Thank you for the great post. There's a lot of useful stuff here.

Backstory:

I had TotalFX five months ago and it improved the appearance of my scars by quite a bit. I'd say 40-50%. I'm feeling really encouraged by the results and I now want to continue treating my scars. I've tried a lot of things in the past five years or so (dermabrasion, ACV method, Fraxel Re-store), so I told myself that if TotalFX didn't work, it would be the last thing I'd do to try to fix my scarring and I would give up. And I'm so happy that it DID work!! For the first time in so long I feel encouraged, like there is really hope for acne scar sufferers.

Recently, I've been reading a lot about dermarolling in articles and in the forums here. Before dermarolling, I had read about self-needling and was very squicked by it. I thought, "there's no way I could do that myself. I need someone else doing it for me." But when it's attached to a roller, it somehow seems doable. I don't feel so intimidated and afraid by it... Anyway, since this method seems to work in a very similar way to the TotalFX laser that I've had success with, I'm really interested in trying it out. It seems like it could give similar results at a much smaller price. I haven't bought anything yet, but I'm considering the 1mm or 1.5mm 3-line roller.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm just wondering why it's okay to use a dermaroller every 6 weeks, but it's recommended to wait 6 months between laser treatments? I was under the impression that collagen built up slowly over the 6 month period, but it seems that those who use a dermaroller don't wait that long between treatments. I'm just wondering why that is.

I'm also a little confused about after treatment. Should I use a vitamin A cream, CP cream, or both?

Sorry for the long post and I wish everyone the best with their scar treatments!!

what do you guys think about using the 2.5 to 3 mm rollers for deep scars?Would those be too damaging/painful?

just a quick update on my use of Level 6 GreenCream. After a lil over a week of everyday use, my skin has adjusted to it.

The noticeable redness is gone with only a minor amount of pink tone to my skin. My skin in general looks great since using GC. The pores are significantly less noticeable and my overall skin tone is even and healthy looking.

I alternate through out the day between GC and Super CP Serum by Skin Biology ( something like 11 hours of each during a given day).

I will be moving up to Level 9 within about 1 week.

BTW, I just want to make this point again to anyone using GC, regardless if they are using it as part of a scar revision therapy or not. You will get immediate results if you combine using the GC with a small dermaroller ( something in the size of .15mm, .25mm or 0.5mm).

You will probably get results in days with a roller than you would have had in a month of applying it topically alone ( if not longer). The uptake/absorption is that much greater.

All the best

munsoned: Can you also add a "Buying Guide" to your original post, and recommend trusted eBay buyers, other retailers. There are so many, everybody gets confused on who to believe. I only have the Leaf and Rusher one

Thanks to everyoneas comments/thoughts Iave read so

far. New to the forum and my first post.

My scarring is left cheek mainly, Iave had dermabrasion,

collagen injections, and chemical peels. I am soooo

thankful to see the info on rolling, which Iam gonna

start doing in a few days.

Beta glucan has recently been touted as a collagen builder,

also with immune system enhancer. Hereas a really

good general article about it (just scroll half way down

for skin info)a. Also a good article about orally using

it for immune system. My understanding is that its

water soulable. All beta glucans are not created equal

(see below journal article).

www.youngagain.org/books/betaglucan.pdf

chaper 5 p. 27

the product I will use is made by aoetransfer pointa

a study in this journal reflects its high quality:

p.25

Thanks so much for everyoneas help and thoughts. Youare the best.

INFECTION CONTROL WITH ROLLER

from

Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen references numerous studies to show that a straight 5 percent solution of vinegarathekind you can buy in the supermarketakills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). He noted that Heinz canat claim on their packaging that vinegar is a disinfectant since the company has not registered it as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency. However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial. Even the CBS news show aoe48 Hoursa had a special years ago with Heloise reporting on tests from The Good Housekeeping Institute that showed this.

Also a nurse friend of mine told me they boil water, then add "distilled white vinegar" to

make a 50/50 ratio, and let the medical equipment soak for 30 minutes to disinfect.

