I wish I had $10,000 for my acne scars. I have every type of scar imaginable. The worst of it is on my back,shoulders, and chest. I have a wide spread keloid scarring in those areas due to my severe acne in middle school. Now I have no idea what to do because I know I cannot afford surgery for my keloid scaring on my body. I also have 2 keloids on the edges of my jaw which are pretty unsightly and 2 small ones on my neck. In addition to that I have acne scaring on my temples and cheeks. I plan to do something about my face entirely and that's pretty expensive already... I can't imagine the cost of fixing all the keloids on my body will cost =/. I wish someone could help me.

sorry to hear that phillr35, if that makes you feel better when I joined acne.org forum back in 2007 I didnt have anything also, I was just a student. Acne in some ways helped me become what I am today, because of depression caused by acne I didnt go out with my peers in Uni, but instead I started my own business from my home as I spent all day in front of the PC. So dont give up.

Here is image of my cheek, as you can see my main problem are large pores, some boxcar/icepick and rolling scars, it is a bit red now, did a chemical peel few days ago and will post more pictures once redness is gone. As I mentioned in my first post I think recell + fraxell repair and fillers (or maybe subcision for rolling scars) could help? Any ideas?

Anyone could recommend a doctor that is not only after your money and actually knows how to fix acne scars? Those are hard to find these days.

Hi Wrocky, your scarring seems mild. You mostly have enlarged pores (or scarred pores) what I would think are from blackheads. Your box scars are really shallow. But mostly, your skin has textural irregularities. You should definitely check out CollegeBoys' thread: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/316133-just-had-ablative-fraxelrepair-and-ultrapulse-co2-with-photos/ Your scarring and his are very similar.

I think fraxel repair is definitely a good idea. Plus, by the looks of it, and without being presumptuous, your skin looks like it's in the fitzpatrick scale of 1-2, which means that you can have aggressive laser treatments. If you're considering laser treatments, you should definitely speak with TokyoGirl, Dudley, CollegeBoy, and Dragz. They have first hand knowledge of laser treatments and have had satisfactory results from them.

Also, you might want to consider Deep FX, which is basically the same thing as fraxel repair, but I believe that it's far more superior. Further, perhaps you might even think about combining it with Active FX to make Total FX. That way, you treat the deeper layers of the skin (the dermis) to plump up your scars, but also tackle any superficial textural irregularities that you appear to have with Active FX. A good place to start is with the Lumenis website: http://www.aesthetic.lumenis.com/ultrapulse

Also, from what I have gathered, one Dr. Matteo Tretti Clementoni specialises in laser treatments. You can try to contact him online and ask if he has any colleagues in which ever country you reside. I understand that one Dr. Tapan Patel is a colleague of his who specialises in acne scarring. But he is based in London. Dr. Matteo Tretti Clementoni is based in Milan. Here is a video of how Total FX works for acne scarring: http://www.lumenis.com/webinar_archive/videoplayer.php?id=1602390770001 Jump to 25 minutes and 30 seconds for the part of acne scarring.

If you want another alternative, you could also opt for Max FX, which is basically akin to old school laser resurfacing, where it ablates (vapourizes) the superficial laser of the skin, as well as the upper dermis, to resurface the skin and hopefully correct acne scars. CollegeBoy is considering that, so you might want to get some input from him.

But it's best to get a consultation from a doctor for a professional opinion.

Hope all this has been helpful. Let us know what you decide on. It would be great to know of your progress should you decide to undergo treatment.

Best of luck.

AlexWong thank you so much about your post, I will look into the progress that these forum members had. I can travel so it is not a problem, I am really interested in getting the best possible treatment that I can. Do you or anyone else think that I would benefit from Recell combined with either Luminis lasers or Fraxel? I have few rolling scars its just hard to get them on pictures, but if I look under harsh light they are very noticeable. I think only Ernesto had a thread relating to acne scars with lasers + recell, however his progress seems to be "questionable" by the response in his thread, considering all the bad press that Dr.Khan has in this forum.

With rolling scars, they respond well to lasers, so much better than ice pick and box scars. Dragz had rolling scars which were practically corrected with a course of laser treatments. I believe he went to see Dr. Rahimi. It's in America, so I don't have much information regarding him. Also, TokyoGirl had a consultation with him. So you might want to talk to them about more with them. Also, you might want to consider someone who specialises in acne scarring treatments, instead of seeking someone who's famous but does 'everything'. In a sense, they're a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Also, if you're going down the laser route, try to see someone who specialises in light based therapies, and not someone who says they're great at subcision, great at dermabrasion, great at laser resurfacing, and great at whatever. They obviously just want your money. I don't know much about Recell, I'm afraid. And I don't think I would consider it. I just think that there's not much data regarding that procedure to take the risk.

