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Recommendations+for+a+London+based+doctor+who's+a+pro+with+filler.+Plus+review+of+Dr+Lim.

 
MemberMember
14
(@abigail29)

Posted : 12/03/2017 4:32 pm

Hey Team,

So here's my story. I have mixed scarring, a bit of everything, and it's never really bothered me. However the last few years my scarring got worse and it started to REALLY grind on me. I was living in Vietnam and had a Co2 fractional laser + infini treatment done. A really quite intrusive co2 laser, I had over a week of downtime. Did it make my skin better? No not really, and I was left with lots of gridding  and huge pores. £2000 well spent. 

Moving on, I decide to physically move to Australia and see the famous Dr Lim. Treatment cost was over $5000 and I had an erbium fully ablative laser and co2 fractional. 
Firstly ALL of the persistent gridding went, apart from around the corners of my eyes where he didn't treat. 
Secondly I did see about a 50-60% improvement, my scars looked a lot softer than before. And although I didn't really notice it, looking at the before and after son the screen there was a huge difference. 
He really is the man for treatment. Couldn't recommend him enough, he just knows what he's doing and no BS.

Anyway I'm back in jolly old London and I want to finish what I started. I massively regret turning down fillers from Dr Lim but I didn't have the money at the time. 

So my question to all you lovely lot is....

Who can you recommend for fillers in London? 

I've been reading about Dr Renee Hoenderkamp at the non surgical clinic, but would really appreciate any help. In return I'll be your guinea pig and provide some before and afters. 

Thanks guys :)

* for fillers I'm only trying to target my larger boxcar scars and rolling scars. If Dr Lim said I'm a candidate for fillers, I'm a candidate for fillers. 

P.s Sorry i I don't have any before and afters of my laser with Dr Lim. 

dazzed liked
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1750
(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 12/03/2017 5:31 pm

Go see Dr. Chu in London or Dr Emil in Denmark, both can do this. They are in our recommendations top of the scar sub, faq.

There are several other great Drs who do filler but are not related to scars, remember if you need augmentation of the whole cheek don't have the pits filled, and if you have fat deficient deeper pits then they can spot treat those.

Without pics, I cannot guide you more for filler as there are so many variations and types.

Dr Sebagh is also famous for fillers, in the UK I believe. He is not a acne scar DR FYI, just a master injector for any skin type, he does videos on Youtube.

AbigaiL29 liked
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MemberMember
14
(@abigail29)

Posted : 12/03/2017 6:58 pm

Lovely thank you! 

My scars are quite shallow now that Dr Lim lasered my face off and I don't think there is too much fat loss.

Im also thinking about skin boosters. Either way, I'm going to try and get some treatment done soon which I can hopefully review :)

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424
(@obi-wan)

Posted : 12/04/2017 2:18 am

Dr Lim recommends Prof Tony Chu, he also works closely with Dr Emil. In fact word has it he refers quite a few of his patients from Europe to Chu and Emil to finish off his treatments, if you email Dr Lim he will write a detailed letter to Chu or Emil with your parameters. He also specifies what treatment parameters he uses, so that others may share-comment. Lasers do not usually cause fat loss, why? Because I think he uses erbium and hybrid CO2- this means the target is water. This ablative mode means only the scars on the upper layers are treated (providing you have grids- the target is just 400 to 500 microns, or 0.5mm. This ensures safety. If heat transfer to the deeper layers, its only down to .8 mm - big safety margin compared to someone who say does triple stacking of Infini RF at 3.5 mm, hence fat loss not an issue in YOUR case. Good to know you had results from Lim.

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MemberMember
14
(@abigail29)

Posted : 12/04/2017 6:19 am

Thanks guys,

Dr Lim did recommend me someone for London, but I can't remember who it was, it was definitely not Dr Chu though (because I've heard of him, I would of remembered). He said it was someone he worked with once I believe, said he as expensive but was the best with fillers. 

I couldnt find anything on Dr Chu's site about fillers, only more treatments with downtime. Dr Lim recommended to just have fillers done and no more treatment as I've had so much done. 