INFECTION CONTROL WITH ROLLER

Also a nurse friend of mine told me they boil water, then add "distilled white vinegar" to

make a 50/50 ratio, and let the medical equipment soak for 30 minutes to disinfect.

TAKE NOTE HOWEVER, DO NOT USE HOT WATER ON YOUR ROLLERS! It's a big no-no, IIRC, it's noted in the dermaroller website / german blog or somewhere that it may loosen the needles or something.

Here's a YouTube video I've come across featuring Dr. Fernandes. He discusses the importance of Vitamin A and Vitamin C to the skin along with other information.

I dermarolled for the first time last night. Today my scars look worse/larger. I'm not sure if the scars actually look worse or if I'm just seeing puncture marks from the roller. ( I have rolling and ice pick scars)

Is this normal? I hope I haven't made them worse.

Hi,

How are you guys disinfecting your rollers? And how often?

Hey guys, can someone please tell me where I can purchase EMLA cream online? I have been searching and can't find anything. Thanks!

I'm feeling really encouraged by the results and I now want to continue treating my scars.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm just wondering why it's okay to use a dermaroller every 6 weeks, but it's recommended to wait 6 months between laser treatments?

Should I use a vitamin A cream, CP cream, or both?

I'm like you, I've had laser treatment with some decent results. I'm also encouraged about improving my skin after many years spent thinking that it would never get better. I just started rolling and the way my skin reacted to my first roll reminded me a lot of how it looked after being lasered. So I'm hopeful and that in itself makes me feel good.

That's an interesting question. Anyone have an idea? Maybe it's bc there's a greater chance of pigmentation problems with lasers, I'm not sure.

Lamarr suggests using Terproline after rolling bc that's what his Dr. used. But I don't think they sell it in the USA. You might be able to buy the non-professional strength Terproline from UK amazon.com. I have read that others are using CP, I'm not sure what's best.

I dermarolled for the first time last night. Today my scars look worse/larger. I'm not sure if the scars actually look worse or if I'm just seeing puncture marks from the roller. ( I have rolling and ice pick scars)

Is this normal? I hope I haven't made them worse.

I think it's normal. Give it a few days and everything should be better.

Hi,

How are you guys disinfecting your rollers? And how often?

I think you are supposed to soak it in alcohol and then let it air dry before putting it back in the container.

On the other hand, I believe I read somewhere on the board that Dr Chu is now only using the rollers once before discarding them due to health and safety reasons.

Hey guys, can someone please tell me where I can purchase EMLA cream online? I have been searching and can't find anything. Thanks!

It's on ebay, but I haven't bought it yet so i don't know if those sellers are trustworthy.

After my first roll without any numbing, I am definitely going to look into emla cream. I wasn't able to go as hard as I wanted bc the pain got to me.

Has anyone else had any signs of scars worsening after dermaroller use? I used mine for the first time about 4 weeks ago, and I noticed that one scar filled in almost completely but there are other depressions now that weren't there before.

Anyone else have this issue?

bump

Can anyone please recommend somewhere in the U.K to get this done professionally? I can't find anywhere and don't want to go down the home roller route, would rather get a professional to fix my scars. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! x

Can anyone please recommend somewhere in the U.K to get this done professionally? I can't find anywhere and don't want to go down the home roller route, would rather get a professional to fix my scars. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! x

Look for the thread started by Lamarr. I think the title is "ok guys". It seems like Dr. Chu is a good guy to go to in the UK.

This looks promising. I've got scars, the majority of them are rolling, most of them aren't too deep (although there are a couple that are). I'm on accutane for the 3rd time now, and after this course is over I'm going to look into micro-needling.

Has anyone here seen results?

I have had profractional three times with some improvement. I am having my last in september. I am interested in self dermarolling. What kind of equip. do i need and where can I get it? What by way of creams do I need? Where can I get these. How do I use them in conjuction with the roller? I would appreciate anyone's advice and or help on this matter. I have moderat icepick, boxcar and rolling. Will an at home dermaroller help with all types fo scarring? Thank you.

