So get this - i just called my regular derm and said I want to talk about my scars and they said - just so you know thats going to cost you $150 dollars and not the regular $40 that I pay for specialist visits... they are the ones i went to in the first place for the accutane and the inital conversations about my acne now that the scars are a result of my acne they are going to charge me $150 - how unfair is that 
So get this - i just called my regular derm and said I want to talk about my scars and they said - just so you know thats going to cost you $150 dollars and not the regular $40 that I pay for specialist visits... they are the ones i went to in the first place for the accutane and the inital conversations about my acne now that the scars are a result of my acne they are going to charge me $150 - how unfair is that
Any dermatologist that asks for a consultation fee is not worth your time. That shows where they priorities are: money > treating patients.
I may just be saying that because I live in an area where dermatologists/plastic surgeons are very competitive with each other, though.
So get this - i just called my regular derm and said I want to talk about my scars and they said - just so you know thats going to cost you $150 dollars and not the regular $40 that I pay for specialist visits... they are the ones i went to in the first place for the accutane and the inital conversations about my acne now that the scars are a result of my acne they are going to charge me $150 - how unfair is that
I'm surprised you would return to your regular derm. I definitely wouldn't give him another penny of my money. You need to find someone specialized in treating your type of acne scarring. I realize that's easier said than done, but there has to be a few qualified doctors in a city near you.
Have you tried Dr. Franziska Ringpfeil? She does a free consultation, and has a pretty extensive site with great information on it. I've actually read her site before while researching different types of lasers. She even replies to posts on her site, and appears extremely honest & caring. I have no idea if she really is though... You should check her out.
i called her office last week and the earliest they can get me in is august -
my personal derm was not the person who talked to me about the fraxel - that was a doctor in philly who is suppose to be the best in the city
so im looking forward to talking to my regular derm but really frustrated with the idea of paying her 150 for a consult and i honestly dont know what she will say other than chemical peels which she pushes... id love to go see this ringfeil person but the way im feeling i want answers now so either i just be patient and wait it out untl august or go to my derm at the end of this month! maybe i go to both?
I would do both. What do you have to lose? Your scars are not going to be gone by August either way. I don't think your current derm can help you much. I would schedule as many appointments as possible until you find the right one. It's going to take time to find the right doctor. I realize it's frustrating but you want to find someone who can truly improve your scars. Otherwise, you're just throwing away money and risking further damage. I've made many mistakes, and wish I hadn't rushed the process when I began my scar treatment journey.
I think you should save $150. The derm sounds bad...sorry to hear 
but I am struggling with the same issue...., tring to find a good derm/PS for myself, good luck =) Like TokyoGirl said, maybe you can try to see both, and maybe it's worth it...but I've never met a derm charges different consultation fees for acne or acne scars treatment...
I agree with my myskin2012. I wouldn't waste more time or money with your current derm. If he could help you, you wouldn't be here right now or using topicals to treat deep scars. He also wouldn't charge you a consultation fee when you're already under his care.
yeah, TokyoGirl has a good point...! If he could help you, you wouldn't be here right now~...seems like he has nothing to offer you but charging you $150 for his expensive lunch...lol
i know thats exactly what i thought - hi, im your patient, ive been going to you since 2009 - YES I KNOW I HAVENT BEEN THERE IN THE LAST YEAR but we couldnt do much after the accutane anyway so i just let it ride... now im to the point where i want to talk again about my options and you are going to charge me 150? to talk to a patient you supposedly care "Very much" about... i hope if i do go, they wont end up charging me the 150 but im still torn with going at all. sigh. I immediately started to cry when i hung up the phone.. i just am in a position right now where i feel so lost... i thought if I called them, they would get me in right away and be super concerned but that wasnt the case... and the worst part, when you try to find another physician you have to wait months.
Subcision/Suction is a great place to start. Look up Mr.Matt. Hes a subcision veteran. I think you are hot so thats a plus.
Readytosmileagain:
Hey, your scars look a lot like the way mine used to and I used to get very depressed looking at myself in the mirror - especially under harsh lighting.
Based upon your comments, it sounds as if your dermatologist got into the medical profession for all of the wrong reasons. Doctors are here to help us.
When I told my dermatologist about how my scarring was affecting my outlook, he agreed to perform subcision on my scars and I believe that I was his first or second patient that he did the procedure on. He listened as I told him how it made me feel on the inside and I how I really did not looking at my reflection in the mirror (hence, the title of my thread is 'Man in the Mirror'.
Despite your scars, you are a very attractive woman. Your husband is blessed!
I agree with the other folks on your thread - go find a doctor who is compassionate and, above all else, skilled and who doesn't promoise your the moon, the stars, and the entire universe.
Please take a look at my before and after photos - there is hope!
I'm not a doctor, but I believe that subcision may be your best option. You will probably need multiple treatments ( I've had four) and I would encourage you to look at dermarolling. If you've been on Accutane in the past 12 months, you need to consult with a physician before you do any dermarolling, peels, etc.
