its day 11 my bruising is mostly gone but i still have some swelling so i think the final verdict will come in a week when all the swelling subsides..the scar improvments i'd say is in the 35-50% range currently which is def more than what i have expected but i dont want to get too excited yet...i will update u guys in a week from now when all microswelling dissipates..
i am not exactly sure but my guess would be that multiple treatments of laviv would be required so that a sufficient amount of fibroblasts/proteins is placed back into the area to fill the deficit, heal the scarred area and ensure that it will be long-lasting..im having 3 sessions of laviv done and the total cost of my treatments is 5k
update: so far i see a 20-30% improvement overall from 1 subcision and 1 laviv...the skin texture looks a bit better but i have a lot of redness in my scars still so im hoping the laser will help alot with that..my pitted scars seem shallower too..i still have 2 lavivs and a co2 fractional laser left so i will keep u guys updated!
i am not exactly sure but my guess would be that multiple treatments of laviv would be required so that a sufficient amount of fibroblasts/proteins is placed back into the area to fill the deficit, heal the scarred area and ensure that it will be long-lasting..im having 3 sessions of laviv done and the total cost of my treatments is 5k
update: so far i see a 20-30% improvement overall from 1 subcision and 1 laviv...the skin texture looks a bit better but i have a lot of redness in my scars still so im hoping the laser will help alot with that..my pitted scars seem shallower too..i still have 2 lavivs and a co2 fractional laser left so i will keep u guys updated!
So excited for you!
i am not exactly sure but my guess would be that multiple treatments of laviv would be required so that a sufficient amount of fibroblasts/proteins is placed back into the area to fill the deficit, heal the scarred area and ensure that it will be long-lasting..im having 3 sessions of laviv done and the total cost of my treatments is 5k
update: so far i see a 20-30% improvement overall from 1 subcision and 1 laviv...the skin texture looks a bit better but i have a lot of redness in my scars still so im hoping the laser will help alot with that..my pitted scars seem shallower too..i still have 2 lavivs and a co2 fractional laser left so i will keep u guys updated!
So excited for you!
i am not exactly sure but my guess would be that multiple treatments of laviv would be required so that a sufficient amount of fibroblasts/proteins is placed back into the area to fill the deficit, heal the scarred area and ensure that it will be long-lasting..im having 3 sessions of laviv done and the total cost of my treatments is 5k
update: so far i see a 20-30% improvement overall from 1 subcision and 1 laviv...the skin texture looks a bit better but i have a lot of redness in my scars still so im hoping the laser will help alot with that..my pitted scars seem shallower too..i still have 2 lavivs and a co2 fractional laser left so i will keep u guys updated!
What do you think about something like LaViv for shallow ice pick scarring now that you have gotten the LaViv treatment yourself, Waitingforacure?
wouldnt the co2 laser interfere with your laviv/subcision results? v beam is great for redness if you have redness in your scars. a PS told me subcision wouldnt have a good effect on ice pick/ box scarring. what you think of that?
I had a plastic surgeon tell me the same thing about 2 weeks ago. After talking with him a bit more about my desire for a multi-modality approach to treatment, he admitted that he's never done subcision. He then asked me how I found his clinic, and I mentioned RealSelf. In response, he referred me to a dermatologist who he said would be more experienced with surgical treatment of scars, as well as laser. The dermatologist was a med school friend of his. I think he sensed my skepticism over whether Total FX alone could provide me the benefits that I was after, and became concerned when he realized I was active on the Internet. I also mentioned to him that I would be doing Total FX for the next 3-5 years at this rate because no one is willing be aggressive with my skin (he was also unwilling). In response, he said, "to be honest, that's what keeps my MediSpa in business."
my doctor stated that the laser will reduce the redness and improve the texture of my scars...he never really mentioned that it will raise or improve the depth but i assume it will help some...he also mentioned that it will be a straightforward procedure with very quick recovery time of 2/3 days..
i heard about the vbeam and i think the co2 fractional is safer and more effective...isnt the vbeam non fractional? therefore a longer healing time? idk
i stated this already i think and I deeply belive that subcision will help improve any depressed scar!! icepick, rolling, boxscar etc...
