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Hello. I came across a message where you were expressing your dilemma with random lines, indents, holes, scars appearing on the face for no apparent reason. I'm experiencing exactly that. I'm so struck with anxiety over this and have become severely depressed. I find new scars each day that vary from size and shape.
I only use emu oil or Argan oil on my face, epiduo interchangeably, and had been taking high doses of evening primrose oil to help with cramping and dry skin. I remember reading on acne.org and essentialdayspa of people with the same issues, but they were consuming high doses of omega 3's as opposed to omega 6 (evening primrose oil in my case. Could I have caused the opposite problem of now being deficient in omega 3?
I also took two doses of fluconazole for candida, and supplementing with oregano oil. I'm not sure what's contributing to this abnormality. I feel so helpless and scared. This bizarre scarring is spreading day to day. Please help if you have any answers or have found relief.
I pray anyone out there who has endured this or is dealing with this currently has found hope or healing.
Hello. I came across a message where you were expressing your dilemma with random lines, indents, holes, scars appearing on the face for no apparent reason. I'm experiencing exactly that. I'm so struck with anxiety over this and have become severely depressed. I find new scars each day that vary from size and shape.
I only use emu oil or Argan oil on my face, epiduo interchangeably, and had been taking high doses of evening primrose oil to help with cramping and dry skin. I remember reading on acne.org and essentialdayspa of people with the same issues, but they were consuming high doses of omega 3's as opposed to omega 6 (evening primrose oil in my case. Could I have caused the opposite problem of now being deficient in omega 3?
I also took two doses of fluconazole for candida, and supplementing with oregano oil. I'm not sure what's contributing to this abnormality. I feel so helpless and scared. This bizarre scarring is spreading day to day. Please help if you have any answers or have found relief.
I pray anyone out there who has endured this or is dealing with this currently has found hope or healing.
Hi, yeah I'm really sorry to hear that you are experiencing this hell as well. I thought my scarring stopped a few months back because I had stomach discomfort for a while and an internal doctor found that I had clostridium difficile toxin A and B, which is essentally antibiotic poisoning (although this relates in no way to my skin). I was given antibiotics and the stomach discomfort went away, and around that time I thought the random scarring had stopped but....I check my face every now and then, and I've noticed that the damage continues. Now, it's mainly small holes and small pockmarks, but still...it is abnormal scarring nonetheless.
I still have never been helped for this nor the twitching, prickling, static-like sensations that I've been experiencing for over a year now. I believe that there is something abnormal with my thyroid (previous blood test result numbers, while in the "normal" range, are still on the low end and I've seen fluctuating in the measurement levels) and that there is also some type of parasite or bacteria at play, but I am still waiting until my appointment for an endocrinologist at USC. Skin wise, yeah....I've scoured the Internet and seen multiple dermatologists and no one has been able to help me. Most dermatologist immediately just prescribe me anti-acne topicals and the worst I've come across was a dermatologist at UCLA, who told me I was looking into mirrors too much.
If you find anything, please let me know.
after much research I'm convinced its Demodex mites gone wild--went to a bunch of docs here in Wash,DC and they were all stumped as they are all specialists who don't see the "whole body" -just their little part--this is an immune system problem. It started when I hit about 48 years old-middle age-when your immune system starts to weaken. Anyone else had this start at middle age? Anyone in DC area found a doc that knows how to treat this?(other than the obvious solution of "strengthen your immune system", which I am doing)
after much research I'm convinced its Demodex mites gone wild--went to a bunch of docs here in Wash,DC and they were all stumped as they are all specialists who don't see the "whole body" -just their little part--this is an immune system problem. It started when I hit about 48 years old-middle age-when your immune system starts to weaken. Anyone else had this start at middle age? Anyone in DC area found a doc that knows how to treat this?(other than the obvious solution of "strengthen your immune system", which I am doing)
Are you the stand up comedian who organized that Washington DC acne scar support group? I remember you posted on Voy Message Board more than a decade ago. I didn't post but I used to read that site daily.
Did you or your friends find any solution for acne scars over the years?
