11 hours ago, harmlessboy1441 said:The amazing and insanely depressing thing is everyone treats it as if it's just in your head, if it's just a cosmetic thing. "If it bothers you, you can seek treatment" is literally the words I got from a dermatologist yesterday. To me it's really just unbelievable how lax others are when an individuals entire social environment or social expectations have gone to nil or zero. When you have moderate to severe acne scars, your function ability or competitiveness goes to zero. Unless discrimination laws are enacted, you can't compete with a clear skinned similarly situated individual. Heck you can't even go through 8 hours of classes before having panic attacks to get similarly situated.
There's a terrible stigma/discrimination element of scars that involve society looking down or at it like they were dirty or whatever else. There's endless discrimination in employment, interaction, just going to stores, neighbors, kids, you name it. My entire high school experience was just a big black hole, terrible.
I remember in 1999 when I was 1-2 years into major acneI applied to a retailer (don't laugh) because I needed some income, part time, and while it would've been difficult to work (I was hoping I could get a stock job in the back) the manager's words were "well wecould train you but I doubt you'll be here that long since you're looking for part time work". Basically looking back at it now societydiscriminates and treats you like a leper where you literally can't function, and then calls it cosmetic and "in your head" when you seek help in any way. Not trying to be dramatic but society really just wants people like me or you out of existence.And I get that. And I know we are a perception/beauty based society.
But it SHOULD be a disability of the highest degree, but they'll never do it. In this world, you could be half dead crawling and they'll still say you're totally healthy and should just get no help.
I took a lot of photos and a vid to try and document my own scars in natural/sunlight to forward to some surgeons, so far nobody wants to suggest anything for me, and man it's just not good. Today was a seriously hard day. I kind of saw the extent of my damage that was reversed over the last few years due to unsuccessful stuff after a highly successful Dermabrasion. The future looks dim is an understatement. I totally get you, not sure what else I can do for myself, let alone give advice to others. Anyone needs to talk hit me up, not a problem.
On 9/22/2021 at 9:04 PM, harmlessboy1441 said:Let us know how it goes, hope you see some improvement.
Was it mostly for icepicks, boxcars, lots of them? I only ask because I've been denied laser as an option by many doctors I ask they say it won't produce the results I want. No clue if I'd even do laser if one suggested it tbh. In fact I keep hearing that for everything I ask about including Dermabrasion. Must be true if doctors are turning down decent money, but I'm not closer to figuring out a good procedure to try nowadays that would cover most of my concerns.
It is primarily for 6 deep scars that are pitted or tethered from being surgically excised. I had only one ice pick scar, which I have shared turned horribly wrong after a surgical excision. I should have just lived with the ice pick scar - instead I was left with an inch gash across my face, 6 stitches...a mess. I have been trying to rebuild my whole cheek for the last 6 months from this botched job. So, mine has been a several phase journey. I am now trying to blend all these scars, make them less noticeable through fractional lasering.
On 9/25/2021 at 2:48 AM, ScarWarrior said:CO2 is a great treatment but one single sessiontypically gives only 15% to 20% improvement. Generally 3 treatments result into 55% improvement in scars (boxcar and rolling) and a negligible improvement in ice pick scars.Hangin there and keep doing the treatments.
Thank you so much for your advice. I have basically resigned myself to my worst scarred cheek to do that area about 3 times. I did the whole face for this first time to even it all out. I have no ice pick scars. Mine are all tethered excision scars from earlier deep pitted cystic acne scars.
On 9/25/2021 at 8:40 AM, JudgmentPuzzleheaded said:tbh this scar journey is making me want to kms. i started optimistic, but two infini sessions produced no improvement and actually made my skin worse, lost collagen, fat, look damaged. i look 10 years older than I am. i have such bad fat atrophy in some lighting it's ridiculous. i have not seen any evidence that my scars can be treated really. can't even go outside anymore because i look like a monster in natural light, nevermind the lighting at clubs and shit like that. idk what to do rly. the future looks dim.
