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@evewaddell Hi, ok great, thanks for info and please keep us updated. I am going to try PRF (at least 5 - 6 sessions) and if it does not help I try stem cells
@yola4 hi Yola, can you tell us why do you think youll need one more treatment? Im so happy to hear you are doing so well. I am going to Mediland in 4 days to have the same type of treatment done as you have.
@evewaddell Hi, have you been there (in Mediland) ?
@bear001 hi yes I just got back yesterday. My treatment lasted 2 days. I will updated in 3-4 months as I was told that is when I should see full result.
@Evewaddellok thanks for info. I am currently going to do few PRF sessions so I will see after 4 - 6 months. Also I am doing vbeam treatment for baseline redness but still I have some texture problems that vbeam can not resolve.
Do you remember where they took your stem cells from? From bone marrow or from fat cells?
@evewaddell thank you for keeping us updated! I cant remember if I asked you this already but did your damage include prominent pores? I have everything youve described plus huge pores that I didnt have prior to using Tretinoin. Thank you.
@evewaddell hi again, is there a reason the treatment needs to be done at that specific clinic? Is there nothing else available that provides the same anywhere else? Thank you.
@bear001 Hello. did you get the KP from retinol damage or just just developed it?
@bear001 hi there. What is KP?
@bear001 hi there. What is KP?
Keratosis pilaris - little, often inflamed bumps caused by keratin overproduction
@evewaddell hi again, is there a reason the treatment needs to be done at that specific clinic? Is there nothing else available that provides the same anywhere else? Thank you.
IMO, no there is no reason to do it in specific clinic, but ideally you need to find clinic that has some experience and real results as it quite expensive treatment.
Definitely before stem cells try PRP or PRF. They works in similar way, but they are much much cheaper. Ideally find clinic that are doing PRF (PRF is second generation of PRP without anti cougulant)
@yola4 hi Yola, do you have any idea what it is that made your skin worse in the beginning? Im two months out from stopping Tretinoin and like you, my damage continues to get worse and spread Im just hoping/praying for any kind of help to stop this, as I have no idea what Im doing wrong. Im just washing my face with water and using a very simple moisturiser. I would be so grateful if you could please respond. I know youve had a procedure and your skin is great now which is wonderful news, but I dont think that will be an option for me. Thank you.
@evewaddell Hi, have they said that you need more sessions? I know it is too soon to see some results, but can you see some improvement now after few days/weeks (less redness, less reactive skin)?
Thanks
I had the same issue and nothing I tried would get rid of it until by some miracle mistake I had non nicotine vape juice on my face, washed it off and my skin was immediately better, read the bottle and it was pure propylene glycol, did some research and decided to say fuck it and keep using the vape juice... Literally reversed all the damage! After research I found it actually is an effective occlusive that doesn't disrupt the skin barrier to function unlike glycerine and I think from memory sodium PCA? It also dissolves oils which seems counter intuitive but the orange peel skin is caused by fat molecules of which are usually sandwiched between collagen, ball up which creates the uneven skin texture. Could explain why using higher strength tret causes it as the sudden increase in collagen layers force the fat molecules together instead of a gradual increase which would be balanced by an increase in fat to the skin also?
Anywho it's my guess that the propylene glycol helps to dispurse these balled up fatty molecules, and aids in water retention whilst still preserving the skin barrier. I also didn't use any cream moisturiser, just this amazing skin and hair argan oil that has a touch of dimethicone in it (silicone) which creates another barrier over the natural skin barrier to further lock moisture in.
I also found urea also helped but honestly nothing like the propolyne glycol and face oil.
It's pretty controversial advice as PG can be irritating to some skin but I was at such a fuck it mood I was lucky! I
Now i still use tretanoin 0.05% but I put it on with the urea cream (actually foot cream) leave it on for a few minutes then wash it off. I do this morning and night. I don't have issues with sun sensitivity but I also use a mineral based, SPF30 bb cream, the coola branded one. Tried heaps of other mineral sunblocks but the wax base makes my skin look damn awful, the BB is silicone based so really helps hide the shit whilst your skin heals, stops you from stressing about and too which helps!
Hope this helps! Also remember take this as controversial advice! It worked for me but for skin sake, test on your hand first. Then neck, then jaw, and only when no negative side affects has occured do you put it on your face! My happy accident was great but I'm not going to say it's going to also be the same for other people! All the best and hopefully the retinol damage gets better!
@Evewaddell have you seen some improvement after steam cell treatment?
@bear001 no it did not. My face is actually worse now. But Im suspecting an Auto-immune issue going on with me.
@evewaddell thanks for info 🙁 . What is your current main concern? Redness, pustules? Arent you going to try vbeam treatment or you are afraid of worsening skin? Have you tried some topicals as soolantra or some oral medicaitons as doxycycline?
Hey guys! Sorry I havent responded to much on here. Tbh Im trying to put this nightmare behind me as I lost 6 years of my life due to it, but I never thought Id actually heal and I always said that if I ever did heal I would try to help the people suffering from this bizarre condition.
