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Hey TokyoGirl,
Thanks for your input! I have to say that I am certainly appreciative of the respectful, informed responses of those who replied to my original post here on acne.org.
To answer your question; my cosmetic derm seems to think that only one Obagi mid-level Blue peel will do it for me.
Please keep in mind that I have already had about 4 sessions of punch excisions, and one session of punch grafts. Those sessions of punch exisions involved me getting, goodness, literally dozens of those little excisions. I probably have had, gosh, 40 on each cheek total. And my derm really did do a marvelous job on some of them. On some places on my face, you would not be able to tell that there was ever a scar.
When my cosmetic derm smooths back the skin on my cheeks, the scars get noticeably smoother, and from what she tells me, that is how my face will look after having this one peel done. To begin with, my right cheek was the one with the least amount of scarring. It definitely was scarred, of course, but the boxcars on it and ice picks were much more shallow. So, now when she smooths it out in the office, or when I do at home in front of the mirror, you can hardly see any scarring. It just looks like I have large pores now. Which is fine. I was never going to have small pores, anyway. I'm an oily-skinned girl, and I can deal with the big pores that go along with that.
Oh, and about the silicone injections, I just learned about them for the first time the other day. I didn't know if they were suitable for my type of scarring or not. To be honest, I just saw those pictures, and was extremely, extremely impressed.
If you have any contributing thoughts, I would certainly appreciate it.
Cherry,
I don't believe in peels for acne scarring. However, I understand why you might want to try it because your derm has given you such great results already.
Since just July 2011, I have done the following to treat my acne scars:
1. 3 TCA Peels 15% 20% 25% July 2011-August 2011
2. 5 microdermabrasion sessions Sept 2011-Oct 2011
3. 1 TCA Cross session - early Nov 2011
4. 1 Deep FX session - mid Feb 2012
I have only seen improvement to my scars from Deep FX. The improvement is noticeable, and continues to improve by the day. Oddly, I have noticed the most improvement to ice pick scars. With the exception of 2-3 scars, my ice pick scars on my right cheek are currently so shallow that I can't pick up most of them with a camera, even in bad lighting. I can see them in the mirror when I look closely. It looks like I have lots of small indents and enlarged pores. It's similar to your skin. I can almost accept the current state of my skin, except my left cheek has wider, deeper scars. Unfortunately, most of those were smaller pre-TCA Cross. They've shown the least improvement to Deep FX but they are also still improving.
Personally, I had to experience treatment in the above listed order to take the final step towards laser. I would be skeptical of any derm who claims your skin will be "perfect" because your skin is forever damaged. I'm not sure why your derm used that word, but perhaps, she was referring to your expectations for improvement and with your expectations in mind, she felt an obagi peel would be perfect. I don't personally feel you'll see much improvement, or at least, any improvement that will be permanent like fractional Co2 laser.
For me, I chose Deep FX because I trusted my derm's opinion. The laser is also a bit different from Fraxel. I only had my scars treated with the laser, so my healthy skin wasn't touched, at all. I liked the fact that the laser allows a physician to focus on each individual scar and treat each one with different parameters. I feel this was the right approach to my kind of scarring. Next, I am looking to take the same approach with laser again, but in addition to scar treatment, I am planning to add fractional non-ablative resurfacing to smooth the top layer of my skin. I believe Fraxel Re:pair (Dudley - correct me if I'm wrong) treats both layers at once with less individual focus on each scar's damaged tissue.
If you're seriously going to pursue laser, I wouldn't bother with a peel. It's a waste of time and money. However, if you want to give it a shot and believe your derm, then I can understand your reasoning. When it comes to resurfacing the skin, peels can't be controlled like a laser. An obagi peel is considered a deeper peel but it will not cause remodeling of scar tissue. It may make your skin look a little smoother for a period of time.
I'm really glad you were able to clear that issue up for me, TokyoGirl. I had actually wondered how long the results of a mid-level Obagi Blue peel would last, because I know they can't last forever. Isn't that why middle-aged ladies keep going back to get them every 4 to 5 years?
Well, that's rather frustrating, to say the least.
I did, in fact, ask my cosmetic derm how long the effects of the peel would last. Her reply to me was that as far as the aging aspect goes, about three years. And as far as smoothing back my scarring goes, the effects should last until I'm well into my 60's. Not to sound ignorant, or anything, but how is that possible?
Also, can I ask why you never decided to have any subscision, or punch floats, or grafts for your scarring? Did your derm not recommend that for you?