Maybe I'll just email Dr Lim :)

 

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MemberMember
47
(@ailaeshiz)

Posted : 12/04/2017 10:55 pm

20 hours ago, Obi wan said:

Dr Lim recommends Prof Tony Chu, he also works closely with Dr Emil. In fact word has it he refers quite a few of his patients from Europe to Chu and Emil to finish off his treatments, if you email Dr Lim he will write a detailed letter to Chu or Emil with your parameters. He also specifies what treatment parameters he uses, so that others may share-comment. Lasers do not usually cause fat loss, why? Because I think he uses erbium and hybrid CO2- this means the target is water. This ablative mode means only the scars on the upper layers are treated (providing you have grids- the target is just 400 to 500 microns, or 0.5mm. This ensures safety. If heat transfer to the deeper layers, its only down to .8 mm - big safety margin compared to someone who say does triple stacking of Infini RF at 3.5 mm, hence fat loss not an issue in YOUR case. Good to know you had results from Lim.

This is so interesting. Do all doctors follow this practice (of targeting water at deeper layers)? If not, why not?

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MemberMember
424
(@obi-wan)

Posted : 12/05/2017 12:57 am

Dr Nick Lowe was the pioneer of laser dermatology and aesthetics in the UK, however his interest is in cosmetics more so than scarring, whilst Chu and Emil, like Lim lean towards scarring and aesthetic dermatology as secondary. No, the target of CO2 and Erbium, known as the chromophore is due to the physics of the wavelength- the peak target is water. This is found in the dermal layers as well as the epidermis. There is no specific targeting of collagen- scars. It gets more complex than this as non specific trauma such as needling, or even pico lasers create LIOB or laser induced optical bodies. This is purely epidermal, but science has discovered that 'cytokines' can remodel the dermis, even though the signaling is epidermal. Complex. The race is not to find the cytokine or molecule that 'remodels collagen'. Find it, synthetically manufacture it, and deliver it into the dermal layers, and we have a no downtime treatment for certain scar types. Find a delivery system as a topical that can penetrate the epidermis, than you actually have a scar removal cream that WORKS. Timeline for this? 10- 20 years, but it will happen as its a race to find the cytokine or molecule that evokes or initiates this cascade. Dr Emil Tangetti found this, and Dr Lim proved this in the Fraxel 1927 studies- namely very superficial treatments create a dermal response to cause collagen remodelling.

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MemberMember
456
(@sirius-lee)

Posted : 12/05/2017 1:07 am

3 minutes ago, Obi wan said:

namely very superficial treatments create a dermal response to cause collagen remodelling.

Wait! I always thought trauma to the skin, no matter how slight, be it in the dermis or epidermis, can cause scars (after all, scar tissue is part of our bodily defense). Isn't that the same premise?

So, if the laser "damages" our skin, well, there will be disruption to the collagen...hence, remodeling, no?

ailaeshiz liked
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47
(@ailaeshiz)

Posted : 12/05/2017 2:59 am

@Obi wan wow, that's completely bonkers. It almost sounds like a miracle cure.

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84
(@noa27)

Posted : 12/05/2017 6:18 am

Next year i will visit Dr. Henningsen. Since it is a 7 hour drive, my dad will come with me. I have the sweetest dad :D

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MemberMember
14
(@abigail29)

Posted : 12/05/2017 2:03 pm

Quick question.

So I'm looking into Dr Chu, I've heard of him before.
But whenever I read reviews about him its all about subcision. Just not sure if subcision method would work for me? I have shallow boxcar and rolling scars and if i pull on my skin they disapear, I thought this meant they were not tethered and subcision wasn't ideal?

Or do I need scars subcised first then filled?

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MemberMember
47
(@ailaeshiz)

Posted : 12/05/2017 5:42 pm

Sorry for hijacking your thread, but here's a study that references the laser induced optical breakdown technology @Obi wan was talking about.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3637889/#!po=42.6471

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Guest
0
(@Anonymous)

Posted : 12/05/2017 6:42 pm

4 hours ago, Abigaillara said:

Quick question. 

So I'm looking into Dr Chu, I've heard of him before. 
But whenever I read reviews about him its all about subcision. Just not sure if subcision method would work for me? I have shallow boxcar and rolling scars and if i pull on my skin they disapear, I thought this meant they were not tethered and subcision wasn't ideal?

Or do I need scars subcised first then filled? 
 

