I notice you have boxcar scars and those are very hard to treat, But I would still continue with dermarolling your skin as you'll see results, but don't expect results to happen so soon or overnight. It takes a very long time in most cases many years but you'll see some improvements(some have better results than others) the more years you work on it, But dermarolling is something you should never quit on. Remember nothing is 100% on acne scars, but once you're able to save some money I would recommend a few rounds of Subcision to help elevate your skin. Maybe consider getting some fillers right after place underneath the scars so the scars don't go back tethered down which can happen. This will help in building collagen underneath your skin. If you continue doing this for years the indentations won't look so deep as you continue to build collagen underneath.
If you are a light skin person, Many have suggested Fraxel re:pair as the gold standard for lasers, but this carries a lot more risk with hyperpigmentation which could happen.
I forgot to add, Please make sure all your acne has cleared up before you go on to do any procedures on your face. You could cause more scarring if you're not careful.
Hey!
I used to have box scars, they can really knock your confidence, but please dont worry!
Dermarolling really helps, i used it, as well as dermastamp on some more concentrated areas. You will not see results overnight as mentioned, as collegen takes a while to kick in.
Glycolic acid (sounds harsh but its naturally derived from sugar cane) can also help, i use a glycolic acid facewash.It is a chemical exfoliant so helps to renew the skin.
Retinoids can also help, like differin as studies have shown that they help collegen production.
Some people claim that massaging the area can help.
In my opinion, lasers dont do as much as dermarolling. They arent as effective i have found.
They do get better with time, the skin is the bodys largest organ so dont underestimate it.
They dont look bad, id rather have a cheek of scars than a cheek of weeping cysts. Besides in some lighting they arent as noticeable.
Good luck
Yes please be sure to do a Subcision first before you ever get any fillers done as you don't want to create a dough nut effect which will make it look worst than before. With a Subcision you want to cut the tethered bands right underneath the scars so to create a pocket underneath so the dermal fillers will go in smoothly.
I don't think Sculptra would be a good filler for acne scars and can carry some risks in my opinion. Most used Restylane which can be good for 4-6 Months give or take(could be less or more than that) and Juvederm ultra and Juvederm Ultra plus are lighter hyaluronic acid fillers designed for filling in lines and wrinkles on the face. Both are variations of the same product, with Ultra plus being designed to be more viscous than Juvederm Ultra.
Juvederm Voluma is the newest product in the Juvederm Family. This product is extremely viscous, designed to be injected in the mid-face, for adding volume. Voluma is great for lifting cheeks and improving contours of the face. Juvederm Voluma can last from 18 Months to 2 years while Juvederm Ultra could last you somewhere between 6-12 Months, but those are for more superficial scarring, While Juvederm Voluma is more used for deeper scars.
No to Sculptra. It is not meant for superficial injection, and plus it's designed for more global volumizing for example for HIV patients who have severely sunken cheeks. In my opinion, Sculptra is a terrible product anyway, and Juvederm Voluma is light years ahead in terms of safety and longevity. In fact Voluma supposedly lasts just as long as Sculptra BUT with Voluma you have the ability to dissolve completely because it is a hyaluronic acid. This is a property that is available only with hyaluronic acid fillers.
OP, while you do have boxscar scars, it might be possible to help elevate them with multiple subcisions. A resurfacing procedure after you have elevated the indentations as close to the surface as possible, will help to soften and blunt the sharp edges of the boxcars.
From my experience, when you have deep indentations, you must elevate them to the surface as much as possible before doing any resurfacing (lasers, dermabrasion). If you have deep indentations, which is true in your case, going straight to resurfacing will not give you the results you want. Lasers are not magical and cannot replace lost volume to that degree. They are good for softening sharp edges and shallow texture abnormalities, but not for widespread indentations.
Great, thanks for the reply! I don't get much acne anymore, occasionally a pimple, but this scarring is mostly what's left over from when I was 13/14. Do you think I should use a long lasting filler like sculptra? Or maybe something like restylane? I'll have to look into doing a subcision because I think my boxcar scars really stand out. I'll look into fraxel as well.
Thanks again for the advice, and any other replies are also appreciated. I'm really looking forward to doing something about these.