why me that sounds wonderful!! im so happy for you and to autom8- basically the 8 days is correct- however, after this 8 days you will be slightly pink for a while, everyone i have spoken to said usually by about 3-4 weeks after the procedure your face is completely back to normal color. but i was quoted a 3-12 week time frame on how long pinkness can last. but everyone i have spoken to said its very easy to cover with make up, but even without its no worse that a mild sunburn

That is good news! Keep us all posted on your progress. My regimen works for me; it's just a very slow process compared to yours.

Whyme.. very glad to hear the procedure is going well for you. Yeah, nothing like hearing it straight out of the Doctors mouth to ease your fears and concerns at such a critical time.

I have a question about the 2nd mask. Was that planned on and discussed beforehand or is it something the Doctor decided might yield even further results after he took off the 1st mask?

Most of the experiences I've read about were people who went to Dr. Rullan in San Diego and from what I recall, he only uses 1 mask. So you can understand my curiosity about this as different Doctors have their own unique technique.

I sincerely hope that this procedure does everything you were hoping for and that you have a good experience through it all. Please continue to keep us posted on your progress.

autom8- the exoderm procedure requires 2 masks no matter what doc you go to. unless they are only performing one part of the procedure. (some docs just do exoderm peel without chemobrasion) the 2nd mask is a main part of the procedure, this mask has been used i think since the treatment began (like 15 years ago) so it wasnt something that needed discussion, it just goes with the treatment, it allows for optimal healing. doctor rullan also uses 2 masks, as he does both parts of exoderm. if u look thru rullans pictures, i think it shows one patient with the first mask (tape) and the second (green bismuth). hope that helps! caroline

right on caroline

You're right. I stand corrected. I wasn't counting the first mask as a mask but upon looking at it on the website, I guess it is.

So when are you scheduled to have yours done Caroline?

My main concern right now is the glossy look to the skin after the procedure. My face is shiny enough as it is. Maybe it just looks raw from just having done the exoderm not that long ago, or maybe it the lighting with the camera. But those after pics look a little too porcelain-ish. I wonder if it returns to a more matte look or if it stays glossy?

I'm having my pre-op for Exoderm tomorrow, 13th. And the procedure is going to be done on the 15th and 16th. I took some pics today, so whenever I get healed from this I will surely post my improvements because I think that we are lacking a great deal on good quality pics. I'm having it done by Dr. Rullan so I am very excited and also a little nervous at the same time.

Hello guys...exoderm sounds very interesting and promising and I wish all of you luck with your procedures. I was wondering exactly what pictures are you talking about that show an after effect of glossy skin? I would like to see but cant seem to find them throughout this thread

thanks

hey all...this is the last day of wearing the healing mask for me, i just applied vaseline to soften the mask so it will wash off tomorrow morning. This has been the longest week of my life...ive been stuck in a hotel room for a week by myself, very very tough.....im so excited to get this mask off and get out, and eat something good...anyone who has the procedure will know what im talking about when they go through this week. The doctor told me it will make a drastic improvement in my skin but im still very skeptical of improvement. Ive had alot of things done to my face and nothing has ever helped so i just feel this will be the same....but im also trying to think positively too.....he's one of the best cosmetic surgeons around and if he says im gonna see big improvement, who am i to question him? Anyway if future people have it done, try not to have to stay in a hotel...your own house would be sooooooooo much better.

hey whyme! cant wait to hear about the results!! good luck tomorrow - caroline

hey nativetexan, do you have any red marks? thats my big issue, i have so much redness, and im hopeful exoderm will help that

Congrats Nativetexan! I wish you the best. Please do post photos so we can see. I am planning on having one done at the end of the year when I can take some time off. I'll be going to Dr. Rullan as well since I live in LA, I can spend the week at home.

I'm having my pre-op for Exoderm tomorrow, 13th. And the procedure is going to be done on the 15th and 16th. I took some pics today, so whenever I get healed from this I will surely post my improvements because I think that we are lacking a great deal on good quality pics. I'm having it done by Dr. Rullan so I am very excited and also a little nervous at the same time.

