I had some annoying pimples and comedones that I wanted to get rid of quickly because Retin-A wasn't working fast enough (had to cut back on use this winter). The dermatologist recommended extractions and a 20% salicylic acid peel. The esthetician extracted a lot, and she's apparently an idiot because she tried to extract my colorless moles. My skin looked horrible, so she only spot-treated it with the peel. I 100% regret having the procedures done. I am scabbed and scarred and swollen beyond belief. The extractions killed my skin, and on top of that, the peeling should begin within the next 2 to 3 days. PLEASE HELP ME!!!
Before pictures and after pictures are attached. After pics are about 3 hours post-appointment. With my fair, sensitive skin, I should have known better.
I would be super gentle and try Cetaphil if you can tolerate it...I personally don't like it but a lot of people do. I would avoid any cleansers with citric or SA acid and BP, of course. Maybe cool compresses with green tea to soothe the redness. No spot treatments or anything super irritating. It looks like a wound/scab, it's just going to have to heal on its own. You could also try Metrogel if your doctor will prescribe it since it's anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, or just an anti-bacterial/wound gel but some of those can be pore clogging.
I'm going to try Elidel, and I'm calling the derm in the morning. So many scabby wounds. I'm hoping that someone can instill some hope here and say, "Hey! My face always look like that after extractions and a peel!" I've not been able to find anyone who has said it so far...
I just had an extraction of a deep cystic pimple and the site looks worse than your pictures. I've been using La Roche Posay's epidermal recovery accelerator gel and I saw a difference in 12 hours. It's suuuuuper gentle. Try that
That actually looks like it'll be fine in a week btw. Perfectly healed by then.
30 minutes ago, Nishkatt05 said:I just had an extraction of a deep cystic pimple and the site looks worse than your pictures. I've been using La Roche Posay's epidermal recovery accelerator gel and I saw a difference in 12 hours. It's suuuuuper gentle. Try that
That actually looks like it'll be fine in a week btw. Perfectly healed by then.
Have you ever tried LRP's moisturizer with any success? I'm sure your extraction site will heal soon. I'm glad you went through with it since I know it was causing you a lot of distress.
ALL Lrp products have served me really really well and I feel like my skin will break out on anything. Have you tried the Baume b5? That's a really good one if you're on the dryer side, and then there's the normal ciccaplast for normal-oily skin. I think it's gel format. But honestly you could benefit from the recovery gel also-another super gentle one designed to take away redness. Yes; the extraction sucks; saw a small dent today that is definitely an acne scar. It's tiny but I hate it. The gel has helped much with healing- I haven't scabbed at all and that's the objective and I saw a dramatic difference in redness within 12 hours.
7 minutes ago, cloudydreamer said:38 minutes ago, Nishkatt05 said:I just had an extraction of a deep cystic pimple and the site looks worse than your pictures. I've been using La Roche Posay's epidermal recovery accelerator gel and I saw a difference in 12 hours. It's suuuuuper gentle. Try that
That actually looks like it'll be fine in a week btw. Perfectly healed by then.
Have you ever tried LRP's moisturizer with any success? I'm sure your extraction site will heal soon. I'm glad you went through with it since I know it was causing you a lot of distress.
I have huge, raised, green scabbing on some areas. Also have red/brown scabbing on other areas. I can't wait to call the derm's office as soon as I wake up. Thanks for the input and support because I'm losing my mind. I used Elidel, which I'm sure helped with redness, but this yellow-green issue is very concerning. The scabs protrude so far. I haven't picked a thing or washed my face. I think the chemical peel spot treatment was fine/will be fine, but the extractions murdered my skin. Help? She also failed to fully extract a couple places, which are now larger and redder with heads forming.
TBH I wouldn't go for under the skin extractions if there is no head with just any esthetician. I would've picked a highly skilled derm to do my extractions, I feel like extraction wasn't the proper method. Should have done a series of peels instead and you would've experienced better results. I'm amazed on how brutal they were to your non-inflamed skin nodules.
I am on Minocycline already, so I'm sure that can't hurt. I went in to see the nurse (eh, LPN) at the derm's office this AM. She said everything looked normal, and the yellow-green discoloration was just platelets, not infection. Fingers crossed that I continue to see improvement... A few scabs lifted off pretty easily when I washed my face this morning. Now wearing a beard of Biafine and trying not to look!
You definitely will heal! I've been watching your progress and it all looks really normal to me. trust me, give it a week!!!!!! I understand it's hard to wait a whole week when it comes to our skin but at this point there's nothing else you can do chin up! It will heal beautifully.
Thank you!!! Seriously, I just need loads of positivity at this point. I hate that she didn't fully get at least one of these comedones, so it's still working it's way up to the surface. Ugh. I also, of course, woke up with a couple new spots on my cheek. Adding insult to injury! I never break out there, so I assume it's from crying. Just loading up on fluids to try and cleanse the skin, too.