3 hours ago, given_up said:

I don't care about long down time i just need something to help me have a life. Thank you!!!!

If you don't care about down time, it is 100% worth it to fly to a one of the recommended doctors in beautifulambition's posts. All of these doctors pushing CO2 without even looking at your face are just making a money grab. You look like a good candidate for subcision + suctioning but I'll let one of the more veteran members give their opinion. Also, I would consider looking into a therapist if I were you because if I saw your face in public I would not even think twice about your scars. You sound very distressed despite this and it sounds like a case of body dysmorphic disorder massively exaggerating the severity in your own mind

@given_up

You need to get the oil under control. Several routes to this. Go see a general dermatologist for this.

It is strange the Dr did not put you on low dose Accutane, ... you can start and stop anytime you wish. It sounds like a gutissue to me, could be the food you eat, and take some probiotic. Cut back on dairy, sugar, processed foods, breads. Eat fruits, veggies, and lean meats.

Have you tried differin, it's over the counter target/ walmart. Can help with acne as well.

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Disclaimer: Information and support is not meant to diagnosis, treatment, or cure any health or mental condition and is not a substitute for professional face to face medical care (consult with a few Dr's and pick your favorite one). Posts are for informational purposes only, please consult your personal health care practitioner before engaging in anything discussed.

I know how it feels. Feelsbadman. Just picture yourself in 5 years once you have had loads of treatments and your skin looks much much better and you are happy and confident, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. If things get bad visit your doc and get a script for antidepressants like Prozac, of course try other things first, antidepressants should be a last resort. I am on Prozac and occasionally take a Xanax when things get really bad, and I feel 10x better now than when before I started. 

Additionally, try find a mirror in your house, that has nice natural lighting and reduces the appearance of your scarring, and from now on only look in that mirror, that way the image of you with mild scars will be ingrained in your mind, rather than these unrealistic pictures of you under super harsh lighting. Remember no one sees you under this lighting... and I know this may not help but your scars look worse to you than to other people, us people with skin issues always focus on our skin and other peoples, whereas people with beautiful  clear skin don't even notice as they don't focus on skin.

I see you have some facial hair, you could grow a bit of a beard to hide some of the scarring, facial hair, even a tiny amount makes scars seem much less obvious. After I shave my scars look 20x worse.

Also try CBT, I see a psychologist and it has helped me tremendously, don't be afraid to talk to someone.

Beautifulambition is your go to guide when it comes to treatments for scarring. I know quite a bit personally but nothing compared to him.

Keep your chin up God bless you.

11 hours ago, jxsoph said:

I know how it feels. Feelsbadman. Just picture yourself in 5 years once you have had loads of treatments and your skin looks much much better and you are happy and confident, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. If things get bad visit your doc and get a script for antidepressants like Prozac, of course try other things first, antidepressants should be a last resort. I am on Prozac and occasionally take a Xanax when things get really bad, and I feel 10x better now than when before I started. 

 

Additionally, try find a mirror in your house, that has nice natural lighting and reduces the appearance of your scarring, and from now on only look in that mirror, that way the image of you with mild scars will be ingrained in your mind, rather than these unrealistic pictures of you under super harsh lighting. Remember no one sees you under this lighting... and I know this may not help but your scars look worse to you than to other people, us people with skin issues always focus on our skin and other peoples, whereas people with beautiful  clear skin don't even notice as they don't focus on skin.

 

I see you have some facial hair, you could grow a bit of a beard to hide some of the scarring, facial hair, even a tiny amount makes scars seem much less obvious. After I shave my scars look 20x worse.

 

Also try CBT, I see a psychologist and it has helped me tremendously, don't be afraid to talk to someone.

 

Beautifulambition is your go to guide when it comes to treatments for scarring. I know quite a bit personally but nothing compared to him.

 

 

 

Keep your chin up God bless you.

i agree

when my skin was perfect my brothers had scars from acne and many things but i never noticed them because i didnt knew much about scars

now as i know much about scars and always seek that..i now even see a enlarged pore of far standing people

so thats the problem 

yes the scar appear in worst way in indexed harsh low lighting and people dont see us in that but sometime even in harsh lighting where we can see worst of our scars ..other normal people wont notice it coz they are not much aware of scars and theres nothing like scars in their mind

A flight to san diego to see rullan isn't much (200-250), especially if you are in the US. His treatment plan is affordable as well (1000-1200). I would suggest getting quotes from different doctors and see what they suggests, then decide from there.

