hey so I have a few questions guys. first off, I did two courses of Accutane each 4 months and each 20 mg morning and 20 mg night (so 40 mg a day) for 4 months both times. I just finished my 2nd course 2 months ago and im getting pimples already..they are small but that's only because im eating very healthy. I want to eat whatever I want. I know if I eat dairy, etc. I will break out. and I hate it. so my question is, do you guys recommend I go on a third course of Accutane for 6 full months and higher dosage ? 40 mg morning 40 night so 80 mg a day? im 21, male, and 160 pounds. Please only people who know about Accutane comment.

Anyway, these are my scars..what kind of scars are these and how should I treat them? ALSO, do you guys see those two indented scars near my lips on the last pic? WHAT ARE THOSE?tthanks.

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Hey guys, I am wondering what type of scars these are and how to treat them. Specifically, in the first picture, i have two ver hyperpigmented indented scars next to my lip..what are these? the one further away from my lip has been there for like 2 years with NO improvement...i was thinking this morning actually, i have facial hair growing in the hyperpigmented spots, i shave over them, could this be why it hasnt improved at all in 2 years? thanks

Please..somebody help me. i been on 2 accutane courses and now any kind of pimple leaves a scar..:( SUPER BAD HYPERPIGMENTATION IN WHICH IF I TOUCH IT IT GETS MORE RED! nd theres dents

Hey guys so i went on accutane twice as i had moderate acne..it wasn't severe but moderate. NOW, ever since i my 2nd course- its been 3 months now..i get small little whiteheads that come and go..BUT, whenever i get anything on either of my cheeks, they are usually 2 little bumps with white tips that go away in a day but stay pink forever...remember, they are really small BUT they seem to make the whole area pink and leave an indentation. Out of these 4 in this pic, one of them has been there almost 2 years..Any advice you guys? Please help- BTW, are these even scars?? i feel like if the hyperpigmentation went away it would look fine..but idk they feel smooth but are indented in shadow. Also, you cant see the redness in the pics but they are very pinkish in person and if i touch it they become SUPER red

Hiya ScarFace!

Your photos are a little blurry, but I think I can make out some very mild scarring. Scarring is when the skin is either indented (atrophic) or raised (keloid). I think you have a few ice-pick scars, and maybe one or two boxcar scars. But, from what I can see it's not severe at all. 

Small white bumps that go away very quickly sound to me like milia. This is mild and nothing to be super concerned about. Milia will rarely cause scarring because they aren't around on your skin for long, and don't penetrate the deeper layers of your skin.

You need to keep in mind that your skin will be extremely sensitive for at least 6-9 months post any oral Accutane. Skin turnover is quite slow, and Accutane is a strong drug. If you rub your skin and it gets red easily, don't be alarmed.  It's super important for you to be putting sunscreen on every single day, regardless of whether you're indoors or outdoors, or if it's sunny or not.

Personally, I'd give your skin more time to fully bounce back from your last round of Accutane before you look at tackling any scarring. 

May I ask what your skincare regime is like? Because that's the key to better skin in the interim!  

Thank you so much quirky fox. you really helped me with your knowledge....so, today my doctor told me I have very mild scarring as well and she told me the pink bumps are actually vulgaris, saying its light pink and vbeam laser would help. she took 1 shot of v beam laser as a test spot today so we will see how it goes. However, upon reading your answer I just realized its only been 3 months since my 2nd Accutane course so maybe putting laser in my skin was a terrible idea..my regimen is shower once a day clearasonic once a day with an olay cream my girlfriend told me to use as it has no harmful chemicals to skin. I also put retin A every night before I sleep...I just hate scarring, I have a few small white pimples right now but I am obsessing over my "scars" . I use quotes around scars because im not sure if they are a scar or not sometimes..I got two white bumps that went away then REGREW right as they settled down and the spot is now pink with an indented scar.. which are the ones you see as boxcar. Thing is, I am paranoid as I feel like EVERY pimple no matter how small is laving behind a scar..is this possible?!

thanks in advance guys

I think that the only thing that will work for this is laser or skin peeling

Your scars look really mild, but I know, they are very bothersome to you. The most importantquestion is what are those white inflamed bumps you've described (quote):"... they are usually 2 little bumps with white tips that go away in a day but stay pink forever...remember, they are really small BUT they seem to make the whole area pink and leave an indentation." - acne or staph folliculitis or milia (small cysts)?To figure that one out you need to see a good dermatologist in your area, and possibly have her do a culture of one bump. In the meantime you can try some good antibacterial acne washes such as CLn Acne Cleanser with salicylic acid and bleach (YES- bleach!) which kills almost all bacteria on the skin and is getting quite popular among dermatologists.

