Your skin looks pretty awesome to me! But I know you said it's difficult to see in the camera, which I can understand because I have some scaring that other people don't seem to notice as much as I do.

If you're concerned about the red marks you could try using a nightly AHA cream, or if they're really stubborn you could always look into using a 0.1% Retin-a (the strongest they have available.) If your skin can tolerate Retin-A and not break out.. then it is an amazing product that really helps with red marks, and sometimes after months it even seems to improve minor shallow scaring.

If it's the minor scar pits you're concerned about you could always look into laser resurfacing.. my scaring personally isn't what I would consider to be to serious compared to a lot, but I'm thinking of getting a couple session of Smartxide dot co2 laser, or maybe one session of Fraxel "re:pair".. from what I can see in your skin, I think that would also be quite effective.

Take a look into things, there are plenty of very effective options for your skin! (:

The red is just annoying to be honest as its flat but gets irritated when I shave or rub it etc so I never know what it is.

The pits do bother me but the white marks have started to bother me where I've had cysts as they're becoming more and more visible.

Thanks for the reply

Anyone else got any thoughts?

Ps. I don't think the white marks would be as prominent if the redness went away. My derm seems reluctant to give me retina and I've had it before and it did help

Do you use a razor for shaving? If so, have you considered using an electric shaver? I've just switched myself, as they tend to cause less irritation.

The stubble is a good look for you! Your skin looks pretty normal to me.

I use a beard trimmer so that I have stubble as it makes my skin look better but even that can irritate it. If you look very carefulyl at my right hand side picture (the last pic) I've got a red patch and a white patch next to each other. That red patch gets irritated and very red (it's hard to see on here) and the dermotologist doesn't even know what to do its just a flat shiny bit of skin which can look worse until I wash my face

I use a beard trimmer so that I have stubble as it makes my skin look better but even that can irritate it. If you look very carefulyl at my right hand side picture (the last pic) I've got a red patch and a white patch next to each other. That red patch gets irritated and very red (it's hard to see on here) and the dermotologist doesn't even know what to do its just a flat shiny bit of skin which can look worse until I wash my face. Oh and my foreh head is not like that! It's got lots of red marks

Sorry for no paragraphs and mistakes! Getting used to this iPhone!!

I've tried many drugstore, derm prescribed, and home remedies and the things that help me with old acne spots are this:

Glycolic acid-A thin layer under my night time moisturizer. Wow. My skin peeled over the next two days and some of the layers that came off even had a dark center where my acne marks are. I would do this the night before your weekend starts and see how it goes. The peeling sounds worse than it was. It really wasn't noticeable. My face was pretty red the next day but not awful. I do this once every 2 weeks. But if you have normal non-sensitive or allergy prone skin, you could do it once a week.

Lemon juice- apply this at night with a cotton round and let it dry. No need to rinse. It's slow going on the marks, but it does help significantly.

Aloe vera juice- apply it the same way. Reduced my redness very well and my most recent acne marks started fading. Old ones, takes longer.

Witch Hazel- TN Dickinson's in the big bottle with the blue label. I basically just soak a cotton round and use it like a compress for about 10 seconds on each part of my face. Within a day or two, a piece of skin falls off and I'm left with a lighter spot. Pretty cool.

That's what works for me. Hopefully one of them will help you out too!

 

One more thing- exfoliating with scrubs and scratchy things isn't great for me because of my skin type, but I used to use this neutrogena thing. I think it was called the wave. It was a little battery operated vibrating thing with a medicated pad on top. I just gently circulated that on my face and it definitely made my skin feel better. Nice and smooth. I've used baking soda with water too, but I was advised on here that it damages the skins natural oil barrier because it's very alkaline. Which is too bad, because I liked that even better. Again, I have fair, very thin, sensitive skin so I can't do this often. I just rely on my fingers during cleansing to get rid of dead skin.

Currently, I'm really stuck on aztec clay masks. Love the way it feels. It does different things for my skin. Unclogging pores, slight exfoliation, tightens up pores temporarily and it doesn't cause any reactions for me. I can even use this a little more often since it's fairly gentle.

Thanks for the reply. It's refreshing to hear stuff works for other people

you do have a lot of underlying redness. Reminds me of my skin. Peels, retin-a wont really help with this. I will be undergoing Ipl treatments starting July 18. This I am told will not only help with hyperpigmentation but also with the redness in my skin. You may want to look into that or the v-beam laser. Also important to wear a physical sunscreen everyday vs. a chemical sunscreen. Look for ss that has zinc in it.

The sun isn't really a problem in the UK

Any other ideas?!

