Interesting post. Curious, what kind of scarring you have and how severe it is? Are you recommending that people refrain from getting any treatments?

Needling on a few scars and a non ablative laser. The others I've heard from who have experienced similar results where they were worse off after treatments tried:

• Peels

   

• Dermabrasion

   

• Laser - non ablative and ablative

   

• Needling, derma roller

   

Many of these people saw initial improvements and posted here. However, months and even years later they, after the initial swelling had gone down, noticed no change. In fact, a large number of these people actually saw other issues creep up such as enlarged pores, sagginess of skin, etc shortly after treatments.

My scars were minor and few. I traded that in for 2 deeper scars and fat loss. I have encouraged a few to come back here to post their experiences given over 5 years have passed and they have the long-term results to discuss. Many don't feel the desire as some feel they have tried but have been bashed. Others feel they just can't handle coming back here to a place that evokes painful memories. Many realize what they started with was not so bad but became blown up in their mind. Thus, they regret the actions they took and have had to take steps to heal emotionally.

For those who have major scarring - deep, pronounced, and extensive - I've heard subscission is most promising. If most of these other methods can't even help minor to moderate scarring and risk making things worse, there is a high probability they won't work for severe scarring.

I'm speaking for myself and on behalf of many I've spoken with who were active here back in 2003-2005. I saw the cycle....the minor concern turned to obsession and preoccupation, desperation, trial and error of treatments, guilt and emotional turmoil over results, and then the emotional healing process which for some has been a long-term struggle.

Many have told me to not bother posting this type of message as they felt I'd just get bashed and cursed at. Well, here I am. Like I said, I've suffered greatly. I cannot even begin to explain how much I've suffered emotionally and how I keep thinking how different it would have been had I not stumbled upon this site or fallen into the obsessive cycle after visiting here 8 years ago. I can't turn back time as much as I so wish I could on many days. I can only move forward and it's been difficult. So here I am...hoping that maybe this post will have helped even one person down the road.

i'm so sorry to hear what you've gone though i have scarring and BDD as well, and I've been thinking about getting scar treatments. Yet I've heard of many negative side effects with skin actually getting worse and other things to worry about. but still, thank you for sharing this, I think a lot of us with scarring just want to find a fix =(

I've been here forever, too, you've probably seen me in the scar forum, and what you say is so true! Some of my scars have gotten better with time and perhaps some treatments, but then other treatments have brought on more scars. I'm glad I never got laser, as I have read many stories of people noticing droopy skin a year later. Sure, maybe a few borders of scars are improved but you are more often than not trading that for more pores, less elasticity, less fat, etc. I also know some will vehemently debate this point in the scarring forum. But I have researched a lot and long term results are not always great, you have to ask yourself is it worth it. And sadly when people are desperate as you have described they will try anything. I've been there too. Maybe eventually there will be better treatments, but sadly, it is better to live with some scars now, because science can just not fix them.

I do remember you tricia. The scar forums were excessively popular back then. Yes, many did and still do debate the effectiveness of the treatments they receive...but many of these claims are made shortly after the treatment. Many disappear after they realize the negative impacts because (1) it's too painful to acknowledge the realities here and (2) they just want to forget and move on. I've talked to some. This is why this place can be really scary. If there are newcomers who are desperate, it's not hard for them to get sucked in and try things.

I had amazing facial structure which has changed due to the laser. I had a very low setting and only did 3 rounds of the laser. However, it was enough to cause changes over the past 8 years. It has been undeniably excessively painful to deal with. Looking at "before" pictures is torture to be honest. I had very minor scarring and I remember back then coming here and supporting natural remedies. I was bashed and told "you better try more invasive remedies cuz natural won't do a thing." I can say 8 years have gone by and I still have trouble finding the motivation to go on at times. So please, leave your scars alone esp if they are minor or moderate. They can get way better with time and good nutrition.

So, Toomuch, you're saying even needling is bad? I have shallow scars on my forehead... should I stop needling them?!?

