Acne Scarring 2018 - 2019

[JohnMarston 20]

My Acne Scarring Journey 2019 and Beyond! By 'John Marston'                                                                                                                                                              

TREATMENT PROGRESS DOCUMENT - UPDATED REGULARLY  https://goo.gl/pQT2hp

I will be undergoing numerous procedures to improve the appearance of my acne scarring over the coming months  I am 17 years old, living in the UK, I have been through 1 round of Isotretinoin, my cumulative dose was 130 - 135 mg/kg approximately. It cleared up my cystic acne very nicely though I still suffer with scarring from prior to accutane and post accutane! Here I will document all my procedures and changes in my skin, namely acne scarring. I have mainly rolling scars, and a few boxcars, my scarring is moderate . Follow if you wish to stay up to date with my progress, I will be having treatments and appointments in the coming months! Strangely I only have scarring on the right side of my face, so all pictures will be of my right side.

 

Treatment plan

I have been advised a treatment plan by user BeautifulAmbition based on my scar type that I will be following, each treatment will be spaced 3 months apart to allow for healing. I will be very pleased with a 50% improvement which I think is achievable given my age and financing from my parents which I am very grateful for. 

 

NOKOR Subcision with Filler - 6

RF Microneedling - 6

Fully Ablative Laser - 1

 

+ A deep chemical peel or laser for texture to finish off. - Confirmed by BA.

RF Microneedling will be in-between subcision treatments after 2 subcision treatments. I will have Sculptra filler injected prior to RF Microneedling, AFTER the subcisions for collagen stimulation. I aim to improve my scars by 50% in the coming years. Eventually I will incorporate a tretinoin cream and Vitamin C serum into my routine to help with the PIE.

 

Photos

more photos: https://imgur.com/a/TVXzgqX

 

 

 

Thank you for reading  ! Don't forget to follow  

 

Edited March 4 by JohnMarston
Added TCA Cross, treatment duration

[JohnMarston 20]

Photos are what my scars look like in the most harsh and unflattering lighting, this can only be mimicked by a flashlight or bright overhead angled light. Given that, I feel much better about myself as these scars to me don't look so bad, but unless i'm under this style of lighting they aren't anywhere near as severe. 

[Anish004 34]

post a full face pic under normal lightin or good lighting

[JohnMarston 20]

Adding pics for documentation reasons, can compare my skin from Jan 1st of this year in the future and see how things change. Things will certainly change drastically after my Chu sessions and Lim in summer  got a new pimple, first one in 8 months, I believe its because of the giant pizza and crap I have been eating over xmas. Starting a low carb / meat heavy and only green veg diet in Feb.

Please excuse the facial pubes. Shaving irritates my accutane skin

 

I hope to fade redness and dark patches over the next 6 months using sunscreen and eventually vitamin C.

 

unrelated: anyone have any idea when i will grow an actual beard rather than facial pubes.

[tryinghard123 2]

Please note this is how you look 99 percent of the time.....harsh lighting is fake as hardly anyone and I mean anyone sees you in that....coming from someone who is much more severe than this

The bottom picture is how you look like in real life stuff the flashlights etc

[JamesL 7]

Keep updates man, good luck!!

I hope it all works out for you

[JohnMarston 20]

16 hours ago, JamesL said:

Keep updates man, good luck!!

I hope it all works out for you

Thanks!

[JohnMarston 20]

UPDATE: I have an initial consultation with Prof. Chu on Monday 14/01/19

[JohnMarston 20]

Very true, I never look in mirrors with harsh lighting... always makes me feel worse. Many shops have harsh overhead lighting unfortunately which is similar @tryinghard123.

 

Thanks! Will do! @JamesL best of luck to you too

[JamesL 7]

Thanks friend 

[floridagirl1991 18]

 following good luck with treatments

[JohnMarston 20]

@Anish004 normal lighting pic, can hardly see scars...

 

 

 

 

[JohnMarston 20]

Appointment with Chu tomorrow, will update after.