Does your skin get flaky? Could be a mild form of serb dermatitis perhaps... but if you have seen a derm then i'm sure she/he would highlighted this if were the case. For the scars (there look pretty mild to be honest) people have had great results with dermarollers. Are you still using any products on your face?

Does your skin get flaky? Could be a mild form of serb dermatitis perhaps... but if you have seen a derm then i'm sure she/he would highlighted this if were the case. For the scars (there look pretty mild to be honest) people have had great results with dermarollers. Are you still using any products on your face?

Sometimes but that is due to me being on Roaccutane years ago to be honest. I use Cocoa Butter overnight which has helped so much. The day after shaving is a real pain as it dries my skin right out. I'm a bit bothered about scar treatments as I've seen Dermaroller do more harm than good. Have you had experience with it?

Yeah mate I have heard that redness does persist after Roaccutane, some people have got laser (Vbeam and IPL) for it with a lot of success, however if cocoa butter is helping then that is great. I haven't personally used dermarolling no, however i have seen some great results; in saying that I haven't really heard how they do more harm? I know it can be frustrating to not be able to achieve the results you desire, but all in all your skin looks pretty good.

Yeah mate I have heard that redness does persist after Roaccutane, some people have got laser (Vbeam and IPL) for it with a lot of success, however if cocoa butter is helping then that is great. I haven't personally used dermarolling no, however i have seen some great results; in saying that I haven't really heard how they do more harm? I know it can be frustrating to not be able to achieve the results you desire, but all in all your skin looks pretty good.

Thanks mate. You know how it is, some good days, some bad. Some people say they can't see it, some people ask how you got scarring (not nastily but it hurts still!)

My redness is weird cos it feels different to the rest of my skin but isn't acne (although it can flare up) is Vbeam available in the UK as it's one I've not seen much of?

Yeah, redness is a tricky topic, it really could be anything from scar tissue to a condition such as rosacea or serb dermatitis. Vbeam should be available in the UK, its pretty much similar to Intense pulsed light, however is much more effective for redness and post inflationary pigmentation. There is however downtime (little red marks, like poke-a-dots) that stay on your face for approx a week afterwards. If this seems like something your interested in you should do some research on it and consider your options. I really want to get it done but cant to take the time off work, which sucks.

You look mature,so maybe you will appreciate this simple method.

http://www.food.com/recipe/avocado-mask-for-all-skin-types-41579

Look into beta glucan liquid from Garden of Wisdom...this helps heal redness/ skin damage....also consider a general moisturizer like pure aloe vera or something from The Body Deli range...you could also try a natural hydrating facial vitamin spray/ mist...

Hopefully this picture can give more of an idea of my 'pits'

Would dermaroller help?

Your overall skin is quite good - so don't use any aggressive therapy...you could try single needling any pitted scars using a sterile syringe, lancet or single needle from owndoc.com (every 3-5 days for 3 weeks, then stop for month - and only puncture the pit 3 to 5 times only, leaving spaces of skin intact i.e. not punctured), followed by an application of fresh lemon lemon juice or vitamin c serum (see owndoc.com or clearskincareclinic.com.au) - remember it takes 2-3 months for collagen to reform so you won't see results until then...I don't think it would take more than 2 cycles to fill your pits (i.e. 4-6 months)...you could also use a short dermaroller i.e. 0.25mm (weekly) or 0.50mm (every 3 to 4 weeks) along vitamin c serum, beta glucan liquid or hyaluronic acid - but I don't think that's necessary at this stage in your case. You could consider a drop of two of copper peptides also, but not with the other products.

Basically, with a healthy diet, beta glucan liquid topical (and possibly caps for internal use) & single needling your pitted scars, you should see your skin totally heal with 6-12 months. What might further help your overall complexion is a low-med strength retin a used once or twice per week only (don't go overboard or you'll thin your skin/ make it peel/ red). Retin a helps give your skin a smoother/ polished appearance. Use it for a year only. Then source a 100% natural, organic, gentle skincare range like Jes Oganics or The Body Deli to use thereafter. Just don't fuss with your skin too much....keep it simple & healthy....

Also, whatever you do, only treat the areas that need it and LEAVE the areas where your skin is healthy well alone. You can, however, apply beta glucan liquid to your entire face as it it highly beneficial for your skin.

As for peels, stay away from it in your case, and never use it conjunction with retin a. Cheers

PS If you need extra help after 3 months, you could test massaging your pitted skin with something like grapeseed oil/ primrose oil or avogen/ unprocessed avocado oil for 10-15 minutes post single needling too...I found this very helpful in my own case....(NB you can wash off the oil after the massage)....