As always, I really appreciate your help, and any information you decide to pass along. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. 
Cherry
From a scale from 1-10 how severe would you consider your acne scarring from the very beginning?
a 10 would be like Ernestio from a while back who got Re-cell done.
If you're asking me, I would say from the very beginning I considered my scarring to be maybe a 5, or 5.5, if I can use .5's in my rating. I'm trying to keep it in perspective, because I know that compared to what others have had to endure on these forums, my scarring pales in comparison.
Why do you ask?
TokyoGirl, your comment on icepick scars is encouraging because I wondered how laser effected them.
Cherry, the lesser your scars the shorter the treatment that is needed, but you still must treat at a high intensity or you prolong the treatment. I have no good before pictures so I use this YouTube video as an example of the depth of my scars in the beginning. Watch all of her videos, she is so upbeat that it is a joy to listen to her. Acne scars do not dappen her personality. She will probably need at least 4 Deep FX because she has youth on her side. From the link in Laser-Link-O-Rama you can see all of her videos plus the one on the Bern Triplets. http://www.acne.org/...er-link-o-rama/
From a scale from 1-10 how severe would you consider your acne scarring from the very beginning?
a 10 would be like Ernestio from a while back who got Re-cell done.
If you're asking me, I would say from the very beginning I considered my scarring to be maybe a 5, or 5.5, if I can use .5's in my rating. I'm trying to keep it in perspective, because I know that compared to what others have had to endure on these forums, my scarring pales in comparison.
Why do you ask?
Lol i was asking Dudly 
I give your scarring a 2/10
I managed to find this, she said she was getting a 2nd laser treatment and this is how her scars look today, I cant even see them.
From a scale from 1-10 how severe would you consider your acne scarring from the very beginning?
a 10 would be like Ernestio from a while back who got Re-cell done.
If you're asking me, I would say from the very beginning I considered my scarring to be maybe a 5, or 5.5, if I can use .5's in my rating. I'm trying to keep it in perspective, because I know that compared to what others have had to endure on these forums, my scarring pales in comparison.
Why do you ask?
Lol i was asking Dudly
I give your scarring a 2/10
I managed to find this, she said she was getting a 2nd laser treatment and this is how her scars look today, I cant even see them.
LZOMG- Oh, haha. Hey, 2/10 ain't bad! To be honest, my scars have come a long way from the way they used to look. I sort of wish I had a pic from before, but at the same time, I'm glad I don't have a close up pic from before. They were never like the young lady's from these videos, though. And she looks fantastic.
DudleyDoRight- She does have an amazing personality. Kind of makes me a little embarrassed of myself for getting as blue as I do sometimes about the scarring I have now. I'm really glad that you posted these videos of Dani, and I can't begin to thank you enough for taking the time you have to educate me on your experiences.
LZOMG, I would put myself at a 7 in the beginning. I knew she had a website. I just never made it over there. She does look amazing, I will have to email her again and see if she remembers me. I got her to post here a long time ago.
Cherry, thank you, I try to be helpful. Did you watch the Bern Triplets yet? They have an amazing story.
Tony, I sure hope you watch all of her videos. Be positive man!!
not a prob, the issue most teens like me have is how are you going to get about 2,000$ to pay for laser?
luckily for me thats how much i get from left over college scholarships every 6 months, just intime to get another teatment lol.
Im going to get 2-4 Deep FX's (over the course of 12 to 24 months) depending on how good the results are, with my first one this December. Ill keep you guys updated.
not a prob, the issue most teens like me have is how are you going to get about 2,000$ to pay for laser?
luckily for me thats how much i get from left over college scholarships every 6 months, just intime to get another teatment lol.
Im going to get 2-4 Deep FX's (over the course of 12 to 24 months) depending on how good the results are, with my first one this December. Ill keep you guys updated.
Please do keep us updated. I love hearing success stories. You sound like you've definitely done your research. Best of luck!
LZOMG, I would put myself at a 7 in the beginning. I knew she had a website. I just never made it over there. She does look amazing, I will have to email her again and see if she remembers me. I got her to post here a long time ago.
Cherry, thank you, I try to be helpful. Did you watch the Bern Triplets yet? They have an amazing story.
Tony, I sure hope you watch all of her videos. Be positive man!!
No, I have not gotten to watch them yet. I will definitely let you know when I do! Dani has a website? Would you mind linking it to me, please?
