I have a chicken pox scar right between my eyebrows since I was eight years old -- now I am 25 years old. The chicken pox scar is kinda deep and it is shaped as a circle.
I went to my dermatologist and they recommended mirconeedling (three sessions in total). They said, that the microneedle might help shape the scare about 50 percent.
I was also told about fillers but they said I will have to come back every year to reapply the filler.
The last option I was told was excision which surprisingly was the cheapest of the three options even though this requires surgeons.
My question is, what option will be best. I am leaning on the microneedling but it will cost 700 bucks. The excision will cost 300 bucks.
I would find a better scar revision specialist to be honest. If he suggested microneedling for your type of scar, he/she isn't competent in scar revision.
Do a lot of research on who you see. Choose someone who performs a lot of a scar revision, not just any dermatologist and don't just pick the one closest to you. Scar revision is a niche area and many dermatologist don't have much experience or expertise in this area. Most dermatologist focus on skin cancers, acne treatment, moles, etc.
All the best for your scar.
1) Botox, This area has heavy movement
2) They can do subcision with the botox needle or use a smaller needle.
- This area is highly vascular (muscles, arteries), so they will not do filler or more aggressive forms of subicion.
3) Paint on TCA Acid (inside the scar only 3 coats), also called spot treatment( This will take a few treatments).
4) Dermastamp, buy one and stamp between treatments.
5) Retin-A, Tretinorin, or differin nightly can help somewhat and/or using castor oil.
6) If all else fails, scar revision or punch excision (optional) and laser resurfacing. Take it in stages until you get desires results.
Ok great... Finds 3 plastic surgeon's, ... even if you have to pay for consultation. They must specialize in scar revision. Have them discuss treatment with you. Goto the one you feel is best for your situation. you will need possible laser after revision for the smaller wound created. Botox would also help. Stretch the stitches and it can be a mess (botox). This is a hard area to treat. They need to be aware of geometric closure and anatomy.
BA
Hi there @doflamingoPlease find 2 other Drs, or more... Derms and plastic suergon's. Don't goto the first dude to sell you on $1700. He sounds like a surgeon is going to do a excision of the area or scar revision. Maybe it will be good... I cannot tell you,... research.
You can dermastamp at home. Buy one they are cheap. The derminator is another option. You would just stamp the scar.
Lim has had great success with these types of scars and HA filler superficially (the dr must be good to inject here). Arteries! They could even do prp or saline. See if you can find someone to inject and use the needle to subcise it a bit. I feel like TCA paint on or spot peel would make it wider so that's not a option. Find someone who will co2 the walls of the scar to soften the border, ... Have them do it angled to the border.
You of course can dermastamp the area at home and put retin-a/tretinorin/differin on ti.
BA
I have went to a different surgeon and he said the scar revision will take approximately 20 mins and he will put stitches and in another week I can take off the stitches. His price was 700 bucks which is half the price the other surgeon gave. Also, he said that the spot of my chicken pox was a good place to perform the surgery, not sure why - I should have asked him to elaborate.
Not sure why the first surgeon I went to quoted my 1500 bucks for the scar revision.
@doflamingoHe is seeing the vertexes (forces) of where your skin stretches on the area. Make sure he knows his stuff. Maybe do a few first. Research. Look at pics. Ask for after care and if things go wrong. If they will be wider. Will he do laser on them after. Cheap is not always good, could be... so research 😉 Tell him you do not want it bigger the wound. See his other work.
You pay for experience, skill, and different procedures, time. Have them elaborate.
Botox is a must!
BA is correct. Chickenpox scars are vvv different compared to acne scars. If you have the time - google the histology of chicken pox scars- essentially a miniature grenade in the dermis. Look carefully at the inflammatory response. Now, if you have time, touch chickenpox scars, then atrophic acne scars. Very different. Chickenpox scars are hard. It has dermal and focal subdermal fibrosis. So just my hint. BOTOX this scar, only 4-8 units needed for the procerus muscle. Wait 2 weeks, then angled CO2 to the walls of the scar, and deeper CO2 fractional to the based. Combine this with 30 g saline subcision AFTER laser. (360 degree subcsion ). Have someone do this for you. Wait 6 weeks and repost. If that does not improve you scar significantly, I would eat my words. Method and expertise, not price. Knowledge not marketing.
I went to my third plastic surgeon for consultation and he recommended against subcision and scar excision. He said he doesn't believe the subcision will improve. Also, he said that scar excision isn't ideal for my skin color type. He instead recommended rejuvapen which is a microneedling process. He said it will take 4-6 treatments to see improvements.
@doflamingoIf all 3 said that then they are not the right Dr's sad to say. You can try a rejuvapen for a year and see it's just dermastamping one can do at home. They do not sound like the right Drs. Scars are probably not their specialty. Perhaps try some dermatologists or you might have to travel. Otherwise dermastamp the area at home. Botoxyou can get most places.See if a place that does filler will inject saline into the scar. Laser, ... that should be easy enough to find, have them do angled laser around the border only of the subcison.
So I am thinking about going to the second plastic surgeon to get my scar revision. Should there be anything I should be worried about? I don't mind changing my chicken pox scar into a linear scar. However, I don't want it to be worse than it already is. Should I be concerned that the surgeon might make it worse than it is? Or are my chances of improvement high?
I personally would not cut on my midline in this high movement and vascular area Glabella. Why not try the non- surgical methods first. Botox, subcision with a standard needle and saline. Angled co2 just to the walls of the box car. But a dermastamp and start stamping it at home.
When they cut, ...it's always bigger than your existing scar.
IF you do a few times of all the above then go the surgical route, I have seen things not turn out nice in this area as well as there is so many muscles and vascularity. Simple first.
So I went to my final plastic surgeon recommendation and was recommended subcision with belotero filler. I am not familiar with Belotero filler so I am not sure how my body will react to it? He said the filler will work right away to fill in the scar but it is temporary (will last between 8 to 16 months). What is your opinion on Belotero filler and the risks associated with it?
The cost will be 250 dollars.
@doflamingoBelotero is a soft filler great for shallower injections. It's a HA filler. I don't see any risks with a professional injector who does this all the time.