With all the research I do on this forum and throughout the web and taking into consideration manipulation of photos and micro swelling is there really any type of treatments that actually produce noticeable results for acne scars? Please tag or share stories of legitimate improvement cause at this point I can't find any and don't want to just waste my money.
What treatments have you tried? You can't get 100% improvement, but getting some improvement is achievable.
You are correct, many before and after photos are altered. You need to research your scar revision specialist and choose someone with a good reputation.
if you read this forum, you will see some people with positive results. You will not cure your scars 100% though.
Read the FAQ on the top of this forum
What type of scars do you have? You need to target the specific scars with a specific treatment.
33 minutes ago, SupremeNot said:I have pretty much all ice picks scars, I know you can get some improvement but is it really anything worth thousands of dollars and something that anyone would notice?
TCA cross will improve ice pick scars. You can do that at home. i guess that is up to you whether spending several thousands is a good investment or not.
@SupremeNotI truly don't mean to sound insulting - I believe anyone who is coming here is part of a community that is unique and where we all need to support one another, even if it's just through the online medium...
But I am compelled to question whether you have really done your research. Maybe you become overwhelmed by information (that happens to me) but if you have ice picks, TCA CROSS is actually a really inexpensive method that gets good results. And it's controlled damage to your skin with acid - the results may not be permanent (we all age) and not 100% but you will see marked improvement and isn't that the point?
i guess this is my way of saying perhaps re-focus your research on the CROSS method and reconsider your argument about wasting money. TCA CROSS for ice picks when done by a professional is fairly low risk and high reward. If you DIY TCA CROSS it gets dicier, but as long as you study up, use a low concentration and are completely cautious, you'll get improvement.
Good luck.
@NeoFightI mean if you can show me a case where TCA cross Improved anything. 99% of the "results" I see are just the scars getting shallower but wider so it looks pretty much just as bad.
Also, with CROSS the level of success depends a LOT on the nature of the scar. Boxcars will get shallower but wider, but true ice picks - very narrow and very deep - will raise up. Everyone's skin is different and everyone heals differently from different treatments, but this is medical science. I am concerned that your search for the perfect photo might make you crazy. I wish you the best.
Well I have looked at all of Lima pictures before and felt optimistic but with what I'm seeing lately of him I don't know if I trust him as much anymore. He just put up another instagram video today or yesterday in which he also changed the lighting. I just don't. Know if I can't trust any doctor anymore.
I hate to sound negative as i would love to feel differently, but im with @SupremeNoton this... are there a few cases where scars improve to a very noticeable extent? Sure.. but that is rare in my opinion.. I do see results where scars are less deep... but they are still completely noticeable.. I guess it depends on each persons level of expectations and satisfaction.. Before i had scarring ( just acne and poor skin texture) I used to research how to reverse that, and all the scarring before and after pics seemed a bit pointless to me, because they are still there. I guess im not sure if i feel 5-10k is worth it for minimal differences. If people can still see them, why even bother? The only conclusion i have come to is if helps a person reach a point where they are happy with themselves. That is why people come here, we feel unattractive and disfigured. I keep going back and forth on whether i want to even bother. Theres always that risk of making it worse. I think id rather learn to accept reality and be okay with it.
I will say, i think you can achieve noticeable results with ice pick scars using TCA CROSS. Will you still be able to see them? Yep, but they can fill in quite a bit based on all the research ive done. It just depends on whether 50-60% improvement is enough for you
The only treatment I feel is actually worth it is filler.It works right away, has no downtime and almost everyone gets improvement. Every other treatment seems like a waste of time
Laser: Does it even do anything? Literally just burns your skin off and has your skin heal back right over the scars. All that BS about "causing micro trauma" to heal wounds is complete bs.
Microneedling: Great idea in theory but I've never seen anyone get legit results from it.
RF microneedling: Another good idea in theory but I doubt that it works as again I haven't seen legit results. And the fact that doctors charge 1-2k per treatment is just ridiculous.
TCA cross: just trading hole for a different looking hole
Subsicion: Goes hand in hand with filler.
Peels: Good for skin, does nothing for scars.
And am I the only one that looks at people's posts on here that get "improvement" and wonder to myself, your face literally looks the same. Your scars changed a little and looked a little different but it 5000 dollars it really didn't change your appearance at all.
Depends on your level of expectations. If you want essentially skin that looks like what it did before scarring, then no it isn't treatable with any current method or modality. If that's the level of expectations, then just save your money and use it on something else worthwhile.
If you mean improvement, then yes, they can be improved. But again, this depends on stuff like severity, how well your body responds, etc.
Yeah they're still gonna be there, if that's what you mean by "looks the same". All current treatments make them shallower, smaller, less red, etc.-- but you'll still have scars. For some people, those things are a big deal, that's why they're willing to spend money.
Again, if that's not something that appeals, then yeah I wouldn't bother and just save that money. Move on from this forum maybe until they find a way to actually remove them.
13 hours ago, Noa27 said:On 2/8/2018 at 10:22 AM, QuanHenry said:Releasing the tethers with subcision creates a nice, permanent aesthetic improvement. The volume gained from filler will eventually break down.
It's been a while you've visited Novick. How do your scars look now?
Haven't lost anything. I actually saw him on Monday for a checkup. He said that the improvement to the actual scarring is from subcision and will last a lifetime, but my volume will inevitably go down as age and filler breaks down.
We also hit my temple that that I hadn't worked on for the first time. I may do another subcision on my cheeks, but I'm just gonna wait a while.
There seems to be two kinds of people here on this forum
1. I can't get perfection, so all scar treatments are worthless.
2. I would be happy with some improvement.
If you're the first person, this forum will not help you. You'll never look like your skin was untouched by acne, and there is really nothing here for you then. For the second person, if you have realistic expectations, significant improvements can be achieved BUT they will be a function of 1) how severe your scars are to begin with 2) Your financial resources 3) finding a good doctor.
The person who seeks perfection in treating acne scars is like a diabetic saying - I'll always be a diabetic so I why bother to lose weight? It's also the reason why the Scarless Healing thread exists on this forum - for those who accept nothing less than perfect. Speaking for myself only, I would take a less deep hole in my face over having a gigantic crater on my cheek.
17 minutes ago, QuanHenry said:Going from grade 4 to grade 1 scars and revolumizing your cheeks makes a huge aesthetic improvement. Idc what anybody says.
Even if I could get Grade 4 to Grade 2 scars I would be really happy. If you achieved that, the scars would still be there, but other people, including you, would notice a difference.