Let's keep fighting acne together! Best! VTC

You have icepick scars, TCA cross can make improve them tremendously but i do recommend seek for a good professional to do it.
after u lift up them with the TCA cross method u can do resurfacing methods to even the skin.
good luck

thanks guys, also most of my ice pick scars are on the sides of my nose..is it safe to do laser/ tca cross on my nose?

None acne scar treatmentis 100% safe but it can turn up given you miracle results if your scars arent very deep, deep scars itself cant improve much with one treatment. Your scars seem to be shallow, your skin seems to be good, dont go for a laser. I would seek for a good professional that have the skills to do a TCA cross on you,
remember, this is not MY SKIN this is YOUR SKIN, is to up to YOU to find what is best for you and do the right research.
lasers are good but they arent more effective than the other methods, just more expensive.

thanks so much de rerum .. i have a few box car scars that ware very shallow .. is tca good on shallow box car as well? and as far as the ice pick scars .. how can i tell if they are deep or not i mean arent all ice pick scars just a hole ? wouldnt they all be deep ? but do you believe tca cross is best for ice pick over a laser say v beam laser ? by the way im middle eastern im white skinned but ethnic

You need to consult with a specialist that treats only acne scars to get the most effective treatment options. I can assure you that all who replied here are not qualified acne scar revisionists.

Your skin looks amazing

thanks for the replies guys but my scars are really getting the best of me...i feel like i keep getting a new scar a day even though im not even breaking out right now..its like im finding out i have another scar i didnt see before on a daily basis. ugh. money isnt an issue, but im scared of laser/ tca etc that will make the scarring WORSE.

man im so tired of people talking about diet etc helping skin..sure it might help..but everytime i try the "cut out dairy sugar etc" diet i cant keep it up for more than 2 weeks or so because everytime i see people eating pizza or pasta or ice cream with FLAWLESS skin i get so depressed. my best friend eats pizza literally everyday and drinks coke 24/7 he has chocolate bars with a snapple for breakfast and he gets one pimple a month that goes away in a day or two..i just wish i was normal

You need to go see a therapist dude. You have body dysmorphia.You are spamming this message board withposts and talk abouthow youre contemplating suicide. Get some help.

dan i think youre right..but i just cant...my scars are so bad and ugly man

I know its easier said than done, but you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. When everyone says that you have extremely mild scarring that is hardly noticeable to anyone without a magnifying glass, maybe theyre on to something. Your acne scars are not the reason why youre unhappy in life, and you should talk with someone to try and figure it out.

i think you are right dude...i have tons of photos of myself on my phone and i looked up body dysmorphia and i have all of those symptoms..i think about my scars 24/7 and look in the mirrior 24 freaking 7. i hate it. even if i am able to somehow convince myself that my scarring isnt even bad i still fear about getting new pimples and getting extremely bad scarring ...ugh! i went to the dermatology for cosmetic services for laser treatments and she told me to go see a therapist.

you guys seem to think this is " very mild" I have 2 huge pitted scars next to my lip, a lot of ice pick on the sides of my nose, and two huge pitted scars in the last pic next to my gotee....

I am in the same position as you men. I totally understand what you are going through. Tired of hearing people say I should be grateful for only minor scarring when it is not their face that has the problem... One thing I have noticed though is the less I mess with my skin the better it looks. I just use suncreen and moisturizer now and my large pores have gone down a little bit. I know that won't remove the scars, but the more irritated the skin is the more noticeable imperfections are.

And yes therapy actually works in this case.

thats what im doind sunscreen moisturizer retin a thats it