Its been about 15 months since I went to Ukraine and my skin is still in great condition. That was one concern of mine as I had read about people getting fat transfer and healing but only for a year or less because once the fat dissipated the skin damage returned. Anyhow Im still good. I'm extremely busy though so I dont have the time at the moment to go back and read and respond to everyone, but if you would like to chat with me feel free to message me on here as lately Ive been checking it once every week or two. My entire existence revolved around this for such a long time that Im so glad to finally be able to put it behind me. I do realize from being in some of your shoes that when you read a story of someone healing that it gives you a little bit of hope and hope is everything.
To recap my situation I had horrible damage from retin an and over exfoliation. I really did a number on my skin I was dermarolling too and using retin a as well as doing face exercises, but I dont contribute the damage to derma needling (it probably played a part in it but I had done it in the past and was fine). The damage showed up literally overnight and consisted of my skin burning as if it was on fire (I lived in ice masks for 3.5 years not even an exaggeration I still have a freezer full of them that I have to throw out), my skin texture became crinkly, shiny and tight as if it were going to peel but would not peel, I had lines and indents and huge pores all over my face that started connecting themselves as well as redness and inflammation. My skin looked thickened but in reality it was so thin. The doctor at Mediland told me that my skin was unable to retain moisture and that I needed to stop with the treatments and oils and moisturizers etc because it was trapping the heat from the inflammatory response into my skin. I did sooo much to my skin during the 6 years. I cant remember everything that I did but I used Psoria gold moisturizer, almost every healing oil, Dermaviduals, DMK healing masks and treatments, PRP, bio revitalization injections with rejuran healer and hyaluronic acid, caveman routine, and used probably every barrier repair cream on the market. Nothing helped and in fact most made my situation even worse.
Now lets get to the stem cell treatment. I bought a package which included two trips to Ukraine. Due to the situation there rn I have not been able to take my second trip just yet but the first trip healed me so Im not in any rush. They did the treatments over a 4 day span. The first day was finding a protocol right for me which included me visiting with the Mediland doctor and also visiting a nearby clinic to get their opinion. The second day was IV stem cell therapy followed by stem cell injections into my face. Third day was PRP injections into my face and the fourth day was stem cell injections into my face again. They also did ultherapy as my face had deflated but ultherapy is temporary and only lasts 6-12 months and the deflation hasnt returned so I can only surmise that the lack of collagen and elasticity is what caused the issue. Results were seen within weeks of treatment. I believe it took about 3 weeks for me to see healing occurring but my skin felt better almost immediately. If you have any questions feel free to message me and Ill do my best to answer. I hope you all are able to recover! Xoxo
@yola4 I appreciate youre trying to move on from this situation, but would really appreciate if I could talk to you about the clinic in Ukraine? Im considering going there myself for the stem cell treatment but have some reservations regarding safety.
Ive been feeling suicidal over the state of my skin for over a year now, and would really appreciate speaking to someone who has been through this ordeal and managed to come out the other side.
@wantmyoldskinback I get it believe me I get it. I was suicidal myself for 6 years there. I didnt work or leave the house and only immediate family saw me. I honestly still cant believe I made it out of this mess and can look back at it as a 6 year nightmare that almost doesnt feel real anymore. And thank goodness for that. I know its way easier said than done but try and live your life and enjoy things the best you can (Im being a hypocrite I know) prior to stem cell treatment because I lost so much time just obsessing over the damage. And sure Im healed now but I lost all of that time and lost my parents too during that time.
As far as stem cell treatment I personally believe its the only answer to this problem. But with that being said, my trip to Ukraine was an absolute nightmare. Taking two planes and a 24 hour bus ride by yourself in foreign countries is not for the faint of heart and had I not been at the end of my rope I would not have done it. Im glad I did but man was it hard. Even though I prepared beforehand with my bank, they were still unable to withdrawal the funds and after 4 days being there without payment, they kicked me out of the hotel. Yes, kicked out of the hotel, in Kiev, in a war zone, with no money, all alone, and not knowing the language. I finally was able to transfer the funds and received treatment but like I said it was a nightmare. One that I would do over again in a heartbeat but man was it stressful. Ive heard from another person wanting to get treatment that they are looking to open a sister clinic somewhere else I forget where but I wouldnt rec Kiev right now for obvious reasonsunless you are also at a breaking point. Just remember, keep the faith and stay hopeful as there is light at the end of this dreadful tunnel.
Also, I wanted to add that Im simply here to share my journey. Im not here to argue stem cell therapy or anything like that with anyone. I had my doubts as well that stem cells were a scam but all I can say is that it healed my skin. And that is not something I ever thought was possible. I became friends with so many damaged skin people along the way I lost touch with over the years and I can only hope that they are now healed or are able to read my updates and realize that there is hope. I firmly believe that stem cell treatment is the only answer to retin a and/or microneedling damage as well as laser damage (now I didnt have laser damage but I believe stem cells would work for it). I was one of the worst cases that I saw online back when it happened and I honestly havent googled it since 2019 (when my mom passed away) so I hope people suffering will find my updates! Also, you dont have to do a $20 K package like I did either. There are cheaper plans and ones that dont include two trips to Ukraine. I still have one trip ahead of me but since Im healed its not urgent for me to get back there right away.
