Shallow scar? As in pitted?

I'm sure they'll go away eventually. To help the heal faster I'd load up on vitamin C and eat some pineapple too.

They are not scars, just scratches...it looks like a cat scratched my face. If I put makeup on, they will be covered so they are not deep. Just got a text from the esthetician saying not to do anything harsh on my skin and she also said "I'm sorry". Well, that makes me feel even more nervous. She probably messed up and she knows it.

Any other tips on how to help the scratches heal? I put some aloe on them because they were itchy, and I already took my vitamin C.

Do you know what kind of facial she used on you? Like a glycolic peel?

I found a photo the tool she used that caused the scratching, it's called a skin spatula. The peels she used on me burned like hell after the exfoliated with this spatula. I got a pumpkin peel and an ormedic aloe peel, which I'm used to getting but this time they burned and now I know it was because my face was scratched.

Has anyone used this spatula before? It's supposed to remove the top layer of the skin but not as invasively as microderm.

I've never used it before.

If the scratches are shallow enough and don't get infected, you have a good chance they'll heal properly.

I really hope she properly sterilized the tool.

Be vigilant for infection. Try to avoid the sun if possible and wear SPF 30+, preferably with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Use mild cleansers and moisturizers like Aquaphor.

It's a good idea to see a doctor, just for a precautionary measure.

If it was a new tool to her then maybe she hadn't used it much / at all before. I assume if scratches were a normal part of the procedure she would have let you know before starting to use it with you. So I think you're right that she might have messed up and knows it...

But I wouldn't worry - they'll heal like any other normal scratch I'm sure. And itching often comes along with healing skin / scratches/grazes in my experience anyway.

I think aloe is a good idea to use. You could also look at over the counter type creams often used for scratches, mild burns etc (antiseptic type creams) but I'd be careful putting something like that on facial skin and whether they could cause breakouts. I think just giving it time would be the best thing in letting them heal.

I'd also keep the scratches moist. Aloe is good and so is vaseline and polysporin.

Thanks...I will try those. Aloe is helping a lot, and I just put a honey mask on to help with inflammation. I think the spatula was sterilized. I'm a bit nervous about using polysporin because it usually has mineral oil and I break out from that. If it gets to that point, though, I might have to go to the pharmacy and see what they'd recommend. It's so stupid that I went in to fix one problem and now I have another issue to deal with. I'd better get a free facial or something!

Do you guys think that putting the peel on over the scratches after using the spatula could have made things worse? I mean, my skin felt like it was on fire, but she said it's normal for the peel to cause this reaction. I knew something was off, but she dismissed my discomfort and kept layering on products that were stinging my skin (which other times were fine on my skin). Could that have made it worse?

EDIT: I couldn't take a decent pic of my scratches bc my camera doesn't pick them up, but they look similar(but fewer) to this girls microderm scratches. Hers seem to have healed within a week. Do you think those type of scratches always heal? (direct links don't work today for some reason, copy & paste into your browser)

http://kapachino.info/2010/08/how-groupon-made-me-a-masochist/

I don't know if that would have made it worse (as in worsening scratches as they would have already been made / caused) - but it would have made it feel worse because you'd be putting the glycolic on an 'open wound' right? I'm just going from what I know of using AHA cream over spots I've picked at - that burns like hell! Though AHA on it's own / with normal or un-broken skin still burns for me (mainly if I use too much).

I think those type of scratches would definitely still heal. I don't see why they wouldn't. If anything, maybe you'd be left with a faint mark after they'd healed / the 'roughness' had gone but that faint mark would go away with a little more time. Just think of any other scratch or graze you've had - I imagine it would be like that really.

opefully it goes well for you and does heal quickly

Edit: - Sorry - Just realised you said it wasn't a glycolic peel. But I still imagine it would be the same thing - wouldn't have made the scratches worse just made things feel worse as it was on open skin/wounds.

Thanks for the tips lilly. Yeah, it was a pumpkin peel with lactic acid, and then she also used an aloe peel, which is normally gentle but this time it burnt a lot. I wasn't sure if peeling the upper layer of the skin and causing wounds/scratches might help collagen production, like dermarolling/ stamping does, or if it's just an unfortunate accident with the spatula. I'll update tomorrow if there's a change...right now I still have the honey on and the itchiness has stopped so at least it's not uncomfortable anymore. I will sleep with aloe on my face once I wash the honey off.