Thank you to everyone for the replies and sorry it has taken me so long to reply back. I think i found a couple places within a hr drive that offer subcision but i have to look into them more and call. The co2 laser the plastic surgeon offered me, he said it would not only treat scars but also the marks and discoloration spots, does that sound right? I would like to do something that treats scars, marks, brown spots, redness, all in the same treatment (DAY 1) is that possible? Also heard thereis a laser treatment for oily skin called "carbon peel" or "hollywood peel" i think? I applied and was approved for Care Credit. $2600 was what the co2 would cost me for full face and sides of neck.. Thank you all again...

Your upper cheeks are begging for subcision. There's significant fat loss there, laser wont do anything to correct that. For me, laser is gonna be my last step after subcision and RF microneedling. You might not even need laser, if the improvement satisfies you.

@given_upPlastic surgeon sounds like he is trigger happy with laser. Before doing laser do at least 4 session of subcision and filler as I outlined above, then worry about laser if you want more treatments. I would not be worrying about care credit and laser, .... subcision and filler should be your goal. We don't resurface the road if the pot holes are not filled.

They will zap you with all sorts of lasers on one day, ... but this will not fix your issues. Start with manual methods always first. If you need laser there are tons of Drs like that, ... decline until your at that point. 3 months at least between all session or you will get some Dr to zap you an do everything in one treatment.

The goal post is changing and it's up to you to make the first decision. I would book only subcision and filler. If the Dr won't do it then goto someone who will. Oil can be treated down the line.

I agree my scars are worser much worser I don't even see no scarring if at all a blemish or two thats nothing

Goto see a psychologist more than a physical medical doctor and dont waste money on dermatologist as there is barely anything wrong with your skin I wish I had your skin

Your scars aren't really bad , I'm about to post a picture of mine so you can see how bad mine are.  Anyways , I wish you luck.  I did subcision before but it didn't help me. I'm sorry we go through this shit. I'm here if you need to talk , vent or anything like that. I'm looking into getting fillers . Good luck and keep us posted. 

Hello again everyone and thank you for all the replies. I actually found a local Dr that offers Subcision so if anyone else is in the Cincinnati area you can look into him. The Dr name is DR. Anthony Mamari and the office is called Cosmetic laser institute located in Ft. Thomas Ky. I have a Consult with him Wednesday Jan 9.. I had to get Care Credit because i don't have a couple thousand bucks laying around to drop so i'm stuck with payment plans. Hopfully he is priced Reasonably, the consult is $55. Can i get any treatments for discoloration patches, brown spots, redness, etc on the same day i get Subcision? If so what would that be? Thanks again and yes I'm going Subcision and filler first.

@given_upSure you can have vascular laser done for the redness - brown spots. I normally have them separate treatments but inquire about this. Also use a tretinorin or differin sold over the counter at target nightly and a cream with licorice and kojic acid often called a whitening cream, another thing you can try is the ordinary niacinamide this will help as well with discoloration.

Sunscreen!

Hey i just wanted to give an update where i'm at with this. I went to Dr. Mamari and paid $55 dollars for him to tell me subcision was not an option for me. He said there is risk of more scarring from the procedure 3-6 months after treatment. So he offered me IPL at $1000 a pop (would need 3 treatments) or Erbium laser for $4000 just for my cheeks and sides of neck. Thats it! The first place i went offered full ablative co2 laser full face and neck for $2600 or 3 micro needling treatments for $1000 without prp. My problem is i'm in a situation right now where i can't travel. Should i try laser and get a micro needling pen to do at home? I'm also starting tonight the 0.05 retin-a cream. I'm using cetaphil moisterizer but i'm open to something better. I would love to start with Subcision and filler but not sure that is going to be an option for me right now and i'd like to start doing something about my skin asap. What can i do for now until i can get to someone who offers Sub? Sorry for the delay and thank you all again.

Dont do laser, they're looking to rip you off. I'd wait til i find a sub dr, then throw all that $ away. You need subcision first, case closed.

@given_upPerhaps call around and ask do you do subcision, what needle do you use to do it. How many have you done. Plastics and Derms, look up their review on yelp/realself. Call the local dermatology college and ask, do you do subcision or know who does. Many travel for this treatment as it's hard to find.

I would rather you do injections throughout the whole cheek by a expert injector of sculptra than a laser device if you cannot find anyone. Then travel somewhere for your subicsion after. that expert injector may be able to do it, you want it all throughout the cheek, not one spot, or one scar, injected deeply and over dilute.

I would start searching for a derm or plastic who does subcision which you need most.

