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Acne scar help - Scar Success Story (Ongoing)

 
MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/16/2018 5:43 pm

I developed cystic acne 4 to 6 months after the birth of my daughter when I was about 23 years old. I thought maybe my hormones were still disrupted but I continued having it since.  When I was finally able to get treatment  I fell pregnant again and had to hold off on treatment,  leaving me with severe scars due to not interfering right away and clearing it up. Now I am 29 and I've maintained clear skin with occasional breakouts that last a week or two with spironolactone and retin a for the past 6 months. I need help in identifying the types of scars I have and would like to know what the best scar treatment would be for me.   I live in Idaho in the US and am not familiar with any great doctors around my area that people refer to for acne scars. 

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MemberMember
1750
(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 03/17/2018 9:00 am

Hi there box cars and rolling scars.

1) Subcision + Filler (4of them)
2) Rf Microneedling 3 months apart fit this in between subcision until filler runs out.
3) Medium strength tca peels. Or a deep acid peel.Another option is fully ablative erbium resurfacing.
5) If that does not make enough of a difference (your scars are overly fibrotic) High power low density CO2 on the pores.

Checkout the FAQ below. Subcision section, tca peels, etc... Doctors are at the bottom. No one by you ... you will have to travel or call around and see if anyone does the subcision. Many fly in for this part and do the rest locally.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/21/2018 11:20 am

@beautifulambitionI greatly appreciate your advice. I think the closest person I live to would be Mark Taylor in Salt Lake city. I am a bit weary about him but I see he has this special all in one type of procedure he likes to do for acne scarring . What are your thoughts on him? Also I was about to order the derminator but that doesn't seem like something you recommended for me. Would that just be a waste of money for me? I stay at home so down time is no issue for me with any procedure mentioned above. I am curious if I'd actually have to have fillers or if I could just have the subcision and do suction??? I know I shouldn't be cheap, but with a million kids at home Its definitely going to be a long time before I can complete all the above options. Does it matter if I do a round of subcision/filler and then rf , but then wait a long time inbetween my next subcision and rf microneedling due to money? Or is this something I have to do one right after the next in as little time Frame as possible?

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MemberMember
1750
(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 03/21/2018 1:10 pm

@Cleopatra88Mark Taylor is ok. He is expensive and does his mega sessions. Might be cheaper for you to travel elsewhere. Or search maybe there is someone nearby. No clue though.

Yes you can do derminator. For your case it would be more of upkeep. It takes a long time to see some results. You must do it with peels to see maximum results. If there is no one around you sure you can do this at home.

Yes you can do it without filler and do suction if that fits your budget and you heal well with that.

Yes you can space out treatments when you have time and money. Think in the long term, everything does not need to be in one year.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/21/2018 1:54 pm

@beautifulambitionYou are such a great help. Thank you for replying back so fast :) I just ordered the derminator. I definitely want to try and get rf though when I am able to find who I will be getting subcision with. I have an appointment with my dermatologist soon and I'll ask to see if he can recommend anyone near here. I have done tca in the past myself but that was before I actually had scarring and it was very low percentage  and was mainly for my acne. I don't feel too comfortable doing it myself if it's at a higher percentage like 35 percent, but who knows, maybe I'll get confident enough after I've experienced the derminator. Lol . So in the time being before I find someone to do subcision, should I be alternating the derminator and tca peels with my dermatologist? About how many should I do? 

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MemberMember
1750
(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 03/22/2018 5:08 am

@Cleopatra88You can ask the derm, but most derms are general and not cosmetic derms. I would call around and ask if they do Cannula(type of needle) subcision, you can call a few plastic suergons as well. If they have no experience that is a bad thing so ask how many they do a month.This is why people fly, it's a not common procedure these days.

Cool if your not doing the TCA yourself, then have a doctor do a deep TCA peel potentially (sedated), doctors can get away with even higher % if they are experienced with acid peels. Some Plastic Surgeon's are as well.You want them to get under your scars so this is a "Deep Phenol peel." This is a lost art so again takes some digging to find someone good and who does these often.

