Excision would wipe these out. What that would entail is basically cutting out the scars and instead of having an ice pick scar, you would have a thin flat white scar. If you heal well enough, the scar would not depress. I have heard TCA cross can help, for ice picks. Your scars are fairly minor I think they are not noticeable.

try retin a it will smooth out your skin and make it look much better

i wouldnt do tca cross at home because it can make the hole bigger permanent

acnescarsarehell/ I have heard some good things about excision but I always thought it was more suited for people with fewer but deeper scars?

LeadingForce/ dude I believe the major cause of my scarring is due to tretinoin, as prior to using it I never got any depressed scars from cystic acne but ever since I started using it I always felt that my skin got much more scar-prone and sensitive. I've read that the same thing happen to many other people. However I do think that once you stop getting acne it can help a lot with your PIH and your overall skin tone. Thanks for your input.

acnescarsarehell/ I have heard some good things about excision but I always thought it was more suited for people with fewer but deeper scars?

LeadingForce/ dude I believe the major cause of my scarring is due to tretinoin, as prior to using it I never got any depressed scars from cystic acne but ever since I started using it I always felt that my skin got much more scar-prone and sensitive. I've read that the same thing happen to many other people. However I do think that once you stop getting acne it can help a lot with your PIH and your overall skin tone. Thanks for your input.

make sure you always moisturizer after you apply retin a and find a moisturizer that doesnt have clog pore ingredients

also for scars try to avoid getting more acne and picking and just let the retin a do its work with exfiolating it will def get rid of your hyperpigmentation or scars but on ice pick scars maybe over time depending on how much layers of skin maybe

.

I am having two scars excised tomorrow, SO nervous/excited but more nervous I'd say. Has anyone here had any success with it? its just the fact that they are indented on my cheek that bugs the shit out of me, to trade them out with level white scars to me isn't that bad of a deal. The plastic surgeon is triple certified and used to be on the head of plastic surgeons in Houston so i know that I am in good hands but jeez its got a fellow tense right now!

acnescarsarehell/ I have heard some good things about excision but I always thought it was more suited for people with fewer but deeper scars?

LeadingForce/ dude I believe the major cause of my scarring is due to tretinoin, as prior to using it I never got any depressed scars from cystic acne but ever since I started using it I always felt that my skin got much more scar-prone and sensitive. I've read that the same thing happen to many other people. However I do think that once you stop getting acne it can help a lot with your PIH and your overall skin tone. Thanks for your input.

make sure you always moisturizer after you apply retin a and find a moisturizer that doesnt have clog pore ingredients

also for scars try to avoid getting more acne and picking and just let the retin a do its work with exfiolating it will def get rid of your hyperpigmentation or scars but on ice pick scars maybe over time depending on how much layers of skin maybe

Are you sure retin-a targets (red) hyperpigmentation?

yes its working for me, i use retin a gel 0.1% and i heard gel penetrates way better

Hiya people

I'm a 25 yo asian guy living in Europe, have been suffering from severe acne for over 2 years, and I think I finally got it under control, but the scarring left behind is terrible. I never had any problem with acne as a teen, but serving in the army (Korean) has really taken its toll on my face, due to the lack of sleep, poor diet, stress, etc. My life has not been the same ever since. Now this may sound pathetic but I spend every waking moment thinking about how my skin looks, and I could not get out of the apartment to go to a supermarket without bb cream on because without it i just feel so ridiculously hideous, seriously I think I'm going nuts. I know there are people who have it worse than me and still go on with their life just fine, but for me I just cannot. I will quit my bitching now...

I've done some research now, I understand most of my scarring are ice pick scars, and I'm thinking about having a TCA peel at home and i would like to know if it would help reduce my scarring and if yes, what strength I should go for. I understand that TCA cross method is the better way to go when you have ice picks but I am too chicken to do this by myself and I cannot afford going to a derm here in Europe... also I want to treat the PIH marks though it is not apparent in the picture. (but they are there, like a lot)

Sorry for my poor English, any help would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Dont do TCA cross yourself, have it done at least 1x with a dermatologist/doctor just so you know how to properly proceed with this treatment. Btw what country are you in? I am going to London in late January/February for a consulation with Dr.Patel(one of the best in the UK/Europe as far as I can tell) and my scars are more or less similar to yours, I dont have them as deep, but I got lots of them, small icepicks. I can keep you updated on what he suggests to me.

acnescarsarehell/ I have heard some good things about excision but I always thought it was more suited for people with fewer but deeper scars?

LeadingForce/ dude I believe the major cause of my scarring is due to tretinoin, as prior to using it I never got any depressed scars from cystic acne but ever since I started using it I always felt that my skin got much more scar-prone and sensitive. I've read that the same thing happen to many other people. However I do think that once you stop getting acne it can help a lot with your PIH and your overall skin tone. Thanks for your input.

