Acne.org Products
hey to anyone who knows i haven't been able to contact DR.Y again but i wanted know if anyone knows whats the biggest punch float he does?
I have this oddly shaped scar wich is like a smooth depresion on the skin, has anyone have a scar like this punch floated? It's moderately deep but i don't know if these type of scars are punch floated.
Amnesiac how come you couldn't get in contact with him? when will you be making your appointment for your floats and full face derm? best do it soon, as its January next week.
Damn its Christmas day and all i can think about is D-E-R-M-A-B-R-A-S-I-O-N!!! I have 13 weeks left, then i'll be in New Orleans, i wish it was sooner though, i'm cracking up! i have no patience what so ever!!! AAARGH!!!
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
Day 6 ... woohoo... ok, last night was dramatic in terms of new skin growth and reduction in swelling. I'm still swollen, but I'm starting to recognize that guy in the mirror. I'm also growing a mad beard which I can wait to get rid of. I have never let my facial hair grow beyond 3 days in my life. No ingrown hairs (one of my biggest fears). My hair on the side of my head is also growing back (he cut off some of my hair to get rid of the flat mole growth that extended into my hairline near my left sideburn). Everything is healing up nicely. I still have a few isolated bloody areas but they are no longer bleeding, just look a little bloody. The daily cleansings are still very tender. I'm starting to itch! I don't think I scratched in my sleep as I took extra precaution to keep my hands tied down under the covers... lol. The new skin is SOOOOO mauve in color, not really a bright pink like others have experienced. (maybe a deep pink rose color if that makes sense) I don't know if this is a good thing, or a bad thing, or if it doesn't matter. Maybe it might mean my normal color might come back quicker (being hopeful). I finally went down stairs maskless this morning for the continental breakfast..... got some stares but nothing like with the mask on. When I had the mask on one morning during my dressing change coming and going, I met some little kids in the lobby on my way in one morning and I heard them ask their mommy "mommy, why does that man have a mask on?" lol. Kids don't lie man. All the adults pretended not to see me unless they were by a door or something then they went out of their way to help me. I was kinda getting used to the special treatment. lol
I must say just looking at all the areas that the doctor is fantastic in precision. All areas look so even and smooth. I was reading some of the articles in his office about his talents in music (talent) - this guy is a world class musician - anyway he goes on to say why he chose dermabrasion as one of his focus points and it's so he could utilize his talents in his everyday work. To me, he is truly an artist.
Also, last night the skin affected by the acid peel under my eyes fell off. Paper thin, revealed really nice skin. I should do just that every now and then. It looks a lot like the sheding that occurs with a TCA peel. The skin gets really dark in that area then just kinda peels away all at once. (like paint with paint remover applied after several hours)
I should tell everyone, after the first day looking at myself I got pretty discouraged. I don't even know if the right word is discouraged but I looked so bad, so bloody, so disfigured, that I questioned if I'd ever look even half as good as I used to before I chose to get my face taken off. I worried if it wouldn't heal correctly or something. You just look soooooo bad. Just get yourself ready for whats coming is all I'm saying and know that in just a couple days from that point things start to improve dramatically. Just follow the instructions as they are given and you will be fine. I tend to over worry, as you can prolly tell from my posts. But I like to be on the safer side rather the sorry side.
I guess for me the post-care kinda came as a surprise, the swelling, the pain I experienced (likely from the swelling), the slow-healing process, the oozing, the mask, the sleeping positions, dressing changes, etc etc etc... a lot of what was a surprise to me because no one explained it in too great of detail. Leafs fan I think was the first one to touch on the dressing changes which got me somewhat prepared for what was to come. I wouldn't describe any of it as a walk in the park, at least it wasn't for me. For example, I don't think it would have been possible for me to fly home on day 4. Day 5 or 6, yeah, no problem. If you can spend that extra day or 2 in New Orleans to recover, I would. I'm still really swollen from normal, but likely half of what I was on day 4. If you guys have any questions for me I'd be happy to answer any of them.
All that said, I have to say that even as I'm still recovering, I'm so happy I did this. This is by far the best thing I have ever done for my scars.
Amnesiac how come you couldn't get in contact with him? when will you be making your appointment for your floats and full face derm? best do it soon, as its January next week.
Damn its Christmas day and all i can think about is D-E-R-M-A-B-R-A-S-I-O-N!!! I have 13 weeks left, then i'll be in New Orleans, i wish it was sooner though, i'm cracking up! i have no patience what so ever!!! AAARGH!!!
"I tend to over worry, as you can prolly tell from my posts. But I like to be on the safer side rather the sorry side."
You worry?!? I never would have guessed it!...lol. Seriously, thanks for documenting everything and sounds like you are doing a lot better. Glad to hear it. Merry Christmas.
Amnesiac i paid the full $2500 deposit on the day that i booked it, which was 4 weeks ago, i now have the complete amount of money for the procedure, i think i will be going back in October to get a second dermabrasion, but i will only be getting my cheeks done the second time and not the whole face.