Some people are asking information so they can go to other clinics. The only clinic I can vouche for is Mediland so please do your research. Talk to the clinic in depth and ask them how many people they have treated with similar damage. Ask them if by chance you do not heal will they continue to work with you until you do. Be smart about this and dont rush into it! I spoke to Mediland on and off for 5 years! I had to have time to save up the money but I had a gut feeling and knew early on that my condition was chronic and wasnt going to heal on its own. Again if anyone wants to chat further u can message me.
@yola4 hi Yola, do you have any idea what it is that made your skin worse in the beginning? Im two months out from stopping Tretinoin and like you, my damage continues to get worse and spread Im just hoping/praying for any kind of help to stop this, as I have no idea what Im doing wrong. Im just washing my face with water and using a very simple moisturiser. I would be so grateful if you could please respond. I know youve had a procedure and your skin is great now which is wonderful news, but I dont think that will be an option for me. Thank you.
Hey,
Sorry, Ive been so busy working and getting my life back but Im starting to go back and read the thread as I really do want as many people to heal from this as possible.
So what made my skin damage worse?! My guess would be a multitude of things! I was bombarding my skin with so much crap (which it sounds like you are not doing which is a good thing!) I would give each new product a few weeks and if I didnt see a difference or feel a difference Id switch regimens. I cant even think of everything I used but some of them were Psoria gold, Dermaviduals, all Different kinds of oils, DMK products, Cetaphil products, almost every barrier repair cream on the market, etc etc. Lets not forget that I was also doing treatments to heal my skin over the 6 years of damage. Biorevitalization injections of Rejuran healer and hyaluronic acid (which I learned myself through an esthetician assistance), DMK facials, PRP, etc. What I should have done was chill out and let my skin breathe and heal but I panickedman did I panic! I also learned that panicking, crying and stressing out over it put my body in an even worse state and didnt help me to heal because I was in a perpetual fight or flight mode. All I could think day and night, was that I ruined my skin and ruined my life and this was going to be my future. I have to remind you that I was so inflamed that I was living in ice masks 24-7. I would wake up in my sleep and change them. I had no life, no job, no confidence and worst of all I was in so so much pain. It felt like when u first get a strong chemical peel those first few minutes of intense burning except it never went away. It was a complete nightmare. From what I read back then I was one of the worst inflammation cases in that it took years for the burning to stop. It stopped like 3 months after my mom passed away and to this day I still think she had a hand in it. Call me crazy idc. So in retrospect, I think being very gentle and easy on your skin like you are doing is the best way to go. Unfortunately, if it becomes chronic there is very little chance it will heal on its own and this is because its in a constant state of inflammation which hinders healing. Now if I could go back to the beginning I would have reached out to a Dermaviduals rep and asked them to formulate a gentle plan for barrier repair. I do believe my skin was getting a little better while using Dermaviduals products, but the inflammation was so bad I had to stop using moisturizer or anything that would hold the heat in my skin. If you are very inflamed dont used anything occlusive or that will hold the heat in it will cause more harm to your skin.
Also, anyone with less chronic barrier damage (6 months or less into the damage) should reach out to a Dermaviduals rep and they should be able to formulate a decent barrier repair regimen for your skin. I know that stem cell treatment isnt something that everyone can afford. But also keep in mind that I saved for 5 years for stem cells because I knew early on that it was going to take something drastic to heal my barrier. I reached out to 15-20 clinics around the world and settled with Mediland due to them sending me some pretty amazing before and after photos. Im not referring to the ones on their website, this guy Oleg who worked for them back in 2018-2019 sent me a ton of photos of all kinds of different skin disorders and they were very impressive so impressive that I set my mind on that clinic early on. As Im currently talking to 3 other members here, Im seeing that there is a varying degree of cost for treatment depending on the severity of your skin damage one person was quoted $2 K while another $7 K. Still a lot of money but wayyyy less than I spent!!!! But I still have one trip left and they are letting me decide when I would like to come so my next trip will be more enjoyable and more of an anti aging experience rather than a medical necessity. Even though the entire trip was a nightmare and everything that could go wrong did go wrong, i would do it all over again! I promised myself that if I ever healed I would not take life for granted ever again. Im trying my best to stand by those words as I suffer from anxiety and depression so everyday is hard. Whats great is people cant believe Im 41 years old. Prior to the damage people always thought I looked young. Once my skin became damaged and deflated, people thought I was much older and even thought I was my moms sister. And now people are back to thinking Im late 20s to early 30s. All I wanted was to have my face back.to have my identity back, and I thank God that I made it out of the nightmare. People outside of this situation dont realize what a toll it takes on you, and they dont realize that people have taken their lives because of this. I do have to make my way over to real self and other boards and update my story so more people know that there is hope. And like I always sayhope is everything. If u would like to talk to me personally or ask me any questions send me a private message. I wish you all the best!