It means the tethers are not strong but filler will work well but you still need to subcise the scar to inject filler into a pocket.
:)

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MemberMember
14
(@abigail29)

Posted : 12/05/2017 6:56 pm

1 minute ago, Quadboy said:
It means the tethers are not strong but filler will work well but you still need to subcise the scar to inject filler into a pocket.
:)

Thank you for explaining! I was so confused because Dr Lim never mentioned subcision to me. Then in his latest email he use subcision + filler in the same sentence. 

I am seeing Dr Renee Hoenderkamp this weekend. She wrote the below article 

https://aestheticsjournal.com/feature/treating-acne-scarring-with-fillers

She is not a dermatologist, but I've seen a review on realself from a girl with similar skin to mine and good results (had also spent $$ on lasers). I thought her article was pretty good she mentions subcising the scar first and seems to get results. She offers skin boosters and fillers. I'm tempted to get the skin boosters because more than anything my skin needs a bit of TLC after all the lasers I've put it through.

Ill try and post some before and after pictures. The treatment itself may only be temporary, but after all I've spent I don't mind temporary as long it works! 

Dr Lim did recommend Dr Chu in his recent email to me. But I don't want to spend the money/ go on a huge wait list. I'll consider him in the future if this doesn't work out. 

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MemberMember
11
(@coconutrough)

Posted : 12/05/2017 8:29 pm

On 12/4/2017 at 0:19 PM, Abigaillara said:

Dr Lim did recommend me someone for London, but I can't remember who it was, it was definitely not Dr Chu though (because I've heard of him, I would of remembered). He said it was someone he worked with once I believe, said he as expensive but was the best with fillers.

best with fillers..? I wish I knew his name

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MemberMember
8
(@utmostgeese)

Posted : 12/06/2017 9:27 am

I was under the impression Dr chu did not do fillers.

I was looking at the same article just this weekend! Keen to hear about your consultation. Thanks!

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MemberMember
14
(@abigail29)

Posted : 12/06/2017 9:31 am

1 minute ago, UtmostGeese said:

I was under the impression Dr chu did not do fillers.

I was looking at the same article just this weekend! Keen to hear about your consultation. Thanks!

The consultation is free so I figured it would be worth a shot!

I was also under the same impression that Dr Chu didn't do fillers. Although everyone speaks highly of him, I've read reviews saying people got minimal results.

Maybe when I have more money I'll see Dr Chu. But I've already spent 6000 in the last two years alone.

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MemberMember
1750
(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 12/06/2017 11:39 am

Let us know how you do. There are many people who can do filler Drs and Nurses who are expert injectors. They do this a majority of their day. I would not say goto them for Laser for Acne Scars, or expert acne scar treatments. But they key treatment here is "filler" as such there are tons of options.

Let us know how you do with the person you found from the journal.

Regarding Chu, every Dr has bad reviews. This comes from unrealistic expectations. When you are treating thousands like Chu, ... you will have people who judge you from your poor healing capabilities (in general) ... this is 70% of scar healing - with the other percentage the Dr's skill. Also noncompliance of treatment. Changing Drs and trying new things often. One day after the procedure judging the results - Ittaking to long (many do not know scar work can take 3 years with ones life / down time availability - Collagen is not quick to form). So if I go for one subcision, and see "minimal" results. Well I did not do multiple subcisions. I did not use filler or vacuum (Chinese cupping) potentially. I expected one treatment to fix all of my scars permanently and did not want to go through the long hard road or in the OP's case " 6000 in the last two years alone." We have had many reports of Chu being fairly priced (not out for the money) and able to do subcision. If you need to goto someone else for filler that is easy, find a expert injector after your treatment or do Chinese cupping (amazon) for shallow scars. Be aware when looking for reviews on real self, people go there to bitch about treatment - not say how wonderful it was. So it's a small percentage. Take the reviews from several sources and often good drs have videos showing their work. The OP needs skill with filler here "not acne scars" per say.

Regarding what @Obi wansaid above. This is basics of any energy based therapy. It uses your bodies ability to heal. It creates energy based wounding to stimulate collagen / healing. Think about it, this is what acne scar revision is, wounding (needling / peels/ subcision / fillers/lasers/Infini), and stimulating healing. The thought is one has to minimize thermal damage or other side effects through the remodeling process. This is why we offer peels, not a lot of people have the faith in their Dr to do these procedures with them and not get side effects. Very few know their way around lasers and the effects of their use - instead doing set it and forget it, the doctor's skill is very important here. As such I think it's easier to find someone for acid peels for resurfacing than a good laser based aesthetics dr who specializes in acne scars. Don't wait out 20 years for the next big cure that can be injected, not only would that effect your quality of life but your psyche and we age creating worse issues over 20 years (this clock never stops). Treat to be able to function and move on with life. There are people obsessing under scar less healing thread some 300 pages in the acne scar sub with the next big thing (SkinTE and Sudogel, lots of promises with few results in this category, ...listen to Obi 20 years) by that time we will be 3D printing organs. The obsession drives some people of perfection and for some 60-70% of their body is covered in scars so we are going beyond cosmetic facial treatments.

