? Do you think it's worth the time and money? I know very little about peels. How long is the downtime and when do you start and end peeling? I use tazorac and if you use too much it will peel you but also leaves you red for days. Tazorac is a strong retin-a.

Dr. DeSpain has never let me see the Nokor needles that he uses, so I'll take your word for the size of needle that he uses.

No, I have never had any problems with scarring at the insertion site - the insertion points have always healed very quickly and left no marks.

As far as the chemical peels are concerned, I typically do them on a Thursday evening before I go to bed, take the next day off, and return to work the following Monday. I've been doing these for about four years or so and it takes about four to five days to fully recover. One key learning that I want to share with you: the peels are more effective if you use Retin-A topically for several weeks before the peel and it's also important to get all of the soap and oil off of your skin before you apply the Glycolic Acid.

I may do another 25% TCA peel this summer when I have a week off from work - these peels really cause peeling.

Hope this helps.

Matt

Thanks Matt all of your info is extremely helpful to me in making decisions on what I should do. Question: where do you buy your 70% Glycolic peels at? And are you happy with the product?

Thanks

I bought the 70% Glycolic Acid on Ebay.com, but the vendor is no longer selling the product. I bought my 70% Lactic Acid from http://www.skinlaboratory.com/.

I've been very happy with both products and they last a long time.

Hope this helps.

Matt

[ashes123]

Hi Matt,

With great interest I followed your thread this far. Now finally I´m about to apply your described technique myself and I´m really looking forward to it.

Thing is though: I had my subcision treatment today and they gave me hyaluron acid for free. First I didn´t want them to inject me hyaluron because I knew it wouldn´t last long and I actually wanted to try your method which consists of not injecting anything and solely subcising and suctioning it afterwards. But hey they offered me to save a little money. (The whole procedure didn´t cost me anything at all ?!)

The questions is now: Can I still try the suction method in three days during two weeks while there is hyaluron acid inside. Is it recommendable or will there be even a double effect ? Or would the injected acid now interfere with any other method (suctioning etc.) ? Will I have to wait until it has degraded and do it again ?

Do you understand my question ? Please tell me if not.

I would be so glad if you answered me in time. You have inspired me a lot so far, so I´m expecting your reply with great excitement.

My best regards and many thanks in advance

Marius

Edited by ashes123, 23 April 2012 - 12:25 PM.

[mr. matt]

Hi Matt,

With great interest I followed your thread this far. Now finally I´m about to apply your described technique myself and I´m really looking forward to it.

Thing is though: I had my subcision treatment today and they gave me hyaluron acid for free. First I didn´t want them to inject me hyaluron because I knew it wouldn´t last long and I actually wanted to try your method which consists of not injecting anything and solely subcising and suctioning it afterwards. But hey they offered me to save a little money. (The whole procedure didn´t cost me anything at all ?!)

The questions is now: Can I still try the suction method in three days during two weeks while there is hyaluron acid inside. Is it recommendable or will there be even a double effect ? Or would the injected acid now interfere with any other method (suctioning etc.) ? Will I have to wait until it has degraded and do it again ?

Do you understand my question ? Please tell me if not.

I would be so glad if you answered me in time. You have inspired me a lot so far, so I´m expecting your reply with great excitement.

My best regards and many thanks in advance

Marius

Marius:

I think that you got the deal of the century if you got subcision coupled with hylauronic acid for no additional cost. Congrats to you as that is awesome!

I've never had hylauronic injections in my face, so I am not exactly sure how to respond.

My only concern with someone suctioning their face 2x's a day for two weeks is that it might displace the hylauronic acid that has been injected in your face and cause it to migrate into other parts of your face where it wasn't intended.

I think that this is something that you should ask you doctor about.

I hope that you took some 'before' photos so that you can track your progress.

All the best to you!

Matt

[Nightlilly89]

intuition tells me its not a good idea. Like Matt said, it would probabally displace and migrate. do one or the other.

[ashes123]

I think I´ll have another treatment. And this time I will only do subcision and try the suction method. Then I can compare both methods and can say I tried both and wont regret anything. Is that a good idea ?

Edited by ashes123, 27 April 2012 - 07:17 AM.

[TheMedic]

Okay people careful with the alpha-lipoic-acid. You could end up a mental case if you got certain genes. What happens is alpha lipoic acid will move mercury into your brain and if you got the wrong genes for that, you could end up with psychiatric illness. I am not fucking with you, same thing can happen with loads of cilantro, or a DMPS injection.

I've run your photos through photoshop, and oh my GOD you are getting results. Your journey is giving me the second wind I need to live. THANK YOU!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR FIGHTING SO HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let this be a lesson to ALL of us. We MUST work hard to recover! But we CAN recover!

Edited by TheMedic, 27 April 2012 - 10:55 PM.

[mr. matt]

Okay people careful with the alpha-lipoic-acid. You could end up a mental case if you got certain genes. What happens is alpha lipoic acid will move mercury into your brain and if you got the wrong genes for that, you could end up with psychiatric illness. I am not fucking with you, same thing can happen with loads of cilantro, or a DMPS injection.