Dermabrasion techniques are commonly used to enhance the penetration of a peel. Dermabrasion has to be uniform to make sure the peel penetrates evenly and to minimize complications.

She shouldn't have applied the peel after excessively scratching you, especially if she knew it. I would at the very least submit a complaint.

Lactic acid is a strong humectant, and can actually dry out the skin if used in high concentrations. So, don't be surprised if you have drier, flakier skin around there than normal.

Did she tell you the percentages of pumpkin, lactic acid, and aloe she used?

This is what it looks like this morning. I had to put makeup on to go to work. I hope makeup doesn't make things worse.

Do you think this will heal? The scratches have scabs today.

My skin is flaking a bit, but for now it's manageable. The texture in the non scratched areas is great, which annoys me even more because the scratches are there.

Hmm...not sure what % peels she used, I texted her photos today and haven't heard from her yet. But it's the same concentration she has used on me before with no problems. I think it's because of the scratches that those peels burned. She let them on my skin for a few minutes, even after I said it was burning me.

It's a good idea to ask what concentration she used. She's supposed to tell you before the peel, anyway, as well as what penetration enhancers she used.

She's also supposed to give you instructions for after-procedure care. If she does nothing/ignores you, you likely have grounds for a lawsuit. (I'm throwing that out there just in case.)

I'm going to assume that the pic and lighting is somewhat inaccurate.

As for healing properly, it really depends how well you take care of your skin, like if you diligently use sunscreen. I'd expect it to subside within 2-4 weeks. You may be left with some longer-lasting red marks or hyperpigmentation problems, though.

It's possible for makeup to make things worse, but that depends on the strength of the chemical peel. Since I don't know what concentration she used, it's best to not use makeup. The heavy metals in makeup may deposit deeper into the skin before healing and cause permanent damage. Remove your makeup ASAP!

Edit: Did she make you sign any papers before the procedure?

I saw a pharmacist at CVS earlier and he said it should heal, just keep putting aloe on it. He said it's no big deal, as long as it doesn't get infected. I took my makeup off and one of the scabs is bleeding, and I see tiny bumps forming under the surface. It's definitely a reaction. I told the esthetician that I'm very upset, and she told me to go in on Monday so she can have me lay under a "calming light"...whatever the heck that is, I'm assuming a blue or red light. I don't think that's gonna help much at this point.

I signed a form when I joined the spa's membership program in August and I think there was a waiver about procedures, but normally they make you sign after these type of procedures. I never asked for it, she just did it as an extra treatment, so I wasn't even prepared to have my skin scraped off.

If you did in fact sign a waiver, you might not be able to do anything about it legally. It depends on the waiver and the laws. Sometimes, spas don't have waivers!

I don't think she has the LED/light equipment to adequately treat any kind of inflammation, or the skills and experience behind her.

I hope you recover scar and hyperpigmentation-free!

Thanks! Well, apart from this blunder, she usually improves my skin so I tried not to yell at her or anything. She offered to do 2-3 free light treatments with a calming mask...should I even bother? I'm worried that anything might trigger my redness again...I mean, even the honey mask I did last night didn't feel as comfortable as usual, so if something mild like honey could bother me, I can't imagine a mask that will not cause a reaction.

I don't know what machines she has, but I really doubt they're the right kind or have higher settings.

Realistically, the only mask that could help would be one with 1-2% colloidal oatmeal. There's a Dermalogica mask that's commonly used in spas, and it's apparently a larger size of the OTC UltraCalming Relief Masque. I can't confirm it, since I can't find the ingredients list to the bulk size.

I wouldn't get the mask. It could have ginger extract, which is inflammatory. It's quite effective, and commonly used in lip plumpers and "30 second" wrinkle creams to puff up the skin to reduce the wrinkle appearance. I can imagine this would make your skin worse.

So, I wouldn't get the mask or the light treatments. If I were you, I'd use a really bland moisturizer like Aquaphor (it and stuff like it has 6 or so ingredients) to minimize the risk of aggravating inflammation, and maybe even use a 1% hydrocortisone cream when necessary.

