I am putting in tags and hope that helps help find this if the post bears fruit. I know there have been a lot of posts on this already but so far I only found really old threads.
I've searched around the site and what came up are a lot of people asking for basic advice (I'll be fair, I need it too) without having their questions answered.
Background--three cycles of Accutane, three years of Aldactone, usage of topicals now and then (like benzoyl peroxide) overnight, saggy inelastic skin that now seems to purge forever if I use any topical exfoliant like glycolic acid or Retin-A, closing a door to one treatment for cell turnover.
After three years of Aldactone I am now acne-scarring and having acne mark formation with lots of little cysts, whiteheads, nodules, and perpetual blackheads. SHALLOW but visible ice pick scars and enlarged pores all over the face, but especially on the upper cheeks. Some thickened cyst-like skin (keloid scars, maybe?) in the crease of my chin.
Can someone instruct me what to buy for the ice pick scars and skin that seems to bruise/redden at the slightest physical irritation? Youtube is not helpful searching for dermastamp or dermapen guides.
I'm leaning on a .5 mm dermaroller from Owndoc but thinking about a 1.5 mm Dr. Roller dermaroller I can buy on sale.
Who has tried both at home? What did you put on your skin beforehand to reduce downtime and redness? Which hurt less and which left your skin irritated for a shorter period of time?
Any advice would be appreciated. The roller makes more sense to me, but I get the sense the derma stamp is more effective. It just seems like it's more likely to cause wounds, not healing. (I don't even know how to use it safely because it seems as damaging as picking the skin, frankly. But I am desperate to get rid of the crags and the indendations acne/inelasticity has caused. I don't think any of the products I'm using to help with the acne marks are helping anymore either; they seem to not be absorbing.)
One caveat--is it possible this is all crap and a Clarisonic brush or home microdermabrasian might be enough?
Bump
(sorry to use this forum so much--this is the product I'm looking at)
I'm getting really frustrated with the perpetual cycle of cyst/mark/scarring/sagging. http://shop.owndoc.com/product-info.php?dermastamp15-pid211.html
I don't have any experience with the dermastamp but I have been using a dermaroller for 1 1/2 years. I have the 1.5mm Dr. Roller and I LOVE IT. Definitely go with the longer needle length. Anything less than 1.5mm will not produce results. The needle length needs to be at least 1.5mm in order to stimulate collagen production. I just answered a question about dermarollers here and I also posted pictures of my results: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/321912-dermaroller-newbie-here-need-help-on-a-few-questions/page__gopid__3300067#entry3300067
As the person above this post said, don't expect miracles. It takes time to see results. The dermaroller closed up my smaller scars, improved a medium sized (actually more on the small side but larger than my smallest scars) one by 50%, and didn't help a scar I have in my smile line. It's like 2 little icepicks in there so it looks like a big wrinkle. That's the one I want gone but at least it has gotten rid of all the small ones.
No, I don't think the Claronsonic brush or home micro will work. I had about 3 months of professional micro done at a dermatologist office every 2 weeks and then after the 3 months I did it once a month for a few months. It smoothed out the new skin that formed where my little scars once were (there were a ton of them on both sides of my lips so when they closed the area was really bumpy and rough) but it did NOT get rid of the indented scars. Micro also helps with red marks.
Help! used the 1.5 mm dermaroller on saturday morning. I didn't apply any topicals after because I was afraid I'd breakout. I've just kept it clean and moisturized. Today is Monday morning and my skin feels rough and bumpy. Is that normal even after 2 days? There is definitely a textural change between the treated areas and untreated areas. I'm already sensitive about my skin texture and I'm worried I've made it worse. Is this temporary? Is it microswelling? Any advice is greatly appreciated!