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Acne Scar Treatments I've Had

 
MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 11/14/2011 4:17 am

Hi all. I am 29 years old and I suffered very bad acne as a teenager.
In 2002, I saw a skin specialist in Adelaide, Australia about my acne prone skin. He put me on a drug called accutane.
The side effects I had from accutane were depression and dry skin. My depression vanished without medication about 3 years after my last treatment of accutane. My dry skin (mainly hands and lips) are still an issue, even more then 10 years after using accutane.
After my last treatment of accutane, my face was left with horrible scars. I suspect a lot of the scars were caused by accutane as they weren't there before I started taking this drug.
In 2009, I started having microdermabrasion. This procedure involves a machine using smashed up crystals on your face to polish and remove dead skin. I had a total of 15 treatments. It cost me $80AU per treatment. It did help with some of my scarring but they were still very noticeable. I did this as a local beauty therapist who assured me that it would help to reduce my scars. It bearly did.
In 2010, I had a skin needling done. It showed a slight reduction in some scars after a 6 month period. The first few days after the procedure were fantastic. My face had no scars at all but my face was red. ALL my scars returned by the end of the week. This procedure cost me $500AU.
In 2011, I saw a plastic surgeon who recommended that I get a procedure done called subscision which involved having a needle inserted into the areas of my face that had rolling scars and breaking up the skin tissue underneath the scar and hopefully forcing it up and healing the curves on my face. Subscision cost me $950AU per treatment. This is done at The Ashley Clinic in Melbourne: http://www.ashleycentre.com.au/
My doctor also advised me that if subscision does not work then I can use fillers to fill the scars in but they will only last 6 to 12 months. He recommended I try subscision before getting fillers.
I had subscision every 2 months. My 5th subscision was the worst. After my 5th I chose to get dermal fillers. Dermal fillers cost me $650AU. The fillers I used was Restylane. They lasted 8 months before they were removed by lazer.
In 2012, I saw a new plastic surgeon from Adelaide Plastic Surgery Association in Adelaide: http://www.apsa.com.au/
My new doctor advised me to get laser resurfacing with 3 lazers (fraxel, co2 and a herbal lazer). Due to having fillers only a couple of weeks ago, I had to wait 4 months before I getting this procedure done. He also said that I will only see a 50% result. Maybe more if I am lucky but he was unable to guarantee that. The price for this procedure is being quoted at costing $4500.
In October 2012, I had this procedure done. I was put under general anaesthetic where he burnt down areas of my face and polished it with lazers. The procedure did not hurt but the after effects were very bad. I had an allergic reaction to vaseline, my whole body developed acne and I was unable to see and talk for days. At least 2 to 3 weeks recovery time. As of October 2013, I can see a 60% improvement.
All my scars did return after getting this procedure done, however over the next couple of months, they did fade and a lot of them did vanish or become less shallow and unnoticeable. New scars did appear on my face from this procedure but I cannot complain because they are small and most of my other scars have vanished.
In January 2013, I still had red marks and pigmentation on my face. This was not from the lazer but something I have had on my face for a very long time. My doctor recommended I have 2 treatments of v beam lazer. This procedure cost AU $100. I had a 90% reduction in the redness on my face.
In April 2013, I decided to get DeepFX, Co2 and a herbal lazer on my face again, on the right side of my eye which the scars were still bad. This procedure costs AU $300.
In October 2013, I decided to get DEEPFX, Co2 and a herbal lazer on 80% of my face that I felt was still bad. He also used my blood on the burns to increase recovery and results. I was preparing for the worst (after last time I had a full face lazer done), but it was a lot better. This was done with no local anaesthetic and only numbing cream. It hurt A LOT!!!
In January 2014, I decided to try skin needling at home. I used a 1.5mm needle and needled my face every 2-3 weeks. I was agressive and used no numbing cream. As for July 2014, I can notice the results. Even people I work with are noticing the results. The biggest results would be the forelines on my forehead which have decreased about 80%.
In July 2014 I decided to try skin needling with a 2.0mm needle.
As of today, I can see about a 80% improvement in my acne scars.
When I first decided to 'fix' my face, I had no idea what to expect or what I would of have to go through to achieve what I have achieved so far. When I first started, I had no self esteem. I was scared to look at myself in a mirror because my face was horrible. I always worried about my face and what others would think. I was ashamed of myself. Over time, it has become easier and I think I gained a lot of strength from everything I have done. I don't regret all the money I've spent or the pain I've gone through. It's worth it to have a reason to be happy with the person I am.
I hope my story helps others to see that they aren't alone and there is hope in achieving good skin.
I will continue to update this as often as I can.

post-47746-0-59405800-1406719099.jpg

post-47746-0-59405800-1406719099.jpg

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MemberMember
2
(@chestercool)

Posted : 11/14/2011 9:44 am

congratulations! your scars are much better :D and they are gonnas be even better in some months!

just a question...what about collagen stimulator laser?