Be Well

AbigaiL29 liked
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51
(@arte90)

Posted : 12/07/2017 6:24 am

On 5-12-2017 at 0:18 PM, Noa27 said:

Next year i will visit Dr. Henningsen. Since it is a 7 hour drive, my dad will come with me. I have the sweetest dad :D

Good luck Noa! Please update us on how it goes, I'm very curious.
I wish I had a car myself :D

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12
(@motherofms)

Posted : 12/07/2017 7:01 am

On 12/6/2017 at 0:56 AM, Abigaillara said:
I am seeing Dr Renee Hoenderkamp this weekend. She wrote the below article

https://aestheticsjournal.com/feature/treating-acne-scarring-with-fillers

She is not a dermatologist, but I've seen a review on realself from a girl with similar skin to mine and good results (had also spent $$ on lasers). I thought her article was pretty good she mentions subcising the scar first and seems to get results. She offers skin boosters and fillers. I'm tempted to get the skin boosters because more than anything my skin needs a bit of TLC after all the lasers I've put it through.

Is this the review you saw? I looked into skin boosters recently when my doc recommended them. BA suggested that I wait on them until further into my treatment plan so I haven't had it done yet. While I was looking for info. on them, I came across this review. I wanted to make sure you saw it (if it's not the one you already saw) since this is the dr. you'll be seeing.

https://www.realself.com/review/surgical-clinic-london-uk-acne-scars-treatment-skin-boosters-acne-scars

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MemberMember
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(@abigail29)

Posted : 12/07/2017 8:48 am

Yes this is the review I saw! My skin is similar to hers, but I have a bit more scarring (same type/depth).

Hoping for some good results, I'm never expecting perfect skin, but if I can get some of my larger scars less obvious, I'll be pretty chuffed.

I'll post a review after I get it done.

ailaeshiz liked
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(@motherofms)

Posted : 12/07/2017 9:15 am

I hope you have great results!

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MemberMember
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(@abigail29)

Posted : 12/09/2017 10:10 am

Hey guys

Just thought I would update you with my consultation I had earlier.

Dr Renee was really nice and very knowledgable about fillers. She told me how many patients with acne scarring that she had seen who have spent 1000's on lasers without improvement.

She was very honest about the result, that my skin will never be perfect but it can be better. She said my scars were too superficial for normal fillers and skin boosters were the best way to go. They last up to a year, she said realistically acne scar patients come in every 9 moths when they first see the filler breaking down.

I decided to take the first treatment today!

Bit uncomfortable, but after everything I've been through already, couldn't care less about the pain now, it's all about results!

The treatment itself didn't take too long and I have 1 syringe of restylane injected into my cheeks at various locations. She subcised a lot of the scars with the filler needle and I could feel how hard the scar tissue was - hopefully that's broke it up a bit!

My face bled a bit, and looks a bit swollen and red,there are marks where the needles went in. But overall not too bad! Not black and blue like some patients that come out of subcision, but then again my scars aren't too deep anymore. Maybe then bruising will come later.

Ill update when the swelling has gone down. But overall impressed with the service, she mentioned Dr Chu and his work with subcision and TCA. I'm going to have a total of three treatments each spaced a month apart. I'm hoping to see some nice results.

Ive taken some photos of my skin at the worst angle/lighting I could possibly find - I don't think my scars look this bad in real life haha. I'll post them all together after the swelling goes.

Fingers crossed!

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Guest
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(@Anonymous)

Posted : 12/09/2017 11:44 am

Ha ha,we all like pics so dont be shy!

looking forward to seeing what you did and how it turns out for you.
:)

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MemberMember
8
(@utmostgeese)

Posted : 12/09/2017 7:19 pm

Thanks for the update! So glad it went well. Are you able to disclose prices?

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