There were many knowledgeable people posting there and they all vanished. I wonder if they eventually fixed their acne scars and moved their attention to other issues in their lives or if they just accepted living with scars.
Sorry for being off topic but we don't have many long-term reports here. People try different treatments, post a lot for a while and then disappear.
Hey...I have started to have this amvc scarring aswell, and Im freaking out! I got a new scar today and I dont know what the fuck is happening! I dont take anything unusual, the only thing I take is Multivitamin(yes with vitamin a), but I have used that multivitamin for 4 years, so thats not the problem...I had a dermarolling session a week ago, could this be the reason for the scars???
Here is a picture which shows 3 out of the 4 amvc scars i have...
The only thing thats new in my life is the schampoo Ketokonazol...
Edit: It was 2 years ago since i was on accutane
Man! I also used Ketokonazol on my face and head when I started get white marks and lots of scarring.. This was also in a period when I had just dermarolled my face :'(
I was wondering if any members here could give an update on this. It sucks that most posters who were in this thread have never come back.
I have searched around and found that it's best to go to what is known as a dermatopathologist as opposed to a dermatologist. The former specializes in the study of cutaneous diseases at a microscopic and molecular level; they also analyze potential causes of skin diseases. Since this supposed "AMVC" occurs from internally, these types of doctors can probably be of better help than a normal dermatologist.
I am scheduled to see a dermatopathologist next Tuesday. I honestly don't know what to expect, but I hope I can at least find an answer, even if it turns out to really be AMVC.
I was wondering if any members here could give an update on this. It sucks that most posters who were in this thread have never come back.
I have searched around and found that it's best to go to what is known as a dermatopathologist as opposed to a dermatologist. The former specializes in the study of cutaneous diseases at a microscopic and molecular level; they also analyze potential causes of skin diseases. Since this supposed "AMVC" occurs from internally, these types of doctors can probably be of better help than a normal dermatologist.
I am scheduled to see a dermatopathologist next Tuesday. I honestly don't know what to expect, but I hope I can at least find an answer, even if it turns out to really be AMVC.
Interesting. Seems like they also treat acne. I wonder how different is their procedure
I was wondering if any members here could give an update on this. It sucks that most posters who were in this thread have never come back.
I have searched around and found that it's best to go to what is known as a dermatopathologist as opposed to a dermatologist. The former specializes in the study of cutaneous diseases at a microscopic and molecular level; they also analyze potential causes of skin diseases. Since this supposed "AMVC" occurs from internally, these types of doctors can probably be of better help than a normal dermatologist.
I am scheduled to see a dermatopathologist next Tuesday. I honestly don't know what to expect, but I hope I can at least find an answer, even if it turns out to really be AMVC.
Where do I find one of them? I am on the same boat. I had some deep linear scars on my left jawline.. I thought that's because of cystic acne I had years ago. But sadly no it's apparently AMVC now I am having thin linear scar around my temple area.. I am so depressed because they start out shallow and become deep over time. I don't know what to do and where to find an answer. I thought regimen AHA/BP was causing this now after reading this thread I am unsure and dont know which path to follow... it makes me feel suicidal tbh.
I first started getting these 6 months ago on a reasonably high dose of roaccutane.
I'm 34 and have persistent acne. I first took roaccutane 8 years ago for severe acne and it cleared my face completely within a month with no scars.
I honestly was in total shock when this happened the second time. The scars appeared on my cheek as 2 very deep lines. I have never been so distressed and scared as I didn't even have acne here!
Anyway the next week I had pock marks on the other cheek and dents EVERYWHERE!
My dermatologist told me to stop taking roaccutane and use epiduo so I did this and holy crap my face is ruined!
I have dents and scars everywhere.
People who haven't experience facial scarring have no idea what this does to a person. I too have wanted to kill myself. My life literally changed overnight.
I'm not sure what to do now as I still have acne but don't know what treatment to try.