Ok, I just got back from Chula Vista yesterday after having Exoderm performed by Dr. Rullan. Now, if you want a day by day report of Exoderm as far as when the mask is on, I think the best thing is to look up Sanjoseskin's post, he really goes into detail. I'm pretty sure I had Exoderm done at the same time as whyme? because they nurses said someone else was having it done at the same time as me and her posts confirm that. A quick summary of my days in the hotel room after getting it done, and whyme? will surely understand exactly what I'm talking about. Basically during the procedures the pain is moderate (in my opinion of course, I'm a 23 year old male) and only ocassional, but the doctor really has some good nerve blockers that helps out. It's nothing unbearable though. The time in the hotel room does suck for the first 4 days, because of the swelling. Day 1: Have the first procedure done, doctor puts cloth wraps on my face and then I go to the room to sleep the rest of the day out, I really don't remember much about day 1, I was under alot of medication. Day 2 I go back for the 2nd part of the procedure except this time when I get done he puts that infamous green mask on and I go back to the room with a very sore face, and I'll admit it wasn't the best feeling, and time seems to go so slow!! It's hard to get out of course and all you can do is sit and watch t.v. Day 3. In my opinion day 3 is the worst! The swelling gets pretty bad, I even heard that some people's swelling gets so bad that they can't even open their eyes!! Mine wasn't that bad, but I looked like Rocky after a 15 round match with the champ, day 3 sucks. Day 4: Swelling goes down a little bit, still very uncomfortable, but hey i'm making progress, and I'm halfways there. You just gotta get through it. The worst part for me was probably the fact that I couldn't eat solid foods, and I would hate to be in that room all by myself. Another thing that sucked was the fact that the maids had to clean the room everyday, and I had to leave the room and drive around with my sister in our rent a car. Now, the best way I can describe days 5,6,and 7. Is that each day gets a little easier, each days goes a little faster, and each day the swelling goes down a little more, until day 7 I'm back to normal swelling wise that is. The key is just getting to day 5, and it's not so bad, except for the fact that you can't eat solid foods.

Ok, now as far as results go, I had atrophic boxscars on my temples that were pretty bad, and they've improved quite a bit. Sadcaroline, I think I know exactly what you're trying to describe because that is what I had a problem with. I believe Cystic Acne, gave me my indented boxscars on my temples. But the years of moderate acne, gave me that "blotchy, discolored, redmarks" on my cheeks that you would think would be easy to treat, but really isn't. Well, I had those before the procedure and I still have them after, to a little lesser degree. It's not a dramatic result 4 days after the procedure is done. This is one thing we all need to come to grips with I believe. RESULTS TAKE TIME!! You can't expect to go in there and come out with flawless skin a few days afterwards. That's why I hesitate to tell everyone in here my results 4 days afterwards, because the TRUE measure of Exoderm will be had, within a year or so. Remember I still have 2 touchups with doctor Rullan and he also told me that I might be a part of some new techniques that he has for acne scarring. I just don't want to b.s. anyone in here because I think we have alot of that in here as it stands. I assure you that I will stay in here and give everyone reports from time to time as I make PROGRESS. As the collegen starts to build. Trust me I've seen the before and after book that Dr. Rullan keeps and those people look GREAT. And I'm not just talking about 50 and 60 year old women who want to rid their wrinkles. I'm talking about people with real acne scars, that are worse than mine who come out 1 YEAR later and look so much better. I think my best bet is to be faithful with my touchups and in between stick with apple cider vinegar for those damn redmarks that Sadcaroline and me have to deal with. After about a year I think I'm going to look alot better, I think my idents will look better and more smooth, and I believe my redmarks will be improved greatly. Will I have flawless skin? Probably not, but at some point you have to accept that and get on with your life. After a year I will have given it my best, and that's enough for me to be happy. So please don't measure the effectiveness of Exoderm by how I report my results now. Measure it when I give my report after my 1st touchup, in about 3 months, and what Dr. Rullan decides to to with me then. And the after my 2nd touchup, and then after a year when I'll tell you if I thought it was worth it or not. Fact is, I believe in Exoderm, and Dr. Rullan is one hell of a doctor you can tell he believes in what he does and he wants to help his patients. Even his nurses speak SO highly of him and his passion for his work. He is not a greedy money grabbing doctor like so many others. But if any of you have questions please ask and I'll answer, I owe so much to this website and I will always try to come back no matter what.