Thanks so much,
Cherry
Cherry, I finally found it. http://www.youtube.com/InnerBeautyProject
I'm really glad you were able to clear that issue up for me, TokyoGirl. I had actually wondered how long the results of a mid-level Obagi Blue peel would last, because I know they can't last forever. Isn't that why middle-aged ladies keep going back to get them every 4 to 5 years?
Well, that's rather frustrating, to say the least.
I did, in fact, ask my cosmetic derm how long the effects of the peel would last. Her reply to me was that as far as the aging aspect goes, about three years. And as far as smoothing back my scarring goes, the effects should last until I'm well into my 60's. Not to sound ignorant, or anything, but how is that possible?
Also, can I ask why you never decided to have any subscision, or punch floats, or grafts for your scarring? Did your derm not recommend that for you?
As always, I really appreciate your help, and any information you decide to pass along. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.
Cherry
Honestly, I don't know enough about Obagi peels. I don't believe in peels for scars (unless you're talking about a deep phenol peel). I can't believe your doctor said the benefits from one treatment would last into your 60s or that one treatment would make your skin look perfect. I would think that's simply impossible.
My derm is extremely conservative. He believes in taking a surgical approach if a scar is unresponsive to other methods. He also didn't feel my scars required excision or subcision. So far, I've been to many consultations in the LA area and only one doctor has recommended subcision. Also, my derm is not the one who recommended TCA peels or microdermabrasion. I had those done at a spa in Los Angeles. When I first saw my derm about scar treatment, he told me I wasting my time with the other treatments, and I agreed with him because I had seen absolutely no benefit from the sessions.
If I were you, I would get more qualified opinions from other doctors who offer a variety of procedures, ranging from peels to surgical and co2 fractional laser. Does your derm offer laser treatment?
I'm really glad you were able to clear that issue up for me, TokyoGirl. I had actually wondered how long the results of a mid-level Obagi Blue peel would last, because I know they can't last forever. Isn't that why middle-aged ladies keep going back to get them every 4 to 5 years?
Well, that's rather frustrating, to say the least.
I did, in fact, ask my cosmetic derm how long the effects of the peel would last. Her reply to me was that as far as the aging aspect goes, about three years. And as far as smoothing back my scarring goes, the effects should last until I'm well into my 60's. Not to sound ignorant, or anything, but how is that possible?
Also, can I ask why you never decided to have any subscision, or punch floats, or grafts for your scarring? Did your derm not recommend that for you?
As always, I really appreciate your help, and any information you decide to pass along. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.
Cherry
Honestly, I don't know enough about Obagi peels. I don't believe in peels for scars (unless you're talking about a deep phenol peel). I can't believe your doctor said the benefits from one treatment would last into your 60s or that one treatment would make your skin look perfect. I would think that's simply impossible.
My derm is extremely conservative. He believes in taking a surgical approach if a scar is unresponsive to other methods. He also didn't feel my scars required excision or subcision. So far, I've been to many consultations in the LA area and only one doctor has recommended subcision. Also, my derm is not the one who recommended TCA peels or microdermabrasion. I had those done at a spa in Los Angeles. When I first saw my derm about scar treatment, he told me I wasting my time with the other treatments, and I agreed with him because I had seen absolutely no benefit from the sessions.
If I were you, I would get more qualified opinions from other doctors who offer a variety of procedures, ranging from peels to surgical and co2 fractional laser. Does your derm offer laser treatment?
Hey there, TokyoGirl,
No, she doesn't perform laser in her offices. She was happy to give me a referral to a doctor who does perform laser. But at her prices for punch floats, and the peel afterward, I kind of signed up without really going into too much research about other options. Plus, she's even done some work for me at no cost, and with her skills, I just really cannot complain.
I have to say that on some of the scarring I have, she did a spectacular job. I had a very shallow little scar in the middle of my chin that bugged the crap out of me, and after two punch floats, it's gone. She also did a remarkable job on the biggest scar I had, which was the one that made me the most self-conscious. That scar is by no means gone like some of the others, but it looks so much better. As far as her technique on the punch floats, and grafts, I have no complaints.
However, my mind just keeps going back to her telling me that I would have "perfect" results with the Obagi Blue Peel. I'm probably just fixated on the fact that she seemed to be overconfident in the peel, or just plain telling me a whopper, but I don't like it when people use that word. There's just no such thing as perfect.
I do like the idea of getting a peel to even out my coloring (my skin tone is VERY blotchy), but I could probably have that done with lasering as well, am I right? It's just very confusing. On the one hand, I like what you advised me earlier, when you told me that you think I have nothing to lose by getting a peel since I'm happy with my cosmetic derm's work thus far. But on the other hand, I wonder if I ought to be potentially wasting money when I could be perhaps visiting other derms who actually do perform laser in their offices.