I know I cant live like this 
I think that as you get older your skin gets thinner and as the roaccutane also thins the skin you just scar, I feel like I did this
Anybody here use AHA or any other kind of chemical exfoliant? I believe my random scarring is due to use of AHA+ (10% glycolic lotion). I think this because I never had a problem with this &%$@ before I used it, and like 1-2 months after I started using the stuff my skin deteriorated in more ways than one (scars, broken caps, some enlarged pores, splotchy discolored spots, my acne gets more inflammed than it used to, clogged pores spread from chin to cheeks now). I never used retin-a. I never used accutane. I used bp before but that was years ago and I have since developed an allergy to it after my first pregnancy and haven't used it in over 3 years. I posted a thread recently where I explain my situation called "big problem with AHA" or something to that effect. I really think that's what did it for me. I don't think my skin can handle harsh products anymore. My derm did not have an answer for me, but I told her I was pretty sure it was that. She said she thought my scarring would fill in with time because mine is pretty shallow, I sure as Hell hope she was right. it has only been 2.5 months since I stopped using anything harsh on my face and it still looks like Hell, but she said it could take a year at least to heal. I have started washing with either just plain water, or sometimes raw honey, but usually just water. If I absolutely have to exfoliate, I do it extremely lightly with a baby wash cloth. Other than that I try not to mess with my face, in hopes of allowing it to heal from the assault of harsh products I had used in the past. My derm prescribed me retin-a but I won't touch it so I guess I am on my own with my break outs. I told her I was scared to use it. Thinking of seeing my ob/gyn and finally going on hormonal birth control or something because at 26, struggling with my skin since 12, I've f*ckin had it. Having babies and then trying to fix the break outs from it really screwed my skin up big time. Not saying you guys are getting scars for the same reason (AHA), but that's just me. I am not getting any new scars now, thought I did continue to see some new damage (what else to call it?) appear for a little bit after I stopped the lotion. My skin seems to have stabilized for now and I am not getting new scars. My advice is if you are using anything strong or harsh on your face, stop. Baby your skin. If this doesn't apply to you then ignore it, obviously. I am also using MSM powder (drinking it in water) and taking sytemic enzymes. Haven't been doing these things long enough to be able to say if they help, though.
Also what's weird is I had no signs of irritation while using AHA, Just woke up one day, skin was fine, then later that day, looked at my face again to check the status of a particularly bad zit I had, and saw a scar on my cheek that appeared out of nowhere. To be honest, I have been almost suicidal over this. I had SO MUCH anxiety because I didn't know wtf was happening to me. I was panicked I thought, omg, is this going to keep happening? I even started taking Xanax for a while because I wasn't sleeping. My anxiety has passed at this point, and now I am just a depressed mess. Hoping my face will recover from this I feel like I don't want to go out because I feel self concious now. Having a few zits is one thing, but getting random scars and sh*t is a whole other monster. I can deal with zits, I know zits. But scars for no reason? F*ck that. And also the fact that I am literally scared to do anything to my face. I feel like it is fragile and I do get a bit of anxiety when I use any products, which is part of why I stopped using them at all. I have read some posts at the ipl & laser damage support board and saw some people who had random scarring from retin-a, and some people get it from lasers, too. They say it's progressive, they will continue to see damage up to a year or more after laser, which is why iw ould never get laser done on my face. Anyway, I read a lot of that stuff and it seems most of the people who see improvement do just what I am doing: no harsh chemicals, use natural products if any (I use emu oil to moisturize if I have to because it supposed to be healing and help thicken the epidermis), minimal makeup, and washing with plain (preferably purified, not tap) water. It takes a while for skin to heal if it's going to, and you have to be gentle with it. Has anyone here had laser treatments? If so that could also be the cause.
Anyway, sorry for the novel. I have a tendency to just ramble, but yeah, that's my story. I am 99% sure that my problems are all due to the AHA. Possibly that was the straw that broke the camels back, after years of using products to control my break outs. Who knows. All I know is, I am being nice to my face from now on.
Also want to add that the fish oil thing made no difference for me. I have always taken it on and off, and have since taken it regularly since this happened and I didn't get any new scars or anything. For me I am sure it was the chemical exfoliant.