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MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 11/14/2011 5:20 pm

congratulations! your scars are much better biggrin.png and they are gonnas be even better in some months!

just a question...what about collagen stimulator laser?

 

i dont even know about collagen stimulator laser until i googled it. do you think this would benefit me more then fraxel laser?

My doctor told me it was pointless to start laser until my depression scars were almost all gone because laser works on a flat surface and my face isnt flat so it would be a waste of money.

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MemberMember
0
(@thegivingtree)

Posted : 11/14/2011 11:13 pm

Nice thread! To be honest though, I don't see too much of a difference between your third picture and the last (with 3 subcisions in between). Is it the camera angle? How much of a difference do you think it's made?

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MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 11/15/2011 3:23 am

Nice thread! To be honest though, I don't see too much of a difference between your third picture and the last (with 3 subcisions in between). Is it the camera angle? How much of a difference do you think it's made?

 

I think it could be the camera angle and the lightening which can affect the images. I tried to find the worst images under the worst lightening so it looks bad. I have only been having subscision since July so thats only 5 months. He did tell me that I shouldn't start seeing results for many months.

As for results, the main result I can visually see is that from a distance. No one can tell I have scaring unless they are close up to my face. The shape of my face is a lot more smoother and it does appear to be getting better. However I have good days and bad days.

I had a small dimple on my chin which he mistook for being a scar and as a result I no longer have a dimple. Also the area got infected but it healed thanks to the antibiotics he proscribed me.

My first subscision was the worst because I bruised very badly which lasted for 1 month! I uploaded a photo for people to see.

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MemberMember
1
(@emhfali)

Posted : 11/15/2011 3:40 am

please post your final results under the same lightning as the 2009-before-any-treatment-picture.

that would be really helpful to evaluate the success of your journey.

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MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 11/15/2011 4:38 am

please post your final results under the same lightning as the 2009-before-any-treatment-picture.

that would be really helpful to evaluate the success of your journey.

 

i will but i havent finished my subscision treatments yet.

however here is another pic from 2009 and now. you can notice that a lot of the areas on my cheek have filled out and the marks near my mouth have almost all gone.

i will continue to upload photos so if you have a request please let me know. ive taken A LOT of photos. My doctor has also been taking photos which I will upload after I have finished the treatment.

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MemberMember
0
(@joe-peeps)

Posted : 11/15/2011 4:58 am

Hey man congrats on your progress so far and I hope you continue to improve in the near future!

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MemberMember
3
(@dazarooni)

Posted : 11/15/2011 1:31 pm

I've had subcision and fat transfer (twice) with a plastic surgeon. I've found that it helped with the rolling scars and gave longer lasting results than having a filler. The surgeon 'overinjected' each site by 30% fat as after the first few months, some of the fat is absorbed by the body.

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MemberMember
0
(@uhopihopyahoo-com)

Posted : 11/16/2011 12:58 am

Congratulations! I am so happy for you! I know how you feel, it's a long battle and I hope we all keep fighting it :-)

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Guest
0
(@Anonymous)

Posted : 11/18/2011 12:27 pm

please post your final results under the same lightning as the 2009-before-any-treatment-picture.

that would be really helpful to evaluate the success of your journey.

 

i will but i havent finished my subscision treatments yet.

however here is another pic from 2009 and now. you can notice that a lot of the areas on my cheek have filled out and the marks near my mouth have almost all gone.

i will continue to upload photos so if you have a request please let me know. ive taken A LOT of photos. My doctor has also been taking photos which I will upload after I have finished the treatment.

 

Lookin' good man.

Do you think that the Accutane made your scars worse?

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MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 11/18/2011 4:36 pm

please post your final results under the same lightning as the 2009-before-any-treatment-picture.

that would be really helpful to evaluate the success of your journey.