You could always do at home lower percentage % TCA peels and Derminator alternating. Then later have a Derm or Plastic do a deep peel (read the how to guide in the FAQ under TCA). Peels have more down time so you will do less of them. Derminator takes about a month to heal. TCA peels it's about 6 weeks at home. It depends on your schedule. Many can only do a few peels a year. They derminator more often. Use Differin at night OTC at Target when your not healing from scabs from procedures.

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MemberMember
9
(@labellavita1985)

Posted : 03/25/2018 2:00 am

Hello, I'm guessing you know this but I just want to reiterate you should not do a TCA peel at home at with anything remotely even close to 35%. Definitely not initially, anyway... I ordered my first TCA peel and it's 12.5%.

I totally understand the money thing. Acne scars are so incredibly traumatizing and unfortunately one of the hardest things to correct.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/27/2018 12:07 pm

@beautifulambitionhey so i was looking into dr rullan. I think ive seen his name a few times around here as far as subcision. I started researching more and more into his acne scar treatments. I know you mentioned a deep chemical peel. He does chemabrasion. Im wondering if you know anything about this and if itd be a good option,though im sure its spendy. If i did just that, would it yield good enough results? Or do you think id still have to have subcision a few times? Do you by any chance know what he charges for subcision?

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MemberMember
1750
(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 03/27/2018 12:45 pm

@Cleopatra88Hi, ... yes he is a good Dr. No you do not want to peel until you do your subcision, filler, (4times as mentioned above) and also RF needling First. You must do the prep work to peel. Your skin is not ready for a peel (this is done at the end). Yes it's a good idea to deep peel with him once you are ready. No idea of the cost, he recently went up for subcision I heard.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/30/2018 12:59 pm

@beautifulambition ok so i sent my photos in to Dr. RULLAN. The same photos above. The doctor reccomended the phenol peel right away. Dont you think its best to do subcicion? Atleast first. Im sure its his two day phenol peel with abrasion and subcion. Im just skeptic of this as my scars havent leveled out as you have mentioned is key before a deep peel. I need advice before i answer. Also its quite costly. I was almost wanting him to add in atleast two subcicions prior for a cost that extreme. Its hard to justify spending so much when people on here with some of the most success have spent less. Id love your opinion on his treatment recommendation.

I want to add some pictures from head on 

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MemberMember
1750
(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 03/30/2018 3:11 pm

@Cleopatra88IT's your body and your choice. Tell him you want subcision and filler.

 

I can give you a plan PM me.

Also he is not seeing you in person, your very first 2 pics at the top show you need sub, ... the newest ones without shadows hide the scars more, like it's just surface and textural.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/30/2018 3:53 pm

@beautifulambitionthank you for the advice. Yes i actually sent him the photos i first posted here. I didnt send him any of the new ones i just posted. Thats why i was so confused as to why he didnt mention subcision as a recommended treatment. They did tell me if that wasnt something i could d, to let them know; and they will come up with other plans. I will just urge the fact that im really wanting subcicion to level my face out as much as possible before i consider the phenol. Do you know what the average cost is for rf needling? I want to do 3 to 4 subcisions. And if i cant seem to fit rf between treatments,do you think the derminator and tca peels will be good enough? I like the thought of rf because it can help the tethers too.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/30/2018 4:24 pm

@beautifulambition.  Maybe if i send this photo in to them they will think differently. 

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MemberMember
456
(@sirius-lee)

Posted : 03/30/2018 5:28 pm

2 hours ago, beautifulambition said:

The last step would be the phenol peel. Don't start with this. They don't put new pavement over a road with pot holes right, they fill them and then resurface.

Great analogy, bro! I wish everyone would see it from this vantage point. Life would be so much easier.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/31/2018 6:33 pm

@Sirius Leei saw on another post where you mentioned to not do subcision 2 to 3 months apart, because collagen takes 6 months to rebuild? I was wanting to split up my subcisions by 3 months but if what your saying is true, than itd be just a complete waste of money that way??? I am going to Dr. RULLAN and afraid he will retire in the time being. What is the least amount of time i should do between subcisions? @beautifulambition any thoughts on this?

