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Thanks getsmart. Yes definitely a last step treatment.
Today is day 14 for me. Very early to see any results. Im mostly just posting to show you guys the color of my skin and let you see where Im at. Im both very red and very pale/white at once. The demarcation lines are intense and definitely the most embarrassing and obvious sign of the peel.
My skin still feels extremely tight and sensitive, but the raw feeling is mostly gone. Im having intense itchiness+ irritation on forehead that Im treating with hydrocortisone cream and benadryl Dr Rullan doesnt seem concerned so hopefully it will just go away soon .
Im keeping out of the sun and using the alastin cream + cosrx snail mucin +cerave moisturizer with a little leftover vani ointment on top to seal all the moisture in.
that seems to do the trick for the most part. A few whiteheads have started to appear so thats why im trying to minimize the thick Vaseline and vani ointment and rely more on moisturizers. No pimples yet so hopefully it stays that way.
I had to go out today for the first time and used a light foundation. It gave me back a little color but barely covered redness and didnt cover the demarcation lines at all. Looks kinda patchy but not as bad as I thought it would.
The pictures below where Im deathly white are with bare face and the ones where Im very red are with the light foundation.
I will update in two weeks for the one month update.
Attachment removedAttachment removedAttachment removedAttachment removedYour skin looks really good thus far! Thank you for showing what your skin looks like with makeup at day 14. I will be doing the peel later this year and am very worried about the redness. I am anticipating that I can only hide out completely for about 3 weeks max after the peel.
Thanks starting over. Yeah the redness is an issue. I read about it from other posts but somehow I was still like, I don't think I'll be THAT red lol. The good thing is that it definitely goes down day by day.
Something I didn't take into consideration was that the skin can flush super red all of a sudden, like when I laugh or get mad. Being dark skin that was never an issue so definitely a surprise.
I think three weeks is a good timeframe before going into the public.
I'll experiment with a buildable medium coverage foundation in a couple days and post pictures, the Estee Lauder doublewear liq foundation. I didn't wear it before because the skin felt too tender still and that one can be more drying. The one I wore before was the Ilia foundation which is super light coverage but moisturizing.
I've also been looking into the ELF green concealer/products. If I get a chance to pick those up, I'll post another pic as well.
Thanks getsmart. Yes definitely a last step treatment.
Today is day 14 for me. Very early to see any results. Im mostly just posting to show you guys the color of my skin and let you see where Im at. Im both very red and very pale/white at once. The demarcation lines are intense and definitely the most embarrassing and obvious sign of the peel.
My skin still feels extremely tight and sensitive, but the raw feeling is mostly gone. Im having intense itchiness+ irritation on forehead that Im treating with hydrocortisone cream and benadryl Dr Rullan doesnt seem concerned so hopefully it will just go away soon .
Im keeping out of the sun and using the alastin cream + cosrx snail mucin +cerave moisturizer with a little leftover vani ointment on top to seal all the moisture in.
that seems to do the trick for the most part. A few whiteheads have started to appear so thats why im trying to minimize the thick Vaseline and vani ointment and rely more on moisturizers. No pimples yet so hopefully it stays that way.
I had to go out today for the first time and used a light foundation. It gave me back a little color but barely covered redness and didnt cover the demarcation lines at all. Looks kinda patchy but not as bad as I thought it would.
The pictures below where Im deathly white are with bare face and the ones where Im very red are with the light foundation.
I will update in two weeks for the one month update.
Attachment removedAttachment removedAttachment removedAttachment removedYour skin looks really good thus far! Thank you for showing what your skin looks like with makeup at day 14. I will be doing the peel later this year and am very worried about the redness. I am anticipating that I can only hide out completely for about 3 weeks max after the peel.
Thanks starting over. Yeah the redness is an issue. I read about it from other posts but somehow I was still like, I don't think I'll be THAT red lol. The good thing is that it definitely goes down day by day.
Something I didn't take into consideration was that the skin can flush super red all of a sudden, like when I laugh or get mad. Being dark skin that was never an issue so definitely a surprise.
I think three weeks is a good timeframe before going into the public.
I'll experiment with a buildable medium coverage foundation in a couple days and post pictures, the Estee Lauder doublewear liq foundation. I didn't wear it before because the skin felt too tender still and that one can be more drying. The one I wore before was the Ilia foundation which is super light coverage but moisturizing.
I've also been looking into the ELF green concealer/products. If I get a chance to pick those up, I'll post another pic as well.
