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Hello. Is there something I can do to improve scars that are relatively small and superficial and not too deep? (In comparison to very pronounced scars.)
I have a lot of small scars (and 3 or 4 bigger ones from bigger and deeper acne). And I have some around the mouth which are the ones that bothers me the most. Even on the limit with the lips - and a couple of these even left darker little spots on the lips themselves.
I am not familiar with current treatments for scars. Once I read that it is easier to improve deep scars.
And if there is a treatment, my doubt is if it is really effective, if it truly softens the scars permanently, or if it is only a temporal illusion due to peeled superficial skin or temporal swelling of it.
Pic would help
Hi. For the darker spots ''post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation'', ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide, or alpha arbutin can help fade them over time. And for texture, gentle exfoliation you need to think about lactic acid or low-strength retinoids which can smooth things out... But Id avoid anything too harsh near your lips, that skin is delicate!.....As for treatments, retinoid use or professional peels can build collagen for long-term improvement...W
@wilamenaskincare Ive also been wondering about how to treat the more delicate areas near the lips, glad you mentioned that. Have you or anyone else here tried low-strength retinoids specifically in that area? Im curious how well-tolerated they are over time. Also, for building collagen, do you think microneedling is worth exploring for smaller scars, or is it more effective on deeper ones?
For low-strength retinoids near the lips many people tolerate them well if introducedverygradually buffering with moisturizer, using them 12 times a week. The key is avoiding the vermilion border, the actual lip tissue, and sticking to the surrounding skin......On microneedling, treatments like retinoids and microneedling work cumulatively, so patience is key. For the darkest spotsonthe lips, if theyre post-inflammatory a dermatologist might suggest gentle laser like Q-switched or topical brighteners safe for lip mucosa, but that area requires extra caution. W
Hello. I managed to take these two photos showing the same area from different angles. I suppose that whatever is useful for these scars, it would be useful for the rest of the face.
Of course, the best would be to look at my skin directly, but the photos give you an idea.
I had hundreds of acne lesions. Most of them were like pustules, but because I had very oily skin, sometimes there were a lot of pus, and sometimes it was more complicated and there were furuncles or carbuncles. And occasionally I damaged the skin myself and complicated things with my fingers when I was a teenager.
For example, in this fragment of face, directly with your eyes, you could see like 15-20 scars. But there are at least two that you can see at a talking distance. Number 1 is a depressed scar (first, probably I damaged the skin myself when I was younger, and later a new acne lesion in the same place made the scar bigger).
Number 2 is a dot close to the lips, which seems like two dots close together, left by two pustules. In the second photograph it is seen as having a different color.
Number 3 is like a red tinted area in the skin immediately close to the lips. It is not very clear in the photo, and in reality is subtle.
I have more around the lips, in general like small dots from pustules. And I have a lot more scars in the cheeks and in different parts of the face, from dots to some depressions, if you watch closely and attentively. But, as a hole and not approaching too much, you dont see a lot of deep scars like some people have.
As I said, what bothers me more is around the mouth. And I know they are scars, the skin is deformed. So, in the best scenario, it would be nice to soften or reduce the scars in order to improve the general look of the skin, if that is possible and its worth it.
Also, just in case, I add that I took Accutane more than ten years ago and that changed my skin. It is much less oily now, and I dont know if it is less capable of wound healing.
Hello. Thank you for your answer! You can see the photos and more information in my previous post.
Does a retinoid gel have something to do with Accutane, in the sense of drying the skin, maybe permanently?
And I dont know really if it is about collagen, at this point, when the scars were settled years ago. The wounds are already healed and the skin is deformed. There is nothing to heal.
Maybe some sort of peeling or abrasion would help...? What do you think? Whats your experience? Are you a doctor or just someone with similar skin concerns?
Hi, I don't see any photos, but it does not matter. I'm currently studying everything about skincare... Ive learned so much through research, testing products, and staying curious. I share whats helped me in hopes it helps someone else.! I hope one day to be fully qualified and do this professionally.
Retinoids and Accutane can both be intense on the skin, but theyre not the same thing......Retinoid gels like tretinoin or adapalene are topical treatments that do dry out the skin, especially at first, because they speed up cell turnover. But that dryness usually improves as your skin adjusts! ..Accutane on the other hand, is way stronger because it works internally to shrink oil glands, and for some people, that can lead to longer lasting dryness. Everyones different. so always start slow, and moisturize well.
Youre right that fully healed, indented scars wont heal on their own anymore, collagens already done its best at the time.
Peelings can help a little by resurfacing, but for deeper texture, you might need stronger stuff.
Other options are Lasers and Microneedling, you really need advice from a qualified professional to know whats right for your skin. Everyones texture is different and so is the best treatment.... I hope this helps you in some way. W
A few things I'd say:
- Your scars are not noticeable really. I know they are to you because you're focused on them, but I dunno if anyone would really notice them. My first thought would be to approach this on a mental level and just become fine with small imperfections that make you who you are? That would be easiest. Love your tiny flaws kinda thing.
- If that's not what you're looking for and you want to improve the small imperfections, I wouldn't think retinoids will do much. Retinoids improve skin texture by about 20% and only short term (while you're using it). As soon as you stop it goes back to how it was. So retinoids can work a little bit in the short term, but that's about it.
- You could try scar treatments. Perhaps very localized treatment with fractional laser + PRP or microneedling + PRP. If you got a bunch of those treatments (like 5-10) you might notice a permanent improvement. Or a very localized filler might be interesting for these tiny imperfections. I'm not sure exactly which type of filler would be best, but an expert physician could probably point you in the right direction. I always like the sound of analogous fat transfer (your own fat). But again, I'm not an expert. You can research scar treatments more here.