I have had profractional three times with some improvement. I am having my last in september. I am interested in self dermarolling. What kind of equip. do i need and where can I get it? What by way of creams do I need? Where can I get these. How do I use them in conjuction with the roller? I would appreciate anyone's advice and or help on this matter. I have moderat icepick, boxcar and rolling. Will an at home dermaroller help with all types fo scarring? Thank you.

I'd like to know too, as well as how thick and long the needles should be (without being too much or too little).

Hey, Im about to buy my first derma roller but cant decide on whether I want a 0.5 that I can use every other day and get some good micro-swelling from...or...should I go for the big guns and get the 1.5? My main question is though, Ive heard you shouldnt use the 1.5 more than 5 or so times.Well how many times can you use the 0.5?If it was the same that would be pretty expensive right? Could anyone give their input? Thanks everyone

Newtrix, a few of my scars do look worse. I think I used too much pressure when I rolled, and some of the needles got stuck and caused some damage. If I use the derma roller again I'm going to be very cautious and gentle.

Tara:

How long has it been since you rolled ? Your face may look a little beat up for a few days after rolling. Plus, your scars will change in appearance as the skin remodels itself. That being said, I'm sure it's possible that some scars can get worse when rolling. Give it some time, then see how it looks.

Carolina:

If you are trying to spur collagen growth to improve scars, get the 1.5. Roll once every 6 weeks. I'm going to try and get a few uses out of each roller b4 buying a new one. If you can use the roller 4 times that's only about 2 rollers a year (52 weeks / 6 = 8.7). Remember to check the roller for bent needles b4 using it. Also, make sure to disinfect it when you are finished.

How many rolls are ppl getting out of their rollers?

We all want our scars to improve RIGHT NOW but using the roller takes time. Lamarr says you will see progress over the course of a year.

Thanks I appreciate the info.I was wondering..... one strange thing I noticed though, when ordering my 1.5 roller is I got it off of ebay and the instructions were a bit odd from anything I've ever seen. It said that using a 1.5 you could use it 3 times a week and because of the quality of steel up to 100 times!(I don't buy that I dont think)That doesn't sound right at all does it?Also after I roll how long do I have to wait before beginning the retin-a and vitamin c?A few days?Im not extrememely new at this but I just want to make sure what Im doing is correct.I also began taking Silica as well and let me tell you the stuff can work if its made right.(I havn't been on it long though so all the changes I've had are only from needling thus far)

I also know what some people are saying about the scars tending to look worse.I have self needled several times and the funny thing is although they definately fill, I think because they also start rising to the surface they also can get bigger looking and wider(they spread out more).Although theoretically this makes sense, it was kind of something that I didn't expect because I havn't heard many people mention this.Unless I have been way off and screwed something up!

But mine have definately changed. One icepick that you couldn't even hardly see is one hundred percent more noticeable.But, I can now also see the bottom of the scar which was impossible to see before I started needling. It is also much wider and bigger looking but most definately risen 50 percent or more, no kidding.

I think with this there will be a period where they will look worse in the in between stages until they really start to level...... That is I'm praying they will level.....But it takes alot longer than most people realize your right, and that may mean looking worse for some till they get better.I think it takes many, many needling sessions or years really.That's why I went ahead and got the roller just to make sure my technique is not getting in the way,at least its a little safer bet.And it looks like I cant quit now.

Another thing is smoking. I truly belive this can hinder progress as well and before anyone even begins to embark on this if they smoke to quit!I have smoked and am desperately trying to quit and wished I had waited till I fully quit first before needling.But needling has definately changed my scars, but I'm kind of just in that between stage and wish it could end up the way it looks in that healing phase,lol!Sorry to post so much guys but I've been on this forum a long time but not ever vented or posted too much so thanks all the input is GREATLY appreciated!

Stick with it...scars remodeling can be odd and alarming at the start...but after about 1 month they look much more calm and one thing I always noticed is the depth reduction

I think my Green Cream (level 6), or any retinol/retin-a will help things along ALOT...and a plus is that it will make your scars look smaller and pores more refined temporarily, while still helping along permanent results of collagen building and scar remodeling

Also cannot forget the C serum I am using, really helps calm things down and reduce chances of breakouts (the vit A also helps this)

ohh and carolina rain, quit ASAP!