Hey there! I'm new here but am jumping right into posting.

Your scarring is mild but you're right, looks like you have mostly boxcar scars. The scars on your cheekbone look a little like rolling scars but that could just be the lighting and camera angle. Best way to tell if they're rolling scars is to try to stretch the scars out with your fingers. If the scars are still very visible then you know that they're likely to be tethered down and more akin to rolling scars.

I have a few boxcar scars and a few large rolling scars. I've had 5 sessions of Fraxel Re:Store over two years and I saw improvements but I wouldn't say I was really that impressed. I think with lasers you need to go hard or go home, and find a skilled doctor. If I could have my Fraxel money back and start over I would choose to go with a fully ablative laser for better results. I think out of the 5 sessions I had I would have seen around 30% improvement. Kicking myself that I didn't do my research properly back then.

I have moved away from lasers now, and found something which, in my mind, is better... the Dermaroller. I have had three sessions, the last one was three days ago. I have seen around a 40% improvement already (on top of the 30% from Fraxel) and I'm excited to see what further improvements I get. I do not use a cheap copy roller from eBay or the Internet. I have been seeing a qualified anesthetist (I'm in Australia) who uses the original Dermaroller, 192 needles at 1.5mm in length. Compared to Fraxel there is next to no pain and my face is red and swollen for around 4 days compared to 2 weeks with the laser. I have waited 7 weeks between each session as that is the time your skin needs to rebuild collagen. So far I am thrilled with the results and I have no worries about recommending it to other people.

Sorry for the spiel! But you can definitely see improvements if you choose to treat your scarring. My advice is to do tons of research and consult with doctors in your area that you can trust. I would also start on a really good skin care regime if you don't have one already. The healthier your skin the easier it will be to treat your scarring.

Thank you Quirky Fox!

I've been reading a lot about Dermarolling and am really considering it! In between the four down days, can you wear make up to cover the redness? How hard did the anesthetist press? Did the anesthetist press down hard enough to draw blood?

Are you considering taking before and after pictures?

Since I've stopped taking birth control, I've had minor breakouts. I am in the process of shopping around and finalizing my skin care regime - mainly looking for a good acne cream/gel to prevent breakouts.

The Dermaroller is working for me, and I actually love the treatment. They numb your face first for around half an hour and the treatment takes around 15-20 minutes. Not long! Those who are skilled in using the Dermaroller know how much pressure to apply when needling but I know that in my last treatment she was very "aggressive" with the device. I actually asked her whether she was pressing hard at all as I couldn't feel anything and she laughed and said "Oh trust me, I'm pressing hard".

The yucky part about the treatment is that the more blood you see, the better. So yes, the anaesthetist drew blood, and lots of it! Your blood contains collagen fibres and fibroblasts which are essential for healthy, plump skin. The bleeding is very short lived though. Because the needles are so fine your face won't keep bleeding after you get off the table. They wipe your face clean and apply products to help kick start the healing process and then off you go. For an hour after being treated the channels in your skin that the needles created remain open. During this time your skin will drink up the products that are applied post-needling but you are also unable to touch your face for at least an hour, to avoid infection. I decided to be more on the paranoid side and didn't touch my face for the entire afternoon!

As for makeup, I was told not to wear it during the first 24 hours after treatment. Your skin is a little sticky with all the lotions they put on so makeup would be hard to apply anyway. I had my treatments on a Friday so that I could go without makeup for the weekend. But, if I had wanted I could have popped mineral makeup on on the second day to cover some redness. Basically once those channels are closed in your skin (around an hour) you can apply makeup.

I'm hoping to put up some before/after photos of my skin. I have some but I haven't downloaded them from my phone. I hope you find a good skin care regime that works for you! I was told to go with products containing vitamins A, B and C so I'm on the Dermaquest range. Expensive though which is the downside. Good luck!

LoserXP, if you don't mind my asking. What birth control were you on? And are the scars from picking at your skin, or the birth control?

By the way, dermarolling is a great, inexpensive method to treating scars. You'll be amazed if you're patient and persistent (:

Thanks for sharing your experience Quirky Fox!

ForeverAndPatience - I was on Apri birth control for two years. I really wish I knew better in the past - the scars are from me picking at my skin .

Birth control is not a permanently solution for acne problems but it helped cleared my skin significantly. I was literally acne-free for those two years.

It's been about a month and a half now that I've stopped taking it and my acne is slowly creeping back. No major breakouts but minors that won't go away. Currently shopping around for acne on-spot/preventative treatments (recommendations are appreciated).

I've read many positive and negative reviews on Dermarolling. Mostly positive - It works. Negative - not working. In the end, I have nothing to lose but maybe my money right? Hmmm

Thanks for the suggestion you two - I'll consider Dermarolling and try to find someone who is experienced with performing the procedure!

Anytime! I hope you find the treatment that works for you. My door is always open if you have any questions about the Dermaroller.