If you could offer me some advice, or just any thoughts in general, I'd really appreciate it. You sure have been a big help!
Cherry
Hey there, TokyoGirl,
No, she doesn't perform laser in her offices. She was happy to give me a referral to a doctor who does perform laser. But at her prices for punch floats, and the peel afterward, I kind of signed up without really going into too much research about other options. Plus, she's even done some work for me at no cost, and with her skills, I just really cannot complain.
I have to say that on some of the scarring I have, she did a spectacular job. I had a very shallow little scar in the middle of my chin that bugged the crap out of me, and after two punch floats, it's gone. She also did a remarkable job on the biggest scar I had, which was the one that made me the most self-conscious. That scar is by no means gone like some of the others, but it looks so much better. As far as her technique on the punch floats, and grafts, I have no complaints.
However, my mind just keeps going back to her telling me that I would have "perfect" results with the Obagi Blue Peel. I'm probably just fixated on the fact that she seemed to be overconfident in the peel, or just plain telling me a whopper, but I don't like it when people use that word. There's just no such thing as perfect.
I do like the idea of getting a peel to even out my coloring (my skin tone is VERY blotchy), but I could probably have that done with lasering as well, am I right? It's just very confusing. On the one hand, I like what you advised me earlier, when you told me that you think I have nothing to lose by getting a peel since I'm happy with my cosmetic derm's work thus far. But on the other hand, I wonder if I ought to be potentially wasting money when I could be perhaps visiting other derms who actually do perform laser in their offices.
If you could offer me some advice, or just any thoughts in general, I'd really appreciate it. You sure have been a big help!
Cherry
Hey Cherry,
It's really hard to give advice like this because whether you go with laser or a peel, you may not see any improvement to your scars. That's the reality of the situation.
Knowing your derm has been so great to you, I would want to believe her and take a gamble, if I were you. Knowing what I have read and experienced with peels, I am personally skeptical. I'd like to believe she wouldn't just sell you a service at this point. However, the fact that she used the word "perfect" and said the benefits would last into your 60s make me question her true intentions.
I am currently struggling with a very similar situation. Do I return to my conservative derm, who gave me great results with Deep FX, for another treatment or go with a more experienced Plastic Surgeon who is willing to be aggressive with treatment? I feel like I'm wasting too much time with my current derm. He refuses to be aggressive with treating my scars. Fortunately, he charges significantly less than most doctors in Los Angeles, but I'm so anxious to put scar treatment behind me. I just think I could see more improvement with a doctor who is specialized and more confident with Ultrapulse. Then again, I wonder if being conservative is the better approach. I have olive skin and am prone to hyperpigmentation, plus scar easily. Just having these thoughts, pushed me towards scheduling consultations with other doctors. I am now at a point where I wonder if I should play it safe and continue to trust my derm or should I take another risk and give my trust to a new doctor. It's a difficult decision.
If you do consult with other doctors and a few recommend an Obagi peel, then I would return to your derm and have her do the peel. If they all offer similar peels and tell you an Obagi will not improve your scars, then I would believe them. I went through that with microdermabrasion. On the other hand, I still think you have nothing (other than time & money) to lose by trying an Obagi peel.
Cherry, I finally found it. http://www.youtube.c...erBeautyProject
I just love Dani. She really is an inspiration! Thanks once again for sharing this link, Dudley.
Hey there, TokyoGirl,
No, she doesn't perform laser in her offices. She was happy to give me a referral to a doctor who does perform laser. But at her prices for punch floats, and the peel afterward, I kind of signed up without really going into too much research about other options. Plus, she's even done some work for me at no cost, and with her skills, I just really cannot complain.
I have to say that on some of the scarring I have, she did a spectacular job. I had a very shallow little scar in the middle of my chin that bugged the crap out of me, and after two punch floats, it's gone. She also did a remarkable job on the biggest scar I had, which was the one that made me the most self-conscious. That scar is by no means gone like some of the others, but it looks so much better. As far as her technique on the punch floats, and grafts, I have no complaints.
However, my mind just keeps going back to her telling me that I would have "perfect" results with the Obagi Blue Peel. I'm probably just fixated on the fact that she seemed to be overconfident in the peel, or just plain telling me a whopper, but I don't like it when people use that word. There's just no such thing as perfect.