Dr. Y is the best doctor alive!!! We are truly so lucky to have him. He took time out on Christmas Day to call me at my hotel and make sure I was doing ok and that my swelling was subsiding and to see if there was anything he could do for me. He also wanted to wish me a Merry Christmas. What a guy!!!! Santa himself couldn't give me anything better than this.
And get this... IT SNOWED IN NEW ORLEANS ON CHRISTMAS!!! Both Dr. Y and I were astonished by this!
That hasn.t happened but twice in the last 50 years.
I also wanted to second something that Leopolda said in the very beginning of this thread because its worth re-mentioning and I couldn't have said it better myself, she writes:
" A POSTSCRIPT
Although it is still too early to see the results, things seem to be coming along very well and from what he tells me they will only continue to improve. If I havenAaat already communicated this, I could not be happier with my decision to fly out there. Dr. Y and Cassandra are two of the most decent, caring, compassionate people IAaave ever met. They manage to strike this incredible balance of laid-back, mellowness with absolute professionalism and seriousness when needed. "
After reading the long list of info about dermabrasion and Dr Y, I am very keen on doing this procedure. The problem is, I am living in UK, so it's quite unlikely I can fly off to US to get this performed by Dr Y. So does anyone has any idea where and which doctor is good in dermabrasion in UK? thx a lot!!
Well. Certianly not the type of posts I'd like to be reading a day before my dermabrasion I believe the doctor gets more aggressive depending on how severe the scarring is. Mine is quite severe compared to portlandboys, more like leafans if you check some of his pictures. It's too early to think about results only 6 days post op, I would wait ATLEAST 2 months before realizing what type of results you've had. A second dermabrasion will not eradicate your scars, nor will a third, fourth, or even fifth. You can just hope to see improvement, but never think about the complete removal b/c that just isn't possible.
Happy healing.
Leafsfan, how is your healing going I love reading your posts b/c from all the other people who have gotten dermabrasion your scarring is the closest to mine
Hello Shade,
I certainly didn't mean to put a damper on your pre-op spirits. I sincerely wish you all the best with it. To reiterate, my scarring was relatively shallow so several dermabrasions would indeed "eradicate" it ("" aka not literally - rather as close to "oblivion" as possible). I've conducted substantial research on the procedure and am old and pragmatic enough to know that, once skin is scarred, it will NEVER be perfect again - but it can look gosh darn close eh - especially if the scarring is relatively shallow to begin with. Perhaps I should have phrased my earlier comments better, so as to not seem naive. I had written primarily with regard to my and Chris's healing processes thus far. Granted, I am not the best healer either, as I've had several other surgeries in my lifetime (non-skin related) and still very much brandish the "battle scars." Bottom line, I suppose, is that everyone responds differently to trauma (for indeed that is what dermabrasion is), and the procedure will always yield different results even if all other "factors in the equation" are identical among patients. And you are absolutely right; it is still too early to detect the ultimate results of my dermabrasion. I knew that my concerns were premature, but sometimes expressing them to others under similar circumstances, or to those whom can empathize, is therapeutic for me. Again, all my best to you.
Shade, believe it or not, "complete eradication" is possible. As I've stated on this board several times already, Dr. Yarborough dermabraded a lady from Los Angeles "8" (eight) times, and she now has, in Dr. Y and Cassandra's own words, "flawless" skin. She had "severe" scarring, too. When a doctor says a patient of his has flawless skin, I do not take that lightly. You take it for what it is. Are you saying he's exaggerating her results? Very unlikely. The lady, wife of a well known actor, will be in New Orleans when I'm there and I hope to personally authenticate this.
A second dermabrasion will not eradicate your scars, nor will a third, fourth, or even fifth. You can just hope to see improvement, but never think about the complete removal b/c that just isn't possible.
Sorry Dolmal and everyone else for leaving ya'll hanging. I am back from my Christmas break. Well, it has been 7 weeks tomorrow since my dermabrasion, almost 2 months. I had a few people say hey look at your sunburn but you just have to think about the outcome and be good to your healing self. I am still reddish after the shower and when I end up getting hot form running around but I noticed alot of it had subsided in the last week. And spots that were a light brownish color I had worried about are also fading (that would be around the high cheek bone area) I actually don't think I have a hyperpigment problem but I will have a dermatalogist look at it later on to let me know for sure.
As for my results in scars, I DEFINATELY AM GLAD I LEFT FOR NEW ORLEANS.
If I didn't get my 21 punch floats, I might think differently. Some scars I can't even remember where they were and some are better but not 100% from the punches.
My self esteem and happiness has climbed up quite a few notches since. I did end up having a few drinks over the holidays which I do not recommend but only b/c it is the holiday season! (had a few on thanksgiving and christmas... and probably new years).
I am hoping to get a better view on my skin when the redness goes away. I will wait a whole year before getting another dermabrasion. I am hearing alot of the asian people now only getting spot treatments from Dr. Y, that is good to hear. I would do my cheeks again also if he agrees. I am satisfied with the procedure so far. I am just trying to heighten my expectations. So, all those little ice picks I had before seem bigger to me now. Kind of like how anime girl did her last one.
I will keep try to hang in here and stay in tuned!
Hey A, and Shade...
