10 hours ago, Amanda Hall said:

Realistically, I don't think they will be nearly invisible. For me, I'm trying to get them to a point where I'm comfortable with them. If your scars are really shallow, then maybe in the right lighting you will barely see the scars.

Id like to have hope. MihaelaP said that TCA CROSS reduced the visibility of many of their icepick scars. My scars arent deep the photos Ive attached are how they look at their worst.

In some lighting, the scars are already practically invisible. I dont really feel anxiety about how others see me because theyre not that noticeable. I just want to feel better about myself again. But I dont know if thats entirely possible.

Rullan apparently thinks I should do subcision along with Phenol CROSS and microneedling. Isnt that a little heavy duty for my type of scars?

Honestly, dont treat them. Get a solid skincare routine with tretinoin, azelaic acid and maybe vitamin c. Obviously also sunscreen and hydrate your skin.

Do this first. Because your scars are barely visible BARELY.

If maybe you still want to pursue treatment do CROSS multiple times and see how it goes. Subcision seems unnecessary to me since everything is very superficial...

2 minutes ago, SaraTheGerman said:

Honestly, dont treat them. Get a solid skincare routine with tretinoin, azelaic acid and maybe vitamin c. Obviously also sunscreen and hydrate your skin.

Do this first. Because your scars are barely visible BARELY.

If maybe you still want to pursue treatment do CROSS multiple times and see bow it goes. Subcision seems unnecessary to me since everything is very superficial...

Right now, Im using Vitamin C. I didnt like azelaic acid or rather, couldnt find a good formula for it.

Im really wary of tretinoin for numerous reasons. I dont want to add anything that could aggravate my skin any more. My skin may have a weaker acid barrier in the first place? Thats one thing that may have led to the damage with the MUAC Fade Serum.

Im not sure why Rullan recommended subcision. Maybe hes used to doing that for boxcars? Are there any significant risks associated with subcision aside from the downtime?

Alright,

there is prescription azealic acid and you can buffer tretinoin. In the beginning yes your skin will be dry etc. but in the long run it will be very beneficial... like after a year of consistent usage.

I can tell you are asking a lot of questions (which is not a bad thing) but you should research on your own and come back with a better understanding for these procedures. Read this forum, go on youtube, read clinical trials, read beautifulambitions faq,understand how the skin is set up biologically etc. Its also important to not believe everything thats why it is very important to know how the skin is set up so you can make up your own opinions instead of being told what to do.

The reason why I propose to you to build out a solid skincare routine is because it will improve your overall skin quality and the look of it hence making your little superficial scars look less visible in your eyes.

Just a suggestion.

Ive used Curologys formula with azelaic acid. It wasnt right for me.

Ive read as much as I possibly can online. Theres a lot of BS out there, and while there are conflicting opinions on this forum, I think theres a higher degree of honesty since everyone is more or less struggling with the same issue.

I dont believe everything I read, obviously Im asking questions for more sourcesso I can form my own opinions more clearly.

Again, Im wary of retinoids. There are plenty of people who have used tretinoin and ended up with much worse issues, so I dont want to risk ruining the rest of my skin due to this problem. Overusing actives isnt great for everyone. AndI like the way my skin looks aside from my scars; theres nothing wrong with its quality.

I appreciate your opinion, however.

I respect that.

1 hour ago, KRJP said:

Again, Im wary of retinoids. There are plenty of people who have used tretinoin and ended up with much worse issues, so I dont want to risk ruining the rest of my skin due to this problem. Overusing actives isnt great for everyone. AndI like the way my skin looks aside from my scars; theres nothing wrong with its quality.

You are wary of a topical tretinoin cream but you seek invasive treatment - You do know that acne scar treatments are far more risky, right?

And tretinoin does not "destroy" your skin ... that's just people using it for a couple of days/weeks not knowing how bad it can get before it gets better... long term no topical will dramatically worsen your skin ...short term yes because of irritation.

Not trying to convince you to use it, I'm just trying to fight the stigma.