Anybody here use AHA or any other kind of chemical exfoliant? I believe my random scarring is due to use of AHA+ (10% glycolic lotion). I think this because I never had a problem with this &%$@ before I used it, and like 1-2 months after I started using the stuff my skin deteriorated in more ways than one (scars, broken caps, some enlarged pores, splotchy discolored spots, my acne gets more inflammed than it used to, clogged pores spread from chin to cheeks now). I never used retin-a. I never used accutane. I used bp before but that was years ago and I have since developed an allergy to it after my first pregnancy and haven't used it in over 3 years. I posted a thread recently where I explain my situation called "big problem with AHA" or something to that effect. I really think that's what did it for me. I don't think my skin can handle harsh products anymore. My derm did not have an answer for me, but I told her I was pretty sure it was that. She said she thought my scarring would fill in with time because mine is pretty shallow, I sure as Hell hope she was right. it has only been 2.5 months since I stopped using anything harsh on my face and it still looks like Hell, but she said it could take a year at least to heal. I have started washing with either just plain water, or sometimes raw honey, but usually just water. If I absolutely have to exfoliate, I do it extremely lightly with a baby wash cloth. Other than that I try not to mess with my face, in hopes of allowing it to heal from the assault of harsh products I had used in the past. My derm prescribed me retin-a but I won't touch it so I guess I am on my own with my break outs. I told her I was scared to use it. Thinking of seeing my ob/gyn and finally going on hormonal birth control or something because at 26, struggling with my skin since 12, I've f*ckin had it. Having babies and then trying to fix the break outs from it really screwed my skin up big time. Not saying you guys are getting scars for the same reason (AHA), but that's just me. I am not getting any new scars now, thought I did continue to see some new damage (what else to call it?) appear for a little bit after I stopped the lotion. My skin seems to have stabilized for now and I am not getting new scars. My advice is if you are using anything strong or harsh on your face, stop. Baby your skin. If this doesn't apply to you then ignore it, obviously. I am also using MSM powder (drinking it in water) and taking sytemic enzymes. Haven't been doing these things long enough to be able to say if they help, though.
Also what's weird is I had no signs of irritation while using AHA, Just woke up one day, skin was fine, then later that day, looked at my face again to check the status of a particularly bad zit I had, and saw a scar on my cheek that appeared out of nowhere. To be honest, I have been almost suicidal over this. I had SO MUCH anxiety because I didn't know wtf was happening to me. I was panicked I thought, omg, is this going to keep happening? I even started taking Xanax for a while because I wasn't sleeping. My anxiety has passed at this point, and now I am just a depressed mess. Hoping my face will recover from this I feel like I don't want to go out because I feel self concious now. Having a few zits is one thing, but getting random scars and sh*t is a whole other monster. I can deal with zits, I know zits. But scars for no reason? F*ck that. And also the fact that I am literally scared to do anything to my face. I feel like it is fragile and I do get a bit of anxiety when I use any products, which is part of why I stopped using them at all. I have read some posts at the ipl & laser damage support board and saw some people who had random scarring from retin-a, and some people get it from lasers, too. They say it's progressive, they will continue to see damage up to a year or more after laser, which is why iw ould never get laser done on my face. Anyway, I read a lot of that stuff and it seems most of the people who see improvement do just what I am doing: no harsh chemicals, use natural products if any (I use emu oil to moisturize if I have to because it supposed to be healing and help thicken the epidermis), minimal makeup, and washing with plain (preferably purified, not tap) water. It takes a while for skin to heal if it's going to, and you have to be gentle with it. Has anyone here had laser treatments? If so that could also be the cause.
Anyway, sorry for the novel. I have a tendency to just ramble, but yeah, that's my story. I am 99% sure that my problems are all due to the AHA. Possibly that was the straw that broke the camels back, after years of using products to control my break outs. Who knows. All I know is, I am being nice to my face from now on.
Also want to add that the fish oil thing made no difference for me. I have always taken it on and off, and have since taken it regularly since this happened and I didn't get any new scars or anything. For me I am sure it was the chemical exfoliant.