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MemberMember
456
(@sirius-lee)

Posted : 03/31/2018 6:42 pm

4 minutes ago, Cleopatra88 said:
@Sirius Leei saw on another post where you mentioned to not do subcision 2 to 3 months apart, because collagen takes 6 months to rebuild? I was wanting to split up my subcisions by 3 months but if what your saying is true, than itd be just a complete waste of money that way???

Three months is fine. What I said was that it can take up to 6 months to see the full impact, with 3 months to be the time of peak production (that is, the collagen production will ramp up and then likely slow down after 3 months). So, yeah, you can repeat subcision every 3 months without encountering any problem. Good luck.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/31/2018 7:05 pm

@Sirius LeeThats great!!! Thank you. Do you have any opinions on tca peels and derminator inbetween sessions? Or do you prefer fillers and rf as well? I really want to do rf and/or fillers but its so damn expensive. I think i could shoot for some rf sessions next year possibly.

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MemberMember
1750
(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 03/31/2018 8:08 pm

@Cleopatra88Sirius can answer from his own experiences. MY take on it is this. Do what what you have time and money for. If you don't have the $$$$ for rf needling (start saving - there is a health savings account pre-tax or care credit one can use), do your Derminator until then and peels if you wish. These are DIY and can be done at home with less of a period in between. Peels take depending on % more time to heal from. Subcision needs the 3 months. RF needs the 3 months, these are DR treatments. There is no waste of money here, it's up to your time/$$$$ Availability and how your body heals. You can take 1 year, 2 years, 5 years. This is your journey. Dr Rullan has a daughter, she is trained like him to take over the practice - also a derm and does filler, email and ask if she can do subcision and deep peels and report back here ok - I heard she can - but of course 2 people asking are better. So yes fill in with derminator and peels while you wait if you wish - rf is better but better something than nothing right!

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MemberMember
456
(@sirius-lee)

Posted : 03/31/2018 8:33 pm

1 hour ago, Cleopatra88 said:
@Sirius LeeThats great!!! Thank you. Do you have any opinions on tca peels and derminator inbetween sessions? Or do you prefer fillers and rf as well? I really want to do rf and/or fillers but its so damn expensive. I think i could shoot for some rf sessions next year possibly.

I think@beautifulambitionoutlined a pretty good plan. But, as stated previously, always consider filling the pits before proceeding with resurfacing and never do too much at once.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 03/31/2018 9:30 pm

@beautifulambitionand @Sirius Lee. Thanks so much. Im extremely thankful for the help. I will definitely try to seek out information on his daughter as well since most likely ill be having to continue treatments with her once he retires.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 04/01/2018 12:28 pm

Ive read a lot of subcision cases on here and im starting to worry that not using filler COULD be a complete waste. If im planning on doing subcision three months apart, is their a cheaper type filler that only lasts that long? The filler has to run out before being subcised again right? And has anyone suctioned for two weeks and then got a filler after suctioning? One thing about filler is i have a ton of shallow scars and would like to be able to suction them as its been mentioned that filler isnt used on shallow scars so id hate to not be able to suction them due to having filler. Like on my forehead . Please any opinion what the cheapest filler option would be in my case if having subcision 3 montha apart@beautifulambition@Sirius Lee

Id also like to ask if some people have relied on suctioning longer than 2 weeks? If thats even beneficial. Im a stay at home mom with a million kids and so downtime and constant bruising is NOT a problem for me.