Yea i still a couple other offices around Cincinnati to call but i have not looked into any colleges yet but i definitely will. I feel like Dr. Mamari's office just lied to get me in there for a quick easy $55 office fee and try to push super expensive laser on me. I will make some phone calls and update in a couple days. Really would like to start with Subcision and Filler first because it makes sense really, start down deep at the root of the issues and work my way to the surface of the skin. What is the difference in the 2 lasers i was offered, ( full ablative co2 and the Erbium)? Which one would be best for me if i get that far? And would it be beneficial for me to start the Retin-A nightly now or wait? Thank you all again for your replies and sugguestions. @beautifulambitionI truly appreciate you, all your knowledgeable replies, and this forum. No clue how you keep up withall of it and reply to everyone like you do trying to help them. I sincerely mean that.

@given_upYou can start with Retin-a now nightly, Sounds good, ... yes sounds like a laser Dr, see if you can find a subcision Dr. Call the local dermatology college and ask who might do it or if they do it. That is what I would concentrate on. There are some places in Chicago but that is a drive for you.

Hey been awhile i wanted to come in and give an update and get an opinion. I did find a Plastic Surgeon here in Cincinnati, OH that does Subcision. @beautifulambitionWanted to let you know in case others around this area ask you. His name is Dr. Jon E. Mendelsohn and the office is "Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center" He is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon with 25 years experience. I will be getting my first treatment in a couple weeks, my question is.. I asked if we could do something about to skin tone and discolorations and he said that he would do picosure before he does the subcision, (all in same day) Does this sound ok and does it work well? He also mentioned something about Juvederm or vollure filler maybe? Then after couple sessions we would do RF Needling.. Any advice before procedure is greatly appreciated! Thank you.

@given_upThank you for sharing a new contact we will add him to the list.

I would not do treatment for discoloration before subcision. Save this for a latter time. Why because subcision makes PIE or redness from healing. Perhaps he thought he would do this on other areas that are not subcised, but to get the most of your $ wait. You can picosure after several subcisions 3-8 or latter as your get more healing from subcision. Picosure does not fix acne pits. This should be the first thing to treat, texture and color latter.

I will put the picosure off or at least avoid subcision areas for now. 3more questions and i think i'm set. 1. Is pico better then IPL? 2. Do i get over dilute sculptra after every subcision session or wait? 3. Will getting subcision or miconeedling mess with the sculptra i got in the last treatment? Thanks again. I will update whenever something changes and take photos so we can compare before,during, and after.. THANK YOU

ANYONE? I'm trying to understand everything first so i can schedule correctly. Thanks

@given_upI must have missed your response, you may PM me if you need to, I get over 100 a day to respond to.

1) IPL is not better than a vasular laser (power on the laser), ... you could have V-beam, or a Pulse Dye laser - same thing. Picosure is the ethnic skin variant and is popular in the EU - Asia.

2) This question is variable and up to your practioner, Some do a course of 3 very close together and this is ok(unlike other treatments that are 3 months apart), some do a vial after each subcision, until they reach a level they are comfortable with or that they can afford, you can always subcise without injections, you need to have a good foundation right. At the end I recommend HA to individual areas, as we want to spot treat more. Sculptra last's a very long time but we use it as a layer - collagen simulator " not a insta- volumizer" Get what you can afford.

3) No, not at all, the sculptra is injected very deep, treatments are in the dermis for scars. It actually stimulates rf needling more when done before.

Welcome

@beautifulambition Thank you and no worries, i'm sure you stay pretty busy here. Just for another update here, i am going in for my first subcision next friday (may 3) they told me that won't do sculptra because it can cause lumps under the skin and they offered other injection filler that is hyaluronic acid base.Vollure XC and Juvederm ultra XC are what she mentioned i think. So for now i guess i'm just getting subcision. Unless you think i should get the HA filler? Thanks again, i'll continue to update..

@given_upIF they say that about Sculptra they are obviously not experienced with the product and dis-wading you. It takes a lot of experience to use it, if they are not comfortable doing so it's because they lack that understanding that it's useful with scarring. If this is Rullan I don't know why he would say this as he uses the product, ... you obviously have fat loss and atrophy. go somewhere else(any expert injector or med spa) and have it injected when the swelling goes down from the sub.

But everything they said is wrong!OR we would not even use it on older clients for the same issues. You can do all HA filler if you wish. I think you need filler regardless as you have atrophy.

Edit: You DO NOT want to do a acid peel with fat loss and needing many subcisions - filler first (do it last), this was bad advice by the poster after. You don't put pavement(surface) on the road before filling a pothole. So why do a acid peel when your skin is not treated for atrophy.