5 hours ago, Nina22 said:

Also, I have no idea what to do next, shall I switch to Infini or some more sub?

I think most of us have been there at one time or another. Either way, it's a real bummer when you see only a meager improvements, if even that. Anyway, from what I can tell, here's what went wrong from the beginning. Your scars are too shallow for subcision. Subcision should be done only on deep scars, which are for the most part tethered. Subcision will cut the scar anchored to the bottom, thereby lifting up the depressed pit. On the other hand, mild to medium scars are better off with Infini or other RF devices.

I simply see Nina as I told you in private messages you sent me. Not enough filler was used. You can do this by any expert injector close to you. When you do not use enough filler this is a common complaint. Novick is expensive and you pay for the name. I feel you could do better locally to yourself.

Secondly I see fat definenecy under the eye area left cheek, filler is the fix for this.

You need rf microneedling as sirius said, and resurfacing by a deep peel or erbium after. This works on all layers of your issue. When you have time and money treat.

Thanks for the reactions,

@beautifulambitionyou are right about the fat deficiency in my left cheek, this is the area that was nicely filled by my local doc last year and the effect lasted for months - I thought this would be such an easy fix for Novick. I also felt how he seperated this area with cannula but he must have added a microscopic amount of filler because there was no lift at all... so, I assume now after 2 months the skin there is reattached again? - and I will need to have another cannula entry (trauma) done to my face? or do you think it can be done with the regular needle directly?
I thought Novick would help more with the other pits on my right cheek as filler applied with needle didnt seem to last there before..

do you think the small cannula entry hole (best seen in the 2nd and 3rd photo) will fill up with time? it has been there for weeks now and Im really worried because no doctor ever left me with such mark...

I also wanted to warn the community as I almost feel like I was scammed by him.. and for the Novicks name - this is the only website where he is marketed so well that people actually decide to see him..

@Nina22I kinda feel Novick was overly conservative. I think you could do better with your local Dr doing the filler. Some people do cannula filler weekly or monthly with no scars (Hollywood) so no it should not cause scarring unless you heal poorly to standard injections. This is the beauty of cannula reduced swelling and down time. But yes you can also use a standard needled to fill. They fill in diffrent ways as you know. One does threads and the other does a bleph, though you can do threads as well (standard). You can also reach many areas with one entry point with cannula.

Possibly it reattached or perhaps it was not aggressive enough with enough filler to get the fill you wanted from your past Dr. If you liked the way he did it go back to him. Then work on the rf microneedling and resurfacing.

What I see is mainly patients think one syringe of filler is a lot and it's really not, about 1/4th of a teaspoon, cost is always a factor for filler.

I'm so sorry about your disappointment.

2 hours ago, beautifulambition said:

What I see is mainly patients think one syringe of filler is a lot and it's really not, about 1/4th of a teaspoon, cost is always a factor for filler.

Except he didnt even discuss the amount of filler with me so it was not my choice.. but I surely paid enough for 4 syringes .. He basically proposed the field subcision as the best treatment for my case saying I would be happy with the results.. He tried to put me off from the individual subcisions, and even said he was 'trying to save me money here' When I asked him for a brand he was going to use he said it was unimportant as it should solely serve as a spacer ... He didn't care about leveling up my scars.. I feel that he doesn't aim for the best for his patients and should not be so highly recommended in here.. Also, he was not very conservative when trying to treat my whole cheek with a single cannula entry, as he caused me a visible wound/ scar basically for nothing.. and I had cannula done before with no problem, so it is probably not down to being a poor healer..

Ive seen Novick twice for nokor subcision and filler. I posted my results with some pics and wasnt very happy with them so Im switching to rullan

Hi Nina, I'm wondering if you can advise or help, I've emailed dr novick to try and get an appointment at his israel clinic, I am also uk based, only because I'd read such good reviews and see he offers the micro cannular. my scars are shallow pits on either side of my nostrils created to burns from a vascular laser, so they ar not acne induced. I do t even know if they are tethered and dontknow how to tell, is this something he tests? any advice would be appreciated, I'm at my wits end and am tired if being offered laser to correct as I'm petrified of lasers now. many thanks

@currybeardGoto his main website or contact info for NYC and contact him there. Dr Emil in Denmark might also be a option for you closer to Europe.

hi, thank you, yes I have sent Dr Novick an email a couple of days ago, just waiting to hear back. I am a bit concerned about Nina's experience, but wanted a doctor who a) did not try and push lasers and b) use a the cannular subsision method for more shallow scars which mine are, I'm not even sure they are tethered so should really find that out first. Do you know if Dr Emil uses the cannular method? It appears Dr Chu doesn't. My scars a pits along the side of my nose caused by burns from a vascular laser, so they are not from acne. A the research seems geared towards acne scarring, I'm not sure if it matters. Thanks for your help.