I honestly have not heard of people having indented scars as a result of daily AHA usage, but on the surface itself, AHA is a form of an exfoliant, so it's possible that 10% was too harsh for you, despite you never having any physical reactions. That probably physiologically doesn't make sense, but then again, none of this shit makes sense. Yeah I have heard of people experiencing random scarring after using Retin-A and Epiduo. I personally used Epiduo for 1 month or 2 before stopping but the scarring started 4 months or so after, so I can't tell if my case was related. And I freaked out too over the whole fish oil hubub that was mentioned previously in this thread, but even that....I have no idea how anyone is going to investigate or scientifically prove anything. It's just something you should throw into the back of your mind and not obsess over.
But I am sorry you have experienced this shit as well. I'm here right with you on how much it breaks you apart.
I was wondering if any members here could give an update on this. It sucks that most posters who were in this thread have never come back.
I have searched around and found that it's best to go to what is known as a dermatopathologist as opposed to a dermatologist. The former specializes in the study of cutaneous diseases at a microscopic and molecular level; they also analyze potential causes of skin diseases. Since this supposed "AMVC" occurs from internally, these types of doctors can probably be of better help than a normal dermatologist.
I am scheduled to see a dermatopathologist next Tuesday. I honestly don't know what to expect, but I hope I can at least find an answer, even if it turns out to really be AMVC.
Where do I find one of them? I am on the same boat. I had some deep linear scars on my left jawline.. I thought that's because of cystic acne I had years ago. But sadly no it's apparently AMVC now I am having thin linear scar around my temple area.. I am so depressed because they start out shallow and become deep over time. I don't know what to do and where to find an answer. I thought regimen AHA/BP was causing this now after reading this thread I am unsure and dont know which path to follow... it makes me feel suicidal tbh.
Your best bet is to Google around. Dermatopathologists are hard to find, though. I actually went ahead and re-schedule to see one this coming Monday, so I'll be back to report whatever I find. Hang in there.
I first started getting these 6 months ago on a reasonably high dose of roaccutane.
I'm 34 and have persistent acne. I first took roaccutane 8 years ago for severe acne and it cleared my face completely within a month with no scars.
I honestly was in total shock when this happened the second time. The scars appeared on my cheek as 2 very deep lines. I have never been so distressed and scared as I didn't even have acne here!
Anyway the next week I had pock marks on the other cheek and dents EVERYWHERE!
My dermatologist told me to stop taking roaccutane and use epiduo so I did this and holy crap my face is ruined!
I have dents and scars everywhere.
People who haven't experience facial scarring have no idea what this does to a person. I too have wanted to kill myself. My life literally changed overnight.
I'm not sure what to do now as I still have acne but don't know what treatment to try.
I know I cant live like this
I think that as you get older your skin gets thinner and as the roaccutane also thins the skin you just scar, I feel like I did this
Ugh, yeah Epiduo. I read on YouTube in the comments for a PMD review that a few people encountered random scarring after using Epiduo.
The only thing I have been doing for the past 6 months or so is microneedling. I first tried this back before it started going mainstream, but back back then I only had 2 pockmarks on my cheek and I saw no results after 4 months. Now, my face has gone for the worse by 10x. I have been using the Derminator from OwnDoc and while it is a good device, I haven't seen major improvement in my scarring to be honest. There is some slight noticeable improvement, but I think this thing requires long time usage. I also caution anyone who wishes to try needling to not use any of those electric dermstamp pens sold from Asia. OwnDoc has tested and says that those things cause microtearing in the skin. The funny thing though is that if you research microneedling devices, the majority of spas and clinics now that provide needling service all use those buzzing type of stamp pens. Strange.
We are all on the same boat we didn't intentionally did this to our skin. It just kind of happened accidentally. So please don't blame yourself that's the only way not to feel suicidal. My scarring is getting worse. I stopped AHA couple weeks ago but still I'm getting random linear scars I haven't gotten any potmark by far. But mines are really shallow linear scars that are noticeable under harsh light, except for two that also look pink in color so they are noticeable to naked eyes and I think from a reasonable distance. I will start derma rolling but it makes me so red which again forces me to use a "calming" product that seemingly leaves my skin more irritated. I have to wait and see if my caveman regimen improves these scars. That's my only hope to be honest.