Shade man, I wanna meet up with you tomorrow morning before your derma. I'm gonna try to call you in a bit here. What time is your appt?
A, I'm sorry that you are less happy than we would have all hoped. I would be more than happy to meet up with you and we can check each other out in person. I'll be in the New Orleans area for the next few days.
Let me try to give an update of whats going on. Today is day 6 for me (Sunday) My swelling has subsided a lot more but I'm still swollen some, which may be attributing to my tighter skin. It literally feels tight. How does yours feel? I mean, when I smile, it still hurts a little. (not nearly like it did 3 or 4 days ago) but its tender. Washing is still tender too. I'm still doing the colgate shaving foam and gauze and applying vaseline. And right on track/timing with Leafs fan I'm starting to have the pore surfacing acne-like bursts. I had two this morning that went away in the second washing but unfortunately, I can tell that I will be having a break out in my temple area on my right side and my lower left check area. I can literally see the pore trying to surface but its being trapped by new skin. When my skin was all bloody and wet from the vigilon I could see the same yellow dot things (pores emerging) They easily emerged thru the wet skin but the vaseline skin is much different. Plus there is new tougher skin that has formed. It's hard to explain but I bet leafsfan knows exactly what I mean. For some reason I was way behind on healing, and then now I'm actually more healed by day 6 than leafs fan was at his day 6 so now I'm actually ahead on the healing. I think this proves we all heal differently. In fact, if I look closely I can see skin color returning in my cheeks and forehead (just slightly and in little blotches) I hope this means I won't be a lobster for too long. Here we go... as the swelling has subsided some scars have re-emerged slightly. I will stress slightly. They are still greatly improved. I cannot detect any of the depressions from my rolling scars. They seem to be gone. My punch floats look wonderful too. Even at this early stage, I can't really detect but maybe 3-4 of the 21 I had done. My chicken pox scar is still very evident. The area where the mole on my upper lip was removed is greatly improved. I can still make out where the mole was, but I was scared to death at the scar that was left from its removal. (you can see it in my punch float pics) It will be hardly noticable now. The flat mole growth (large) that was on the left side of my head near my side burn (which extended into my hairline) is still completely gone. No trace. Dr. Y did warn me that it may try to return tho because of the type of mole it was. Dr. Y also warned me about the possible short-term peak time which I may be experiencing right now. I'm being realistic about this and am almost anticipating my skin to decline at this point. That can't be very healthy mentally. But I'm trying not to be too over-joyed by my success thus far in case it's just short-term. There is always the colagen boosting that is supposed to occur too.
A., I also had a chance to get close up to your scars and if I'm being totally honest your scars were more severe than mine. Maybe just a degree or two worse. Shade's is worse than mine and likely worse than yours. I'm eager to see how he responds to dermabrasion. I'm hopeful and optimistic about his results. I would love to see how you responded also.
Hello Shade,
I certainly didn't mean to put a damper on your pre-op spirits. I sincerely wish you all the best with it. To reiterate, my scarring was relatively shallow so several dermabrasions would indeed "eradicate" it ("" aka not literally - rather as close to "oblivion" as possible). I've conducted substantial research on the procedure and am old and pragmatic enough to know that, once skin is scarred, it will NEVER be perfect again - but it can look gosh darn close eh
- especially if the scarring is relatively shallow to begin with. Perhaps I should have phrased my earlier comments better, so as to not seem naive. I had written primarily with regard to my and Chris's healing processes thus far. Granted, I am not the best healer either, as I've had several other surgeries in my lifetime (non-skin related) and still very much brandish the "battle scars." Bottom line, I suppose, is that everyone responds differently to trauma (for indeed that is what dermabrasion is), and the procedure will always yield different results even if all other "factors in the equation" are identical among patients. And you are absolutely right; it is still too early to detect the ultimate results of my dermabrasion. I knew that my concerns were premature, but sometimes expressing them to others under similar
circumstances, or to those whom can empathize, is therapeutic for me. Again, all my best to you.
STAT A.......At consultation with Dr. Y, did he tell you what kind of improvement to expect? Did he think you could eradicate scars with multiple derms?
Chris, I do not believe my scars were more severe than yours with all my due respect. It was simply that I had developed a severe breakout three days prior to my dermabrasion, so my skin appeared deceptively worse than it truly was. I will say, though, that the scar on my left cheek was quite nasty. I would love to meet with you gentlemen if you will be available. I have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Y early tomorrow a.m. Shade or Chris, will either of you be there tomorrow a.m.? During my commute, I'll be donning my mask for the first time - should be funny to watch the reactions of fellow motorists.
Now if you will excuse me, I have to make a dash to the bathroom and wash my face for the umpteenth time today!‚ Vasoline is dripping all over my desk and keyboard.‚ Blech.‚
Best Regards, A
here's another tip for you guys during recovery period...
This might sound silly to you. And that's ok because it seems silly to me but it also seems to be working.
Like leafs fan (and others), it's getting very itchy for me at this stage and I know I want to scratch in my sleep. To avoid scratching myself I put socks over my hands at night. LOL. A lot like they do for babies. This apparently works because when I wake up in the morning the ends of the socks are full of vaseline.