I was suicidal as well after this last terribly botched excision that left me disfigured. It was that bad. The whole scar sunk, tethered and took the whole apple of my cheek with it. Regarding your case, to all those reading this, please be very cautious with any radiofrequency device. I lost fat due to ultherapy - same type of RF and there is something with it that not many discuss, but it does melt some fat. It is not the way to go in my opinion. I went into an 18 month depression after losing some facial fat due to Ultherapy and my scars looking worse - the last thing a 40 something with scarring needs is to lose fat on the face - scars look worse!! My other advice to you is do not be afraid of medication. I could not get out of the OCD looking at the damage I did to my face due to wanting to fix this bothersome really deep ice pick scar on the center of the apple of my cheek. I thought it would be a simple excision, but due to the location, the doctor's aggressive and unrefined stitching, it all went terribly wrong. With all that said, after 6 months and in such a deep and dark place, I went on Zoloft and want to tell you that it has been a miracle. I am resuming living again and enjoying activities at home, thinking of other things than my botched scar and skin issues. It saved my life, along with this new dermatologist who is trying to help me restore my cheek. There is stigma in meds, but I am not so sure I would be herewriting this without them.
For any of us who were botched or tried an acne scar treatment, and it did not work and made us feel ashamed and worse...did you feel for and in some way feel comforted that we are not alone in hearing Linda Evangelista's story about Cool Sculpting and being terribly botched and disfigured and depressed with self-loathing. She has been a recluse for 5 years because of it and has had 2 unsuccessful corrective surgeries. And this is someone with millions of dollars, and there career has relied on purely her looks. I found it brave for her to go out with this. I found solace in her story.
Reading this thread kind of makes me want to not come on this site anymore. It seems that a lot of the issues are mostly psychological. Yes we have scars and we think they™re the end of the world but they really aren™t. I mean come on now. I™ve met people with worse scars than I have and they were confident living live and didn™t give a single fuck about the scars. I™m slowly starting to head towards not giving a fuck instead of constantly being depressed and just feeling sorry for myself. I™m not going to stop my life because I have a few scars on my face. 
46 minutes ago, Acnescarssuck123 said:Reading this thread kind of makes me want to not come on this site anymore. It seems that a lot of the issues are mostly psychological. Yes we have scars and we think they™re the end of the world but they really aren™t. I mean come on now. I™ve met people with worse scars than I have and they were confident living live and didn™t give a single fuck about the scars. I™m slowly starting to head towards not giving a fuck instead of constantly being depressed and just feeling sorry for myself. I™m not going to stop my life because I have a few scars on my face.
You're absolutely right, no one but ourselves is stopping us from living and enjoying our lives. It is all mindset, which can be hard to keep positive
5 minutes ago, harmlessboy1441 said:I'm sorry but while this could be true for some, and for some more rural areas maybe (cities or upper class areas are morr unforgiving maybe) I know for sure that society is so beauty and perception based that there is almost no tolerance or acceptance for acne scars on the whole.
The whole "in your head" thing or "you can move on" might be the smartest choice that's the only option but society doesn't make it easy or true unless you ignore society.
Look, society has let me down and people down with facial scars. We have to be strong and do our best but we don't have to pretend societt accepts us lovinglyor is super moral or helps us with disabilty etc. To do so would rewrite my entire 20 year history of experiences some of the worst any of you can imagine, some many of you know well.
I get where you are coming from, society is incredibly beauty based, and having scars can be debilitating. But me worrying about it constantly is just making me feel bad. So trying to ignore seems like the only option to carry on with day to day life
6 hours ago, Acnescarssuck123 said:Reading this thread kind of makes me want to not come on this site anymore. It seems that a lot of the issues are mostly psychological. Yes we have scars and we think they™re the end of the world but they really aren™t. I mean come on now. I™ve met people with worse scars than I have and they were confident living live and didn™t give a single fuck about the scars. I™m slowly starting to head towards not giving a fuck instead of constantly being depressed and just feeling sorry for myself. I™m not going to stop my life because I have a few scars on my face.
You don't know people's experience. Maybe your scars aren't bad. If you're not having trouble then stop treating your scars and obviously stop wasting time on a scar forum.
I've personally been through hell from external experiences directly involving my facial scarring. If anything I always told myself it's not that bad and went out with a positive attitude, but the world let me know it's very bad. I have very extensive scarring and it scares people. Facial scarring is a massive deal in social situations, and social situations are imperative for human survival.
It's not in anyone's head, your scarring bothers you for a valid reason. Yea we get a couple mildly scarred people here and there but most of us are completely logical.