I would suggest that you start off with Retin a to help with your texture. Also to prevent any more acne from damaging your skin. Also, you'd be doing yourself a favour in the long term since Retin a stimulates collagen production so you would be in effect prepping yourself for future treatments. Thus, gearing for a more favourable outcome, with which ever treatment you should undergo. Since the whole idea of correcting acne scars lies in collagen production.

Also, I think Lumenis Ultrapulse (Deep FX, Active FX, etc.) would be more suitable for you as the laser can target specific scars individually as is it uses a hand piece, while Fraxel repair is a rolling device that is rolled over your skin. Which means less accuracy in actually targeting scars which need specific restructuring. I mean restructuring of collagen, or something along those lines.

As for travelling, if you live in America, then definitely contact the members mentioned in my previous post, as they're all based there. I can only speak for those who live in London. If you do live in London, don't bother seeing Dr. Nick Parkhouse of the Cadogan clinic in Sloane Square. He's absolutely useless. Yes, he's an authority on scar revision, but his care for patients is found wanting. After paying over 300.00 for a consultation which converts to almost $500.00, he just said live with them. There's another doctor there who specialises in light based therapies, laser resurfacing to be precise, but I'm not willing to shell out another 300.00 for another consultation. So I went to see Dr. Tapan Patel who treated Katie Piper (the acid burns victim in the UK). That made me realise that he actually cares about his patients. Also, he was really helpful. But it is just a matter of money for me, before I can continue with my treatments.

Personally, I wouldn't go to Dr. Khan. I just have a gut feeling that's telling me he's just some money grabbing doctor.

Your cheek is fine! There is no scarring i see no pits.... Stop obsessing of nothing most would kill for skin to be like urs take a look at others with severe scarring on these boards and it might just give you a reality check! Not saying this to be cruel but you are putting ur life On hold and possibly money being chucked away over NOTHING!!!!!!!

With rolling scars, they respond well to lasers, so much better than ice pick and box scars. Dragz had rolling scars which were practically corrected with a course of laser treatments. I believe he went to see Dr. Rahimi. It's in America, so I don't have much information regarding him. Also, TokyoGirl had a consultation with him. So you might want to talk to them about more with them. Also, you might want to consider someone who specialises in acne scarring treatments, instead of seeking someone who's famous but does 'everything'. In a sense, they're a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Also, if you're going down the laser route, try to see someone who specialises in light based therapies, and not someone who says they're great at subcision, great at dermabrasion, great at laser resurfacing, and great at whatever. They obviously just want your money. I don't know much about Recell, I'm afraid. And I don't think I would consider it. I just think that there's not much data regarding that procedure to take the risk.

I would suggest that you start off with Retin a to help with your texture. Also to prevent any more acne from damaging your skin. Also, you'd be doing yourself a favour in the long term since Retin a stimulates collagen production so you would be in effect prepping yourself for future treatments. Thus, gearing for a more favourable outcome, with which ever treatment you should undergo. Since the whole idea of correcting acne scars lies in collagen production.

Also, I think Lumenis Ultrapulse (Deep FX, Active FX, etc.) would be more suitable for you as the laser can target specific scars individually as is it uses a hand piece, while Fraxel repair is a rolling device that is rolled over your skin. Which means less accuracy in actually targeting scars which need specific restructuring. I mean restructuring of collagen, or something along those lines.

As for travelling, if you live in America, then definitely contact the members mentioned in my previous post, as they're all based there. I can only speak for those who live in London. If you do live in London, don't bother seeing Dr. Nick Parkhouse of the Cadogan clinic in Sloane Square. He's absolutely useless. Yes, he's an authority on scar revision, but his care for patients is found wanting. After paying over 300.00 for a consultation which converts to almost $500.00, he just said live with them. There's another doctor there who specialises in light based therapies, laser resurfacing to be precise, but I'm not willing to shell out another 300.00 for another consultation. So I went to see Dr. Tapan Patel who treated Katie Piper (the acid burns victim in the UK). That made me realise that he actually cares about his patients. Also, he was really helpful. But it is just a matter of money for me, before I can continue with my treatments.

