25 replies to this topic

[coneill659]

Hi guys, this is my first post.

I suffered from fairly severe acne through out my teens and have scaring. I know it isn't the worst, but I am now 22 and I would like to have good skin.

I am hoping you can advise me on what treatments I can get.

I am wondering if the skin on my cheeks is mostly scare tissue as when I part the scars they do not lessen. Can anything done to help this?

Thank you,

[wezulu92]

I would reccommend skin needling or fraxel laser, both these treatments could work wonders in reducing the uneven bumps in your skin. The cheaper method is skin needling, you can buy a skin roller on ebay for very cheap, but the process of repair will take a little longer than laser resurfacing. Laser resurfacing is a little painful and a little more expensive but could yield positive results faster. Hope this helps

[coneill659]

Thanks for the reply.

I don't have much money but I am prepared to spend a grand or two at least. I'm tired of not having good skin.

I'd defiantly go for the most effective method over cost or time.

Would I therefore be right to choose laser resurfacing? Can anyone tell me or link me a thread to the pro's and cons?

Cheers for the help guys!!!

[acnescar123]

If you want advice - don't do anything. The risks + costs aren't worth it considering your scarring is very minor.

Edited by acnescar123, 03 January 2013 - 11:15 AM.

[austra]

If you want advice - don't do anything. The risks + costs aren't worth it considering your scarring is very minor.

I second this. Your skin looks good based on those pictures, no need to treat it.

However, if you really want to do something, you could look into just Retin-A (may help a little bit if used for a long time), dermarolling or TCA peels (done by a professional!, and I don't mean TCA Cross). I'm not sure how effective they are in the long run as I'm quite inexperienced with scar treatments myself, but they might help and they're the least risky options.

I don't think you should consider laser, it's too risky for such minimal scarring.

Edited by austra, 03 January 2013 - 12:28 PM.

[coneill659]

What about skin needling then? I will have a look into dermarolling and TCA peels. I know my acne scars are mild but they are definitely noticeable and since they cover my entire cheeks they seem particularly ugly. Is it possible with these treatments to get to a stage were my acne scars are no longer noticable, even in sunlight? Are there any further treatments after these procedures because I have looked at cases who have had these procedures done (including laser) and while they make a difference, the scars are pretty much always still noticeable.

Cheers!

I know the pictures are not great quality but judging by them can anyone tell if my cheeks are scar tissue? The scars I have do not lessen when I pull my skin tight so I believe this indicates tissue damage.

[acnescar123]

There is no way to get rid of scars permanently. The best one can hope for (and this is with invasive procedures) is around 70-80% improvement - but they'll still be there.

[Rob_X_22]

ur skin looks good!

[DudleyDoRight]

I really couldn't advise anything drastic for you. Yours may be a wait and see case.

[coneill659]

I haven't had sever acne since I was about 16 and had the intelligence to start eating right and going to the gym. I get the odd spot now and then but that is all.

What can I do to reach 80% improvement? I know there are risks so I think I will forget about laser but I will consult a professional about dermarolling and TCA peels. I don't really like the prospect of having skin like this for the rest of my life without having tried something to make an improvement. The fact that I haven't done anything to treat my scars, bar getting treatment for my acne when it was really sever, makes me more inclined to try something in the hope of a 60 - 80 improvement.

[DudleyDoRight]

Reevaluating your pictures indicates you may be a candidate for dermabrasion, regular CO2 or a fractional ablative CO2 done at lower than max settings. Because your scarring is not deep you should achieve excellent results.

[coneill659]

Reevaluating your pictures indicates you may be a candidate for dermabrasion, regular CO2 or a fractional ablative CO2 done at lower than max settings. Because your scarring is not deep you should achieve excellent results.

Fantastic! That's great news! I'll look into those.

[coneill659]

Thanks for the help! Could I get some more opinions on which I should go for;

• Dermabrasion
• Regular CO2
• Fractional ablative CO2 (lower than max settings)

For me I don't want cost to be an issue; I'll save for the best treatment from the best doctors in the UK, I'm not taking any chances.

What are the positives and negatives of each one? Which is the most reliable and most effective?

[Quirky Fox]

Hiya Coneill!

Yes, your scarring is mild but I do see some shallow rolling and box-car scars, would you agree with that? I see you've been looking at lots of options so I'll just put my two cents in here for you.

1. Topical treatments do nothing for scars. Retin-A alone will not help. It will help to make your skin healthier and thicker but your scars will remain. Topicals will only help when used in conjunction with an invasive treatment.

2. Dermabrasion is outdated. While it works the risks far outweigh the results for skin like yours. I would only be looking into this treatment for severe scarring, which you don't have.

3. I had 5 sessions of Fraxel Re:Store and can say it wasn't worth the money. So if you're looking at lasers take Dudley's advice here and go with a CO2 laser.

4. I'd give the Dermaroller some more thought. It's cheaper, downtime is less, and the results are comparable to fractionated laser. I have to stress the importance of only being treated by a professional who uses the original medical-grade Dermaroller, with 192 needles at 1.5mm in length. Anything else is inferior and a complete waste of time and money. Dermaroller has given me my life back.

5. Sunscreen! Wear it every day my friend. No excuses! Sun damages your skin in ways that will make your scarring so much worse. Even when you're in the shade or indoors you should be wearing full strength sunscreen.

6. A bit of light reading for you... http://www.scribd.co.../Acne-and-Scars

Okay so it was more than just two cents worth, sorry! Keep us posted on your journey!

[coneill659]

Massive help Quirky thank you!