4 minutes ago, Kay24 said:You don't know people's experience. Maybe your scars aren't bad.If you're not having trouble then stop treating your scars and obviously stop wasting time on ascar forum.
I've personally been through hellfrom external experiences directly involving my facial scarring. If anything I always told myself it's not that bad and went out with a positive attitude, but the world let me know it's very bad.I have very extensive scarring and it scares people.Facial scarring is a massive deal in social situations, and social situations are imperative for human survival.
It's not in anyone's head, your scarring bothers you for a valid reason. Yea we get a couple mildly scarred people here and there but most of us are completely logical.
My scars are bad. When people talk to me they constantly look away and hardly ever maintain eye contact. Everything you just said is the exact reason why you should get off of forums like these. All its doing is reinforcing the negative thoughts you have about your scars and driving you to feel hopeless. I dont have a positive mindset for my scars. I know I have scars and it is what it is,but why the hell would I curl up in a ball and stop socializingJust because I think people might judge me for them? People are going to judge you regardless. When I meet someone who has pretty bad scarring on their face I dont say oh this person has ugly scars I dont want to talk to them because Im not a shallow POS and if someone thinks that about me and doesnt want to continue talking to me then cool I dont want someone like that around me anyway.
10 minutes ago, harmlessboy1441 said:I guess it depends on the degree, your location, and also your ability to cope. This may vary, and most people can't understand the physical and mental pain. When I was a child, 15-17 without scars and just bad acne, working part time I had bosses literally break out laughing at times. I had a food managers laugh and treat me like I was invisible as a customer just wanting a burger at Burger King. I had a random person walk up to me while working saying, quote, "damn you're face is F'ed up". I had friends I couldn't look in the face anymore. I had neighbors that looked at me like damn what's wrong with that child and so on.
The point I'm making is that while everyone should move on and absolutely live with the facts, period, and ignore people as best they can, society and the physical stuff will make your life 100x harder. This ranges from employment, to function ability, to dating to errands and shopping. Society requires function ability. We don't really manufacture we are service sector. Relationships are mostly required for everything now.
Some people can't tolerate it. Some people can't apply to 200 jobs until they find a non-discriminatory employer boss who will ignore facial scarring versus 50 other applicants with milky white skin. Many jobs require customer interaction and that closes endless doors while young, and acne scarring by nature prevents or hurts the ability to get degrees or schooling. Can't work well to raise funds to go to school or maintain 8 hour days easily. You become non-competitive and fall further into isolation.
I mean it's easy to generalize everything to just face the reality and do your best. And that's exactly what people should do. I do it, you should do it. We should all get on with our lives and do the best we can, know that not everyone is a POS.But at the same time, I feel let down by society, and people who tend to not be able to handle all of the above I don't begrudge them at all. They are in a war every day of their life, with injuries on the battlefield. But I'm with you let's be brave, strong and try our best. But let's also not ignore the reality or begrudge others that find it a rigged game or intolerable.
I live in one of the most popular cities in the US. When I read your posts I honestly just see someone with extreme self esteem issues who needs to seek professional help for mental health issues. I worked with a girl who had SEVERE eczema her face was always extremely flaky and bright red. She was happy and people enjoyed being around her. What will you say to that? Its different because its not scars? No its different because she chose to just be herself and not worry what others might think. This is no way a disability. I have people in my life with real disabilities that need help with showering and cleaning themselves. So to see you keep writing that really is annoying. Yeah the scars suck yeah some things might be harder for us cause we have scars but ITS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. Youre deep in this hole where you feel as if life is just over for you because you are cursed with scars. Reading your posts has helped me realize that I do not want to be trapped in the pity party for myself any longer. My face is severely scarred but I will continue to live my life happy as can be from now on. Im sorry you feel as if though you cant live a normal life but Im pretty sure there are people in the world who have it far worse than scars on their face and they are out and about having a blast
7 minutes ago, Acnescarssuck123 said:I live in one of the most popular cities in the US. When I read your posts I honestly just see someone with extreme self esteem issues who needs to seek professional help for mental health issues. I worked with a girl who had SEVERE eczema her face was always extremely flaky and bright red. She was happy and people enjoyed being around her. What will you say to that? Its different because its not scars? No its different because she chose to just be herself and not worry what others might think. This is no way a disability. I have people in my life with real disabilities that need help with showering and cleaning themselves. So to see you keep writing that really is annoying. Yeah the scars suck yeah some things might be harder for us cause we have scars but ITS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. Youre deep in this hole where you feel as if life is just over for you because you are cursed with scars. Reading your posts has helped me realize that I do not want to be trapped in the pity party for myself any longer. My face is severely scarred but I will continue to live my life happy as can be from now on. Im sorry you feel as if though you cant live a normal life but Im pretty sure there are people in the world who have it far worse than scars on their face and they are out and about having a blast
It's not a disability but it is ugly. Yeah it doesn't effect anything you do except for of course when it comes to romantic relationships. Now because of scars I don't go on dates with girls anymore. What's the point? When they skin in real life it's always a hard next.I have to live the rest of my life as an ugly incel because of this.