I currently use the Dermablend Professional Medium Coverage Foundation with SPF 25 (see link below) and it works great, even when my face was dry after doing the trio with Dr. Rullan (I have oily skin otherwise). I am definitely interested in seeing how well the products you have mentioned work and thank you in advance for keeping us posted!
https://www.amazon.com/Dermablend-Smooth-Liquid-Foundation-Camel/dp/B00M0V3MB6/
Hi all. So I think its been a little over one month since the procedure. Redness has gone down but definitely still very noticeable. Im having quite a bit of hyperpigmentation around the eyes which is not the best but will go away in time.
the skin still looks very smooth but as froyosh stated, the scars are coming back. While Im not too happy about this, I know by looking back at previous pictures that there is still great improvement.
I hope the microswelling is gone and that things will only improve from here.
@startingover thanks so much for the dermablend info. I ordered it immediately and it really gave good coverage. Its not the best around the dry patches of which I now have several but it does a really good job.
I have to say that people will immediately know something is off even with makeup and will ask. You will have to choose what to say. Most do think it is a sunburn.
I do need to find a good concealer for the hyperpigmentation around the eyes cuz it really does draw the eye.
overall Im very happy but wish I could have the final results now. I wont be able to do a second phenol peel for 1-2 years but will probably follow up with subcision/suction and fillers in that order. I hesitate to do any more phenol cross/erbium because I dont want to end up patchy with hypopigmentation as before. But maybe this is the best time to do it, as the skin is still very light and depigmented if that makes sense.
please see attached photos taken on 2/16 and 2/19.
How is the healing going on ?
any particular reason you removed the pictures
@getsmart121 Hey, getsmart, would it be alright if I posted pictures of my scars in this thread? I would love your feedback. I have a couple of box acars, few of which have caused volume loss. Most of the remaining scars are large pores/scarred pores. Depending on wether I am able to get a job this summer, I might go ahead with the Phenol Peel.
Sure go ahead. I am not an expert but have some personal experience plus have seen others experiences. Take it with a grain of salt and do your own research
Thank you. The following photos are all in the worst possible lighting. I've gone out of my way to click photos where the scarring is highlight. So, every photo other than the last two, is of my left cheek, which is the worst. The parts that stick out are a bunch of shallow/medium depth box scars below my eye, and the one on my cheek. The area around the scara below my eye have a sunken look to it, indicating a volume loss (does not seem to be tethered). My pain concern however is large open pores all over my face. Iam not sure what the distinction between scarred pores/ice picks is.
My plan:
I can invest on one treatment at the most. I want to get the Phenol Peel. I know iam of a darker shade, but, i don't mind the hypopigmentation, and I certainly do not care about the pain, if any.
After the peel, maybe 2-3 months later, I want to get a fat transfer for the areas below my eyes, the scar on my cheek, and a bit for my smile lines? This is less to do with acne, and more to do with treating my mid cheek grooves, or the lines under my eyes.
Iam sorry for occluding some parts of my face, kinda worried about people who I know coming across this forum, although very unlikely!
Hi @Sam456,
How is your healing coming along? I was also wondering if you could share any pre-treatment instructions you received before getting the phenol peel with me. Also, did you have to get an EKG to ensure your heart is healthy before the procedure?
I am booked for the procedure but trying to get Mary to get back with me with the pre-treatment instructions seems impossible at the moment and the front office told me only Mary can help me with that (frustrating).
Hi @Sam456,
How is your healing coming along? I was also wondering if you could share any pre-treatment instructions you received before getting the phenol peel with me. Also, did you have to get an EKG to ensure your heart is healthy before the procedure?
I am booked for the procedure but trying to get Mary to get back with me with the pre-treatment instructions seems impossible at the moment and the front office told me only Mary can help me with that (frustrating).
Hey @startingover2,
My experience with Mary is also terrible lol. She's also their manager, seems like their office staff has huge turnover.
Some tips for phenol peel:
Pre-treatment:
The office didn't provide pre-treatment, but from Dr Rullan's paper on his website "The usual skin preparation includes standard antiaging creams and hydroquinone if phototype III or IV"
Pre-treatment you're supposed to use hydroquinone or some bleaching cream (kojic acid, etc) and an anti-aging cream (like tretinoin) for 4-6 weeks if you're skin type fitz 3-4. Discontinue 1 week before procedure. Make sure to use this around the eyes too, smaller amount compared to cheeks. This should be standard for any aggressive procedure, helps with hyperpigmentation.
