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Okay, just had my second procedure about 6 hours ago. He did a 20% TCA peel on my whole face first, then aggressive Mixto on cheeks, and then three subcisions on my right cheek. During the subcisions, I heard a great deal of popping, which I had not heard before.
I am still a bit out of it due to meds, I'll post a better update later.
Will you be publishing Before and Afters of your results?
I forgot to take pictures the night before, but my picture from June 28 was more or less how it was yesterday, other than there having been a bit more improvement.
I'll take pictures afterward, as usual, but will probably not have any more objective pictures to post after August 28. I'll be moving to a new apartment then, so obviously the lighting won't be the same and the comparison pictures won't be accurate.
Okay, well I am looking forward to seeing what pics you do end up taking.
hey Dragz,
Yes ill be very interested to see your results. So far, no regrets in doing the two procedures? I have decided that i will most likely be doing the Mixto as well with Dr. Rahimi, just finding the right time to do so. Keep us updated, thanks!
I can't think of any regrets, lol.
I was SIGNIFICANTLY more nervous this time going into the procedure, I think because my nerves were shot with figuring out loans for getting back into grad school. As a result, he sedated me a bit more than usual, gave me local anesthetic in my cheeks instead of inside my mouth, and then the procedure went smoothly.
So far, there's been less "hardness" than last time. Last time, my cheeks felt sorta...rough and leathery which soften in about three days. However, there is SIGNIFICANTLY more crusting. Every few hours or so, a thick crust forms over my cheeks, and then when I wash my face it mostly dissolves off. Last time, there were only a few spots here or there. I don't know what these observations mean.
Also, as previously mentioned, the subcision seemed to have been a bit more aggressive this time, as I actually heard a significant amount of popping as he did it.
His staff was also very nice, too. They could tell I was nervous, so they stayed in the room and talked with me throughout the entirety of prep to calm me down.
Do you know why Dr. Rahimi gave you a 20% TCA peel right before laser? Was the peel to address overall pigment? My skin was so sensitive and fragile after a 20% peel that I can't imagine someone taking an ablative laser to it.
He said it was to even out and tighten my skin.
The peel + the laser seemed to have similar results to a full face laser, actually. My entire face has been peeling in a similar fashion, but the redness is limited to just specific areas where the laser was done, specifically the areas where he did multiple passes.
There's also a few sore raised areas on the right side of my face where he did the subcisions, but they're pretty mild.
How is the healing going? I assume the TCA peel would have caused you to peel quite a bit by now. Are you scars looking any better this point?
I am still considering Dr. Rahimi. However, I'm back in Japan, and don't know when I will be back to LA. I hope I can finally make a decision and proceed by Fall. In the meantime, I will continue to follow your thread. Hoping for the best for you.
How is the healing going? I assume the TCA peel would have caused you to peel quite a bit by now. Are you scars looking any better this point?
I am still considering Dr. Rahimi. However, I'm back in Japan, and don't know when I will be back to LA. I hope I can finally make a decision and proceed by Fall. In the meantime, I will continue to follow your thread. Hoping for the best for you.
I actually completely peeled by around the third day.
It's the ninth day since the procedure now. I am still being cautiously optimistic, so I didn't want to post anything, but I would say that my scars around, in totality, around 80% gone. On my right, I'd say there's been around 80% improvement in total, on my left, around 90%.
But, like I said, it's only been nine days. Last time, the swelling was down by around a week in, but he went a lot more aggressive this time and thus it would be logical to expect more microswelling. Truthfully, though, it doesn't feel like I'm microswelling: I could tell from previous treatments because of the way the skin near my ear would feel a bit higher than normal. The laser went up to the ear this time as well, and it no longer feels raised there.
I dunno, still trying to remain cautious about this. I'm going to post a picture on the eleventh and another on the twenty-fourth (two and four week intervals since the procedure).
Honestly, if the results I'm seeing right now are the results I am staying with, I would be pretty satisfied.