Personally, I wouldn't go to Dr. Khan. I just have a gut feeling that's telling me he's just some money grabbing doctor.

 

You are very knowledgable and I am really thankful that you are sharing information with me. I will contact next week David Rahimi (DRaGZ and TokyoGirl seems to be really happy with the results and I could just find one bad review about him about botox so it is a good sign) and will research more Dr.Patel, I will keep this topic updated with pictures and results once I start my treatment. If anyone else have any input please share it.

Your cheek is fine! There is no scarring i see no pits.... Stop obsessing of nothing most would kill for skin to be like urs take a look at others with severe scarring on these boards and it might just give you a reality check! Not saying this to be cruel but you are putting ur life On hold and possibly money being chucked away over NOTHING!!!!!!!

 

Thatusernameisalreadytaken, if you dont have anything to contribute then please dont post your nonsense here. If I am willing to spend money on laser treatments then obviously my acne scars are bothering me and once the redness from chemical peel is gone they are more visible.

With rolling scars, they respond well to lasers, so much better than ice pick and box scars. Dragz had rolling scars which were practically corrected with a course of laser treatments. I believe he went to see Dr. Rahimi. It's in America, so I don't have much information regarding him. Also, TokyoGirl had a consultation with him. So you might want to talk to them about more with them. Also, you might want to consider someone who specialises in acne scarring treatments, instead of seeking someone who's famous but does 'everything'. In a sense, they're a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Also, if you're going down the laser route, try to see someone who specialises in light based therapies, and not someone who says they're great at subcision, great at dermabrasion, great at laser resurfacing, and great at whatever. They obviously just want your money. I don't know much about Recell, I'm afraid. And I don't think I would consider it. I just think that there's not much data regarding that procedure to take the risk.

I would suggest that you start off with Retin a to help with your texture. Also to prevent any more acne from damaging your skin. Also, you'd be doing yourself a favour in the long term since Retin a stimulates collagen production so you would be in effect prepping yourself for future treatments. Thus, gearing for a more favourable outcome, with which ever treatment you should undergo. Since the whole idea of correcting acne scars lies in collagen production.

Also, I think Lumenis Ultrapulse (Deep FX, Active FX, etc.) would be more suitable for you as the laser can target specific scars individually as is it uses a hand piece, while Fraxel repair is a rolling device that is rolled over your skin. Which means less accuracy in actually targeting scars which need specific restructuring. I mean restructuring of collagen, or something along those lines.

As for travelling, if you live in America, then definitely contact the members mentioned in my previous post, as they're all based there. I can only speak for those who live in London. If you do live in London, don't bother seeing Dr. Nick Parkhouse of the Cadogan clinic in Sloane Square. He's absolutely useless. Yes, he's an authority on scar revision, but his care for patients is found wanting. After paying over 300.00 for a consultation which converts to almost $500.00, he just said live with them. There's another doctor there who specialises in light based therapies, laser resurfacing to be precise, but I'm not willing to shell out another 300.00 for another consultation. So I went to see Dr. Tapan Patel who treated Katie Piper (the acid burns victim in the UK). That made me realise that he actually cares about his patients. Also, he was really helpful. But it is just a matter of money for me, before I can continue with my treatments.

Personally, I wouldn't go to Dr. Khan. I just have a gut feeling that's telling me he's just some money grabbing doctor.

 

You are very knowledgable and I am really thankful that you are sharing information with me. I will contact next week David Rahimi (DRaGZ and TokyoGirl seems to be really happy with the results and I could just find one bad review about him about botox so it is a good sign) and will research more Dr.Patel, I will keep this topic updated with pictures and results once I start my treatment. If anyone else have any input please share it.

Your cheek is fine! There is no scarring i see no pits.... Stop obsessing of nothing most would kill for skin to be like urs take a look at others with severe scarring on these boards and it might just give you a reality check! Not saying this to be cruel but you are putting ur life On hold and possibly money being chucked away over NOTHING!!!!!!!

 

Thatusernameisalreadytaken, if you dont have anything to contribute then please dont post your nonsense here. If I am willing to spend money on laser treatments then obviously my acne scars are bothering me and once the redness from chemical peel is gone they are more visible.