I agree with waitingforacure. I believe subcision, followed by laser, is the answer for my depressed scars. Finding an experienced doctor who is confident & willing to do a multi-modality treatment plan is incredibly difficult. I have another consultation tomorrow at 1:30 pm with a dermatologist who is experienced with and offers subcision, excision, TCA Cross, Total FX, Fraxel Repair, Pixel, & permanent fillers for treatment of acne scars. I think his approach is quite rare, so I am hoping for the best.
Best of luck to you, waitingforacure. It sounds like you're in good hands.
wouldnt the co2 laser interfere with your laviv/subcision results? v beam is great for redness if you have redness in your scars. a PS told me subcision wouldnt have a good effect on ice pick/ box scarring. what you think of that?
I had a plastic surgeon tell me the same thing about 2 weeks ago. After talking with him a bit more about my desire for a multi-modality approach to treatment, he admitted that he's never done subcision. He then asked me how I found his clinic, and I mentioned RealSelf. In response, he referred me to a dermatologist who he said would be more experienced with surgical treatment of scars, as well as laser. The dermatologist was a med school friend of his. I think he sensed my skepticism over whether Total FX alone could provide me the benefits that I was after, and became concerned when he realized I was active on the Internet. I also mentioned to him that I would be doing Total FX for the next 3-5 years at this rate because no one is willing be aggressive with my skin (he was also unwilling). In response, he said, "to be honest, that's what keeps my MediSpa in business."
thats ironic the PS asked me the same thing '' how did i find out about him'' i replied the same answer, on real self . ofcourse hes gonna convince you to do laser thats what many of them do so they could finance there medspa or what ever. your also right, its extremley difficult to find a doc that is skilled in subcision, excision and so on, the ps said he could only excise one of my ice picks which i think is complete bullshit as i belive all of them can be excisied and he mentioned using the punch method which i dont want. i want scalpel excision. my hopes are being shut down fast. now in canada there recommending e matrix for ice pick/ box scars since its new to them. i have to be very picky since im using my savings for these prcedures and im far from being rich so i have to choose one path instead of multiple. who knows maybe the answer lies in europe with recelll. canada is good for nothing when it comes to acne scarring procedures.** sigh**
my doctor stated that the laser will reduce the redness and improve the texture of my scars...he never really mentioned that it will raise or improve the depth but i assume it will help some...he also mentioned that it will be a straightforward procedure with very quick recovery time of 2/3 days..
i heard about the vbeam and i think the co2 fractional is safer and more effective...isnt the vbeam non fractional? therefore a longer healing time? idk
i stated this already i think and I deeply belive that subcision will help improve any depressed scar!! icepick, rolling, boxscar etc...
no dude im telling you v beam is the best for redness. i had it done on my scars that had hyperpigmentation post accutane and it got rid of it. there isnt a long healing time v beam isnt ablative its strictly meant for pigment issues. i highly belive co2 is gonna ruin your results. id be really carefull if i was you , you dont wnana mess up decent results you paid alot for.
also the fact laviv is basically isologen but revived doesnt that worry you? i know your aware so im just curious. good luck!
wouldnt the co2 laser interfere with your laviv/subcision results? v beam is great for redness if you have redness in your scars. a PS told me subcision wouldnt have a good effect on ice pick/ box scarring. what you think of that?
I think he sensed my skepticism over whether Total FX alone could provide me the benefits that I was after, and became concerned when he realized I was active on the Internet.
... In response, he said, "to be honest, that's what keeps my MediSpa in business."
You've gotta be kidding me!
my doctor stated that the laser will reduce the redness and improve the texture of my scars...he never really mentioned that it will raise or improve the depth but i assume it will help some...he also mentioned that it will be a straightforward procedure with very quick recovery time of 2/3 days..
i heard about the vbeam and i think the co2 fractional is safer and more effective...isnt the vbeam non fractional? therefore a longer healing time? idk
i stated this already i think and I deeply belive that subcision will help improve any depressed scar!! icepick, rolling, boxscar etc...
At the risk of sounding kind of ignorant, do you believe that subcision will help improve indented scarring better than excision (like I have had)? And if so, why is this?