Post-treatment:
- He doesn't peel the skin around your eyes, but the swelling and phenol from surrounding areas will spillover I think. This causes melasma or extreme hyperpigmentation around the eyes or on the eyelids. You'll look like a panda. It's extremely important to fully cover the skin around the eyes, eyelids with SPF 50, a mask and/or visor and avoid all sunlight for like 4-6 weeks. Less of an issue for people in places with low UV, but doing phenol peel during the summer is not ideal.
- Weeks 2-3: Your skin will feel like sandpaper, it will help to use those facial hydrating masks
- Around week 6 you can get by with just a tinted sunscreen
Hi @Sam456,
How is your healing coming along? I was also wondering if you could share any pre-treatment instructions you received before getting the phenol peel with me. Also, did you have to get an EKG to ensure your heart is healthy before the procedure?
I am booked for the procedure but trying to get Mary to get back with me with the pre-treatment instructions seems impossible at the moment and the front office told me only Mary can help me with that (frustrating).
Hey @startingover2,
My experience with Mary is also terrible lol. She's also their manager, seems like their office staff has huge turnover.
Some tips for phenol peel:
Pre-treatment:
The office didn't provide pre-treatment, but from Dr Rullan's paper on his website "The usual skin preparation includes standard antiaging creams and hydroquinone if phototype III or IV"
Pre-treatment you're supposed to use hydroquinone or some bleaching cream (kojic acid, etc) and an anti-aging cream (like tretinoin) for 4-6 weeks if you're skin type fitz 3-4. Discontinue 1 week before procedure. Make sure to use this around the eyes too, smaller amount compared to cheeks. This should be standard for any aggressive procedure, helps with hyperpigmentation.
Post-treatment:
- He doesn't peel the skin around your eyes, but the swelling and phenol from surrounding areas will spillover I think. This causes melasma or extreme hyperpigmentation around the eyes or on the eyelids. You'll look like a panda. It's extremely important to fully cover the skin around the eyes, eyelids with SPF 50, a mask and/or visor and avoid all sunlight for like 4-6 weeks. Less of an issue for people in places with low UV, but doing phenol peel during the summer is not ideal.
- Weeks 2-3: Your skin will feel like sandpaper, it will help to use those facial hydrating masks
- Around week 6 you can get by with just a tinted sunscreen
Thank you so much, @stardust123 for the tips! Now I definitely need to find a hydroquinone product (that won't cause me to break out) to add to my routine.
It is so frustrating to keep calling Dr. Rullan's office, only to hear that my message will be passed on to Mary, whom I doubt will call back based on experience. My biggest concern is that the office will order labs and an EKG for me last minute as I have insurance with an HMO currently and so I need time to get my own doctor to order those for me so they can be covered by my insurance. Were those items ordered for you? If so, how much in advance did they give you to get those done?
Thanks again for your help!
The blood test and ekg seems to be a formality. There is a place in San Diego that does EKG for $25. For blood test I sent in an old blood test from a year ago and it was accepted. The blood test is for the prescription medicine (comprehensive metabolic panel and HIV), and ekg is for detecting arrythmia which the phenol can cause.
If you can get these done on your own you can just bring copies to their office.
Doing phenol peel in the summer is not recommended due to high UV, you need to avoid sunlight. Good luck with the peel!
The blood test and ekg seems to be a formality. There is a place in San Diego that does EKG for $25. For blood test I sent in an old blood test from a year ago and it was accepted. The blood test is for the prescription medicine (comprehensive metabolic panel and HIV), and ekg is for detecting arrythmia which the phenol can cause.
If you can get these done on your own you can just bring copies to their office.
Doing phenol peel in the summer is not recommended due to high UV, you need to avoid sunlight. Good luck with the peel!
Thank you so much, @stardust123! I really appreciate you telling me what kind of blood work is needed. I think I have done those ones you mentioned last fall and so I will just have to try to get the ekg now, knowing it will be needed. I don't live in San Diego and is planning on getting there a day before my procedure. However, if you can still remember the name of the place that offers the ekg for $25, I would love to know just in case I can't convince my doctor to order it for me.
Also, I do know getting the phenol peel in the summer is not ideal and I appreciate you warning me. However, with my kids' school schedule, it is best for me to get it while they are out of school and during a time when I don't have any commitments for about 3 weeks after the green powder comes off. I plan on wearing a hat and a face mask whenever we are out after the procedure.