Get a in-person consultation with Rullan. I would not do subcision now if I were you. I would see how Phenol Cross goes over a series of sessions.

10 hours ago, KRJP said:

Id like to have hope. MihaelaP said that TCA CROSS reduced the visibility of many of their icepick scars. My scars arent deep the photos Ive attached are how they look at their worst.

In some lighting, the scars are already practically invisible. I dont really feel anxiety about how others see me because theyre not that noticeable. I just want to feel better about myself again. But I dont know if thats entirely possible.

Rullan apparently thinks I should do subcision along with Phenol CROSS and microneedling. Isnt that a little heavy duty for my type of scars?

I guess that's Rullan'sstandard "package treatment" that he recommends to everybody, but I really don't see whichof your scars would benefit from subcision. If anything, you need the CROSS method. Microneedling if done only on the scarred areas, which in your case aren't extensive, wouldn't do any harm, I think.

Subcision is a safe manual technique. However it's not completely risk free. The most common complications are extensive bruising which can prolong your downtime, and lumps (nothing permanent, they usually even out in a few weeks). For Rullan it should be a routine procedure, so I think the complication rate would be low.

32 minutes ago, SaraTheGerman said:

I respect that.

You are wary of a topical tretinoin cream but you seek invasive treatment - You do know that acne scar treatments are far more risky, right?

And tretinoin does not "destroy" your skin ... that's just people using it for a couple of days/weeks not knowing how bad it can get before it gets better... long term no topical will dramatically worsen your skin ...short term yes because of irritation.

Not trying to convince you to use it, I'm just trying to fight the stigma.

Get a in-person consultation with Rullan. I would not do subcision now if I were you. I would see how Phenol Cross goes over a series of sessions.

I get how it sounds. Im wary because a topical led to damaging my skin badly in the first place so I dont think even topicals are necessarily safer. And tretinoin tends to weaken the skin barrier.

Right now, I feel that it would be better to spot treat the scars rather than use a topical that may help slightly in the long run but doesnt really target the specific scars on their own.

There are somepeople who have had very bad reactions to tretinoin leading to worse scarring and poor skin texture. Not sure why, but its not impossible.

8 minutes ago, MihaelaP said:

I guess that's Rullan'sstandard "package treatment" that he recommends to everybody, but I really don't see whichof your scars would benefit from subcision. If anything, you need the CROSS method. Microneedling if done only on the scarred areas, which in your case aren't extensive, wouldn't do any harm, I think.

Yeah, seems that way.

Ive read that microneedling is really only useful for very minor boxcar/rolling scars, and icepick scars tend not to improve much. But there are also posts on this forum detailing how microneedling drastically fixed their skin.

A lot of threads here mention subcision/microneedling/CROSS by Rullan for their scars, but they seem to have rolling scars. Ive read that subcision can help with boxcars, but if microneedling/CROSS can do the sameand are less invasive, isnt that better?

6 minutes ago, KRJP said:

I get how it sounds. Im wary because a topical led to damaging my skin badly in the first place so I dont think even topicals are necessarily safer. And tretinoin tends to weaken the skin barrier.

Right now, I feel that it would be better to spot treat the scars rather than use a topical that may help slightly in the long run but doesnt really target the specific scars on their own.

There are somepeople who have had very bad reactions to tretinoin leading to worse scarring and poor skin texture. Not sure why, but its not impossible.

Yeah, seems that way.

Ive read that microneedling is really only useful for very minor boxcar/rolling scars, and icepick scars tend not to improve much. But there are also posts on this forum detailing how microneedling drastically fixed their skin.

A lot of threads here mention subcision/microneedling/CROSS by Rullan for their scars, but they seem to have rolling scars. Ive read that subcision can help with boxcars, but if microneedling/CROSS can do the sameand are less invasive, isnt that better?

As to your question, yes, you are right. Subcision could improve boxcar scars, as well as microneedling. Maybe Rullan saw something that I don't see cause I wouldn't do subcision on your scars, but he's the specialist after all :-))

Personally, I think it's a very good combination. A safe combination in the hands of an experienced specialist. The chances that your scars will worsen are low.