Thanks for the reply... Needling is definitely something I'm going to look at

I also think it'll help my right cheek as that is quite pitty. The only problem I have is I still have red patches that feel different to the rest of the skin and no one can work out what they are even a derm!

Would fillers help these scars at all if I was going for that option? my face is quite pitty in other areas but this picture doesn't show that

I too have redness from major BP damage...but it's slowly going down with beta glucan liquid & my supergreen powder (chlorella/ spirulina/ barley grass/ wheat grass) face mask with fresh lemon juice + manuka honey....the redness shows your skin is injured & it's trying to heal itself...that will go away when your skin totally heals itself...you also need to reestablish the skin's natural lipid barrier...a poster called Alternavista noted the importance of linoleic acid (found in grapeseed/ primrose oil etc) for topical use to help heal the skin. You could also try the 302 line recommended by Panos which has avogen. Otherwise, try a weekly avocado facemask with a teaspoon of safflower oil (this is high in linoleic oil).

There's also lots of professional skin/ scar treatment serums that you could experiment using with the short roller such as Dermefface Fx7 http://www.dermeffacefx7.com/; DNA Scar Therapy http://www.dnaegfrenewal.com/dnaegf-dna-scar-therapy.html etc .I have not tried them but they look okay...

Also, retinaldehyde is another form of retin a that is specifically helpful for healing red skin. I know this is found in the Pure Skin Junkie range as well as BION Research and Osmosis. Otherwise, you could ask your derm if they could recommend a skincare brand/ oinment with retinaldehyde for you.

As for fillers, whatever, you do don't get permanent ones or you might end up with worse looking skin... look for natural fillers only i.e. ones that last about 6 months that use either hyaluronic acid or your own body fat. However, this is a temporary fix and your problems will keep propping up. Honestly, the best advice I can give you or anyone with scarring is to face your skin issues fully & proactively now so you don't deal with them for another 10 + years! For example, in my own case, I was in MAJOR denial about the severity of skin issues for a very long time because I thought they would resolve naturally on their own in time. Thus, I would only look into mirrors that showed my skin in the most flattering light & avoid other mirrors like the plague... I also sought areas to socialise/ sit/ stand/ walk etc where the light would not capture my faults so harshly. Needless to say, this was all very draining emotionally & psychologically. And I did this "searching for better lighting dance" for many years...

It was only when I finally gathered the inner courage & strength to look at my skin very closely with a handheld mirror in the most unflattering daylight & other harsh lighting that I could finally assess the real extent of my skin damage. This was so incredibly painful to do. I was astounded & demoralized at just how severe my skin problems were.

After wallowing in abject sorrow & self pity for a good week, I finally decided to take positive action & rectify my skin problems once & for all. And I have, well, just about.....of course, it wasn't smooth sailing & it did take a few years, but my skin is transforming everyday & I now KNOW scars can TOTALLY heal & skin can totally return back to normal/ health. (NB In the early stages of healing your skin, I recommend only looking at your skin close-up in harsh lighting once a month -that is, if you are committed to healing your skin - otherwise, you could just make yourself more miserable....but after 6-12 months, as you start to see definite signs of healing, you'll actually look forward to assessing your skin close-up in harsh lighting because you'll be amazed just how far your skin has healed and how great it can look! )

Btw, it will take between 6-12 months to heal scars, sometimes even 1-2 years plus. But it's better to start earlier rather than latter (as I did). Your future self will thank you greatly if you take consistent action now....

Just remember, scars & skin WILL heal 100%, but you must use good mesotherapy/ key topicals/ eat very healthy/ drink healthy/ exercise gently regularly and give yourself ample time to heal itself....

All the best!

PS Stay away from harsh chemical/ acne washes/ soaps & tap water (these can strip your skin of its natural sebum protection & make it red)....instead try not washing your skin everyday & use a face spray like Evian water facial mist ..you can then gently wipe your skin with a tissue or a 100% natural facial wipe like "Pink Wipes".

I too have redness from major BP damage...but it's slowly going down with beta glucan liquid & my supergreen powder (chlorella/ spirulina/ barley grass/ wheat grass) face mask with fresh lemon juice + manuka honey....the redness shows your skin is injured & it's trying to heal itself...that will go away when your skin totally heals itself...you also need to reestablish the skin's natural lipid barrier...a poster called Alternavista noted the importance of linoleic acid (found in grapeseed/ primrose oil etc) for topical use to help heal the skin. You could also try the 302 line recommended by Panos which has avogen. Otherwise, try a weekly avocado facemask with a teaspoon of safflower oil (this is high in linoleic oil).