It is heartbreaking to read of some peoples experiences with laser. I have read on the IPL and Laser damage support forum similar stories to yours, toomuch. I did have IPL with very little change, but never had fraxel. I tried a spot treatment with Vbeam and was not impressed so thankfully just stayed away from lasers after that.

I have needled witha little build up of collagen, but it is not dramatic. I also self administered saline injections which I believe is a good option, but best to get a professional to do it unless you are really comfortable. Then I tried all the fillers, from temporary to microdroplet silicone. Only a few rounds with the silicone, and was not impressed to get more. Plus I know it is risky so I stopped. I think for a lot of scars, fillers just aren't going to work.

I know how emotionally hard it is to have scars but over time, it does get easier, I think I am used to looking at some of them now, it is just the worst one's I really want to get rid of. I guess in God's time...

I think it would be very important to encourage people who have been here years ago to come back and share their experiences of their treatments and what has made things better or worse. I find it very frustrating that there isn't hardly anyone who has had a treatment years ago and can tell the true long-term effects of said treatment. People just have something done, report about it during the healing stages and then disappear. It's very hard to judge the risks vs. benefits of any treatment with that information alone, and I feel we could get so much more valuable information if people stuck around and shared even their painful stories. But I can understand that most come on these sites looking for advice when trying to deal with a problem, and when they stop obsessing over it and move on they don't tend to come back, and that's why the information here is a bit skewed.

I'm in a situation where I'm trying to decide whether to treat scarring that does significantly bother me, but is still relatively mild and which also seems quite challenging to treat effectively (i.e. shallow small boxcars with sharp edges). So I'm not sure if the risks would outweigh the benefits and I would be better leaving it alone. At this moment I feel too self-conscious to consider that option though, so I'm somewhat 'desperate' to do something even if it isn't wise. I would find advice from people with years of experience dealing with this same issue very helpful.

Yes I also agree that it is important to hear from people who have experiened the long term effects of these treatments. I think doctors believe there are no long term effects from things like laser, in part because people don't report the consequences a year or more down the line. When I have asked doctors about follow up they usually tell me a couple months.

toomuch - I'm so sorry and I hope you have a good support system and still get joy out of life. Do you mind me asking what treatment you had and what you think went wrong? I know it's painful to talk about, but like you point out it's important to share these experiences.

There comes a time where you just have to accept what you have.

No matter what it is, everyone wants something they lost or don't have. That is human nature, add that to the fact we live in a society that demands perfection, no wonder people get obsessed with their appearance.

I sometimes think the obsession is more about wanting to be in control but how can be in control over something that is not really controllable?

Sometimes you just have to let go to be happy. Quite possibly the hardest anyone has to do. Give up control or the illusion of control

I have some shallow rolling scars and a few deeper ones and I was thinking about doing dermastamping/rolling, but maybe you have a point..also I did 2 rounds of a non-ablative laser called Medlite last year (in September) so it's been a little more than a year. That wasn't for my scarring though, I had a bunch of VERY red marks that I wanted to get rid of. The laser worked perfectly for that, but did nothing for my scars. I haven't had any adverse effects since then..

Austra,

I've been there. For me, the minor scarring began to bother me immensely after I came to these boards. Prior to coming here, the few scars I had were only a minor irritation.

I have tried to encourage people to come back to share their stories, most don't feel the desire. Again, they feel that coming here (1) brings back bad memories while they just want to move past and (2) they've had bad experiences as many have bashed them when they attempted to recount their negative long-term experiences.

Austra, look at your scars, really look at them. Then imagine if, on top of those, your scars got deeper and wider, your skin got loose and volume lost, you had discoloration, your pores became larger, you won additional scars......These are the consequences many I have spoken with are now facing as a result of trying to correct a few scars. They had a similar mentality where the scars started to bother them immensely and they would try anything to fix them feeling "how could things really be worse because they look horrible now?" I developed this mentality only after coming to these boards back in 2004. It was the way many spoke back then "oh you gotta just jump in and try things otherwise nothing will change." I'm telling you differently. Please, just think carefully why so many have not come back after years. I've spoken with some and they have had to or are still dealing with intense emotional trauma.