If you look at my 'before' photos, you can see that my face was a mess. In fact, when my dermatologist was performing a laser treatment on my face about two years ago, he said to someone observing in the treatment room, 'You should have seen this guy when he first came to see me'.
It's been over three years since my first subcision treatment and the photos show remarkable progress. I had some very deep scarring especially on my right cheek. My left cheek looked as if someone had taken one of the 'melon' baller devices and carved out deep craters across my cheek. I was ashamed of my appearance.
You appear to be quite young and I'm confident that you can see some type of improvement. Keep searching for that one doctor who can make a world of difference for you.
All the best to you....
Matt
Matt, I so appreciate your post - im 30 almost 31 and about 10 months away from hopefully starting a family sooo im kind of on a time crunch in my mind to get these treatments done but seeing your process i really hope my skin can look like yours some day... i cant believe how great of a job your derm did... im to a point right now where i dont want to do anything and im really a fun girl and absolutely hate that i feel so insecure all the time... i feel like i lost my entire 20s and now, 8 months married, trying to enjoy this life that we live and the constant feeling that I absolutely HATE hate looking at anyone in the eye is really starting to get in the way of everything and I know my husband is tired of Me feeling this way... he cant even talk to me about it - all he does is get pissed off/frustrated at me for letting it get me so down all the time but i cant help it... i dont know what to do to change it besides try to do something about it - hes just afraid that what i end up doing will make my skin worse... but what im seeing is as i age, with these scars, my skin will look worse and worse so either way im screwed...
its really nice!
Matt, I so appreciate your post - im 30 almost 31 and about 10 months away from hopefully starting a family sooo im kind of on a time crunch in my mind to get these treatments done but seeing your process i really hope my skin can look like yours some day... i cant believe how great of a job your derm did... im to a point right now where i dont want to do anything and im really a fun girl and absolutely hate that i feel so insecure all the time... i feel like i lost my entire 20s and now, 8 months married, trying to enjoy this life that we live and the constant feeling that I absolutely HATE hate looking at anyone in the eye is really starting to get in the way of everything and I know my husband is tired of Me feeling this way... he cant even talk to me about it - all he does is get pissed off/frustrated at me for letting it get me so down all the time but i cant help it... i dont know what to do to change it besides try to do something about it - hes just afraid that what i end up doing will make my skin worse... but what im seeing is as i age, with these scars, my skin will look worse and worse so either way im screwed...
Your husband sounds like he is your biggest fan and loves you scars and all. My wife is the same way - she has a complexion like Christy Brinkley and has never fully understood why my scars bothered me when my scars didn't bother her. Now, after all of these years, I think she has a better understanding of why they bothered me so much.
You sound very motivated to find a solution and I'm confident that you will.
Matt
Matt, I so appreciate your post - im 30 almost 31 and about 10 months away from hopefully starting a family sooo im kind of on a time crunch in my mind to get these treatments done but seeing your process i really hope my skin can look like yours some day... i cant believe how great of a job your derm did... im to a point right now where i dont want to do anything and im really a fun girl and absolutely hate that i feel so insecure all the time... i feel like i lost my entire 20s and now, 8 months married, trying to enjoy this life that we live and the constant feeling that I absolutely HATE hate looking at anyone in the eye is really starting to get in the way of everything and I know my husband is tired of Me feeling this way... he cant even talk to me about it - all he does is get pissed off/frustrated at me for letting it get me so down all the time but i cant help it... i dont know what to do to change it besides try to do something about it - hes just afraid that what i end up doing will make my skin worse... but what im seeing is as i age, with these scars, my skin will look worse and worse so either way im screwed...
Glad I saw your post. I have very similar scarring to you its almost scarey. I did my first subcision about 32 days ago with Matt's derm he uses. Results - not as great as I was hoping for but improvement there is. I'll post pics here in a couple days under Matt's thread. I'll need at least 3 to 5 subcisions and you probably will as well. Its a slow and cumulative process that can be very frustrating. I wish scar revision was like a boob job where I could just drop 10 grand and look amazingly better in a month.
And I know exactly what your talking about when you say one day your skin looks ok and the next it looks crappy. In the morning my skin looks damn good but by 5 pm its looks bad.
Where do you all live? I wish i could find a doctor in philly who can do this type of procedure - i contacted one yesterday and im waiting to hear back so cross those fingers! I know - how great would it be if we could just get a boob job and it would all be fixed in a month haha - amazing! I was watching this show last night and this guy lostlike 300 lbs and change his entire life and he was so so happy... i actually sat there and said to myself, i wish i had a weight issue than this... how crazy is that... but Id give anything to feel like that man did and not have to rely on a procedure that comes with lots of risks to fix my "problem"...
what are the risks in Subcision? I havent had the guts to look that up yet - I know all the risks associated with Fraxel and the percentage rate for success, etc.