I have only had subcision performed on one scar (rolling), and then excision on all the rest of my scarring (shallow ice pick). I assumed subcision was more suited for rolling scars, and perhaps boxscars, and then excision was intended to be used for ice pick.
I'd love some feedback about this.
i'm going to take this risk! ive only bought one treatment of laser to give it a try if it works i will have it again if not i wont.. I dont think he will laser at the strongest settings so i assume risks will be low..look at subcision.. NOW i know it works i will have it done again!
ive actually heard of people that have gotten decent results from Isolagen and since it has very little sideeffects im willing to give it a go..i'm fed up with my scars and will take pretty much any risk..if the treatments dont work out i will just do recell next yr 
i'm going to take this risk! ive only bought one treatment of laser to give it a try if it works i will have it again if not i wont.. I dont think he will laser at the strongest settings so i assume risks will be low..look at subcision.. NOW i know it works i will have it done again!
ive actually heard of people that have gotten decent results from Isolagen and since it has very little sideeffects im willing to give it a go..i'm fed up with my scars and will take pretty much any risk..if the treatments dont work out i will just do recell next yr
do you work ? or are your parents rich? lol thats alot of $$$ you spent and plan to spend if things dont work out. I wish i lived in the US, my chances would be alot higher in getting decent results
cherrysoda- i really dont know too much about excision but it seems way more risky than subcision cause rather than cutting under the scar ur cutting out the whole scar out so if u have poor healing or have an extremely large diameter scar i think there is too much unknown in how u will heal back up..maybe if u had recell applied after excision that would make the treatment less risky idk..subcision in my opinion is very safe and effective for all scars..
no hope- i know 5k is ALOT but i think its worth a try!..my dad helped me pay for it so im lucky 
come to the U.S for treatment ur not that far!
cherrysoda- i really dont know too much about excision but it seems way more risky than subcision cause rather than cutting under the scar ur cutting out the whole scar out so if u have poor healing or have an extremely large diameter scar i think there is too much unknown in how u will heal back up..maybe if u had recell applied after excision that would make the treatment less risky idk..subcision in my opinion is very safe and effective for all scars..
Waitingforacure,
Okay. That's the thing about the types of excision I have had that also sort of trip me up. I never really had scars cut out (at least I don't believe so), I had them cut into, and my cosmetic derm attempted to encourage the scar tissue within the boundaries of the ice pick scars to raise up. If that makes any sense at all, because the procedure is a little hard for me to put into words... 
Also, I never had any stitching, or little linear scars or anything like that from any of my procedures.
I understand how subcision definitely helps with rolling scars, because the physician is breaking up the bands of fibrous tissues that are tethering the scar down, and giving it a rolling, or wavelike appearance. But I guess what I am failing to see is how subcision would be a good option for ice pick scarring.
Is there a way you could explain this to me, or perhaps link me a site that explain the benefits of subcision for ice pick scarring?
in my opinion i think a rolling scar and ice pick can both be improved with subcision as long as u separate the scar tissue bounding the scar down deep under...as the body heals the blood will clot underneath and should elevate the scar up no matter the shape,size or depth of the scar..
cherrysoda- i really dont know too much about excision but it seems way more risky than subcision cause rather than cutting under the scar ur cutting out the whole scar out so if u have poor healing or have an extremely large diameter scar i think there is too much unknown in how u will heal back up..maybe if u had recell applied after excision that would make the treatment less risky idk..subcision in my opinion is very safe and effective for all scars..
Waitingforacure,
Okay. That's the thing about the types of excision I have had that also sort of trip me up. I never really had scars cut out (at least I don't believe so), I had them cut into, and my cosmetic derm attempted to encourage the scar tissue within the boundaries of the ice pick scars to raise up. If that makes any sense at all, because the procedure is a little hard for me to put into words...
Also, I never had any stitching, or little linear scars or anything like that from any of my procedures.
I understand how subcision definitely helps with rolling scars, because the physician is breaking up the bands of fibrous tissues that are tethering the scar down, and giving it a rolling, or wavelike appearance. But I guess what I am failing to see is how subcision would be a good option for ice pick scarring.