@currybeardYes Dr Emil does do cannula sub so that is a cheaper option for you. Nina was not happy with Novick because she had textural superficial scars and he is not the best to treat that. As you know he does not use energy devices. She also felt I believe he was expensive and did not fill her with enough filler. I told her she can get filled anywhere. I was constrained with treatments when she did not want to do many things including energy. Some people just are poor healers. Emil won't push laser if you tell him you want whatever.

Chu is a manual methods Dr like Novick and quite a bit cheaper. Novick uses filler, Chu does not. You can goto anyone nearby who is a expert injector post swelling for filler if you need it.

The nose is incredibly hard to treat, it's cartilage like the ear not typical skin. Laser is used many times with subicsion and or cross. Sometimes excision w/ stitch is done and resurfaced.

@currybeardHi, I wouldnt go to see Novick again, I am thinking about going to see Dr. Emilmyself - (I tagged you in a post where someone posted some info about his cannular subcision). I still have 2 small pigmented scars after the cannula entryon my cheeks from Novick, so I not only got zero result but also two new scars.. I have done quite a few treatments with different doctors but was never left with new scars - even after a fully ablative laser. I am not sure if the positive reviews on Realself are even real and you dont get many people recommend him on this forum - in comparison to Dr. Rullan for example.

@beautifulambitionmost of my scars are textural but the one you pointed outabove under my left eye - as fat deficiencycould be easily corrected with filler but Novick didnt even manage to correct that so I really feel like he was a terrible choice.

Hi Nina,

Thank you so much for coming back to me and sorry for the delayed responce, I hadn't realised that I had a reply (thought it would show in an email alert). I've been researching Realself and they were actually sued for employing people to write good reviews as they are funded by the doctors paying them a monthly fee, it's completely corrupt, the general feeling is don't trust the site. So now I'm in turmoil, you know how it is when you feel desperate and you'll hang onto any bit of hope, I thought Dr Novick was that, particuarly as he says he has treated a lot of nose scars (my scars are in the crease of my nose caused by laser burns from getting veins treated. Sorry to bug you, I'm just wondering if you have come to the conclusion that Dr Novick is a fake or would you say he's just not as good as they say? I can't find anyone else in the UK that appears to have his experience in subsicion, I tried ablative laser 18 months ago and it made it all worse so I'm not going near another laser, I was buoyed by Dr Novick saying he doesn't trust lasers and every other cosmetic person pushes them and downplays the risks. I was also encouraged that he uses diffrent size needles and also cannular as Dr Chu, the main subsicion person in the UK only uses the large needle for severe scarring, like yours mine are quite shallow. Any more advice would be so much appreciated and also why you are thinking about Dr Emil, as why you would trust his reviews more. I'm not even sure whether to trust reviews on this site, except from people like yourself! Many Thanks,

Hey @currybeard,

I woud like to help but I am confused myself since the experts endorsed on this forum did not help me at all.. You have different scars than most of us and I have no idea how they should be treated.

But Dr Novick is very expensive and stingy with filler ( sometimes I wonder if he even used someon me). I like the fact that Dr. Emil usesdifferent cannulas for subcision now, and maybe it wouldbe cheaper for you and not much different from what Novick could do? He can also do TCA cross and other methods BA has advised for you and has experience with energy devices..On the other hand there are not much reviews about him and its true we cant know how good he is before experiencing him first hand..

@Nina22@currybeardLots of frustration in the above posts.

