34 replies to this topic

[gotchocolate]

RECELL DONE 8/17, POST FURTHER DOWN

So, I've been looking at this site for about 12 years, back when I was in high school and I had bad acne but it didn't scar. But in the past 4 years, after being on birth control twice, Dan's BP treatment and accutane (finished last year) I still have acne, plus all the acne that I had on accutane scarred me. Oh, and I'm starting to breakout again, so I'm thinking of going on accutane again, but I feel that I have joint pain because of my treatment, so probably not. So now every time I look in a mirror I get depressed, so I might as well document my depression.

I just got a VI peel today and I thought that maybe this will help some shallow scarring. But the scarring that I hate the most happened after my accutane treatment. I have rolling scars on my chin that look like a big "X". Plus I have tons of boxcars.

After this VI, I might continue to do some self peels. I have done needling with a tattoo artist but it hasn't helped much, though I only did 2 sessions, and each session covered a different area. I tried needling myself but I can't get scabs like hers. I also bought 100% tca but all this scar treatment is so emotionally draining.


Everyone loves pictures so I have posted one of me frontal view and left side, I want to save my space.

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Edited by gotchocolate, 19 September 2012 - 06:39 PM.

[gotchocolate]

Day 2 of my VI peel. Today is a good day bc my skin is plump, but I know that will go away after a week.

So, I was looking over other threads, and I'm leaning towards doing subcision. I hate my "x" scar on my chin, I would classify it as rolling so I think that I could get some good improvement. It's been a year since this scar appeared and I keep thinking that it will gradually go away, but that has not happened. Similarly to what I read on another thread, it's so hard to find a good derm on this site. I've read a lot about Rappaport and Harley Street Clinic, as well as Dr. Lam and Oppenheiner, but what about Atlanta? I also might call my university's dermatology center to check this out. I have some down time this summer so this could work.

Edited by gotchocolate, 05 April 2012 - 07:01 PM.

[gotchocolate]

So my peeling is almost done, skin looks brighter but not much different. In fact my skin has started to break out around my mouth and neck which sucks.

I called my local university derm office today and they do subcision and tca cross which the receptionist said starts at 200. She said that they perform either procedure each day, but I'd like to see some pictures and talk to the derm. The initial consult is 90, so I may not be able to do it this month as I'm leaving for the summer and they don't have any appointments until May. I'm ready and willing to have a more even toned complexion so I don't care about spending hundreds more on my face. Acne is so expensive, ugh!

Edited by gotchocolate, 09 April 2012 - 12:14 PM.

[gotchocolate]

Ok, I booked an appointment 3 weeks from now with Dr. Orringer. He seems to have a lot of knowledge in lasers, but he performs subcision as well, so let's hope he doesn't push the most expensive procedure. I also called Dr. Griffin, but it seems like no one there knows anything so I left a message for his assistant.

[gotchocolate]

Dr Griffin's office called me back in regards to subcision and the initial consult is free but the procedure can cost upwards of $1,300 because this is considered to be a surgery. Wow, that's pricey.

[gotchocolate]

So I saw the derm today and he suggested TCA cross and fraxel restore. I told him that I was very hesitant about the laser due to all of the bad reviews, so he said that we could put it on the back burner. I kept pushing subcision but he said that I wasn't a good candidate for that and instead offered me restalyne. I own TCA but never cross that hard so he would probably get much better results than me. I'm also scheduled for some skin needling next week with a tattoo artist, been to her twice. The cross is 250 full face, restalyne 550, laser 950. I really thought that subcision-suction would be my answer but he said that my scars aren't tethered.

[FruitBiscuits]

i've done 5 fraxel($1200 per session) and 6 ipl($150 or $175 per session...) laser treatments so far....but it didn't do anything to my scars...ipl helped a little to fade my red marks...

i have both rolling and box scars...i am too scared to get tca peel or even cross because i have dark skin tone...

now i am thinking about getting some fillers...

go see another dr, get a second opinion...even get a third opinion...many surgeons like you to get laser treatment, because they just love money..and they really don't care about your concerns...so be careful picking your dr..

Edited by myskin2012, 27 April 2012 - 03:34 PM.

[gotchocolate]

Yea, I don't think that I want to go with the laser option due to many reporting an orange peel texture, but you know, what works for some doesn't work for others and vice versa.

So, I went to the tattoo artist last Tues but have been too lazy to put up pics. This was my third time going to her, but my second time working on the same area. She works on my ice picks with a tattoo gun, and the scabs stay on for a really long time, just today my last one fell off. Alas, I don't see any improvement, one scar does seem a bit shallower and maybe my rolling ones are a litttttttle less deep but that's questionable.

The pics are day 1 (2 hours after needling), day 2, day 4 (looks good with makeup but you can see tons of small scabs in person which look like dry skin, camera didn't capture that) and day 13 (today)

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[Nope.avi]

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Edited by Nope.avi, 08 August 2012 - 08:21 PM.