I've had the same combo for all sorts of scars and I saw gradual improvement, didn't suffer any major complications apart from bruising, but I think I mentioned that my dermatologist was overly careful and conservative.

In the end it's up to you to decide how aggressively you want to treat your scars, if you want to treat at all. If in doubt you can always ask for a second opinion.

Subcision is best for rolling scars. Shallow boxcar scars and ice pick scars won't see any improvement from it.

I think tretinoin (and retinoids) overall is good for the skin. But for scars? I have my doubts. I went to a dermatologist a few years ago who recommended Retin-A for my boxcar. I had my doubts, butI put it on only a few times. During my next visit, she said the scar looked shallower. She was so full of BS.

I think you should try TCA peels and microneedling. If you have ice pick scars or deeper narrow boxcar scars, then do TCA/Phenol Cross.

I would not rule out light lasers such as Erbium because it is less risky than fractional CO2. Also consider radiofrequency microneedling but don't go for high settings. The point is to prevent risk since your scars aren't that bad.

I have been using retin-a for about 2 months, but there is no improvement in the scar. I think I should use it longer?
I have very small ice pick scars, not even clear from afar. Is there any harm in TCA pelling for these?
You said that microneedling is effective on very small superficial scars. RFM or microneedling is better for superficial boxcar and superficial rolling scar?

Thanks for the feedback.

Currently, I'm waiting on a response from Dr. Rullan's office. I'm pretty convinced that subcision is not right for me, however. And rather than trying microneedling and Phenol CROSS at the same time, I think it would make more sense to try one modality if anything right now. Slow and careful are the keywords here.

Is it advisable to treat ice pick scars that aren't very deep with Phenol CROSS?

Also, when it comes to treating the damaged areas of skin without impacting the healthy skin tissue next to it...any tips? I've heard that single needling is better for this reason.

Update: I heard back from Dr. Rullan's office. Apparently they suggested subcision because even in the case of shallow scars, there is scar tissue that they believe needs to be broken up from the bottom. I'm feeling a bit dubious about all of this. It sounds like overkill. Any additional opinions on this?

I don't know how phenol cross differs from tca cross. I don't know which one is stronger. The stronger may be used in perhaps lower percentages. But I'm afraid of the cross technique. There is no doctor here that I trust crossing. Can full face TCA peels or Phenol peels be achieved?
Why are you afraid of the subcision technique?
I also have very small pits, icepick and boxcar I guess. I think peels and RFM or microneedling. I will see the doctor soon. Maybe she suggests something else.

@KRJPI tagged you in a different thread that discusses Dr. Novick. Are you coming over to the US just to get acne scar treatments? I highly recommend Dr. Rullan over Dr. Novick.

But if you are living in Japan, you should just go to Korea and get treatments there. There are way more reputable doctors and clinics there. It'll probably be cheaper too. Or if you are dead set on traveling internationally, might as well see Dr. Lim

@kitsliv45 Thank you. I saw that thread some time go, but wanted to hold off on opinions until I had actually spoken to Dr. Novick. I wasn't very impressed with his answers, so probably wouldn't seek treatment from him. Dr. Rullan is spoken of really highly here -- do you find him ethical and caring?

I'm sure Korea has great doctors, but my grasp of Korean is pretty rudimentary and with the language gap, that would be playing with fire. I went to several clinics in Japan, but their grasp of scar revision seems to be pretty low. Almost every place suggested laser, and one recommended microneedling. Places that do TCA Cross are vanishingly rare.

Dr. Lim seems to heavily be in favor of energy devices. I'm interested in speaking to him as well, though.

I am an American, so I feel that I have more recourse and options in the U.S.

On 7/25/2020 at 3:55 AM, colorful said:

I have been using retin-a for about 2 months, but there is no improvement in the scar. I think I should use it longer?
I have very small ice pick scars, not even clear from afar. Is there any harm in TCA pelling for these?
You said that microneedling is effective on very small superficial scars. RFM or microneedling is better for superficial boxcar and superficial rolling scar?