 

you risk making matters worse stop being a fool. Its Your skin at the end of the day dont say no one didnt warn you! Christ take it as a compliment in a nutshell im saying ur skin looks freaking awesome why spend money when you dont need to.

i think he has a point, skin looks fine from those pics

@AlexWong, I recently had Subcision and TCA cross procedure done by Dr. Tapan Patel and he is absolutely fantastic..... I had 2 sessions (150 per session) which consisted of subcision on both of my cheeks and a final dose of TCA cross. Dr. Tapan Patel is truly genuine and I agree he cares about his patients however more importantly he knows what he is doing! Dr. Tapan Patel uses a different Subcision technique, as the needle most surgeons use is pretty brutal and leaves a permanent scar from the point of entry, he uses a fineneedle which has a rounded end so it acts like a probe and is flexible when breaking the fibers. My scarring is pretty bad in areas and I had Laser resurfacing and microderm in the past, which didn't really achieve amazing results. When Dr Patel started the subcision he was pretty shocked to realise just how bad my skin was damaged under neath and he had to use full force to break the fibers. The sensation from Subcision is pretty weird but not uncomfortable and the noise it creates is similar to when your ears pop. The treatment is finalized by a dose of TCA cross, which is a very strong acid applied only to the scar tissue using a toothpick, it sounds very old school, however the results are pretty impressive. The following morning after my first session I had butterflies in my stomach with excitement as there was an obvious improvement. Immediately I noticed that a deep scar on my cheek, from a terrible cystic spot, dramatically faded. I booked a couple of days off work, thinking that I would look like a bruised and battered boxer however that wasn't the case at all as Dr Patel uses a fine needle which causes very little swelling leaving a tiny red mark from the point of entry, so you can go straight to work the following morning!!

The second session wasn't as dramatic and again the end results were very obvious. For a patient with my scarring, Dr. Patel always recommends to carry out subcision and TCA cross before a course of laser treatment as it evens out the skin and creates the best possible skin foundation for a Laser to be applied to the scaring, which makes complete sense as you can't build a house on an uneven foundation.

In some cases, Dr. Patels patients have been so impressed by their Subcision and TCA cross treatment that they felt no need to carry out a laser treatment. I'm looking at Deep FX or a new laser treatment called Erbium which I believe Dr Patel is the only surgeon in the UK to have onsite and is fully qualified to use. After spending 300 so far I'm really impressed by the results and considering I got laser treatment 10 years ago which cost me 2000, with disappointing results to show from it, Subcision and TCA cross is a very cost effective method to reduce the scarring whilst saving money for laser treatment at a later stage. I didn't tell my partner I was getting skin treatment as I have a real complex about my scaring and never discuss it, however my partner noticed there was something different about my skin and I actually denied it as I want to see my partners reaction after my laser treatment, which should rejuvenate my skin back to its former glory!!

I'll add photos from start to finish of my entire treatment which will be mid November. Like most of the group members on this website we have all been ripped off with below average results, however I decided to register online and discuss my very positive experience. Have a look at Dr Patel's website, I really 100% recommend and he doesn't charge for consultations! http://www.viva-clinic.co.uk

Mooneboy, that's fantastic to hear about your results! What type of scarring do you have and how severe would you say it is/was? Also how many treatments did he say you would need? Has he recommended anything else to you like dermaroller or fillers?

150 for subcision and cross seems good, may well book for a consult with him especially if the treatment has minimal downtime

I think TCA cross might even work for you, but I would advice on a test spot first, just so you under no circumstances would end up making things worse. Your scarring looks very very minimal to me in that picture, and if I were you I would probably not do anything at all. Although of course it's hard to judge based on pictures and you probably know better what your situation is.

Fraxel Re:pair / Deep FX should be effective too, or possibly even the milder Active FX or Fraxel Restore. But I'm not an expert when it comes to lasers, so please do some research. I wouldn't think you'd need Recell or fillers since your scars are so tiny.

Also jealous of the money you have for treatments. Hope you end up very happy with your results whatever you do.

you have amazing skin dood...

I think TCA cross might even work for you, but I would advice on a test spot first, just so you under no circumstances would end up making things worse. Your scarring looks very very minimal to me in that picture, and if I were you I would probably not do anything at all. Although of course it's hard to judge based on pictures and you probably know better what your situation is.

Fraxel Re:pair / Deep FX should be effective too, or possibly even the milder Active FX or Fraxel Restore. But I'm not an expert when it comes to lasers, so please do some research. I wouldn't think you'd need Recell or fillers since your scars are so tiny.

Also jealous of the money you have for treatments. Hope you end up very happy with your results whatever you do.

 

Thank you for your response, I will keep you updated, I am currently researching many treatments, from fillers to lasers. I will update you all with pictures after I do my treatment.