I totally can relate to this, I started getting acne when I was 18, at first I didnt care and it was all good, no scars and fast healing.... My real problems started when I started using BP, Duac and all those other harsh treatments, that basically destroyed my skin that was healing very good previously, to make things worse I had to do 2xRoaccutane course also which I believe was necessary just because of those topicals as they made my acne so much worse.

Hiya peopleI'm a 25 yo asian guy living in Europe, have been suffering from severe acne for over 2 years, and I think I finally got it under control, but the scarring left behind is terrible. I never had any problem with acne as a teen, but serving in the army (Korean) has really taken its toll on my face, due to the lack of sleep, poor diet, stress, etc. My life has not been the same ever since. Now this may sound pathetic but I spend every waking moment thinking about how my skin looks, and I could not get out of the apartment to go to a supermarket without bb cream on because without it i just feel so ridiculously hideous, seriously I think I'm going nuts. I know there are people who have it worse than me and still go on with their life just fine, but for me I just cannot. I will quit my bitching now...I've done some research now, I understand most of my scarring are ice pick scars, and I'm thinking about having a TCA peel at home and i would like to know if it would help reduce my scarring and if yes, what strength I should go for. I understand that TCA cross method is the better way to go when you have ice picks but I am too chicken to do this by myself and I cannot afford going to a derm here in Europe... also I want to treat the PIH marks though it is not apparent in the picture. (but they are there, like a lot)Sorry for my poor English, any help would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Dont do TCA cross yourself, have it done at least 1x with a dermatologist/doctor just so you know how to properly proceed with this treatment. Btw what country are you in? I am going to London in late January/February for a consulation with Dr.Patel(one of the best in the UK/Europe as far as I can tell) and my scars are more or less similar to yours, I dont have them as deep, but I got lots of them, small icepicks. I can keep you updated on what he suggests to me.

acnescarsarehell/ I have heard some good things about excision but I always thought it was more suited for people with fewer but deeper scars?LeadingForce/ dude I believe the major cause of my scarring is due to tretinoin, as prior to using it I never got any depressed scars from cystic acne but ever since I started using it I always felt that my skin got much more scar-prone and sensitive. I've read that the same thing happen to many other people. However I do think that once you stop getting acne it can help a lot with your PIH and your overall skin tone. Thanks for your input.

I totally can relate to this, I started getting acne when I was 18, at first I didnt care and it was all good, no scars and fast healing.... My real problems started when I started using BP, Duac and all those other harsh treatments, that basically destroyed my skin that was healing very good previously, to make things worse I had to do 2xRoaccutane course also which I believe was necessary just because of those topicals as they made my acne so much worse.

Exactly! My acne never left depression before using it worst I got from it would be hyperpigmentation, which is nothing compared to those scars and much easier to cover up.

I'm living in Italy studying fashion but what good is fashion if you got a face full of scars (sigh) Anyway please let me know how the consultation goes. Also as I said I won't dare doing self TCA cross, but do you think medium TCA peels, say 25%-35% would help with those ice picks at all?

.

I am having two scars excised tomorrow, SO nervous/excited but more nervous I'd say. Has anyone here had any success with it? its just the fact that they are indented on my cheek that bugs the shit out of me, to trade them out with level white scars to me isn't that bad of a deal. The plastic surgeon is triple certified and used to be on the head of plastic surgeons in Houston so i know that I am in good hands but jeez its got a fellow tense right now!

Oh, good luck! Please keep us informed how it goes. I do think excisions can be one of the most effective things for scarring if everything goes well, although sometimes it seems to produce somewhat unpredictable results (with insufficient internal stitching, perhaps). It's great you're in good hands!

First off, you scars are VERY minor. I see more hyperpigmentation (brown/red spots) than actual scars. I think once you clear the hyperpigmentation, your scars will not be as noticeable. Since you cannot afford to see a doctor, tretinoin / retin-a and hydroquinone will certainly help (although I believe they banned hydroquinone in Europe). If you can manage to spend some money, I'd recommend vbeam for the red spots.

Excisions are high risk, high reward. I have spoken to numerous doctors, and many of them have stopped doing them due to their unpredictable nature. The excisions do not always heal with a "fine, white" line no matter what you read. How do I know? I've had quite a few of them over the years, and one in particular was a TOTAL failure and left me with terrible scarring. I'm still dealing with that one huge linear scar from the bad excision. I'm also Asian, and I can tell you with experience that Asians have a tendency towards unpredictable healing. That is a known fact.

Your scars are so minor that you should not attempt extreme measures. TCA Cross should absolutely be done by a doctor, since frankly you seem a little too emotional fragile / distraught to deal with anything that might go wrong.