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MemberMember
456
(@sirius-lee)

Posted : 04/01/2018 9:28 pm

8 hours ago, Cleopatra88 said:

Ive read a lot of subcision cases on here and im starting to worry that not using filler COULD be a complete waste. If im planning on doing subcision three months apart, is their a cheaper type filler that only lasts  that long? The filler has to run out before being subcised again right? And has anyone suctioned for two weeks and then got a filler after suctioning?  One thing about filler is i have a ton of shallow scars and would like to be able to suction them as its been mentioned that filler isnt used on shallow scars so id hate to not be able to suction them due to having filler. Like on my forehead . Please any opinion what the cheapest filler option would be in my case if having subcision 3 montha apart@beautifulambition @Sirius Lee

Id also like to ask if some people have relied on suctioning longer than 2 weeks? If thats even beneficial. Im a stay at home mom with a million kids and so downtime and constant bruising is NOT a problem for me. 

I think it's worth mentioning that fillers, in and of themselves, can help to stimulate new collagen. Most non-permanent fillers can range from 6 months to 2 year. Since they induce collagen production, there's no reason to top up every 3 months. You can get multiple subcision while the filler is still good. Remember, you need only subcise wherever there's depressed pits that are held down by scar fibers. If the filler is still holding up the depressed scar, there's no reason to subcise it. Let it run its course and then evaluate. When the filler runs out, you would definitely know if you need more filler or not.

Just my opinion, of course. :) 

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MemberMember
1
(@soignearchery)

Posted : 04/01/2018 11:04 pm

On 3/31/2018 at 4:33 PM, Cleopatra88 said:
@Sirius Leei saw on another post where you mentioned to not do subcision 2 to 3 months apart, because collagen takes 6 months to rebuild? I was wanting to split up my subcisions by 3 months but if what your saying is true, than itd be just a complete waste of money that way??? I am going to Dr. RULLAN and afraid he will retire in the time being. What is the least amount of time i should do between subcisions? @beautifulambition any thoughts on this?

Hey, I seen lots of people talk about Dr. Rullan retiring soon on here. I too plan on seeing him for some treatments in the near future so I contacted his staff about this rumor. They assured me it is false and he has many years left, at least 5. Hope this helps

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MemberMember
1750
(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 04/02/2018 1:14 am

@SoigneArcheryThat is helpful thanks. Weird who started that rumor. But I was not concerned as his Daughter is also a derm in the practice and as such her Dad trained her.

@Cleopatra88

As Sirius said and I tried to mention before. You get filler and can wait to do it again when it runs out again. So it is economical. IF money is a huge issue then sure do suction. Suction takes alot of dedication, You already know that you will be bruised and are ok, great. Notice when I say subcision, I never say 3 months, I say when it runs out. So you treat between that time your rf needling. You suction for 3 weeks to a month after. On your forehead the dr most likely won't fill, ... maybe he will but you can always suction anywhere that is not done enough.

You can find HA filler on special. Look around. Resty is cheap and Some Juvederm products can go on sale. You probably will only need a syringe or two (you can do more the next time you sub). You can fill at med spa's even after the swelling has gone down from sub, ... does not need to be same place. We have had people get it filled 2 and 3 weeks after as long as it isn't tethered, ... you can start with suction, ... as long as it's not bruised when filling, the Drs / Nurses don't like that.

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MemberMember
22
(@cleopatra88)

Posted : 04/02/2018 12:45 pm

@beautifulambitionWith a lot of the comments of not getting filler if its not a pencil eraser in depth, i have to wonder if theyll even want to on my scars. Most of them are definitely shallow. Only the right side of my face has some deeper scarring and definitely still not that deep (pencil eraser). In person is really the only way you can tell how shallow or deep they are which totally sucks. So im sure 1 syringe would be sufficient enough on the scars that are able to be filled. I think ill suction for a month with my first subcision and reeavaluate when i get my second, but more than likely ill definitely get filler that time around. If filler lasts that long ,i could possibly get an rf inbetween the next subcicion treatment. I heard about dr Rullan filling at the same time as subcisiin with poor results due to swelling. Which seems common for anyone, anywhere, with any doc; so do you know if anyones went to rullan after swelling went down for filler with good results?. I only ask because he seems cost friendly and i have grandparents in san diego. I thought i could possibly just stay with them for a week and go back in to his office for filler once swelling was down.

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