Boafriend please let us know if you find anything from your derm. I'll look forward to it. Thanks!
Boafriend,
I have shared this thread on my own thread, but wanted to share it here as well.
If you read the responses, there is a guy who also scarred from 10% glycolic, and one who scarred from 20%. I have not been able to find many people who have experienced this, so it must be rare and I am one of the lucky ones
This whole thing sucks big time. We all may have different reasons for our scarring, but I thought I'd share my experience. I would also like to say that I came to the conclusion that it was the AHA in my case almost immediately. It wasn't until recently that I was even able to find anyone else who has the same problem with it, which confirmed my feelings. I had to search for a while before I found any other cases. I feel like I won the shit lottery.
I'm 3 months out from getting my worst scar, and either it looks softer, or else I am just getting used to it. Who freakin knows. I still have hope my scars will heal. I hope all of us will find the answers we need, as well as healing, and will be able to put this behind us.
I hate to say it, but I didn't have much luck with the dermatopathologist I saw today. Like the dermatologists I've seen previously, the one I saw today just kept saying "It appears that you just have acne scarring." I schooled him on AMVC and provided print outs to show him....he noted he had heard of it in the past, but has not had experience with any patient with circumstances such as mine (scarring that comes on its own without trauma or acne). It seemed to be something new to him, more or less. At most he could tell me that it was very "plausible" that what I had was AMVC, but from a medical professional's standpoint, it was impossible to make a certain diagnosis because the condition is supposedly so rare (there are no cases to compare it to, no references). He said even if he were to take a biopsy of my facial skin, under a microscope it would just show the presence of scar tissue, which would render the biopsy pointless since acne scars have exactly that - scar tissue - underneath.
What plan of action I was given was since "AMVC" is supposedly caused by an inflammatory process within the skin, the doctor prescribed me some sort of anti-inflammatory oral antibiotic in addition to a sulfate/something face wash and a topical gel with the same sulfate ingredient plus benzoyl peroxide. He noted these would calm inflammation, which hopefully would then "prevent" these scars from showing up. It was hard to convince him I didn't want to go the whole oral and topical antibiotic route because I had experienced this with the derms I've seen in the past, who just resort to prescribing me acne-related stuff. I noted I had tried this route before to no results, but he kept insisting saying, "Well, this is different. It's not the same stuff." At one point I could tell the doc was a little frustrated with me since I kept trying to steer away from being prescribed anything. Now the face stuff he prescribed was also because I had noted that aside from my scarring, my cheeks seem almost puffy when I look in a mirror in natural lighting (esp if I look downwards...some areas look puffy and haggardly looking, to put it extremely) - I noted that I never had this appearance in the past. He said I had some mild seborrheic dermatitis (The strange thing is, I have no redness at all though, which is weird).
I will go ahead and use the face wash to see if it helps with the odd puffiness I've observed. The oral antibiotic I will not take since I've succumbed to toxic difficiles (antibiotic poisoning in the intestines) in the past. As for the topical, I am extremely against benzoyl peroxide (I'm sure many people here know that it's very bad for the skin). I should have noted this when he was prescribing the topical, but I was just too in the moment trying to get this guy to help me. I'm gonna try calling tomorrow to ask if he has an alternative to the topical.
All in all, it was a disappointing visit, and I felt like I was back in 2013, trying to defend myself to derms who do not understand my symptoms. I cannot keep taking time off from my work, so I don't know if I will or will not see another dermatopathologist, because I did have a list of docs aside from this one that I had put together.
Hello Boafriend,
Can you show me some more pics of your scars. I also have the prickling and twitching sensation under my skin often times. We are pretty much on the same boat I believe. Seriously, what do I do? My prickling sensation comes and goes like I experience it for a microsecond. And yes it's all over my body. Sometimes I feel like it's an involuntary muscle movement. But how come the whole scarring thing is related to that I am dumbfounded as we both are experiencing the same thing.