What about just plain oatmeal as a mask? I haven't tried that. The redness has gone down a bit, but now the scratches are more noticeable. They all have scabs.

Plain oatmeal or oatmeal extracts aren't the same as colloidal oatmeal. Plain oatmeal was and still is used as a home remedy, but not as effective as colloidal oatmeal itself. This is because colloidal oatmeal is prepared in a special way (getting very finely ground and boiled, etc.) That's how it can form a protective barrier.

Keep in mind that since masks are washed off, leave-on (lotions/products/preparations) are better. Also, colloidal oatmeal still has a the potential to be irritant or cause allergic reactions, but it's very, very low. It's most common in those with eczema.

Yeah, anything that requires washing off hurts a bit. Even washing off the honey from my face is not pleasant, but it helped with the inflammation. I see a few tiny bumps under the surface...which could mean a reaction. Any chance I will break out days after the facial? Or should I have broken out by now if I were to react to the facial?

The esthetician also used a dermafile, which is like a scrub for dead skin cells. But I think what cut me was the spatula because the cuts are in lines.

I still want to get something from the spa as a reimbursement for doing this to my skin. I don't want to report the esthetician to her boss because she doesn't get paid much to begin with, and also we became friends since she has been treating my skin for 6 months now. I don't think she'll reimburse me because this means her boss will have to know, so I would like to get some free services to at least make up for it. The LED they have is multi-paneled and it's quite strong, and they also have high frequency and pulsed light machines. Not sure what I will be able to tolerate, but the LED is mild. I just don't wanna end up with burns on my skin on top of this.

I would never go back to an esthetician that did that to me. Honestly those scratches did not look good and no professional should make your skin look that way. I certainly would not let her come near me with any type of other treatment. I would only use Aquaphor or Vaseline, something that is used by doctors and hospitals for wound healing and prevention of infection. I'm sure it will heal completely but you would be taking a big chance with your skin to ever go back to someone so unskilled.

@kamanda, what you are saying definitely makes sense. Believe me, I was so mad I cried today because this ruined my whole weekend (and who knows how many more days). I couldn't go out in the sun, couldn't relax.... I'm shocked that she did such an irresponsible thing, especially after working on my skin for months to restore my PH and get it back to a healthy state. The reason why I don't want to cut off ties with her is because she was the only esthetician who helped me when others said my skin was hopeless and that I needed fraxel. Thanks to her, my pock marks and rolling scars have diminished significantly, to the point where they don't bother me as much. I'm usually a forgiving person, but I don't want to gamble with my skin. On the other hand, finding a new esthetician who will take care of my skin is impossible in my area. I always end up with infections, allergic reactions, inflammation....so part of the blame is on my sensitive skin. I'll have to think carefully what to do I guess. For now, I won't let anyone touch my face at this state :/

Unfortunately, I can't use aquaphor because it has mineral oil and bothers my skin...maybe vaseline, I used to use it on my lips but I stopped once I read about the health risks. But if it comes to that I might try it for a few days to prevent the wounds from getting infected.

I really hope those tiny bumps aren't signs of infection. Infection tends to have a rapid onset, but it depends on the bacteria or fungus, and if your immune system is impaired.

It's not uncommon for irritant or allergic reactions to be delayed. They can occur 72 hours or later.

You are in quite a conundrum there, befriending the esthetician. I agree with KAmanda in not going back, but that's what I would personally do. The esthetician should've carefully passed over/exfoliated your skin and checked for excessive scratching with each pass, in my opinion.

At the very least, I'd wait for the scratches to fully heal before getting any other treatment. It's too risky to put uncontrolled inflammation on top of potentially uncontrolled inflammation and wind up getting pitted scars over it.

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Aww, crap. I just noticed and read your last post and now I feel even worse for you!

I don't know if you know this, but have you ever heard of realself.com? You can find a local plastic surgeon or dermatologist at this link: http://www.realself.com/find

Quite a few specialize in cosmetic dermatology and use peels. Lots of them offer very mild "lunchtime" peels.

Edit: Have you ever used glycolic peels or Jessner's solution, or is your skin too sensitive? Jessner's has 14% lactic acid, 14% salicylic acid, and 14% resorcinol in it.