I do like the idea of getting a peel to even out my coloring (my skin tone is VERY blotchy), but I could probably have that done with lasering as well, am I right? It's just very confusing. On the one hand, I like what you advised me earlier, when you told me that you think I have nothing to lose by getting a peel since I'm happy with my cosmetic derm's work thus far. But on the other hand, I wonder if I ought to be potentially wasting money when I could be perhaps visiting other derms who actually do perform laser in their offices.
If you could offer me some advice, or just any thoughts in general, I'd really appreciate it. You sure have been a big help!
Cherry
Hey Cherry,
It's really hard to give advice like this because whether you go with laser or a peel, you may not see any improvement to your scars. That's the reality of the situation.
Knowing your derm has been so great to you, I would want to believe her and take a gamble, if I were you. Knowing what I have read and experienced with peels, I am personally skeptical. I'd like to believe she wouldn't just sell you a service at this point. However, the fact that she used the word "perfect" and said the benefits would last into your 60s make me question her true intentions.
I am currently struggling with a very similar situation. Do I return to my conservative derm, who gave me great results with Deep FX, for another treatment or go with a more experienced Plastic Surgeon who is willing to be aggressive with treatment? I feel like I'm wasting too much time with my current derm. He refuses to be aggressive with treating my scars. Fortunately, he charges significantly less than most doctors in Los Angeles, but I'm so anxious to put scar treatment behind me. I just think I could see more improvement with a doctor who is specialized and more confident with Ultrapulse. Then again, I wonder if being conservative is the better approach. I have olive skin and am prone to hyperpigmentation, plus scar easily. Just having these thoughts, pushed me towards scheduling consultations with other doctors. I am now at a point where I wonder if I should play it safe and continue to trust my derm or should I take another risk and give my trust to a new doctor. It's a difficult decision.
If you do consult with other doctors and a few recommend an Obagi peel, then I would return to your derm and have her do the peel. If they all offer similar peels and tell you an Obagi will not improve your scars, then I would believe them. I went through that with microdermabrasion. On the other hand, I still think you have nothing (other than time & money) to lose by trying an Obagi peel.
Hey there Tokyo Girl,
I did consult with one doctor who told me that she thinks the Obagi Blue peel would give me some moderate improvement, which does make me feel somewhat better, considering that I have it scheduled for the second week of next month. If anything, I think I will like the fact that the peel will at least even out my skin tone. Like I said before, it has become so blotchy due to past acne, and the punch floats my cosmetic derm performed on me.
I think I just need to take my treatments one step at a time. If I don't see the improvements I want to see after this next treatment, then I will regroup and move on from there.
I'm glad you shared your story with me, and I thank you for that. It makes me feel like I'm not alone, knowing that there is someone out there in a situation similar to mine.
I suppose the question to ask yourself is if you trust your conservative dermatologist, and if you are happy with the work he has done so far. If you are happy with his work, and think he has done a good job treating you, then I would continue to see him, at least for a little while longer.
If you really don't think he has made such an improvement to your scarring, then I believe that you should most certainly look for another dermatologist. How long have you been seeing him, by the way?
Your desire to get the procedures for your scarring behind you is completely understandable. But for me, I have had to come to terms with the fact that treating acne scarring is a process. A process that could potentially take years. Would I like to be able to have super-fast results to the treatment for my scarring? Absolutely. I'm tired of going to the doctor, and spending so much money on my skin. But I want to see this process through until I have results that give me skin I can feel confident with.
I really appreciate your advice, and taking the time to listen to my concerns. You are awesome.
that girl thats on the videos allways had good skin ? i dunno why people are saying your skin looks better?
She definitely had some scarring before, but looks amazing now! I don't really understand the last part of what you said. I'm sorry. I don't think anyone said my skin looks better. Is that what you meant?
sorry i found that vid later after i posted ...and yes its amazing how much better it looks ...so a subsicion is different then a re fraxel u call it?
cherry i mean her skin looked no differen't not urs but yes it looks amazing
Yes, a subcision is a different procedure than Fraxel.
lol i'm tryin to keep up would dermarolling your skin not help cherry? ....jeeez i'm exuasted
I don't know a ton about dermarolling myself, but what I have read from other people who have tried it themselves is enough to make me never want to try it. I read an entry in one of the forums here on acne.org written by someone who had tried dermarolling, and then described it as one of the biggest regrets of their life. I will not do something like that on my own at home. It seems way too risky, and I already have made scars on my face from being ignorant, and not realizing at the time what I should have done (or not done) to keep those scars from forming. So, no. The only procedures that I will have done on my face will be those recommended by a qualified medical professional.