Emil has been seen and mentioned here many times. Nina as I mentioned to you earlier I feel you need energy devices for your surface scarring. Chu would not get you there as he is manual methods only and Novick is similar to him but more expensive because of his expertise (years) and clientele is wealth NYC socialites who want special filling done. Emil has the lasers, and devices to work on your scarring. @currybeardYour scars are not traditional acne scarring. As such you need so consult with Emil, and perhaps a few plastics / derms. Pick the one you feel best with even if you have to pay for the consultation. We are comparing here scar types when you have nothing in common with your concerns. Currybeard you will need laser done for this issue and some subicsion, ... you cannot goto someone like Novick alone. Even Emil may say your scarring needs to be seen by a plastic surgeon as this is in a dangerous area(plastics have experience with nose jobs). Look up the condition of Rhinophyma,it is treated with subcision, and co2/erbium laser. Why is Novick mentioned, because some want someone who does not do energy devices and he is the on on the East Coast / Israel. Nina I would look into over dilute sculptra with cannular subcisionand perhaps some laser.If you are going to the Dr for filling alone just find someone locally.

Again I always suggest you see multiple providers for a consultation, you have different concerns.

hi, thank you to you both for replying. Yes I hear you that my situation is different. Since lasers caused my issue and then subsequently made it worse when I was told they were the best way to treat it Iam very reluctant to go near them again. Dr Novick tells me he has treated the crease area on the side of the nose but with tca as they were ice pick, mine are not ice pick they are softer, and tca scares the hell out of me as some report their scars end up deeper. My concern now with dr novick is whether his reviews are genuine or not and whether he really does have the years of expertise he claims, I'm probably being over paranoid but you never know. It also concerns me that he has so much time to be on realself, I would think a doctor in such demand wouldn't be concerned with a website. Like i say, I'm probably over thinking it!

@currybeardRullan is better with peels if your anti- laser. I just know for your condition, laser is often used. Rullan may be able to treat your appropriately with acids as he is a exert in this. The nose is a incredibly hard area to treat. You know your ears right, ... they are cartilage, ... the nose is as well. This is not like facial skin.

Novick's reviews are real, but we are generating based on general acne scars with a case *yours" which is not the standard treatment. I have stated the pros and cons and so has Nina above about him. I do not think traveling all that way is necessary if your in Europe. Chu for manual methods, and Emil for energy devices (he does manual methods as well). We all want different things out of a Dr. It would stink for you to travel all that way for something you could do closer to home and really needed a laser. Start with manual methods, this is where I agree regardless of who you see.

Hi, thank you again for your reply, most of the scars are the other side of the crease so not actually the nose itself, more the fleshy normal skin part immediately the other side of the crease if that makes sense. I'm hoping subsicion will give some improvement, but you're right the nose is different, lasers should not be used on the nose. The flight is very cheap from London to israel and a nights accomodation, I figured that would be worth spending to see the best person. Dr Chu apparently only uses the large nikor needle which my scars do not warrant and they aren't huge. Wish me luck!

Again BA -Subcision on the nose scars?.. Could be done or not? Chusays No, I saw videos where it was done.

You suggest cannular Sub to Nina with sculptra, the same u suggested to me...How inside Sub and inside filler can flatten the superficial difference inbetween the edge and the bottom of the scar?

I see Dr. Nelson Novick being recommended on this sub a lot, and I have to admit, I wince every time his name pops up. I have been treated by Dr. Novick numerous times with minimal improvement. I thought it was best to stick to one doctor instead of bouncing around several doctors after a few treatments. In addition, scar treatments often require multiple procedures and is a long term commitment, soI kept sticking with Dr. Nelson.I could not have been more wrong. Here are some things that I found concerning.

1. Dr. Novick is very anti-laser and he uses this as his marketing gimmick.And while it is true that lasers are often over-sold as the silver bullet of scar treatment and can lead to major disappointments, there are success stories if you find a skilled dermatologist. Dr. Davin Lim is a major advocate for using the right lasers for the right scar types. On the other hand, Dr. Novick claims that he doesn't believe in lasers because it is too expensive, consumable heavy, and ineffective. And so his marketing ploy is to exclusively promote treatmentslike TCA cross, subcision, fillers, and microneedling. These treatments can be very effective if performed correctly for the right scar type. I am not disputing this.

My criticismaboutDr. Novick is that his treatments are insanely expensiveand if you end up getting the treatments he recommends, it actually ends up costing MORE than laser treatments. Dr. Novick essentially uses "anti-lasers" as his marketing gimmick to promote himselfas a "cheaper alternative" when that is not the case. One subcision for a dime sized area is a couple hundred dollars. That is for a single scar.So if you have multiple scars, you needto get multiple subcisions, thus costing well over a grand for one treatment session. You will likely have to get multiple sessionson top of multiple sessions of TCA cross, fillers, microneedling. All these treatments are extremely pricey as well. In total, you will need around 3-5 treatment sessions for each treatment type.He does offer small discounts if you get multiple, but this is just lip service to make you feel better. It will still cost you A LOT of money to be treated by this doctor and the discounts don't even make a dent. It is not at all the cheaper alternative to lasers that he markets himself to be.