[JohnMarston 20]

Appointment at 2:45, I will make a list of questions to ask chu and report back with his answers.

[JohnMarston 20]

Spoke with  Chu, here is everything I gathered:

 

• Have to wait 6 months post accutane for any treatments
• £350 for Subcision, PRP, TCA, Dermapen. Great value
• He said there is no point doing it sooner than 6 months after accutane because of my skins ability to heal.
• He said that once the tethered scar bands have been severed they cannot re-attach
• He was definitely anti-filler as BA said because of the point above.
• He wrote me a script for Differin
• Told me to start tretinoin in a couple months.
• 6 weeks minimum between treatments (I will leave 3 months)
• He uses NOKOR
• He does some sort of treatment involving PRP, in which he inject it all over the skin? Something along those lines, I didn't fully understand. But he said it was painful
• Microneedling is 'uncomfortable' even under LA
• My scars are 'not the worst case' he has seen
• All the treatments take 2 hours in total (Sub + PRP + TCA + DERMAPEN)
• Must be 'close shaven' on cheeks for treatments because hair interferes.

 

I wrote this up as soon as I got out on my phone so this is everything he said regarding scarring, we also had a chat about medical school though not really relevant. He was a very nice guy, knew what he was talking about, didn't try to push his treatments to make money and seemed very genuine. All of which I was expecting given that he was recommended by BA and many others on here. The consult itself only lasted around 10 mins, took me 2 hours into london, 2 hours back, but very worth it  

[acne_skin_queen 9]

Wow £350! I guess because he doesn’t do laser he doesn’t have any massive overheads to pay off and therefore he can afford to give the patient a decent price per treatment? 

You see them offering just PRP and dermapen for the same price in some medspas in London. 

I’m sure you feel more relaxed for seeing him and now that you have a plan of action in place. 

 

[JohnMarston 20]

Yes, great price, and an excellent Dr. He could charge thousands if he wanted and people would still pay... he isn't after the money though I believe he genuinely wants to help unlike all the medspas that push lasers to try and make as much £££ as possible. Are you in the UK? if so I highly recommend seeing him, I can PM you his contact details as they are quite hard to find  Certainly feel more relaxed, looking forward to treatment now  @acne_skin_queen

[JohnMarston 20]

Finally got a pic that shows the few boxcar scars I have.... adding for my own personal documentation purposes.

 

[JohnMarston 20]

• Starting Differin ASAP - Prescribed by Chu.
• Starting Tretinoin (low strength) in Febuary - Chu wrote to GP.

 

I'm seeing Chu in June for his : Subcision + Dermapen + PRP + TCA Cross package which costs £350.

Edited January 16 by JohnMarston

[neofox 2]

Why you take isotretinoin?

[JohnMarston 20]

Why? because I had severe acne that didn't respond to other treatments and accutane is by far the most effective acne treatment. @neofox

[link626 0]

to those who say you're not gonna be under harsh light, not true.

I always catch my own reflection outdoors in car windows, and the sunlight makes my face look gnarly !!

The scars stand out.

[tryinghard123 2]

Yes but under harsh lighting and car windows....that is not how other people actually see you?  I think everyone agrees with that?

[link626 0]

car windows are like mirrors, so yeah, that's how other people see you when you're standing in the sun.

[JohnMarston 20]

Under harsh lighting this is the WORST your scars could ever possibly look. To mimic this someone would have to hold a flashlight up to your face. That is unrealistic and you aren't going to ever be in that predicament. @tryinghard123 is right on this. The closest you can get in a real life situation is in a store with bright overhead florescent lighting and even that doesn't look half as bad as angled lighting @link626 car mirrors are tinted unlike mirrors, everything that casts a shadow is made twice as dark, scars are only visible as they cast shadows. This is why people who don't have acne scars quite like to look in car mirrors because it can make them look more attractive as all their features are accentuated, e.g jawline, cheekbones, etc... I think you need to see a therapist if this is the way you honestly see yourself, I used to be a lot like you, then I saw a therapist and I'm getting better.