@kquatela333 Who is the other doctor, may I peek? I have zero expertise but I am curious who the doctor you are seeing is. I don't personally know if Janjua is the best there is but he seemed right. Yes, the scar may be long depending on the area and how many scars a doctor can safely and aesthetically remove.
What is your area of concern? I would like to see.
Your scars are barely visible! Also, what a change in your overall skin texture - very very smooth now. Im so impressed!
I live in GA and there is a more local dermatologic surgeon that has done over 30,000 Mohs surgeries in atlanta, Dr. Baucom. He specializes in facial excision and cosmetic effects of excision on other types of scars on the face.
I have about a dime-sized scar in the middle of my cheek that I want to excise. Subcision and filler only worked like 20%. He said for a scar like this, excision is the best choice --in the right hands of course. Here is a pic!
Here is a pic in different lighting - if the larger excision goes well, I MAY want the one down by my chin excised that I circled too. However, I may try microneedling first to see if that helps with the smaller ones. I have already done subcision/filler/ultraclear laser twice with 30% improvement on small ones and maybe up to 20% on large one.
APRIL 2023 & May 2023
March 23, 2023: Swollen and some weight gain, makes the new scar a little plumped
April 21st & May 26: smiling in different lighting
July 16th 2023: Rapid weight loss and overhead gym lighting with makeup on. OUCH when I saw it but it could be still dissolvable stitches under are still tight. Not sure. I massage more now. I've stopped silcone sheets at the 3 month mark, life got in the way.
July 23, 2023: yellow glass pics, on the beach
July 26, 2023: dressing room lighting overhead, I took a lot of these with weight loss
So far, I think it was a good decision. I've also been under significant stress during its healing phase and it still healed neatly. I should get laser on it but I'm tight on time and funds right now. Perhaps next month I'll put it on my credit card and just get the spot laser. TMI, but I want to be transparent.
Whoever is reading this I hope documenting this helps you and if you have any feedback to share, please share it.
To put up comparisons:
(BEFORE) May 2022: Same bathroom and lighting and used back camera.
(AFTER) TODAY AUGUST 10TH, 2023: Same bathroom and lighting and used back camera. Do you see the huge boxscar around the new scar? I guess he missed that one or it was just too much skin to take? Not sure. I could ask to re-excise that portion but maybe its time to just let it be. Thoughts? I'll probably get laser in September or October with Dr. Waibel again. I'll ask her to go hardcore on the new scar.
Before & After
Your scars are barely visible! Also, what a change in your overall skin texture - very very smooth now. Im so impressed!
I live in GA and there is a more local dermatologic surgeon that has done over 30,000 Mohs surgeries in atlanta, Dr. Baucom. He specializes in facial excision and cosmetic effects of excision on other types of scars on the face.
I have about a dime-sized scar in the middle of my cheek that I want to excise. Subcision and filler only worked like 20%. He said for a scar like this, excision is the best choice --in the right hands of course. Here is a pic!
If the doctor you are seeing can make it tiny, it would probably look pleasing. Depends a lot on doctor skill, your wound aftercare and genetic ability to heal. Do your Research very well.
Your skin has shown to be a good healer- so you could always get another excision on that particular one. Skin is so elastic when your younger too! It all stretches out.
When you smile, can you see the incision line at all?
Hey @Dontgiveupitsonlyscars, thanks for your update. You are getting a huge improvement, feel happy for you. I might missed something, but how does the procedure work? As far as I know excisions are cutting individual pitted scars. But I saw you are just making a linear incision and that just fixes all the pits diffused over the entire cheek. Did the doctor put anything inside? Also your cheek looks fuller, is that swelling? I am impressed that excision improves your overall texture.
1 hour ago, getsmart121 said:I think most derms have a set amount or goal that they want to extract as much as possible. I think the figure of 10k in cumulative treatments. Just make sure you are doing right treatments for scars, sessions and time.
I have been doing skin treatments for over a decade and have met doctors throughout North America and have spent more money than most on said treatments. I am basically at my final stage now with very very shallow scars with slight borders so my focus is really on finding a dermabrasion pro to bring down those edges of those borders. I have done enough subcision now that I don't think my scars are tethered anymore or so multiple derms have told me.
How many subcision sessions have you done? I know its late but still lol
@froyosh Hey! Thank you. Janjua did not put filler or anything inside other than dissolvable sutures that can take nine months to dissolve. I also gained weight during its healing phase and then lost the weight during the summer. So perhaps that is the puffy look to it. The excision itself, he followed the purple surgurical mark and cut with a surgurical blade the entire cluster of scars and then stitched it closed. I wore a mask that pressed on the top of my cheek for an entire week while being in NY/NJ when I went to get the surgery and the top part strangely healed the best. I was worried. The lower part of my scar I kind of dislike in some lighting because it looks like a wrinkle. just being honest about how I see it.
@baylenbb @dontgiveupitsonlyscars @dontgiveupitsonlyscars2 (not sure which tag youll get lol)
Thisis amazing progress! I have severe scars too and have done a load of treatments (will upload a thread with pics soon). But now that I have the time and money for more intense procedures/travel if need be, I am thinking about what procedures to do and what order. Say, if you had to do it all again, where would you start ?
I live in NJ andIm thinking of starting my 2024 with excision by Dr. Janjua after reading your entire thread, followed by ablative lasers to help it even out(still to decide on a laser specialist, then subcision and/or Taylor liberator (also still to decide with who), then follow with Dr. Rullans 2 day phenol chemabrasion.Unfortunately I keep reading hes retiring soon and Im not sure if I should do his treatment first (though it would definitely be its most effective after both the excision and the subcision) your advise would mean so much to me! Thanksfor uploading all your progress and treatments. You are amazing