Thanks for all the best wishes. The support and information on these forums have been a big part of helping me deal with this process, with you, TokyoGirl, being no small part of that, so thanks. Seriously.
EDIT: Actually, if you are in Japan, why not consider getting a treatment done there? Aren't Japanese/Korean cosmetic surgeons supposed to be crazy good? Maybe you'll be able to handle your problem before you even get back States-side!
EDIT: Actually, if you are in Japan, why not consider getting a treatment done there? Aren't Japanese/Korean cosmetic surgeons supposed to be crazy good? Maybe you'll be able to handle your problem before you even get back States-side!
I have to laugh at this comment because you actually couldn't pay me to see a Japanese doctor. I would rather pay $1,000s more to be treated in the USA than ever trust a Japanese doctor with any part of my body. If you just Google Japanese health care and opinions of foreigners in Japan, you will understand why. I actually blame Japanese doctors for why I have so much scarring from prolonged acne. Actually, I just googled it and this pretty summarizes what I think of the health care system in Japan:
http://www.tofugu.co...2-times-a-year/
My Japanese mother-in-law and her sister are actually nurses in Japan, and they fly to Hawaii for medical & cosmetic treatment. It's kind of funny. I realize there are bad doctors in every country but I have seen too many people close to me harmed by Japanese doctors for comfort.
Don't even get me started on Japanese dentists. I'm sure there are a few goods ones, as well as a few good cosmetic surgeons, but I simply couldn't get past my prior experiences & observations in Japan to ever consider taking a risk with my face again in this country. Keep in mind, medical malpractice is unheard of in Japan. People simply do not sue in this country, so there are a lot of bad doctors here.
EDIT: Actually, if you are in Japan, why not consider getting a treatment done there? Aren't Japanese/Korean cosmetic surgeons supposed to be crazy good? Maybe you'll be able to handle your problem before you even get back States-side!
I have to laugh at this comment because you actually couldn't pay me to see a Japanese doctor. I would rather pay $1,000s more to be treated in the USA than ever trust a Japanese doctor with any part of my body. If you just Google Japanese health care and opinions of foreigners in Japan, you will understand why. I actually blame Japanese doctors for why I have so much scarring from prolonged acne. Actually, I just googled it and this pretty summarizes what I think of the health care system in Japan:
http://www.tofugu.co...2-times-a-year/
My Japanese mother-in-law and her sister are actually nurses in Japan, and they fly to Hawaii for medical & cosmetic treatment. It's kind of funny. I realize there are bad doctors in every country but I have seen too many people close to me harmed by Japanese doctors for comfort.
Don't even get me started on Japanese dentists. I'm sure there are a few goods ones, as well as a few good cosmetic surgeons, but I simply couldn't get past my prior experiences & observations in Japan to ever consider taking a risk with my face again in this country. Keep in mind, medical malpractice is unheard of in Japan. People simply do not sue in this country, so there are a lot of bad doctors here.
Shnikies...I honestly didn't know about all that. That sucks.
Shnikies...I honestly didn't know about all that. That sucks.
Yeah, the first Japanese doctor I trusted with my acne actually said there was an imbalance in my body which was causing too much heat in my heart & kidneys. The heat was causing my skin to be oily and my body to sweat. He had me drink a warm herbal medicine every morning that made my skin worse. After a month of the first medicine, I complained and he said my system was cleansing itself and it was time to switch me to a different herbal medicine. After another month, my skin was considerably worse and he actually said there was a phase three medicine but I quit at that point. After suffering for years, a different doctor finally put me on antibiotics and a topical, which cleared my skin but at that point, I had scars all over my cheeks. My situation is actually quite minor compared to what I've seen happen to some of my husband's relatives, who have had serious conditions in Japan and undergone surgery.
I really think America has a much higher standard of care, and can't wait to get back to LA to continue my scar treatment journey.