Retin-A won't do anything for scars unless they are really superficial scars that probably would heal perfectly on their own. Retin-A could speed up healing but I've never experienced scar improvement from that.

Microneedling is effective according to accounts from other members. Aestheticians and nurses say it helps but their opinions don't count as much because they want your money. RFM has RF energy and that supposedly is an advantage. It's cheaper and safer to do manual microneedling to start unless you have $1,000+ for RFM. I had RFM done and I don't know if I saw improvement. Healing takes at least a week so beware. Also, going 3.5mm deep scares some members here and some say it can cause fat loss.

On 7/26/2020 at 6:21 PM, KRJP said:

Thanks for the feedback.

Currently, I'm waiting on a response from Dr. Rullan's office. I'm pretty convinced that subcision is not right for me, however. And rather than trying microneedling and Phenol CROSS at the same time, I think it would make more sense to try one modality if anything right now. Slow and careful are the keywords here.

Is it advisable to treat ice pick scars that aren't very deep with Phenol CROSS?

Also, when it comes to treating the damaged areas of skin without impacting the healthy skin tissue next to it...any tips? I've heard that single needling is better for this reason.

Update: I heard back from Dr. Rullan's office. Apparently they suggested subcision because even in the case of shallow scars, there is scar tissue that they believe needs to be broken up from the bottom. I'm feeling a bit dubious about all of this. It sounds like overkill. Any additional opinions on this?

Slow and careful are best.

In my opinion, as long as there are clear borders, you can treat the scars with Phenol Cross. The scars that got worse for me were shallow ones without noticeable borders. I think small scars are best for Phenol Cross.

To treat only the damaged areas, don't move while Dr. Rullan puts the Carbolic acid on you. In all seriousness, Dr. Rullan has a lot of experience with Cross so you just have to put your faith in him. The brush/pen he uses has a tip bigger than the end of a toothpick. He says in some video that TCA widens scars if it's applied outside the borders whereas Carbolic acid doesn't. I would disagree.If you're a bit scared, maybe ask him to use a toothpick for the tiniest scars? I'm not sure if anyone's asked him but address your concerns with him. It's your money.

I've heard that single needling is better as well. The lady from Derminator wrote this in the documentation. However, I tried this and my scars were so red for a few weeks. Maybe it's because I went 1.5mm deep. Won't do that again.

I'm not surprised they suggested subcision. $$$. I got it done once and didn't see improvement. My scars are boxcar scars mainly and they're not scars I got from acne. So maybe yours are different and it may work on you. I'm not saying subcision doesn't work. It does for some people! I've seen before and after pictures from several members here so I'm convinced. Didn't you say money wasn't a concern? If not, I'd try subcision, although with your shallow scars I think you'll see very modest improvement. That's actually been the safest treatment so far. The swelling only lasted a few days and the bruising (yellow and very light purple) was extremely minimal for me. The entrance point healed up without a scar but there was the typical redness/hyperpigmentation for at least a month. Wasn't a big deal for me since Dr. Rullan purposely chose that spot because it was near my hairline.

35 minutes ago, Amanda Hall said:

Slow and careful are best.

In my opinion, as long as there are clear borders, you can treat the scars with Phenol Cross. The scars that got worse for me were shallow ones without noticeable borders. I think small scars are best for Phenol Cross.

To treat only the damaged areas, don't move while Dr. Rullan puts the Carbolic acid on you. In all seriousness, Dr. Rullan has a lot of experience with Cross so you just have to put your faith in him. The brush/pen he uses has a tip bigger than the end of a toothpick. He says in some video that TCA widens scars if it's applied outside the borders whereas Carbolic acid doesn't. I would disagree.If you're a bit scared, maybe ask him to use a toothpick for the tiniest scars? I'm not sure if anyone's asked him but address your concerns with him. It's your money.