It is sad...the age of the internet has brought on new problems. There is so much unfiltered information out there so easily accessible to all. Anyone can come here and claim to be specialists and convince many. This happened loads back in 2004 where several purported to know loads about skin and even go as far as selling skin care potions. I'm saying, please be very careful and don't fall for all the hype..so many have been injured by walking this path.

I think it would be very important to encourage people who have been here years ago to come back and share their experiences of their treatments and what has made things better or worse. I find it very frustrating that there isn't hardly anyone who has had a treatment years ago and can tell the true long-term effects of said treatment. People just have something done, report about it during the healing stages and then disappear. It's very hard to judge the risks vs. benefits of any treatment with that information alone, and I feel we could get so much more valuable information if people stuck around and shared even their painful stories. But I can understand that most come on these sites looking for advice when trying to deal with a problem, and when they stop obsessing over it and move on they don't tend to come back, and that's why the information here is a bit skewed.

 

I'm in a situation where I'm trying to decide whether to treat scarring that does significantly bother me, but is still relatively mild and which also seems quite challenging to treat effectively (i.e. shallow small boxcars with sharp edges). So I'm not sure if the risks would outweigh the benefits and I would be better leaving it alone. At this moment I feel too self-conscious to consider that option though, so I'm somewhat 'desperate' to do something even if it isn't wise. I would find advice from people with years of experience dealing with this same issue very helpful.

 

I do think the boards can serve a purpose too, as I learned a lot about treatments and did read about side effects, which no doctor will likely tell you. I probably know more about scar treatments than many plastic surgeons now. But coming here can make you obsessive, if you are prone to it, like with BDD. I don't come here as much as I used to, partly because I'm not really agressively seeking treatment anymore and also because I have accepted it more. Wish I could have got to this place sooner.

To answer questions about needling, dermastamping is better than dermarolling in my opinion and I had better results doing it myself than when I was professionally dermarolled. Just don't needle skin that is already inflamed, you will make it worse then.

Austra,

I've been there. For me, the minor scarring began to bother me immensely after I came to these boards. Prior to coming here, the few scars I had were only a minor irritation.

I have tried to encourage people to come back to share their stories, most don't feel the desire. Again, they feel that coming here (1) brings back bad memories while they just want to move past and (2) they've had bad experiences as many have bashed them when they attempted to recount their negative long-term experiences.

Austra, look at your scars, really look at them. Then imagine if, on top of those, your scars got deeper and wider, your skin got loose and volume lost, you had discoloration, your pores became larger, you won additional scars......These are the consequences many I have spoken with are now facing as a result of trying to correct a few scars. They had a similar mentality where the scars started to bother them immensely and they would try anything to fix them feeling "how could things really be worse because they look horrible now?" I developed this mentality only after coming to these boards back in 2004. It was the way many spoke back then "oh you gotta just jump in and try things otherwise nothing will change." I'm telling you differently. Please, just think carefully why so many have not come back after years. I've spoken with some and they have had to or are still dealing with intense emotional trauma.

It is sad...the age of the internet has brought on new problems. There is so much unfiltered information out there so easily accessible to all. Anyone can come here and claim to be specialists and convince many. This happened loads back in 2004 where several purported to know loads about skin and even go as far as selling skin care potions. I'm saying, please be very careful and don't fall for all the hype..so many have been injured by walking this path.

I think I have become more obsessed and more bothered by my scarring since coming here, true. It may be good for me not to come here too often. Then again, I only came on this board since after years, I still wasn't able to accept my scars and wanted to find some way to improve them, even if just a little.

Thank you for your post, because it made me realize I shouldn't take any unnecessary risks. I can live with this scarring if need be, and I definitely don't want to make things worse. I've been reading these forums quite a lot for these past few months and I have come across some stories of people who have had very minor scarring to begin with, and then after trying some risky treatments have made things much worse for themselves. I think every acne scar treatment does come with risks, and you need to do proper research and search for truly experienced professionals to make it worthwhile.