 

i will but i havent finished my subscision treatments yet.

however here is another pic from 2009 and now. you can notice that a lot of the areas on my cheek have filled out and the marks near my mouth have almost all gone.

i will continue to upload photos so if you have a request please let me know. ive taken A LOT of photos. My doctor has also been taking photos which I will upload after I have finished the treatment.

 

Lookin' good man.

Do you think that the Accutane made your scars worse?

 

its hard to know because i had acne on my face as well as scaring but i do think it got worse while on accutane. i know from taking accutane, i got a scar on my forehead just above my nose. i did not have this scar before I took accutane but I had it when my acne was gone. (I uploaded a photo to show you) the scar is a Hypertrophic scar which is the only one i have on my face.

I copied this from another site but this is the information about this scar:

Appearance: A hypertrophic scar looks like a raised, firm mass of tissue. These types of scars often grow larger than the original wound. Hypertrophic scars caused by acne are most often found on the torso, especially in men.

Development: Unlike ice pick or boxcar scars, hypertrophic scars are not caused by a loss of tissue. Rather, they develop because of an overproduction of collagen.

Common treatments: Steroid (cortisone) creams, tapes, or injections are used to help shrink and flatten the scar. Interferon injections are also used to soften scar tissue.

After being on accutane (for 6 months from memory), i no longer get acne on my face. The only side effect I got was stretch marks on my legs (i have not gain or lost any weight). But accutane did get rid of my acne so I cant really complain can i? Now its time to get rid of the scaring!

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Guest
0
(@Anonymous)

Posted : 11/19/2011 1:11 pm

please post your final results under the same lightning as the 2009-before-any-treatment-picture.

that would be really helpful to evaluate the success of your journey.

 

i will but i havent finished my subscision treatments yet.

however here is another pic from 2009 and now. you can notice that a lot of the areas on my cheek have filled out and the marks near my mouth have almost all gone.

i will continue to upload photos so if you have a request please let me know. ive taken A LOT of photos. My doctor has also been taking photos which I will upload after I have finished the treatment.

 

Lookin' good man.

Do you think that the Accutane made your scars worse?

 

its hard to know because i had acne on my face as well as scaring but i do think it got worse while on accutane. i know from taking accutane, i got a scar on my forehead just above my nose. i did not have this scar before I took accutane but I had it when my acne was gone. (I uploaded a photo to show you) the scar is a Hypertrophic scar which is the only one i have on my face.

I copied this from another site but this is the information about this scar:

Appearance: A hypertrophic scar looks like a raised, firm mass of tissue. These types of scars often grow larger than the original wound. Hypertrophic scars caused by acne are most often found on the torso, especially in men.

Development: Unlike ice pick or boxcar scars, hypertrophic scars are not caused by a loss of tissue. Rather, they develop because of an overproduction of collagen.

Common treatments: Steroid (cortisone) creams, tapes, or injections are used to help shrink and flatten the scar. Interferon injections are also used to soften scar tissue.

After being on accutane (for 6 months from memory), i no longer get acne on my face. The only side effect I got was stretch marks on my legs (i have not gain or lost any weight). But accutane did get rid of my acne so I cant really complain can i? Now its time to get rid of the scaring!

 

Thanks for the info. The scars are looking much better with the treatments that you are going for. I am happy for you.

I was just asking about the Accutane because after I took it I was left with a little scarring. My face never scarred before the meds (except chicken pox scars). I took it for six months. I still am not sure if the scars are because of the meds (they make your skin thin) or just because the acne was so deep. I am glad though that it did stop my acne problem.

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MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 11/20/2011 3:41 am

please post your final results under the same lightning as the 2009-before-any-treatment-picture.

that would be really helpful to evaluate the success of your journey.

 

i will but i havent finished my subscision treatments yet.

however here is another pic from 2009 and now. you can notice that a lot of the areas on my cheek have filled out and the marks near my mouth have almost all gone.

i will continue to upload photos so if you have a request please let me know. ive taken A LOT of photos. My doctor has also been taking photos which I will upload after I have finished the treatment.

 

Lookin' good man.

Do you think that the Accutane made your scars worse?

 

its hard to know because i had acne on my face as well as scaring but i do think it got worse while on accutane. i know from taking accutane, i got a scar on my forehead just above my nose. i did not have this scar before I took accutane but I had it when my acne was gone. (I uploaded a photo to show you) the scar is a Hypertrophic scar which is the only one i have on my face.