I am excited to hear about your results so far. Even if you lose some of your improvement, I think Dr. Rahimi has done a great job. He is actually producing noticeable results at an incredibly reasonable cost. Looking forward to your updates.
okay, so I went out in the sun today for the first time since the treatment, and, even with sunblock, I got REALLY red. So I went back home, called the doc, and he said that is was because of the combination of the procedure, plus the tretinoin I got back on on Sunday, plus the doxycycline I was taking. This all made me triply sensitive to the sun. So, basically, until my skin calms down, and until I finish my doxycycline trip, I can't really go out in the sun in the height of the day, which kinda sucks. I could alleviate this quickly by getting off my acne meds, but that might cause them to come back, so I'd rather not do that.
Grrrr.
WOW, incredible results Dragz. Your cheeks look fantastic, Dr.Rahimi is a miracle maker. I have similar scaring to yours and plan on seeing Dr.Rahimi about fixing my scars after reading your post and seeing your results. Can you tell me the downtime for the laser and subcision? I have work and have about 2 weeks saved up of vacation time, would that be enough time for my skin to heal? Again, you look great thanks for giving me hope of improving my scars someday.
WOW, incredible results Dragz. Your cheeks look fantastic, Dr.Rahimi is a miracle maker. I have similar scaring to yours and plan on seeing Dr.Rahimi about fixing my scars after reading your post and seeing your results. Can you tell me the downtime for the laser and subcision? I have work and have about 2 weeks saved up of vacation time, would that be enough time for my skin to heal? Again, you look great thanks for giving me hope of improving my scars someday.
Thanks for the kind words.
Two weeks is plenty.
Both procedures only required around 10 days of downtime (during which you have to do tons of constant aftercare with the Aquaphor, but not a big deal if you're diligent).
This second time, though, it took a few more days than before because I was a dummy and put on tretinoin for two days only seven days after the procedure and then went out into the sun, but even then he said I should be fine by this Monday.
EDIT: I would say, in terms of overall improvement, now that microswelling appears to be mostly gone, is that my left cheek is at 80% improvement while my right is at 70%. Most of the small scars are gone. The bigger scars are definitely still there, and may always be, but they are much less prevalent than before and smoother.
The biggest thing is that in 90% of lighting situations my scars aren't even very noticeable. Even before this procedure, I went to a wedding out in the sun, some of it indoors, and some of it at night. I checked myself in a reflection every once in a while, just to see, and most of the time my scars weren't even noticeable. This second procedure did a bit more for my left, but the biggest improvement was for my right, which I am grateful for.
I think that somewhere down the line, perhaps a year down when all the collagen growth has definitely stopped, I may want to do one more procedure for $500, but for now, in this current state, I am pretty damn happy with my face.
WOW, incredible results Dragz. Your cheeks look fantastic, Dr.Rahimi is a miracle maker. I have similar scaring to yours and plan on seeing Dr.Rahimi about fixing my scars after reading your post and seeing your results. Can you tell me the downtime for the laser and subcision? I have work and have about 2 weeks saved up of vacation time, would that be enough time for my skin to heal? Again, you look great thanks for giving me hope of improving my scars someday.
Thanks for the kind words.
Two weeks is plenty.
Both procedures only required around 10 days of downtime (during which you have to do tons of constant aftercare with the Aquaphor, but not a big deal if you're diligent).
This second time, though, it took a few more days than before because I was a dummy and put on tretinoin for two days only seven days after the procedure and then went out into the sun, but even then he said I should be fine by this Monday.
EDIT: I would say, in terms of overall improvement, now that microswelling appears to be mostly gone, is that my left cheek is at 80% improvement while my right is at 70%. Most of the small scars are gone. The bigger scars are definitely still there, and may always be, but they are much less prevalent than before and smoother.