I've heard that single needling is better as well. The lady from Derminator wrote this in the documentation. However, I tried this and my scars were so red for a few weeks. Maybe it's because I went 1.5mm deep. Won't do that again.

Ah. So if there aren't clear borders, you would avoid treating those entirely? My tiny icepick scars are also close to each other, so the idea of them joining together and becoming larger after treatment is really undesirable. Is there any way to prevent that from happening?

I'd imagine that Phenol CROSS has the same risks as TCA CROSS, even if it's less likely to cause widening. It really sucks that it didn't yield great results for you. I guess it's hard to predict how results will turn out.

Microneedling seems to have a lot of mixed results -- some people say it's wonderful, while others say it ruined their skin, even without RF. CROSS seems to have more reliable effects from the information I've seen.

40 minutes ago, Amanda Hall said:

I'm not surprised they suggested subcision. $$$. I got it done once and didn't see improvement. My scars are boxcar scars mainly and they're not scars I got from acne. So maybe yours are different and it may work on you. I'm not saying subcision doesn't work. It does for some people! I've seen before and after pictures from several members here so I'm convinced. Didn't you say money wasn't a concern? If not, I'd try subcision, although with your shallow scars I think you'll see very modest improvement. That's actually been the safest treatment so far. The swelling only lasted a few days and the bruising (yellow and very light purple) was extremely minimal for me. The entrance point healed up without a scar but there was the typical redness/hyperpigmentation for at least a month. Wasn't a big deal for me since Dr. Rullan purposely chose that spot because it was near my hairline.

Ha, I figured it might be because of the $$$. I felt a little let down when I read their email, because it felt like they were suggesting a one-size-fits-all kind of treatment, rather than looking at my pictures and comments individually.

My scars are...kind of indirectly from acne, but I never had a pimple that scarred until using that MUAC product for a week and a half. I still have no idea why that happened. Anyone who is more familiar with AHAs might be able to fill me in, but as far as I can tell, it's a rare reaction.

I don't mind forking out money for improvements, but I'm too skeptical to go along with whatever a doctor says unless I've done my due diligence.

Would you consider subcision safer than microneedling on average?

5 hours ago, KRJP said:

Ah. So if there aren't clear borders, you would avoid treating those entirely? My tiny icepick scars are also close to each other, so the idea of them joining together and becoming larger after treatment is really undesirable. Is there any way to prevent that from happening?

I'd imagine that Phenol CROSS has the same risks as TCA CROSS, even if it's less likely to cause widening. It really sucks that it didn't yield great results for you. I guess it's hard to predict how results will turn out.

Microneedling seems to have a lot of mixed results -- some people say it's wonderful, while others say it ruined their skin, even without RF. CROSS seems to have more reliable effects from the information I've seen.

Ha, I figured it might be because of the $$$. I felt a little let down when I read their email, because it felt like they were suggesting a one-size-fits-all kind of treatment, rather than looking at my pictures and comments individually.

My scars are...kind of indirectly from acne, but I never had a pimple that scarred until using that MUAC product for a week and a half. I still have no idea why that happened. Anyone who is more familiar with AHAs might be able to fill me in, but as far as I can tell, it's a rare reaction.

I don't mind forking out money for improvements, but I'm too skeptical to go along with whatever a doctor says unless I've done my due diligence.

Would you consider subcision safer than microneedling on average?

 

Depends on how far apart they are. I've heard accounts of TCA Cross connecting the scars but those scars must really be close to each other. Also, Cross might not widen your scars. We only point that out here because it's a risk that people should know. Maybe the risk is 1% or 5% or 25%. All depends on the doctor or your type of scars. The best person is to ask is your doctor.

I only did subcision once and it went better than I expected in terms of recovery. I did faintly hear and feel fibrous bands popping when Dr. Rullan subcised. But I didn't see results to do it again. Microneedling ended up being worse. However, that could be because the person who did it on me used deep settings and got too aggressive. If you graduate up to higher depths, it's much safer.

