6 replies to this topic

[DCLA]

Hey folks,

Just wanted to get some opinion regarding these scars. I recently just finished up with adult chicken pox and I really wished I had suffered through this as a kid b/c it's twenty times worse as an adult.  

 

Anyhow now I have about 7 indented scars on my face, the worst one which is smack dab in the middle of my forehead (photo 2 attached). It's not that deep but it's pretty wide. I have also attached a picture of the other smaller scars mostly on the left side of my face.  

 

Would you guys happen to know if these are considered rolling, ice pick, or boxcar scars? And for those of you who are familiar with subcision, do you think it would be effective on my type of scars?  

 

I got what I think is some pretty good advice on the owndoc forum. It was suggested that since these scars are rather fresh, I should let them heal on their own first for about a few weeks then try dermastamping them every three weeks for six months. If after six months there are still indented ones, that means they might be tethered, and it was recommended that I also try suctioning along with dermarolling.  

 

I wasn't aware that suctioning alone could untether scars, would like to know what your opinions are on this.  I think these suggestions were made to avoid invasive procedures as much as possible, as I was also told that subcision and excisions can leave scars of their own.  I'm also considering "saline subcision," pioneered by Dr. Sire in Fullerton, CA, where saline is injected underneath the scar and is supposed to help untether it and promote collagen growth.  

 

I'm hoping that the colors will improve on their own. I tried mederma and bio oil for about a week on the ones where the scabs fell off first, but I read an article in the LA Times that said there's no evidence that supports these scar creams working. I think I'm going to start using Ester C DMAE cream instead.  

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated, I thank you in advance for your help! 

 

 

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[austra]

I'm sorry to hear about the chicken pox! I'm not in the best position to say if subcision is a good idea as i'm not too familiar with it, but here are my thoughts based on my own acne scar research and dealing with new scarring.

 

I honestly think it's too early to say what treatment would be best for your scars, as they are still healing and will probably do so for another 6-12 months - and they can fill in, to some extent at least, during this time. So if I were you, I'd come back here and start another thread with new pictures in 6-12 months. I wouldn't dermaroll at this point, because at worst it could disturb the healing process. You'll have plenty of time to dermaroll once your scars have matured. I know it sucks to wait, but it is the best thing to do in my opinion. 

 

What I would do right now, is try to improve the healing process as much as possible. Sleep well, have a healthy diet, exercise, take vitamin c. Bone broths are a great source of collagen and nutrients, which could be helpful at this point. Keep the scars moisturized and be gentle with your skin, as new collagen is supposedly very fragile. Once your scars have matured, you can better assess what treatments they need, or if they even need treatments.

 

With new scarring, I've used Terproline professional to keep the scars moisturized and red LEDs pressed against the skin for four minutes a day, since I've read that they're supposed to improve collagen synthesis and skin healing, and at least a few people on this forum have recommended them in the past. However, they are expensive and the scientific research to back these claims seems fairly scarce, so I can't be sure if they work. I've noticed positive changes in my new scarring, but I can't tell if that's normal skin healing or caused by these products. However, there is hardly any harm trying these methods apart from losing some money, so I personally think it's worth it. If you can spare the dollars, getting these for when your scars are still healing (and possible post-treatment aftercare later on) could be worth considering. There isn't much else you can do now except wait and be healthy.

 

I think chicken pox scars are usually boxcars which do not respond to subcision that well, although some people have got some improvement. However, I can't really see what your scars are like because of the hyperpigmentation. Once that has faded, it will be easier to assess what treatments would be suitable. Your scars look fairly shallow though, and I'm sure they'll look much better once the hyperpigmentation is gone.

 

Hope this helps at least a bit, and good luck.

Edited by austra, 19 February 2013 - 09:48 AM.

[DCLA]

Hello Austra,

 

Thank you so much for the detailed response, I really appreciate you putting in the time to offer your perspective.   

 

I went to a "dermatologist" today who diagnosed these as boxcar scars so he concluded that subcision would be ineffective. I only put dermatologist in quotations because he then proceeded to sell me on a package of $1200 TCA cross treatments, which I could start in a month after further healing, then $4500 C02 laser treatments. I know enough from the research I've done on this board that those procedures are not for me.  Can't fault the guy, that's how doctors have to make a living these days considering the state of healthcare over here.  

 

He did suggest that I let my scars heal for a month and to keep them moisturized with aquaphor and also to use newgel silicone scar strips, which I really can't find any information regarding their efficacy.  If anyone knows anything about the newgel strips I'd appreciate it. They go for about $45 on Amazon. I also just received the Reviva labs Ester-C/DMAE cream from Amazon that Mr. Matt recommends, I'm wondering if I should use it on scars this new?  