The biggest thing is that in 90% of lighting situations my scars aren't even very noticeable. Even before this procedure, I went to a wedding out in the sun, some of it indoors, and some of it at night. I checked myself in a reflection every once in a while, just to see, and most of the time my scars weren't even noticeable. This second procedure did a bit more for my left, but the biggest improvement was for my right, which I am grateful for.
I think that somewhere down the line, perhaps a year down when all the collagen growth has definitely stopped, I may want to do one more procedure for $500, but for now, in this current state, I am pretty damn happy with my face.
That's fantastic that you're happy with your face. Congratulations.
WOW, incredible results Dragz. Your cheeks look fantastic, Dr.Rahimi is a miracle maker. I have similar scaring to yours and plan on seeing Dr.Rahimi about fixing my scars after reading your post and seeing your results. Can you tell me the downtime for the laser and subcision? I have work and have about 2 weeks saved up of vacation time, would that be enough time for my skin to heal? Again, you look great thanks for giving me hope of improving my scars someday.
EDIT: I would say, in terms of overall improvement, now that microswelling appears to be mostly gone, is that my left cheek is at 80% improvement while my right is at 70%. Most of the small scars are gone. The bigger scars are definitely still there, and may always be, but they are much less prevalent than before and smoother.
When you say that most of the small scars are gone, do you mean that where there was once small scars is now healthy skin that is scar-free or at least looks like normal skin? When I mean small scars, I mean little shallow icepick scars and more specifically scarred pores. I'd just like to visualize what you describe as 'gone'.
WOW, incredible results Dragz. Your cheeks look fantastic, Dr.Rahimi is a miracle maker. I have similar scaring to yours and plan on seeing Dr.Rahimi about fixing my scars after reading your post and seeing your results. Can you tell me the downtime for the laser and subcision? I have work and have about 2 weeks saved up of vacation time, would that be enough time for my skin to heal? Again, you look great thanks for giving me hope of improving my scars someday.
EDIT: I would say, in terms of overall improvement, now that microswelling appears to be mostly gone, is that my left cheek is at 80% improvement while my right is at 70%. Most of the small scars are gone. The bigger scars are definitely still there, and may always be, but they are much less prevalent than before and smoother.
When you say that most of the small scars are gone, do you mean that where there was once small scars is now healthy skin that is scar-free or at least looks like normal skin? When I mean small scars, I mean little shallow icepick scars and more specifically scarred pores. I'd just like to visualize what you describe as 'gone'.
I mean that I can no longer see the small scars at all.
They were icepicks and boxcars and rolling scars (the whole range).
I had previously said I didn't have icepick scars, I misspoke. Upon closer examination from both myself and my doctor, I was made to realize that they were, indeed, icepick scars amongst my boxcars, although my boxcars are definitely the more prominent scars.
The icepicks are pretty much mostly gone, save for a few grouped next to the boxcar scars on my right cheeks.
Hey DRaGZ, figured I'd ask another question if ya don't mind! Would you say your rolling scars or boxcars have improved more?
Are the borders of the boxcars still apparent? Mine are pretty shallow but have very sharp borders that make them so noticeable
and I know TokyoGirl mentioned in another post that DeepFX helped with depth but didn't change borders at all.
The borders became less noticeable after the first laser, primarily because that was when he used the sculpting setting on the laser to shave down the edges.
My rolling scars pretty much went away entirely. They were mostly on the left side of my face, and they've gone away in the first treatment. I am assuming they were not as actually severe as they looked.
The shape of the scars that still exist are still very apparent. I think that's what they mean by "the scars never go away," they become less shallow, but if they never go away entirely, they're always going to be there in that shape.
Ah, that makes a lot of sense. Did some of the sharper boxcars completely resolve like the rolling scars though? Sorry just want to be sure I'm understanding correctly.
From your pics, it seems like most of the boxcars went away but some look a little larger with less defined borders but so shallow that they are barely distinguishable?
Everyone's scars are so different that it helps a lot to get detailed answers when someone has similar, so thank you for your patience and answers.