2. He FORCES you to get at least one treatment essentially via"extortion." That is, his consultation fee is a couple hundred dollarsand he will only waive this fee if you get a treatment. If you don't get a treatment, you basically spent a couple hundred dollars for nothing. He justifies this because he spends about 45 minutes on the consultation and that is his hourly rate. The only thing is that the consultation is useless and he just spews information that you can find about scars online. Information about different types of scars and what not that you can learn about by watching Dr. Lim's youtube channel or basic research over the internet.

The reason you have to get a consultation is to get the price quotes of treatments, because he will not tell you the prices of treatments over the phone. He claims that he can't give specific prices because every person and his/her needs are different. But whenyou go see him, he will just tell you the standard prices for the treatments that applies to everyone. I just think that it is unethical to charge an insane amount of money for a bs consultation and you have to end up getting at least one treatment in order to not waste hundreds of dollars.

I have found that this method is common amongst doctors and not specific to Dr. Novick, but there are also plenty of other doctors who either have low consultation fees or tell you the prices and treatment details before you get treatment. Dr. Rullan is a great example of this. I just get the feeling that Dr. Novick is about money first and patient second, whereas doctors like Dr. Rullan are patients first and money second. I asked Dr. Rullan to perform a more expensive treatment thanwhat he recommended and he refused because he said thatI would be wasting money.

3. Some of his actions are incredibly shady. First, he is adamant that you don't share prices of the treatments online to the degree that is uncomfortable when he talks about it. He wants the consultation money rolling in. Second, I have asked him to send me before and after pictures to compare, but he has ignored my requests one time and said that the pictures got deleted in another instance. Lastly, his recommendation for my treatment plan changedafter I got a consultation and the next time I went to go see him. I did not get any treatments in between that time and nothing about my scars had changed.This is also considering that he spent close to an hour on the first consultation.

4. There are cheaper alternatives for the same treatments. It is literally cheaper to fly to California and seeDr. Rullan. Total cost including the treatment and airfare will still end up being cheaper than going to Dr. Novick.Dr. Rullan also does a much better job at performing subcisions. I have gotten subcisions from both doctors and Dr. Novick's are pretty superficial whereas Dr. Rullan really goes in deep.

These are just my thoughts. Please feel free to comment your thoughts and experiences. Thereare also positive reviews on realself and google reviews, so you can take a look at themto get both sides of the coin if you are thinking about seeing him. This is only my personalexperience, and I'm sure there are others who have had genuinely positiveexperiences with Dr. Novick. It's just that I suspect that Dr. Novick has bad reviews pulled on some sites. he is extremely meticulous about his image.

hi there, this is the second review of dr novick that is bad I'm glad I've just read it. I also wonder if bad reviews are pulled as there must surely be more, realself is completely dodgy in my opinion. I wanted to know though please aside from the money side of things, were the treatments really not that good? my scars are shallow down each side of my nose (caused by laser burns so I won't go near laser again) so as they were shallow I was hoping for a more subtle subsicion and filler, I would go and see dr chu in london who has a great rep. but apparently he only does the deeper sub. with a large needle and doesn't do filler. I'm not even sure my scars are tethered so need someone to confirm, they are not deep or ice pick enough for tca cross. I guess what omg asking is if you think dr. novicks actual procedures are still okay, hes been doing subsicion for so long I assumed he would be an expert, thank you.

p.s. I'm in the uk and was going to fly to his israel clinic, flights are cheap.

Damn, all this stuff seriously got me worried and disappointed. Should I cancel my appointment with him then...

i was super hopeful until I saw the truth, now I just dont know where to go

HI, i feel the same, but having trawled the internet now it's clear there are bad reviews on everyone of you look hard enough, Dr Chu, supposed to be the best in the UK has some bad reviews, Dr Emil Henningsen in Denmark has good reviews but he also pushes laser which I don't want. Do you have an appointment in Israel?

Nope I have an appointment in NYC.