Hi Guys, I'm awaiting my laser treatment with Dr. Patel which is a very new procedure called INFINI and is a much better treatment than Deep FX and he is the only surgeon in the UK to have trained on this machine with Dr Lauro and its proving to be fabulous. It's more effective than Deep FX and has much less down time. I'll try to update you as and when i undergo my treatment with photos to follow!

Here is a link to Dr. Lauro's website although it in Italian....

http://www.laser-terapia.net/centri-laser/lauro.html

It might be the lighting or angle, but honestly I don't see any scars. I'm staring at the picture, I don't see anything other than pores which all humans have.

Are you sure you have acne scars? Maybe you can upload a different angle/lighting position.

With rolling scars, they respond well to lasers, so much better than ice pick and box scars. Dragz had rolling scars which were practically corrected with a course of laser treatments. I believe he went to see Dr. Rahimi. It's in America, so I don't have much information regarding him. Also, TokyoGirl had a consultation with him. So you might want to talk to them about more with them. Also, you might want to consider someone who specialises in acne scarring treatments, instead of seeking someone who's famous but does 'everything'. In a sense, they're a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Also, if you're going down the laser route, try to see someone who specialises in light based therapies, and not someone who says they're great at subcision, great at dermabrasion, great at laser resurfacing, and great at whatever. They obviously just want your money. I don't know much about Recell, I'm afraid. And I don't think I would consider it. I just think that there's not much data regarding that procedure to take the risk.

I would suggest that you start off with Retin a to help with your texture. Also to prevent any more acne from damaging your skin. Also, you'd be doing yourself a favour in the long term since Retin a stimulates collagen production so you would be in effect prepping yourself for future treatments. Thus, gearing for a more favourable outcome, with which ever treatment you should undergo. Since the whole idea of correcting acne scars lies in collagen production.

Also, I think Lumenis Ultrapulse (Deep FX, Active FX, etc.) would be more suitable for you as the laser can target specific scars individually as is it uses a hand piece, while Fraxel repair is a rolling device that is rolled over your skin. Which means less accuracy in actually targeting scars which need specific restructuring. I mean restructuring of collagen, or something along those lines.

As for travelling, if you live in America, then definitely contact the members mentioned in my previous post, as they're all based there. I can only speak for those who live in London. If you do live in London, don't bother seeing Dr. Nick Parkhouse of the Cadogan clinic in Sloane Square. He's absolutely useless. Yes, he's an authority on scar revision, but his care for patients is found wanting. After paying over 300.00 for a consultation which converts to almost $500.00, he just said live with them. There's another doctor there who specialises in light based therapies, laser resurfacing to be precise, but I'm not willing to shell out another 300.00 for another consultation. So I went to see Dr. Tapan Patel who treated Katie Piper (the acid burns victim in the UK). That made me realise that he actually cares about his patients. Also, he was really helpful. But it is just a matter of money for me, before I can continue with my treatments.

Personally, I wouldn't go to Dr. Khan. I just have a gut feeling that's telling me he's just some money grabbing doctor.

 

You are very knowledgable and I am really thankful that you are sharing information with me. I will contact next week David Rahimi (DRaGZ and TokyoGirl seems to be really happy with the results and I could just find one bad review about him about botox so it is a good sign) and will research more Dr.Patel, I will keep this topic updated with pictures and results once I start my treatment. If anyone else have any input please share it.

Your cheek is fine! There is no scarring i see no pits.... Stop obsessing of nothing most would kill for skin to be like urs take a look at others with severe scarring on these boards and it might just give you a reality check! Not saying this to be cruel but you are putting ur life On hold and possibly money being chucked away over NOTHING!!!!!!!

 

Thatusernameisalreadytaken, if you dont have anything to contribute then please dont post your nonsense here. If I am willing to spend money on laser treatments then obviously my acne scars are bothering me and once the redness from chemical peel is gone they are more visible.

 

Hi Wrocky, have you decided on what you would do in regards to your treatments? While most people here would say that you don't have scars, perhaps its because theirs is much worse. But I can completely understand where you're coming from as some scars don't capture well on the camera but are more noticeable in person or in harsh lighting. But from your pictures I see scarred pores and very fine pitting, and textural irregularities.

I don't think fillers will help much as they're too narrow. But I suppose consulting with a doctor would be much more informative.

Keep us posted with your updates. It would be very helpful to hear what you've decided on.