I copied this from another site but this is the information about this scar:

Appearance: A hypertrophic scar looks like a raised, firm mass of tissue. These types of scars often grow larger than the original wound. Hypertrophic scars caused by acne are most often found on the torso, especially in men.

Development: Unlike ice pick or boxcar scars, hypertrophic scars are not caused by a loss of tissue. Rather, they develop because of an overproduction of collagen.

Common treatments: Steroid (cortisone) creams, tapes, or injections are used to help shrink and flatten the scar. Interferon injections are also used to soften scar tissue.

After being on accutane (for 6 months from memory), i no longer get acne on my face. The only side effect I got was stretch marks on my legs (i have not gain or lost any weight). But accutane did get rid of my acne so I cant really complain can i? Now its time to get rid of the scaring!

 

Thanks for the info. The scars are looking much better with the treatments that you are going for. I am happy for you.

I was just asking about the Accutane because after I took it I was left with a little scarring. My face never scarred before the meds (except chicken pox scars). I took it for six months. I still am not sure if the scars are because of the meds (they make your skin thin) or just because the acne was so deep. I am glad though that it did stop my acne problem.

 

Your skin is very fragile while on accutane. This is why some of the side effects are that you shouldn't go outside because it can damage your skin and cause scaring.

This website states what are some of the side effects of accutane:

http://www.acne.org/accutane-side-effects.html

I only suffered from nose bleeds, depression and dry mouth and lips while on accutane. Most of these side effects didnt occur until I stopped taking accutane but the doctor did warn me about this because the drug is still in your system for a very long time. It has been almost 10 years since I took accutane and even today I still suffer some side effects from it. I always have dry lips. I never had dry lips at all before I took accutane. I also suffered for depression for a few years but more recently, my depression has gone away. Could it be because accutane is slowly getting out of my system? I honestly don't know but I am thankfully that accutane got rid of my acne which I suffered from 8 years old (yes im not kidding!)

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Guest
0
(@Anonymous)

Posted : 11/21/2011 8:06 am

please post your final results under the same lightning as the 2009-before-any-treatment-picture.

that would be really helpful to evaluate the success of your journey.

 

i will but i havent finished my subscision treatments yet.

however here is another pic from 2009 and now. you can notice that a lot of the areas on my cheek have filled out and the marks near my mouth have almost all gone.

i will continue to upload photos so if you have a request please let me know. ive taken A LOT of photos. My doctor has also been taking photos which I will upload after I have finished the treatment.

 

Lookin' good man.

Do you think that the Accutane made your scars worse?

 

its hard to know because i had acne on my face as well as scaring but i do think it got worse while on accutane. i know from taking accutane, i got a scar on my forehead just above my nose. i did not have this scar before I took accutane but I had it when my acne was gone. (I uploaded a photo to show you) the scar is a Hypertrophic scar which is the only one i have on my face.

I copied this from another site but this is the information about this scar:

Appearance: A hypertrophic scar looks like a raised, firm mass of tissue. These types of scars often grow larger than the original wound. Hypertrophic scars caused by acne are most often found on the torso, especially in men.

Development: Unlike ice pick or boxcar scars, hypertrophic scars are not caused by a loss of tissue. Rather, they develop because of an overproduction of collagen.

Common treatments: Steroid (cortisone) creams, tapes, or injections are used to help shrink and flatten the scar. Interferon injections are also used to soften scar tissue.

After being on accutane (for 6 months from memory), i no longer get acne on my face. The only side effect I got was stretch marks on my legs (i have not gain or lost any weight). But accutane did get rid of my acne so I cant really complain can i? Now its time to get rid of the scaring!

 

Thanks for the info. The scars are looking much better with the treatments that you are going for. I am happy for you.

I was just asking about the Accutane because after I took it I was left with a little scarring. My face never scarred before the meds (except chicken pox scars). I took it for six months. I still am not sure if the scars are because of the meds (they make your skin thin) or just because the acne was so deep. I am glad though that it did stop my acne problem.

 

Your skin is very fragile while on accutane. This is why some of the side effects are that you shouldn't go outside because it can damage your skin and cause scaring.

This website states what are some of the side effects of accutane:

http://www.acne.org/accutane-side-effects.html

I only suffered from nose bleeds, depression and dry mouth and lips while on accutane. Most of these side effects didnt occur until I stopped taking accutane but the doctor did warn me about this because the drug is still in your system for a very long time. It has been almost 10 years since I took accutane and even today I still suffer some side effects from it. I always have dry lips. I never had dry lips at all before I took accutane. I also suffered for depression for a few years but more recently, my depression has gone away. Could it be because accutane is slowly getting out of my system? I honestly don't know but I am thankfully that accutane got rid of my acne which I suffered from 8 years old (yes im not kidding!)