[coneill659]

Dermarolling looks the most appealing option. What can you do to lessen/deal with the pain factor? I've head that it can be 10+

[wezulu92]

To lessen the pain, usually you can buy a low strength topical numbing cream from the pharmacy which you should apply at least 20 mins prior to skin needling. Skin needling can be a little bit painful but no pain no gain. remember there are different needle sizes for different levels of scarring. I would say 0.75mm derma roller should do the trick for you.

[coneill659]

4. I'd give the Dermaroller some more thought. It's cheaper, downtime is less, and the results are comparable to fractionated laser. I have to stress the importance of only being treated by a professional who uses the original medical-grade Dermaroller, with 192 needles at 1.5mm in length. Anything else is inferior and a complete waste of time and money. Dermaroller has given me my life back.

remember there are different needle sizes for different levels of scarring. I would say 0.75mm derma roller should do the trick for you.

Thanks for the information about the tropical numbing cream. Quirky you suggested that anything less than 1.55mm derma roller is not going to be effective.

I'm prepared to deal with the extra pain if it means that the results would be guaranteed. Is there any increase risk with the 1.55mm as oppose to the 0.75mm?

[wezulu92]

hmm I wouldn't say there are any added risks, it's just a slightly needle size, if a professional is doing the procedure you should have nothing to worry about. It might hurt a bit more as the needle length is increased.

[Quirky Fox]

4. I'd give the Dermaroller some more thought. It's cheaper, downtime is less, and the results are comparable to fractionated laser. I have to stress the importance of only being treated by a professional who uses the original medical-grade Dermaroller, with 192 needles at 1.5mm in length. Anything else is inferior and a complete waste of time and money. Dermaroller has given me my life back.

remember there are different needle sizes for different levels of scarring. I would say 0.75mm derma roller should do the trick for you.

Thanks for the information about the tropical numbing cream. Quirky you suggested that anything less than 1.55mm derma roller is not going to be effective.

I'm prepared to deal with the extra pain if it means that the results would be guaranteed. Is there any increase risk with the 1.55mm as oppose to the 0.75mm?

No pain! Trust me when I say that the Fraxel laser I had made me convulse on the table... it really did. Even with heavy numbing cream I still felt every pass of the laser. Compare this to the Dermaroller and I could have the treatment all day without complaining.

Everyone has a different threshold for pain. Coneill, I have had 4 professional Dermaroller treatments and I actually look forward to going again. They ease you into it by making each treatment that little bit more "aggressive" (not a good word but it's close). Your face is thoroughly cleaned and numbed before the treatment, it's a cake-walk!

0.75mm? Pfft, you might as well spend the money at the pub because it would be a waste spending it on a roller with needles that length.

You need the 1.5mm, this is science. Human skin has an average thickness of 1.5 mm so why would you opt for shorter needles when treating scars? Anything less will not reach the depths in your skin required to maximise improvement. Anything longer and it's actually detrimental to your skin! They only use longer needles on burn victims.

Again, I can't stress the importance of finding someone who is trained for and uses only the original Dermaroller. It's easy to check. Just a few questions and you'll be on the right track:

1. Is it a medical-grade, single use device? Nothing plastic! The Dermaroller is medical-grade steel. Think of this as an operation. Would you want a surgeon using a plastic knife to cut you open? Yes, the needles are not plastic but the point is about durability and sterility!

2. Does it have 192 needles at 1.5mm? If the device has any more than this then move on, move on! Too many needles will actually rip up your skin (in loose terms) and will cause unnecessary trauma which could lead to further scarring or other problems.

www.dermaroller.de <-- It's in German but there is a little English flag you can click to translate their site. Maybe read up about the actual science behind the device and understand why you need 192 needles at 1.5mm and why you must wait 6-8 weeks between treatments.

I'm not affiliated with the Dermaroller, so don't think I'm just plugging them. I am an avid believer in their products after having my four treatments. The original Dermaroller is the only device that is TGA listed (if they use words like "approved", or "acknowledged" it means that their device is a crappy, cheap copy). I think the term is FDA in the States? It needs to be listed as every medical device in their database has gone through strict testing and has been thoroughly scrutinised. It is then, and only then, that the device can be listed as safe. Companies that claim that their device has been "approved" by the TGA (FDA) have not had their device tested and you will not find their device in the TGA/FDA database. Instead, they consider it okay to market and use a device that is similar to the Dermaroller because heck, our device looks similar so it must be fine yeah? Wrong! The term Dermaroller is used widely and inappropriately to describe other devices by other companies. Why there have been no law suits against copyright infringement is beyond me! Always look for mention of the name Horst Liebl.

So, don't try to treat yourself at home, get a professional who uses the original Dermaroller, add in some patience and a good skin care regime and I think you'd see awesome results! Keep in mind that you'll likely need 5 treatments spaced 6-8 weeks apart though. Don't put your skin in jeopardy by choosing an inferior device/technician. Yes, the other companies are cheaper, but this is because their devices are easier to make (plastic, inferior needles etc).

As for risks, no long-term, serious side effects or negative outcomes have ever been reported from patients who have been treated with the original German-made Dermaroller. The same cannot be said for other rollers... I've read lots of horror stories. The esthetician who treats me has also been trying to correct damage to the skin of some of her clients who have tried cheap rollers. She said they mostly look like they have enlarged pores or "cat-scratch" like lines on their faces. For privacy reasons I haven't seen pictures but I can imagine what they must look like. My esthetician also has Dermaroller treatments performed on her face (by another trained professional) so I know that she's not just in it for the money, she has also been seeing positive results in her skin.

I'm sorry for the spiel. I get quite heated when talking about this because all the misinformation that's out there makes me angry. All I can say is do your research!

Edited by Quirky Fox, 07 January 2013 - 12:03 AM.