Is there a way you could explain this to me, or perhaps link me a site that explain the benefits of subcision for ice pick scarring?
you basically had subcison, all excisions end up with stiching.
in my opinion i think a rolling scar and ice pick can both be improved with subcision as long as u separate the scar tissue bounding the scar down deep under...as the body heals the blood will clot underneath and should elevate the scar up no matter the shape,size or depth of the scar..
http://www.acnescars...m/subcision.htm
Gotcha.
Great link, by the way!
cherrysoda- i really dont know too much about excision but it seems way more risky than subcision cause rather than cutting under the scar ur cutting out the whole scar out so if u have poor healing or have an extremely large diameter scar i think there is too much unknown in how u will heal back up..maybe if u had recell applied after excision that would make the treatment less risky idk..subcision in my opinion is very safe and effective for all scars..
Waitingforacure,
Okay. That's the thing about the types of excision I have had that also sort of trip me up. I never really had scars cut out (at least I don't believe so), I had them cut into, and my cosmetic derm attempted to encourage the scar tissue within the boundaries of the ice pick scars to raise up. If that makes any sense at all, because the procedure is a little hard for me to put into words...
Also, I never had any stitching, or little linear scars or anything like that from any of my procedures.
I understand how subcision definitely helps with rolling scars, because the physician is breaking up the bands of fibrous tissues that are tethering the scar down, and giving it a rolling, or wavelike appearance. But I guess what I am failing to see is how subcision would be a good option for ice pick scarring.
Is there a way you could explain this to me, or perhaps link me a site that explain the benefits of subcision for ice pick scarring?
you basically had subcison, all excisions end up with stiching.
Cherry,
I thought you had punch excisions & a skin graft. If so, stitching is not involved:
http://www.acnescarsforum.com/punch-excision.htm
Sometimes the physician will choose to do a punch excision with a skin graft. This procedure is done as above, however a piece of skin, generally taken from behind the ear with a punch tool, is then inserted into the opening. The area then heals without the use of a suture. Once healed the color and texture of the treated area may appear different to the surrounding tissue. Once completely healed skin resurfacing can help to eliminate the variation in color and texture.
cherrysoda- i really dont know too much about excision but it seems way more risky than subcision cause rather than cutting under the scar ur cutting out the whole scar out so if u have poor healing or have an extremely large diameter scar i think there is too much unknown in how u will heal back up..maybe if u had recell applied after excision that would make the treatment less risky idk..subcision in my opinion is very safe and effective for all scars..
Waitingforacure,
Okay. That's the thing about the types of excision I have had that also sort of trip me up. I never really had scars cut out (at least I don't believe so), I had them cut into, and my cosmetic derm attempted to encourage the scar tissue within the boundaries of the ice pick scars to raise up. If that makes any sense at all, because the procedure is a little hard for me to put into words...
Also, I never had any stitching, or little linear scars or anything like that from any of my procedures.
I understand how subcision definitely helps with rolling scars, because the physician is breaking up the bands of fibrous tissues that are tethering the scar down, and giving it a rolling, or wavelike appearance. But I guess what I am failing to see is how subcision would be a good option for ice pick scarring.
Is there a way you could explain this to me, or perhaps link me a site that explain the benefits of subcision for ice pick scarring?
you basically had subcison, all excisions end up with stiching.
Cherry,
I thought you had punch excisions & a skin graft. If so, stitching is not involved:
http://www.acnescars...ch-excision.htm
Sometimes the physician will choose to do a punch excision with a skin graft. This procedure is done as above, however a piece of skin, generally taken from behind the ear with a punch tool, is then inserted into the opening. The area then heals without the use of a suture. Once healed the color and texture of the treated area may appear different to the surrounding tissue. Once completely healed skin resurfacing can help to eliminate the variation in color and texture.
According to the website you linked me, TokyoGirl, I did have the punch excisions performed on me. I only had the grafts done on 3 locations on my left cheek.
I have been a little confused on the correct terms to use, because my cosmetic derm has never used the words "excision" or "subcision" in reference to the procedures she performed on me, except for when she operated on the one rolling scar I have. She told me she was performing subcision on that particular scar. She always used the term "punch floats" to describe the other procedures she performed on me.