38 minutes ago, JudgmentPuzzleheaded said:It's not a disability but it is ugly. Yeah it doesn't effect anything you do except for of course when it comes to romantic relationships. Now because of scars I don't go on dates with girls anymore. What's the point? When they skin in real life it's always a hard next.I have to live the rest of my life as an ugly incel because of this.
Girls notice it but it wont put off every girl you meet some might not like it and choose to not be with you and some will not care about it and give you a chance. But you wont ever know unless you put yourself out there. It is uncomfortable but its what needs to be done. Or you can just never try and live like you said as an incel. But that will be your choice not because of the scars but simply because you are afraid of putting yourself out there. Scars shouldnt stop you from trying. Try to work through it and you will be able to find someone
13 minutes ago, Acnescarssuck123 said:Girls notice it but it wont put off every girl you meet some might not like it and choose to not be with you and some will not care about it and give you a chance. But you wont ever know unless you put yourself out there. It is uncomfortable but its what needs to be done. Or you can just never try and live like you said as an incel. But that will be your choice not because of the scars but simply because you are afraid of putting yourself out there. Scars shouldnt stop you from trying. Try to work through it and you will be able to find someone
Why would they 'not be put off'? It's ugly and makes me look diseased and 10 years older than I am (25). They could easily just pick a guy withoutacne scars. It's not so easy to 'put yourself out there', as a dude it takes a lot of work and time invested. That's not even to mention that I am psychologically damaged now to the point of self hatred and no confidence, which cannot be 'magicked away' by positive thinking. I'm fucked up. I look like a human when I look in the mirror, but stand under bad light or out in the sun and I look like a monster.
This is a world that is very flawed and very unfair. We all know that. Lots of people suffer not just acne scar sufferers. Imagine being born into a rich, royal family only to die young at the hands of thugs (Romanovs). Imagine being Jon Benet Ramsey who was born into an upper middle class home and had it all only to die at 6. These people had the rug pulled from underneath them. Just like us.
We need to look at people who have the same problems but are not hindered by them in any way. Popovich with the spurs is one of the greatest nba coaches of all time and he had bad scars. Juan Soto has scars and he's the best hitter in MLB. He exudes confidence and has so much swag to him. I'm not saying we all should achieve greatness but hopefully seeing these guys rise up in the face of adversity will make us feel a little better about our plight.
2 hours ago, Acnescars6665 said:Tbh your scarring would have to be really severe/extreme for people to care. If your scarring is mild to moderate no ones going to say anything. Ive got mild to moderate scars and they areway worse to me.. people including doctorshave told me they aint that bad.
I agree but manypeoples scars on this forum, including mine are really severe. People with minor scars don't worry about them so much to spend all day reading forums about it. Lots of people I see at uni have acne scars, NO ONE has severe scars.
7 hours ago, JudgmentPuzzleheaded said:I agree but manypeoples scars on this forum, including mine are really severe. People with minor scars don't worry about them so much to spend all day reading forums about it. Lots of people I see at uni have acne scars, NO ONE has severe scars.
Completely agree that it depends on the scarring. Severe/extreme scars would impact someone more than mild or moderate scarring. But man honestly I remember you posting your scars not too long ago and honestly your scars lookedreally mild, even other people said the same thing. Be easier on yourself..Judging by your recent posts I think this is affecting you more than it should. I really hope your situation gets better. Again, be easier on yourself bro. Your scars werent that bad if I remember correctly. Keep your yourhead up.