There's also lots of professional skin/ scar treatment serums that you could experiment using with the short roller such as Dermefface Fx7 http://www.dermeffacefx7.com/; DNA Scar Therapy http://www.dnaegfrenewal.com/dnaegf-dna-scar-therapy.html etc .I have not tried them but they look okay...

Also, retinaldehyde is another form of retin a that is specifically helpful for healing red skin. I know this is found in the Pure Skin Junkie range as well as BION Research and Osmosis. Otherwise, you could ask your derm if they could recommend a skincare brand/ oinment with retinaldehyde for you.

As for fillers, whatever, you do don't get permanent ones or you might end up with worse looking skin... look for natural fillers only i.e. ones that last about 6 months that use either hyaluronic acid or your own body fat. However, this is a temporary fix and your problems will keep propping up. Honestly, the best advice I can give you or anyone with scarring is to face your skin issues fully & proactively now so you don't deal with them for another 10 + years! For example, in my own case, I was in MAJOR denial about the severity of skin issues for a very long time because I thought they would resolve naturally on their own in time. Thus, I would only look into mirrors that showed my skin in the most flattering light & avoid other mirrors like the plague... I also sought areas to socialise/ sit/ stand/ walk etc where the light would not capture my faults so harshly. Needless to say, this was all very draining emotionally & psychologically. And I did this "searching for better lighting dance" for many years...

It was only when I finally gathered the inner courage & strength to look at my skin very closely with a handheld mirror in the most unflattering daylight & other harsh lighting that I could finally assess the real extent of my skin damage. This was so incredibly painful to do. I was astounded & demoralized at just how severe my skin problems were.

After wallowing in abject sorrow & self pity for a good week, I finally decided to take positive action & rectify my skin problems once & for all. And I have, well, just about.....of course, it wasn't smooth sailing & it did take a few years, but my skin is transforming everyday & I now KNOW scars can TOTALLY heal & skin can totally return back to normal/ health. (NB In the early stages of healing your skin, I recommend only looking at your skin close-up in harsh lighting once a month -that is, if you are committed to healing your skin - otherwise, you could just make yourself more miserable....but after 6-12 months, as you start to see definite signs of healing, you'll actually look forward to assessing your skin close-up in harsh lighting because you'll be amazed just how far your skin has healed and how great it can look! )

Btw, it will take between 6-12 months to heal scars, sometimes even 1-2 years plus. But it's better to start earlier rather than latter (as I did). Your future self will thank you greatly if you take consistent action now....

Just remember, scars & skin WILL heal 100%, but you must use good mesotherapy/ key topicals/ eat very healthy/ drink healthy/ exercise gently regularly and give yourself ample time to heal itself....

All the best!

PS Stay away from harsh chemical/ acne washes/ soaps & tap water (these can strip your skin of its natural sebum protection & make it red)....instead try not washing your skin everyday & use a face spray like Evian water facial mist ..you can then gently wipe your skin with a tissue or a 100% natural facial wipe like "Pink Wipes".

I've certainly been there with mirrors and lighting. It doesn't help when people who can physically see your skin say "oh it looks fine" because they don't want to hurt you. Then something will happen like a letter from my GP to my derm saying, upon examination, I have a lot of pitted scarring! The same derm also claimed in the letter that he'd said my pits might flatten out which is a lie as he didn't say anything like that.

The redness is actually a lot better than it used to be but its the pits that bother me

So, 4 months on and I have had a written apology from the NHS (it took long enough but doesn't help my skin!!) stating the the derm I saw was 'new' and thank you for my input as it would help him in the future.

I'd say that him telling me my pits will 'even out' after a while needs more than a bit of 'learning'

Anyway, my skin is pretty much the same although I've had a 'bad skin day' the last 2 days I also seem to have developed some white patches that don't tan when I go away so it makes it look even worse

Next derm appointment is 2nd December

Please ignore all the people in here saying to rub random stuff on your face saying it will make your scars go away.

I'm not sure about your white patches (maybe just dry skin?) - but for your scars, you seem like a perfect candidate in terms of skin type for a few aggressive fractional co2 treatments on your cheeks. It should give you decent improvement.

I agree with acnescar123. Indented scars are actual lost bits of skin tissue and, as such, will not regenerate with avocado cream or something. The only topicals that could do anything to help your scars are retinoids/copper peptides. You would get good improvement from dermarolling, fractional co2 lasers, fillers, and subcision.

Thankfully, your scars are not obvious because of your stubble. If you shaved, they would would be more visible, but you seem to pull off the stubbled look quite well. Good luck mate.