To answer questions about needling, dermastamping is better than dermarolling in my opinion and I had better results doing it myself than when I was professionally dermarolled. Just don't needle skin that is already inflamed, you will make it worse then.

 

What kind of scars have you been treating with dermastamping, Tricia? What are your results overall? I'm considering individual needling or dermastamping with the LEDs and terproline professional and vitamin C etc etc, because I like the idea of only treating the scarred areas and the risks seem fairly low compared with other treatments. However, I'm still not sure if this would actually help my scarring (small fairly shallow boxcars with quite sharp borders, along with many very very tiny scars, like scarred pores) and be a waste of time and a possible risk of just making things worse. It would be great to hear your experiences.

Austra,

I've been there. For me, the minor scarring began to bother me immensely after I came to these boards. Prior to coming here, the few scars I had were only a minor irritation.

I have tried to encourage people to come back to share their stories, most don't feel the desire. Again, they feel that coming here (1) brings back bad memories while they just want to move past and (2) they've had bad experiences as many have bashed them when they attempted to recount their negative long-term experiences.

Austra, look at your scars, really look at them. Then imagine if, on top of those, your scars got deeper and wider, your skin got loose and volume lost, you had discoloration, your pores became larger, you won additional scars......These are the consequences many I have spoken with are now facing as a result of trying to correct a few scars. They had a similar mentality where the scars started to bother them immensely and they would try anything to fix them feeling "how could things really be worse because they look horrible now?" I developed this mentality only after coming to these boards back in 2004. It was the way many spoke back then "oh you gotta just jump in and try things otherwise nothing will change." I'm telling you differently. Please, just think carefully why so many have not come back after years. I've spoken with some and they have had to or are still dealing with intense emotional trauma.

It is sad...the age of the internet has brought on new problems. There is so much unfiltered information out there so easily accessible to all. Anyone can come here and claim to be specialists and convince many. This happened loads back in 2004 where several purported to know loads about skin and even go as far as selling skin care potions. I'm saying, please be very careful and don't fall for all the hype..so many have been injured by walking this path.

I think I have become more obsessed and more bothered by my scarring since coming here, true. It may be good for me not to come here too often. Then again, I only came on this board since after years, I still wasn't able to accept my scars and wanted to find some way to improve them, even if just a little.

Thank you for your post, because it made me realize I shouldn't take any unnecessary risks. I can live with this scarring if need be, and I definitely don't want to make things worse. I've been reading these forums quite a lot for these past few months and I have come across some stories of people who have had very minor scarring to begin with, and then after trying some risky treatments have made things much worse for themselves. I think every acne scar treatment does come with risks, and you need to do proper research and search for truly experienced professionals to make it worthwhile.

To answer questions about needling, dermastamping is better than dermarolling in my opinion and I had better results doing it myself than when I was professionally dermarolled. Just don't needle skin that is already inflamed, you will make it worse then.

 

What kind of scars have you been treating with dermastamping, Tricia? What are your results overall? I'm considering individual needling or dermastamping with the LEDs and terproline professional and vitamin C etc etc, because I like the idea of only treating the scarred areas and the risks seem fairly low compared with other treatments. However, I'm still not sure if this would actually help my scarring (small fairly shallow boxcars with quite sharp borders, along with many very very tiny scars, like scarred pores) and be a waste of time and a possible risk of just making things worse. It would be great to hear your experiences.

 

I have some rolling scars with clear borders. The needling will do help these scars but the wider they are the longer it will take. You could start with individudal needling from owndoc.com then just needle in all directions, even laterally. I was thinking about buying a suction cup device from the website too next time I needle as it is suppose to help like a subcision after needling. The dermastamp will help also, but really it takes a while to see real results. You will have some swelling that makes them look good at first. Also, I haven't used retinoids much because it makes my skin go red, but they could help you with the shallow scars. Scarred pores are very tricky to treat, I think just keepy yourself well hydrated and moisturized well with light chemical peels from time to time would work best. Good luck!