[gotchocolate]

Have you had good results using a 0.25 mm needle? I used to needle myself with 0.31 lancets and saw no improvement at all.

[Nope.avi]

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Edited by Nope.avi, 08 August 2012 - 08:46 PM.

[gotchocolate]

I want to get recell. Contacted two doctors in the UK, thinking about booking an appointment. I just want to stop stressing and continuously looking at my skin.

[gotchocolate]

Booked! Going to visit Dr Maini this August for recell!

[no_hope]

keep us updated on your rcell experience. greatly appreciated

[gotchocolate]

Hello, so yesterday I had my recell treatment and am writing this post on my phone so please excuse errors. I decided to get co2 combined with recell. I had contacted other doctors who said they demabraded the skin first, but decided to go with a laser due to the precision.

I arrived to my treatment at 9 am. Sat with the doctor who asked about concerns then took pics. Was originally told that bandages would come off day 4 but now looks like bandages come off day two, but thin plastic sheets remain. Am I going to have to walk through the airport like that? May change flight.

Went to the shower and washed myself in antibacterial soap then went to the operating room. The doctor proceeded to numb my face with ten needles! That was super painful and scary since I hate needles. Then the co2 came which want very painful due to the numbness. He did my whole face, then rubbed certain areas that had scars. After that he gave me some needles in the scalp which is where the biopsy came from. Then took the recell sample and said it was an excellent sample due to its milky texture. Next smeared the recell all over my face and bandaged me up like a mummy. Have been sitting in my room for two days unable to leave. Since the treatment there has been no pain, no burning sensation, no itching, nothing, just annoying bandages that make it hard to eat. Maybe he didn't go deep enough? But he said he was going down to the dermis.

Have been taking antibiotics due to showing up with some active acne.

Type 3/4 skin, and whole experience lasted four hours

[gotchocolate]

Just came back from the doctor and bandages are off, along with some of the plastic sheets that were under the bandages. He cut and pulled everything off, and it didn't hurt, but some of the plastic sheets left skin that stung a little. I was really worried that he was pulling off new, good skin but he said that there would have been blood, and he is only taking off from places that had healed. Now I have to keep my skin most and apply Vaseline every few hours. Will be back in two days for a follow up. Still red so just sitting in my room. Amazing how my skin has healed but it's too early to tell what it will all look like. I like the baby pink texture of my skin though, makes it seem new and healthy


Next is me post op, all bandaged up, and finally what I look like three days later

Edited by gotchocolate, 19 August 2012 - 05:28 AM.

[michael24]

Hope you get the results you are looking for. That X shaped scar is the same type of scarring I have and want to get rid of. It is not really rolling scarring they seem more like irregular shallow indentations.

Keep us updated.

[gotchocolate]

Day 7

I had been hiding in my hotel room, but today decided that my scabs didn't look so bad, so I decided to wall around for a bit. Couldn't really look anyone in the eyes as I still feel like I look like a recovering drug addict with all the scabs on my face. My dr said those were sun damage spots! Can't believe I had so much sun damage already. They will fall off soon, and a lot of them are loose enough that I pushed them off today. My skin is a little itchy but not unbearable. I am alsO extremely shiny and oily as I have Vaseline On my face. Oh and today I washed my hair properly so it doesn't feel as dirty. Unfortunately the scalp biopsy resulted in a little scar where I do not see any new hair growing in. Hopefully that will change. Still haven't really washed my face as I have so much gunk on it but I dont want to really scrub it off as I don't want to cause any damage. I am still on antibiotics and I believe they are pushing whiteheads out of me as I see a lot of them on my skin, very tiny. Reminds me of the first few days of accutane when your skin begins to detox.

I have attached two pics of my left cheek ( that's the one that has the most scarring and are what most if not all my pics are if previously). The first was taken four moaths ago when I thought I was having a good skin day but wasn't. And the second one is me day 7 post recell

[virli]

Hi gotchocolate,

Any updates? How much has your skin improved over the last month since you posted?

[gotchocolate]

Day 32

So I'm using my cell and I can't get the right angle, but thus far I would have to say I am at a 10% improvement maybe? The indentations that I hate that are around my chin have returned. Post procedure I would say that days 9-14 were the best because my skin was still swollen so it looked like I had gotten a lot of improvement. A lot of my little boxcar marks have returned which is puzzling because we sanded my skin down with a CO2 laser so I am shocked that this couldn't even get rid of small marks. I spoke with the doctor and he said right now it is still too early to tell, and that the skin is still remodeling itself and results will be see at 6 months, all the way up to 18 months. I am skeptical, but let's see. Pictures are of my left cheek as always

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Edited by gotchocolate, 19 September 2012 - 07:01 PM.