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Ok, get ready for a mouthful,
About 4 years ago I suffered from a pretty severe case of the acne until I finally resolved it with accutane. Now, like everyone else I got nasty scars left over that are probably harder on the head than the acne itself. After reading millions of pages of info on the net about scarring, ive pretty well determined that i have mostly rolling scars with a few scattered boxcars. Id say about 10-15 on each cheek. Also being the OCD that I can be, I've studied the way that they look in almost any kind of lighting situation you can imagine (the main problem for me is the shadow they cast). The thing is, my scars are so close together (kinda look like a honeycomb under light) and light that when i squint a little bit, or tug my skin a tiny bit towards my eye, the scars pretty well dissapear. This can be kind of frustrating because while on a sunny day i can just squint my scars away and be fully confident, in the wrong lighting conditions (especially rooms at night with lights on the ceiling), it looks like i still have a faceful of acne (with the perfect solution at my fingertips, if only I could walk around with my fingers to my eyes). Now my question is: Before I go and try my luck with subcision/peeling/etc., would there be any chance of maybe making a very small incision on my upper cheek, pulling the skin up a tiny bit and then stitching it up; kind of like trading 15 old acne-looking scars for one new (slightly more interesting looking) incision scar? To be clear, I'm not asking whether it would improve the scars or not (i know it would), I'm just wondering whether the new tension would cause any further complications; or if, the "fibrous strands that bind the skin down" would eventually wrestle the skin back to where it was. The reason I ask this here is because I live in the sticks, about 3 hours away from anyone resembling a derm. Anything helpful is really appreciated, and sorry for the wordcount, i wanted to get as much in in one post as possible. Thank Ya.
to be honest, it might work. it might give you temporary satisfaction, just as fillers do.
but the problem with acne scars is that they are deep down and will always be there. as scar sufferers we just seek improvement. so when you age, your skin will lose its elasticity and collagen, thus making your once face lifted scars, probably reappear.
in my honest opinion, i think its better to combat your scars and scar tissue so that you won't have such a hard time in the future..
to be honest, it might work. it might give you temporary satisfaction, just as fillers do.
but the problem with acne scars is that they are deep down and will always be there. as scar sufferers we just seek improvement. so when you age, your skin will lose its elasticity and collagen, thus making your once face lifted scars, probably reappear.
in my honest opinion, i think its better to combat your scars and scar tissue so that you won't have such a hard time in the future..
Agree
to be honest, it might work. it might give you temporary satisfaction, just as fillers do.
but the problem with acne scars is that they are deep down and will always be there. as scar sufferers we just seek improvement. so when you age, your skin will lose its elasticity and collagen, thus making your once face lifted scars, probably reappear.
in my honest opinion, i think its better to combat your scars and scar tissue so that you won't have such a hard time in the future..
Agree
So what is the best way to do this? That is the most overwhelming / discouraging thing to me about acne scar treatment: there doesn't seem to be a dominant method. There are so many different lazers, peels, and needle-y things. From what I can tell so far, none are clearly superior; all seem to have pluses and minuses. Maybe given time and research something will prove itself as THE method...maybe with stem cells?
theoptimist, unfortunately.. you're right.
i think everyone responds differently to different methods for scar revision, thus making it even harder to see clear results. i.e. someone who gets TCA cross and shows 50-60% improvement, and another person getting 0% improvement.
almost everything about acne and acne scars contradicts one another, and it really discourages me. but i've decided to go one treatment at a time, with the mindset of it being a marathon and not a sprint. right now is dermarolling/needling, next will be fraxel repair.. and then to tca cross, and so forth, until i see some improvement.
theoptimist, unfortunately.. you're right.
i think everyone responds differently to different methods for scar revision, thus making it even harder to see clear results. i.e. someone who gets TCA cross and shows 50-60% improvement, and another person getting 0% improvement.
almost everything about acne and acne scars contradicts one another, and it really discourages me. but i've decided to go one treatment at a time, with the mindset of it being a marathon and not a sprint. right now is dermarolling/needling, next will be fraxel repair.. and then to tca cross, and so forth, until i see some improvement.
My biggest hesitation in experimenting with different treatments like that (besides downtime and finances both being luxuries I don't really have) is that some treatments on some people performed by some doctors actually make their situation worse. That seems like an awful weighty roll of the dice to me. Arrgh, too many variables! Head exploding!
Hi I have the same thing.....when I pull my cheek skin upwards my scars virtually dissappear and look so so much better....is this possible for example thru a cheek lift or lift of some type? as I would much rather have this scar than hundreds of small scars and oh btw I have pretty obvious rolling scars for which I have tried filler subcision etc and it has done nothing...regards.....Tom M
@tryinghard123This is a very very old post, no one will respond to it ;-P If you pull up your cheeks and things are better you did not get enough filler to volumize the face. People often get 1 to 2ml of HA filler and this won't pull up your cheeks like you want done You may need 5ml to ... more. It's put higher up on the cheek bone. You can also try PDO threads. Show the derm or plastic and pull up your cheeks.
@tryinghard123Treatment options if you like the way things look when you pull temples... 1) HA filler but you need several ml's"if" you like the look after a few times of HA filler you can do a permanent filler like Bellafill but you will need again several ml's2) Mini facelift 3) PDO threads 4) Sculptra is a bio simulator and great for adding"over all" volume to give some lift, last's longer than HA filler and is not injected under individual scars, ... but under whole area.
@tryinghard123Your situation is complicated, please consult a few plastic surgeons. you have had many treatments with "0% improvement". Yes they pull up your cheeks, they are cutting off tissue and stitching to the ear. With your issues that alone won't fix everything. Get a consult and have them see and feel your tissues. You don't have excess skin, that is mainly what a face life is fore, it won't be very taunt as that would make your face look terrible.
yes my friend I think you are correct......do you think I should try excision again? thats what some plastic surgeons told me?
also i dont think they pull or stretch the skin as far upwards as I tend to believe?
and do you think i should just go for it and tell the doctor to excise every single scar say up to 20 on my LHS? i simply cannot find something that works and a capable doctor??? that i just give up
@tryinghard123I don't want you to be upset, ... you have done sooo many treatments with"0% improvement," yet want to do more, very complicated situation, regardless. IF your plastic thinks you should do excision, it's up to him and yourself to agree on it. I have seen good and bad outcomes from excision, it depends how you heal. Any time we cut it makes more scars so be aware of that. They could try one spot on you if you wish.
Yes no one looks good supper pulled back, it's very conservative the lift.
I don't think you should just go for anything. I think you should be very cautious, ... nothing else has worked. Again do a single test spot if you wish and see. I think you need filler for volume.