I guess I didn't read the posts before my close enough because it said that whyme? had it done in Colorado, so perhaps it was someone else on this board that had it done? I believe Dr. Rullan said that person had it done on the same day as me. Was that you Autom8ted?

Would most of you say Exoderm is more or less invasive than dermabrasion?

I feel kinda embarrassed that I never heard of exoderm until reading this thread. God knows I've been researching acne scar revisions forever.

To me, based on the descriptions I've read from the referring websites and here.... it seems like a traumatic experience ....... worse than dermabrasion. What are your feelings on that?

If one was thinking about exoderm or dermabrasion, and perhaps needed both or wanted to try the other after a less than successful attempt, which order should they be done in? Can you do dermabrasion then an exoderm later in life if desired? and vice versa?

The whole pale thing has me scared of Exoderm.

Portlandboy, You worry too much. You made the right choice in having dermabrasion with Dr. Y.

You're probably right....... I do worry alot but this is our faces we're talking about here! I feel very good and comfortable with my decision on dermabrasion and I should relax some so thanks for posting that bluntly.

I consulted with Dr. Rullan back in August and he definitely is

a great, caring doctor that knows a lot about scar revision.

I think exoderm is probably more invasive than dermabrasion,

but that's just my opinion. Especially the way he does it. He

told me the best results are to do the deep phenol peel on day 1, then

put on the mask, remove it, and do what he called a "chemabrasion",

which, correct me if I'm wrong exodermers, is putting more phenol

on the face and removing layers on the surface of the skin like

dermabrasion. I never asked exactly how this worked, like if he

uses a sander or wire brush or what but since there's phenol on

your face, I would assume it would have to be gentler than abrading

with a wire brush or diamond fraise.

Seeing the photos at his office, the results looked quite impressive

for acne scarring patients in the before and 2 months after photos.

Personally, I am more nervous of this procedure than dermabrasion

but probably not as nervous as portlandboy

The chemabasion part comes in after the 2nd day. The tape mask comes off then the Dr. abrades the scared areas with a metal tool-I think its called a curet?

Then more exoderm sollution is put on the skin. I'm sure this is where the 'burn' comes in. Then the powder mask is put on. Like Dermabrasion you are relying on the skill of the Dr. for your results. Maybe Steve, Nativetexan or someone who's had this done can chime in?

Nativetexan: It wasn't me. I'm looking into it for Dec. Right now, I can't get the time off work.

Thanks for posting a write up. I certainly makes it less of an ordeal when people know what is going to happen ahead of time and can prepare for it. You know I'M pulling for you to get all that you expected from this. You seem to have realistic goals and yet still be optimistic.

Keep us posted.

I probably don't know the intricate details as much as alot of people in here, but I do believe that he put the phenol peel on my face on day 1, then taped it up and put white cloth on top of that( it looked like I just got in a motorcycle accident or something). Day 2 he removed the tape scraped of the dead skin with a hand tool, and then gave me more medication which knocked me pretty senseless, but I do remember him putting on more peel, because it actually stung a good bit. So in that regards day 2 was worse because I was sore from the previous peel, and the fact that he scraped my skin with the hand tool. Then on day 2 came the bismuth mask. I reported my results to you a few days ago. It's Sunday and I just went to a concert in East Texas with some friends on Friday night, and they just thought I had a really bad sunburn. I even danced with a couple of girls that I didn't know, and they didn't seem to notice. I guess it also helped that it was indoors in an expo center and about 100 degrees in there, so everyones, face was red from the heat!! So, it wasn't too bad, I still think it's going to take a few weeks for this redness to go down to normal, but I'm making progress in that.

Can this be done in any skin color or is it suited only for fair skin??? How much does it cost???

Sorry to be bringing up such old threads but my hope is to strike up new conversation about the procedure and to maybe get some answers from prior exoderm users. Everyone keeps talking about Dr. Rullan but I have heard that Dr. Becker is a great doctor to perform exoderm. There is a list of websites on exoderm iand if anyone else is interested i would be glad to supply them to you.