 

Yeah, it is a serious drug.

I really had no choice to stay inside when I was on Accutane. I live in a pretty hot country and because of my job I am in the sun a lot.

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MemberMember
2
(@jacno)

Posted : 12/02/2011 11:17 am

Looks good Greg, before you had bad scars, now I see a guy with scar blemishes, I don't think accutane causes depression, I think it's lack of control, as in scars, acne, quilty of life. Im in the boat that after 6 months it leaves your system, buy then I could be wrong. Anyways good luck man I'll be following this thread and making witty comments once in awhile

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MemberMember
20
(@dragz)

Posted : 12/02/2011 6:51 pm

Congratulations, dude, you're lookin' really good.

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MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 12/04/2011 8:00 am

Just updating this.

 

Going in for my 4th subcision tomorrow. Not looking forward to it because my face still kinda hurts and the needles are going to be painful.

 

Thought I would upload a before and after photo.

 

The first photo is before any subcision treatments and now. There isnt much difference from this angle but in the 2nd photo, you can see the shape of my face (especially in my cheeks) is a lot more smooth and risen (this was the intent of the subcision).

 

The second photo is a side on of my face. Here is where you can see the difference. The scars are bearly noticeable. From a distance, you can no longer tell that I have scars!

 

I tried to use the same lighting and i used the worst photos. I will upload more photos tomorrow (if i get time)

post-47746-0-86098000-1323003158_thumb.j

post-47746-0-56670200-1323003298_thumb.j

post-47746-0-86098000-1323003158_thumb.j

post-47746-0-56670200-1323003298_thumb.j

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MemberMember
1
(@emhfali)

Posted : 12/04/2011 1:17 pm

to be honest: i don't see much improvement on your scars. your skin texture is a little bit smoother but all the deep scars are still there.

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MemberMember
7
(@hotburrito)

Posted : 12/04/2011 5:33 pm

^Really? I think the OP looks a lot better! The improvement looks slow but sure.

On that note, congratulations OP on the improvement, and thank you for sharing with us here :)

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MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 12/05/2011 4:01 am

It has only been 6 months since my first procedure. its meant to take a long time to see results.

I just had my 4th subcision and it hurt a lot. My doctor was very impressed with how my skin is going (especially the bigger scars which he has been focusing on in my last treatments). This time was more severe and im sure to get massive bruises because he worked on a lot of my smaller scars.

 

Thought I would upload a pic I took with my cell phone of me straight after the procedure.

 

Will update this again soon.

post-47746-0-92461900-1323075616_thumb.j

post-47746-0-92461900-1323075616_thumb.j

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MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 12/07/2011 3:48 am

It's been 2 days since I had my 4th subcision. I uploaded a photo to show how my face is now.

 

My 4th subcision was probably the worst I have had.

 

The procedure took about an hour (normally it takes about 20 minutes), but he worked a lot on my smaller rolling and depressed scars.

 

He injected a bit too much local anaesthetic near my left eye which gave me a wonky eye for the rest of the day. I could bearly see out of it.

 

Also he injected the local anaesthetic a bit too far into my cheek which ended up going into my mouth (no I am not kidding!).

 

He was working on my face for much longer this time and the local anaesthetic was starting to wear off so I felt a bit of pain near the end of the procedure.

 

The procedure is kind of a blur though but I guess that's a good thing. Luckily I've have a couple days off work to recover because I needed it.

 

Now I just have to wait for the bruising and swelling to go down and I will post another before and after photo.

post-47746-0-65758400-1323247521_thumb.j

post-47746-0-65758400-1323247521_thumb.j

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MemberMember
0
(@dainbramaged)

Posted : 12/07/2011 8:00 am

I'm really curious to see the results. Good luck!

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Guest
0
(@Anonymous)

Posted : 12/09/2011 10:29 am

How much are there procedures costing you? I am excited to see the results. It is lookin' good.

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MemberMember
9
(@greg098)

Posted : 12/10/2011 2:27 am

How much are there procedures costing you? I am excited to see the results. It is lookin' good.

 

I live in Australia and its costing me $950 each treatment. It is very pricy

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