I've run your photos through photoshop, and oh my GOD you are getting results. Your journey is giving me the second wind I need to live. THANK YOU!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR FIGHTING SO HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let this be a lesson to ALL of us. We MUST work hard to recover! But we CAN recover!

It helps, I think, to consider ourselves on a very long journey: the main thing is to keep to the faith, to endure, to help each other when we stumble or tire, to weep and press on.

I found this quote and wanted to share it with people reading this thread.

I started this thread three years ago when I began my quest to improve the appearance of my complexion. In particular, the acne scarring that had ravaged parts of my face.

When I started, all I knew was that I was not happy with the appearance of my skin. I did not like looking at myself in the mirror and seeing how cystic acne had ravaged my face and left my skin looking dimpled, pitted, and uneven. The reflection of the 'man in the mirror' left me downcast and determined to find a way to reduce the appearance of my facial scarring.

Fortunately, I found this website and learned about subcision and other methods of reducing the appearance of acne scarring: TCA CROSS METHOD, topical anti-oxidants (Ester C, Retin-A, Alpha Lipoic Acid, etc., chemical peels, etc.


Recently, a supervisor at work asked me to give her one word that described me. I replied, 'determined'.

For those of you on the same journey, it is going to take determination, time, and the willingness to explore a variety of options if you want to see an improvement in our complexion.

Yes, my photos are originals and unretouched. My wife and I don't own PhotoShop nor do I even know how to use it. I have not had fillers of any type.

I have, however, been on a journey which continues to see the visable appearance of my acne scarring reduced dramatically. The journey has not been an easy one. Many times, I have come back from the doctor's office looking like some had beat my face to a pulp post-subcison - massive swelling, bruising, etc. and I've asked myself, 'Why am I doing this to myself?' The results are not overnight and take time to see.

Yet, my last subcision treatment left me looking battered and bruised for several weeks. Yet, I was determined to obtain results and I did.

My last subcision treatment coupled with suction yielded me the most dramatic visible results yet.

I saw my younger brother yesterday while I was on a business trip and the first thing out of his mouth was, 'Matt, you look great!'. Those words resounded in my head for several minutes. I had not seen my brother for several months and he could see the improvement in the appearance of my skin from the last time that he had seen me.

Folks, this is an incremental process with many 'ups and downs'.

Perservance and patience are the two words that I think all of us need to keep in mind as we labor on with our personal journeys.

Picture yourself as a 'prize fighter'. There are several grueling rounds we have to go through to get to the end of the fight - but don't give up. Fight the good fight.

Labor on.......

Matt

[ashes123]

I had another subcision procedure today without having fillers injected.
So, Im ready now to try the suction method. Im really looking forward to it.

So a simple hand held vacuum sweeper was the best suction device or should I rather use something else ? Should I buy a microdermabrasion device or does a normal vacuum sweeper suffice?

Please tell me how to perform the suction method perfectly as Im about to do it.

I would be so grateful !!! Many thanks in advance !

[10yearswiththis]

Fortunately, I found this website and learned about subcision and other methods of reducing the appearance of acne scarring: TCA CROSS METHOD, topical anti-oxidants (Ester C, Retin-A, Alpha Lipoic Acid, etc., chemical peels, etc.

Hey Matt - thought I'd let you know and maybe get a couple pointers if you have any. I have my subcision with DeSpain this Friday. Planning on doing suction with it starting probably 2 days after and about 2 to 3 times a day for 2 weeks. Will be using a microdermabrasion machine for that but the thing doesn't have the best suctioning power. How much power did you use approx?

Have you seen DeSpain since your last subcision/suction and mentioned the suction part to him? I've been to 2 diff docs and mentioned the suction and they kind of blow it off.

Any pointers for a first-timer? Drugs, topicals, ice or no ice, pressure or no pressure, etc. I took off 2 weeks from work and hopefully can go back then without any noticeable bruises/damages.

Thanks!!!

[Coppedsynergy999]

Fortunately, I found this website and learned about subcision and other methods of reducing the appearance of acne scarring: TCA CROSS METHOD, topical anti-oxidants (Ester C, Retin-A, Alpha Lipoic Acid, etc., chemical peels, etc.

Hey Matt - thought I'd let you know and maybe get a couple pointers if you have any. I have my subcision with DeSpain this Friday. Planning on doing suction with it starting probably 2 days after and about 2 to 3 times a day for 2 weeks. Will be using a microdermabrasion machine for that but the thing doesn't have the best suctioning power. How much power did you use approx?

Have you seen DeSpain since your last subcision/suction and mentioned the suction part to him? I've been to 2 diff docs and mentioned the suction and they kind of blow it off.

Any pointers for a first-timer? Drugs, topicals, ice or no ice, pressure or no pressure, etc. I took off 2 weeks from work and hopefully can go back then without any noticeable bruises/damages.

Thanks!!!

I was wondering how long it took you to get a consultation appointment and then how long you had to wait for the actual preocedure, Now that class is out, im planning on making my appointment to see Despain.