I have dented, pockmark, ice pick all kinds of scars appearing out of nowhere. Like, I'd see either a deep linear scar or a round scar with missing skin tissue in the morning while at night nothing wasn't there at ALL. It's seriously killing me. I feel like something is eating away my skin inside out. I also have some vaccination type of scar on my chests. They are pretty deep too. I am not sure if you are having them. Mines are large. I have NO idea what's causing this. I wanted to see a derm but now I won't because I can see from their point of view they will find it silly! I am sorry that you haven't found any answer yet despite the fact you've visited numerous docs. I'll look forward to see some pics.
Hello Boafriend,
Can you show me some more pics of your scars. I also have the prickling and twitching sensation under my skin often times. We are pretty much on the same boat I believe. Seriously, what do I do? My prickling sensation comes and goes like I experience it for a microsecond. And yes it's all over my body. Sometimes I feel like it's an involuntary muscle movement. But how come the whole scarring thing is related to that I am dumbfounded as we both are experiencing the same thing.
I have dented, pockmark, ice pick all kinds of scars appearing out of nowhere. Like, I'd see either a deep linear scar or a round scar with missing skin tissue in the morning while at night nothing wasn't there at ALL. It's seriously killing me. I feel like something is eating away my skin inside out. I also have some vaccination type of scar on my chests. They are pretty deep too. I am not sure if you are having them. Mines are large. I have NO idea what's causing this. I wanted to see a derm but now I won't because I can see from their point of view they will find it silly! I am sorry that you haven't found any answer yet despite the fact you've visited numerous docs. I'll look forward to see some pics.
It appears that the scars you have (at least from what I can see in the pictures) aren't exactly like what mine are.
Here are a few brief pictures. I apologize for how horrifying my editing looks - I had to blur out my eyes for privacy:
The lighting is different in both - the first is in overhead lighting and the second is against natural lighting from outside. Nonetheless, the scars are noticeable. Honestly, as noted by the derms I've seen, the scars I have just look like typical acne scarring. Some are weird linear marks, but impossible for me to capture on camera. Note that these pictures make the scarring look a lot milder than it is. They are noticeable in real life.
And as for that whole prickling and twitching thing...I don't even know where I can start on that. That has been an entire other disheartening problem for me which I also have found zero medical help with. It's been 2 years, just like with the random scarring.
Funny you should mention inflammation, I also had a theory about inflammation. If it was the glycolic acid, in my case, I had a theory that using it consistently led to my skin being constantly inflamed to a degree which led to scarring. It would make sense because initially my skin looked good, possibly due to micro inflammation. I was taking turmeric curcumin for a while as a natural anti-inflammatory. I take MSM too as it has anti-inflammatory properties and is good for skin. I also want to mention I can't use benzoyl peroxide either as it causes me an allergic reaction (itchy, red swollen face that lasts for days) Anyway, I was reading yesterday about a woman who was the victim of an acid attack and the article said her face continued to scar for up to two years after the attack. So in my case, with the glycolic acid, maybe it's the same idea, though obviously not to that extreme. I possibly damaged my skin with too strong of a product, and the damage was slightly progressive as I noticed things appear even after I stopped using it, and now it seems to have stopped. Also there is laser damage, which can take a couple months after the procedure to appear, and it can continue to appear for a couple years in the form of scars, bad texture, etc. I have also read stories of progressive damage following chemical peels. I don't know. I just don't believe that I have a rare scarring disease. I also don't get the strange skin prickling sensations that you guys mentioned, though. One thing the acid, lasers, peels etc all have in common is they cause inflammation. I suppose whether it is a disorder or a topical causing the inflammation it can have the same effect, random scarring. But this is all just a guess on my part. All I know is the whole thing sucks balls.
Yeah Kittee, I agree that as much as I am going through, I am trying to back away from the possibility of me having so-called "AMVC." And this is simply because it is said to be so rare...I don't believe that all of us have this, despite us all more or less experiencing a similar issue. Something inflammatory inside is causing all this, but it's impossible to pinpoint what that something is.