Hiya peopleI'm a 25 yo asian guy living in Europe, have been suffering from severe acne for over 2 years, and I think I finally got it under control, but the scarring left behind is terrible. I never had any problem with acne as a teen, but serving in the army (Korean) has really taken its toll on my face, due to the lack of sleep, poor diet, stress, etc. My life has not been the same ever since. Now this may sound pathetic but I spend every waking moment thinking about how my skin looks, and I could not get out of the apartment to go to a supermarket without bb cream on because without it i just feel so ridiculously hideous, seriously I think I'm going nuts. I know there are people who have it worse than me and still go on with their life just fine, but for me I just cannot. I will quit my bitching now...I've done some research now, I understand most of my scarring are ice pick scars, and I'm thinking about having a TCA peel at home and i would like to know if it would help reduce my scarring and if yes, what strength I should go for. I understand that TCA cross method is the better way to go when you have ice picks but I am too chicken to do this by myself and I cannot afford going to a derm here in Europe... also I want to treat the PIH marks though it is not apparent in the picture. (but they are there, like a lot)Sorry for my poor English, any help would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Dont do TCA cross yourself, have it done at least 1x with a dermatologist/doctor just so you know how to properly proceed with this treatment. Btw what country are you in? I am going to London in late January/February for a consulation with Dr.Patel(one of the best in the UK/Europe as far as I can tell) and my scars are more or less similar to yours, I dont have them as deep, but I got lots of them, small icepicks. I can keep you updated on what he suggests to me.

acnescarsarehell/ I have heard some good things about excision but I always thought it was more suited for people with fewer but deeper scars?LeadingForce/ dude I believe the major cause of my scarring is due to tretinoin, as prior to using it I never got any depressed scars from cystic acne but ever since I started using it I always felt that my skin got much more scar-prone and sensitive. I've read that the same thing happen to many other people. However I do think that once you stop getting acne it can help a lot with your PIH and your overall skin tone. Thanks for your input.ockquote> I totally can relate to this, I started getting acne when I was 18, at first I didnt care and it was all good, no scars and fast healing.... My real problems started when I started using BP, Duac and all those other harsh treatments, that basically destroyed my skin that was healing very good previously, to make things worse I had to do 2xRoaccutane course also which I believe was necessary just because of those topicals as they made my acne so much worse.

Exactly! My acne never left depression before using it worst I got from it would be hyperpigmentation, which is nothing compared to those scars and much easier to cover up.I'm living in Italy studying fashion but what good is fashion if you got a face full of scars (sigh) Anyway please let me know how the consultation goes. Also as I said I won't dare doing self TCA cross, but do you think medium TCA peels, say 25%-35% would help with those ice picks at all?

how do you cover up the red hyperpigmentation? I think that is much worse looking than scars

With some right bb cream it's really easy

First off, you scars are VERY minor. I see more hyperpigmentation (brown/red spots) than actual scars. I think once you clear the hyperpigmentation, your scars will not be as noticeable. Since you cannot afford to see a doctor, tretinoin / retin-a and hydroquinone will certainly help (although I believe they banned hydroquinone in Europe). If you can manage to spend some money, I'd recommend vbeam for the red spots. Excisions are high risk, high reward. I have spoken to numerous doctors, and many of them have stopped doing them due to their unpredictable nature. The excisions do not always heal with a "fine, white" line no matter what you read. How do I know? I've had quite a few of them over the years, and one in particular was a TOTAL failure and left me with terrible scarring. I'm still dealing with that one huge linear scar from the bad excision. I'm also Asian, and I can tell you with experience that Asians have a tendency towards unpredictable healing. That is a known fact. Your scars are so minor that you should not attempt extreme measures. TCA Cross should absolutely be done by a doctor, since frankly you seem a little too emotional fragile / distraught to deal with anything that might go wrong.

Your words are truly comforting, I appreciate it. The hyperpigmentation does make it look much worse although I can't agree with you that my scars are minor lol

Like I said I won't do TCA cross at home since my hands are pretty far from steady but I wanna try TCA peels before I try cross because it seems more manageable. Do you think 25%-35% tca peels will help with the ice picks at all? Thanks

_{This is the tough love part....}

_{Actually your scars ARE minor. As an objective observer, I think your level of stress is not proportionate to the level of your scarring. Check out the experiences of other Asians on this board, Slee and Dragz in particular. They have had great improvement, and started out with more advance scarring than yours. I think when you are too close to the problem, it is easy to get myopic.}

_{This is the tough love part....}

_{Actually your scars ARE minor. As an objective observer, I think your level of stress is not proportionate to the level of your scarring. Check out the experiences of other Asians on this board, Slee and Dragz in particular. They have had great improvement, and started out with more advance scarring than yours. I think when you are too close to the problem, it is easy to get myopic.}

I just checked out Dragz's post, damn that's some incredible results. Now I'm considering having MixTo done when I go back to Korea. I understand most of his scarrings were rolling and boxcar type, but do you think it can work as well on ice picks that I have?