8 hours ago, Amanda Hall said:

Retin-A won't do anything for scars unless they are really superficial scars that probably would heal perfectly on their own. Retin-A could speed up healing but I've never experienced scar improvement from that.

Microneedling is effective according to accounts from other members. Aestheticians and nurses say it helps but their opinions don't count as much because they want your money. RFM has RF energy and that supposedly is an advantage. It's cheaper and safer to do manual microneedling to start unless you have $1,000+ for RFM. I had RFM done and I don't know if I saw improvement. Healing takes at least a week so beware. Also, going 3.5mm deep scares some members here and some say it can cause fat loss.

@Amanda HallHello, thank you for your feedback. How many times have you had RFM treatment and what kind of scars did you have? Do you remember which device brand and how deep is it made?
The price does not matter, I just want to find the best treatment for myself. I have a few superficial boxcar pits. (1 newly formed and still red). I also have icepick pits that look like tiny pores. TCA Cross is recommended for icepick pits but I couldn't find a doctor doing this. I am afraid that pits close together will grow and grow. Do you have grid marks in the RFM healing process?

@KRJPI've seen Dr. Rullan, and he's very ethical and caring. For example, Iasked him to perform a way more expensive and intensiveprocedure (phenol peel), and he talked me out of it, saying the cheaper procedures are good options for my scars.I gotthe package deal (subcision, cross, microneedling), and I think it's helped although I will need more procedures to see better results.

I also have mostly boxcar scars, so I don't know whether the subcision really helped or not. I still have boxcars where he subcised.But I felt the fibrous bands being removed/cut with the nokor needle, so maybe it does help?

Korea's dermatology culture is different than Japan's. There are dermatology clinics everywhere, lots of treatment options (not just laser),and the good/well known ones have doctors who can speak English or staff to translate. Although, I would be still be wary because foreigners can be taken advantage of.

4 hours ago, colorful said:

@Amanda HallHello, thank you for your feedback. How many times have you had RFM treatment and what kind of scars did you have? Do you remember which device brand and how deep is it made?
The price does not matter, I just want to find the best treatment for myself. I have a few superficial boxcar pits. (1 newly formed and still red). I also have icepick pits that look like tiny pores. TCA Cross is recommended for icepick pits but I couldn't find a doctor doing this. I am afraid that pits close together will grow and grow. Do you have grid marks in the RFM healing process?

I had Infini done twice and didn't notice any changes. However, I didn't really look at my scars that closely at that time. Maybe they got better and maybe they didn't. I just didn't notice changes. Grid marks were present during the recovery process. They turn brown and go away. Recovery is not 2-4 days unless your doctor goes light on the settings. My recovery was at least a week.

Have you thought about TCA peels?

23 minutes ago, Amanda Hall said:

Infini iki kez yaptim ve herhangi bir degisiklik fark etmedi. Ancak, o zaman yara izlerime gercekten bakmadim. Belki daha iyi oldular ve belki de olmadilar. Sadece degisiklikleri fark etmedim. Kurtarma isaretleri sirasinda izgara isaretleri mevcuttu. Kahverengiye donup giderler. Doktorunuz ayarlara isik tutmazsa iyilesme 2-4 gun degildir. Iyilesmem en az bir haftaydi.

TCA kabuklarini dusundunuz mu?

Perhaps it would be helpful to have more sessions. You have built one of the best devices. What were your scar types? I think you also had a subcision. How long did you wait between Infini treatments? Doctors say 1 month, but collagen structuring took about 3-6 months. Maybe you will see the effects a little later.
Yes, I think of TCA peel, but I don't know how successful this is in scar revision. I have some dark skin color so I don't know if it suits me.

1 hour ago, colorful said:

Perhaps it would be helpful to have more sessions. You have built one of the best devices. What were your scar types? I think you also had a subcision. How long did you wait between Infini treatments? Doctors say 1 month, but collagen structuring took about 3-6 months. Maybe you will see the effects a little later.
Yes, I think of TCA peel, but I don't know how successful this is in scar revision. I have some dark skin color so I don't know if it suits me.