I have talked with and read many stories of people who have laser damage. i joined the ipl and laser damage support board....I know that seems weird but there were people on there with chemical peel or retin-a damage as well, so I figured what the heck, even though I don't have laser damage I REALLY needed the support from people who understand the devestation of sudden skin deterioration. Basically, they all say that you have to get the inflammation under control somehow, in order to stop your skin from scarring. it seems everyone who had damage, be it from acid, a retinoid/retinol, or laser would get spontaneous scarring even after the damage had been done, so maybe yours is caused by using a retinoid or other harsh product in the past? It is possible, even if it didn't show up until after you stopped using it. A lot of the folks there recommend a product called Psoria-gold, a topical anti-inflammatory that contains turmeric curcumin. I personally never bought it because it's expensive, but did take turmeric curcumin internally. I ran out and need to get more. Well who knows, we all are probably having inflammatroy responses in our skin for different reasons. I still attribute mine to the harsh product. Doing caveman regimen still....hoping it helps in the long run.
You're right Kittee. I also think there's some kind of under the skin inflammation going on and I think it's because of yeast. Any of you considered candida overgrowth? I self-tested mine with the spit test method and yes it seems to me i am having candida overgrowth in my system. we aren't showing any other symptoms because our immune system isnt compromised. but nonetheless our system is loaded with these fungus I'll start my candida diet and diatomaceous earth (food grade). let's see how it goes
mzzyhmd, yes! That is for sure possilble and I did not even think about that. Don't even get me started on the evils of candida. A year and half to two years ago my husband was getting this horrible rash on his hands, they would swell and crack and itch like crazy. He had to leave work early one day for it, it was bad. He narrowed it down to diet, and when he eats anything bad (that could cause candida overgrowth, high carb junk food) his rash would get worse. It would also get worse if he took too many anti fungals because it would cause candida die-off (like a detox) that would intensify the symptoms. He never saw a doctor about it but has always been convinced it was candida overgrowth. He had gotten this rash on other areas too, previously, and I remember I told him maybe it was because he drank too much beer (yeast!), and when he would cut back on beer it would clear up better. I know that is sort of unrelated because my husband doesn't get scars like us, but he did have major skin problems and inflammation due to candida. I know Dr. Atkins outlines in his book things to avoid in your diet if you have candida problems, so I'll have to reread that section and give it a try. Over all though low carb/keto is best. I think I mention I eat low carb in my other thread, but I don't follow the candida diet. At the time I got my first (and worst) scar though was the day after Thanksgiving (I'll never forget...sigh), when I was eating plenty of high carb junk and desserts. Maybe that contributed to it. Maybe it made my inflammation from the AHA worse? It's all so confusing It helps to have you guys to talk to, though, so we can share our ideas. Even if it isn't the reason for our scars, it is still good to get a candida overgrowth under control.
Anyone have any updates? My face seems to be okay but under certain lighting, my cheeks appear swollen ...almost rash like. I swear whatever is causing that appearance is contributing to the scarring issue. The derm I last went to just kept saying I had acne scarring in addition to some sort of dermatitis. He prescribed me antiacne stuff, which obviously doesn't do shit.
Anyone have any updates? My face seems to be okay but under certain lighting, my cheeks appear swollen ...almost rash like. I swear whatever is causing that appearance is contributing to the scarring issue. The derm I last went to just kept saying I had acne scarring in addition to some sort of dermatitis. He prescribed me antiacne stuff, which obviously doesn't do shit.
Try a good multi vitamin for skin and start doing yoga. Heard somewhere that a weak immune system is the reason for this.
Anyone have any updates? My face seems to be okay but under certain lighting, my cheeks appear swollen ...almost rash like. I swear whatever is causing that appearance is contributing to the scarring issue. The derm I last went to just kept saying I had acne scarring in addition to some sort of dermatitis. He prescribed me antiacne stuff, which obviously doesn't do shit.
Try a good multi vitamin for skin and start doing yoga. Heard somewhere that a weak immune system is the reason for this.
Any recommendations for the supplement? I have also heard of the immune system being to blame. Any links to where you read of this? Just for my own reading. Thanks