Mr. Matt - my hubby is the best, and i know he loves me very much but i also know in my messed up head, i got these scars after he proposed and i still wonder if he isnt turned off... crazy to think or even type... but its the truth. I know he loves me, he has for many many years - he says he doesnt see them but i know he notices me hiding my face often - he hates that i dont wear my hair in a pony tail like i did in college or just leave the house without any make up... so he is probably just turned off by my lack of confidence if anything... i dont blame him... i try to tell myself that everyone has something they dont love about themselves ... mine is just out there for others to see but if i allow myself to act self conscious then it will also allow others to not only see my scars but then see how im acting and really think i have issues haha - if i just keep my head up high, continue through everything smiling and letting my personality shine id like to think the scars might become an after thought for most... right?
Trying to smile today 
thisisnothollywood (love the name by the way) - will the scrub help? I wouldnt mind doing something to help my unscarred skin stay really clean and "pretty"! Hope you are having a great day
I found a topic about filler treatment, and it seems like it worked wonder in her scars(although I would like to hear the current update).
http://www.acne.org/...rm/page__st__40
I have six box/rolling scars that really bother me(two of them are deeper than others...both located middle of my cheeks! In some lighting, those looks really bad...especially in my bathroom light and I have to deal with it everyday), and I really want to fill them using fillers. So now I am looking for a derm/PS who is specialize with fillers. About filler type, she got semi-pamanet filler called 'surgiderm'(I'ver never heard of 'surgiderm') , but I prefer temporary fillers, because I don't want to get any risks to my face, I know it's pricy, but better than having risks...! I
Also she got bumps on her face after the fillers, but I really don't mind bumps...to me, bumps are much better than indentation 
thanks so much! im debating about fillers but its really not a bad idea for temporary fixes! Anything is better than nothing i guess I just cant wait to talk to someone who wants to listen and wants to actually help - not push a procedure on me and walk out of the room - im hopeful there is some one out there who will do that!!?! I may be flying to CA to meet with some of these doctors all you west coast people have had success with hahah... if only it were that easy!
I found these photos from 6 months after my accutane so this would put us in Feb 2011
keep in mind i havent had another horrible break out - so this is just the difference my skin looks now in relationship to where it was then... the only thing i did in between there was a microdermabrasion that did cause me to break out in little pimples but nothing cystic (which im assuming is the acne that causes scars like mine)
I know the light and angle are completely different (the photos in the beginning on this thread are taken with my phone by my side of my body - near my ribs) but i cant help but feel horrible that my skin could progressively go to where it is now just with time? could it be the differin? is it just making my skin so thin that now it keeps looking worse and worse?
anyone have any thoughts here...
remember these photos below were from Feb 2011
thanks so much! im debating about fillers but its really not a bad idea for temporary fixes! Anything is better than nothing i guess
I found these photos from 6 months after my accutane so this would put us in Feb 2011
keep in mind i havent had another horrible break out - so this is just the difference my skin looks now in relationship to where it was then... the only thing i did in between there was a microdermabrasion that did cause me to break out in little pimples but nothing cystic (which im assuming is the acne that causes scars like mine)
I know the light and angle are completely different (the photos in the beginning on this thread are taken with my phone by my side of my body - near my ribs) but i cant help but feel horrible that my skin could progressively go to where it is now just with time? could it be the differin? is it just making my skin so thin that now it keeps looking worse and worse?
anyone have any thoughts here...
remember these photos below were from Feb 2011
Camera angle (especially aiming upward) and lighting have a huge amount of influence on how it looks.
I would take a pic and the same angle and light as the Feb one and compare.
Also, how are you feeling otherwise? Autoimmune diseases can wreak havoc on your skin. Do you have any weird looking pigmentation patches on your body? Or scaly looking patches i.e. psoriasis. Have you taken any large amounts of steriods recently llike prednisone? Any large doses of meds in last yr, etc, is what i would look at if the Feb pics to todays show significant difference.
I may be flying to CA to meet with some of these doctors all you west coast people have had success with hahah... if only it were that easy!
YW =) and it's funny to hear, i was thinking exactly the same. flying to CA to meet with some of doctos hahaha i'll need to save my money
thanks so much! im debating about fillers but its really not a bad idea for temporary fixes! Anything is better than nothing i guess
I found these photos from 6 months after my accutane so this would put us in Feb 2011
keep in mind i havent had another horrible break out - so this is just the difference my skin looks now in relationship to where it was then... the only thing i did in between there was a microdermabrasion that did cause me to break out in little pimples but nothing cystic (which im assuming is the acne that causes scars like mine)
I know the light and angle are completely different (the photos in the beginning on this thread are taken with my phone by my side of my body - near my ribs) but i cant help but feel horrible that my skin could progressively go to where it is now just with time? could it be the differin? is it just making my skin so thin that now it keeps looking worse and worse?
anyone have any thoughts here...
remember these photos below were from Feb 2011
Hello readytosmileagain,
Differin DOES thin the skin, and can certainly make acne scars appear worse then before while you are using it. If it is the differin causing a difference in your appearance, it should go away a few weeks after you stop using it, and you SHOULD look better than when you started using it.
That being said, I think the biggest difference in your photos is due to the different lighting. Harsh lighting can make acne scars look 10x worse.