Mostly boxcar scars for me. I think people would classify them as mild-moderate. I waited 6 or 7 weeks between Inifini treatments although the doctor said 1 month was fine. It's best to allow more weeks, I think.

Don't forget lasers. Many times they cause problems, but they do work in some cases. Lasers improved some of my shallow scars. The deep ones didn't see much or any improvement. Lasers do have risks (hyperpigmentation, additional scarring, orange peel effect).

10 hours ago, Amanda Hall said:

Depends on how far apart they are. I've heard accounts of TCA Cross connecting the scars but those scars must really be close to each other. Also, Cross might not widen your scars. We only point that out here because it's a risk that people should know. Maybe the risk is 1% or 5% or 25%. All depends on the doctor or your type of scars. The best person is to ask is your doctor.

I only did subcision once and it went better than I expected in terms of recovery. I did faintly hear and feel fibrous bands popping when Dr. Rullan subcised. But I didn't see results to do it again. Microneedling ended up being worse. However, that could be because the person who did it on me used deep settings and got too aggressive. If you graduate up to higher depths, it's much safer.

Do you have any links to those accounts?

Based on what BA and a few other users have said in the forum posts, TCA CROSS is supposed to widen the scar while raising the scar bed, making it ideal for a resurfacing procedure after. That isn't something I've read on any official doctor's site, and makes me wonder about its mechanisms. 1% vs 5% vs 25% is a huge difference.

Re: subcision and microneedling: did you find either of the procedures painful?

7 hours ago, kitsliv45 said:

I've seen Dr. Rullan, and he's very ethical and caring. For example, Iasked him to perform a way more expensive and intensiveprocedure (phenol peel), and he talked me out of it, saying the cheaper procedures are good options for my scars.I gotthe package deal (subcision, cross, microneedling), and I think it's helped although I will need more procedures to see better results.

I also have mostly boxcar scars, so I don't know whether the subcision really helped or not. I still have boxcars where he subcised.But I felt the fibrous bands being removed/cut with the nokor needle, so maybe it does help?

Korea's dermatology culture is different than Japan's. There are dermatology clinics everywhere, lots of treatment options (not just laser),and the good/well known ones have doctors who can speak English or staff to translate. Although, I would be still be wary because foreigners can be taken advantage of.

That's good to hear. Does he give a realistic idea of how much improvement one might expect, along with the risks involved?

It sounds like Korea's dermatology culture is much more advanced than Japan's. Japan focuses more on gentle preventive skincare, which is nice but not really the best for people dealing with problems that can't be alleviated so easily. I still kind of worry that they may not have the experience to deal with my skin type, but it would definitely be more convenient location-wise.

Have you ever had any treatments done in Korea?

9 hours ago, Amanda Hall said:

Mostly boxcar scars for me. I think people would classify them as mild-moderate. I waited 6 or 7 weeks between Inifini treatments although the doctor said 1 month was fine. It's best to allow more weeks, I think.

Don't forget lasers. Many times they cause problems, but they do work in some cases. Lasers improved some of my shallow scars. The deep ones didn't see much or any improvement. Lasers do have risks (hyperpigmentation, additional scarring, orange peel effect).

In fact, lasers should have been more effective in deep scars. There is a doctor I am researching, using Icon Fractioal Laser and Youlaser Mt devices. Icon laser was safe for all skin types. He is a successful doctor in lasers, but I guess, although the provider is good, there is always risk, right? I'm very afraid of the risks. My scars are also shallow, so maybe they can pass most of the laser. Which laser treatment did you receive, how many intervals and how many sessions?

7 hours ago, KRJP said:

Based on what BA and a few other users have said in the forum posts, TCA CROSS is supposed to widen the scar while raising the scar bed, making it ideal for a resurfacing procedure after. That isn't something I've read on any official doctor's site, and makes me wonder about its mechanisms.

Yes, I read that too. I think there is a risk of widening while reducing depth. I'm afraid of that too.