 

I've been consulting with Sarah from owndoc regarding dermastamping and she has been immensely helpful. She said I could start dermastamping the scars with a 1.5mm stamp as soon as two weeks after the scabs fell off, although she would recommend waiting a month to be safe. Like you said, she suggests following a healthy diet and lifestyle for the time being.  

 

I'm strongly considering the LED lights, like you said I don't really have anything to lose. I just wasn't sure about which model since there are so many. Is the one you gave the link for, the dual 660 nm/880 nm red LED the one that you use?  

 

Thanks again for your voice, I'm such an impatient person that I want to get started on accelerating my recovery right away but I know it will take time.  All I can say to anyone who hasn't had the chickenpox yet, go get the vaccine!  Chicken pox is so much worse as an adult and if you're exposed to someone with shingles you will get chickenpox because it's the same virus. We actually don't see chickenpox much anymore because of the vaccine, but they didn't have the vaccine I was a little kid so I here I am on this message board  

[arcadia92]

I don't know much about those creams and silicone and LED, but I knew someone in his mid 20s who went through chicken pox and ended up with large, shallow indented red scars all over his face.  To be honest he had it much worse than you, I don't see many scars on your face at all.  Anyway, his scars disappeared completely and naturally after a few months.  But I guess using some products to accelerate the process wouldn't hurt.  Just be careful not to somehow disrupt the process of natural healing.

[austra]

Hello Austra,

 

Thank you so much for the detailed response, I really appreciate you putting in the time to offer your perspective.   

 

I went to a "dermatologist" today who diagnosed these as boxcar scars so he concluded that subcision would be ineffective. I only put dermatologist in quotations because he then proceeded to sell me on a package of $1200 TCA cross treatments, which I could start in a month after further healing, then $4500 C02 laser treatments. I know enough from the research I've done on this board that those procedures are not for me.  Can't fault the guy, that's how doctors have to make a living these days considering the state of healthcare over here.  

 

He did suggest that I let my scars heal for a month and to keep them moisturized with aquaphor and also to use newgel silicone scar strips, which I really can't find any information regarding their efficacy.  If anyone knows anything about the newgel strips I'd appreciate it. They go for about $45 on Amazon. I also just received the Reviva labs Ester-C/DMAE cream from Amazon that Mr. Matt recommends, I'm wondering if I should use it on scars this new?  

 

I've been consulting with Sarah from owndoc regarding dermastamping and she has been immensely helpful. She said I could start dermastamping the scars with a 1.5mm stamp as soon as two weeks after the scabs fell off, although she would recommend waiting a month to be safe. Like you said, she suggests following a healthy diet and lifestyle for the time being.  

 

I'm strongly considering the LED lights, like you said I don't really have anything to lose. I just wasn't sure about which model since there are so many. Is the one you gave the link for, the dual 660 nm/880 nm red LED the one that you use?  

 

Thanks again for your voice, I'm such an impatient person that I want to get started on accelerating my recovery right away but I know it will take time.  All I can say to anyone who hasn't had the chickenpox yet, go get the vaccine!  Chicken pox is so much worse as an adult and if you're exposed to someone with shingles you will get chickenpox because it's the same virus. We actually don't see chickenpox much anymore because of the vaccine, but they didn't have the vaccine I was a little kid so I here I am on this message board

 

Yes, the one I linked to is the one I use (660nm/880nm), and it's what the people who recommended LEDs on this forum were using. 

 

Dermarolling is fairly safe if done right, so I don't think there is a big risk of making things worse. However, I would wait to be on the safe side since your scars are still healing on their own. The dark color should fade after a few months, after which it will be much easier to assess how deep the scars really are. Hyperpigmentation tends to make scars look much worse.

 

As far as I understand, silicone sheets are supposed to prevent hypertrophic scarring. I very much doubt this would be a risk in your case. If you had fresh acne scarring somewhere on your body, then the silicone scar straps might be useful. So I wouldn't bother getting them.

 

Good luck with the healing.

[DCLA]

Thank you and Arcadia and Austra, I will follow your sage advice and let time run it's course first before doing anything drastic. Very thankful for this forum, if not I would probably be out a lot of $$. I'll keep everyone updated with pictures so others who go through a situation like mine can know what to expect. Thanks again! 

[tg2girls]

I have been using the NewGel+ silicone strips (and cream) depending on the spots.  I am 36 and had a breast reduction when I was 19.  I have happily manged with the scars and never looked back until recently.  When inquiring with a doctor on scar treatment she mentioned the NewGel+ strips.  I bought them and I absolutely love them.  My scars are significantly reduced after about a month and a half of use and about a month ago I began using it on my face for my acne scars.  More specifically on my face the texture of my skin is so much softer and smoother and my pores are much smaller.  I had really bad acne scars and honestly they are almost gone.  The product is cheap compared to all the other stuff I have tried.  I highly recommend this product.