I am on day 3 and I'm feeling a little bit better to talk about my experience.
I am Asian male and had 2 days phenol chemobrasion with Dr Rullan. Prior to procedure, he had order EKG and lab done to make sure everything is normal. I also took antibiotic and antiviral a day before the procedure.
He noticed I had some keloid on my chest and offer to take care of it. My previous medical history regarding to acne scar include mechanical dermabrasion ( the late Dr Y in New Orlean) and 4 subcision, cross, microneedling, plate rich infusion with Dr Rullan. I also had a subcision by another Dr in Hollywood but it is nothing like what Dr Rullan does.
I found out from a nurse that he incoporate subcision with the phenol brasion for a year or 2 now.I had the procedure with Dr Rullan with a nurse giving me medication for conscious sedation (midazolam) and pain (fentanyl). He also has other assistant to help him with the procedure. The pain was very tolerable except for the phenol applied close to the eye. It's more sensitive than other part of the body. I was slightly drowsy from the midazolam and I thought it went by quick (~2 hours). They put a mask on my raw skin and I can only eat/drink through a straw. It's painful and difficult to chew. They also prescribed me lortab and valium for me to take which I needed for the first couple hours since it's still painful.
On day 2, they remove the mask, and use a curette to take care of problem area and reapply phenol to area that wasn't adequately apply. I didn't remember much since I'm still drowsy from the medication but I thought the process went by really fast. They applied bismuth powder all over my face. My face is still very raw like a burn victim, swollen and my eye lid is very puffy which make it hard to see.
I will update this thread throughout my progress. I have severe acne scars (keloid, rolling, box) so hopefully with two way attack of subcisions and phenol chemobrasion, it will give me a desirable results.
I didtake picture before but my skin are still very raw, swelling, and my face is cake with bismuth powder so it's hard to gauge any improvement from the puffiness. It's supposed to help with all scars since the second day he use his instrumentsto go over the problem area.
I'll keep you guys updated. The recovery does seem more intense just like mechanical dermabrasion if not worst than what I remembered.
A peel will NOT solve someone's acne scars. It's a tool - a scalpel is a tool also in the "surgeon's hands". Goto a provider who can treat your individual scars with multiple methods. I know both of your cases they are nothing a like, ages, scar types, health concerns, ethnicities, and desires. Peels are not magic. They will not make scars go away. You treat the scars first and then peel for texture. IT's not a one time and it's done thing. Do we frost a cake before we bake it.
IF one heals poorly or has sensitivities it can also make you worse, ... it's not a panacea. If you have aging concerns, ... you must address those also.
They use this peel often after a face lift, not before, ... get the point how treatment works?
It seems so many latch onto the next treatment, ... we have to treat the individual case.
Your not like anyone else on these forums. I cannot over-analyze every choice, health concern, and action done in your life. It all depends on how you heal. I Get your frustration.
No scar case is the same, we are not clones, one person could do a million procedures and not be you, your all different ages, ethnic backgrounds, healing capabilities, plans for treatment, outcomes, different surgeons (they treat differently as well), etc, we could go on and on. The point being is never compare yourself to someone else. Sure you can learn from their experience but do we really know every single detail about what was done and why - no. If someone heals poorly or had a poor Dr they typically hang around here.
It can help a lot if you see a therapist because scars are not only external they also effect us internally. Talkspace offers a app for your smartphone to get unlimited therapy or you can see someone locally. Therapy is half of the battle that many struggle with.
Goto a board certified Dr for help, ... if you want get 3 opinions and choose the one you like best. Your cases have nothing to do with each other or anyone else here, everyone is a individual with a different story.
It takes time and heal (this is a marathon and not a race, many do treatments every 3 months over 3 years time),... it's slow with lots of treatments.
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You need filler and subcision + CROSS, I have tried to help you. Perhaps you will be happy with a peel alone, I cannot say. It will soften your scars not fix the atrophy.
Lim said that to you as well, remember all the trolling you did, here is the link
He promised you 90% improvement "depending on your healing", and look where we are today, you are not happy.
Now if you do ongoing treatments with Rullan you might get 50%. READ F93d's post he DID NOT GET 90-100% improvement, but was pleased with his results. Some people don't listen. It's a tool, not a solution. I would get that in writing by Rullan after you displeasure from prior procedures.
You can't fix premature aging and fat loss in your case with a peel alone. Lim can do the same thing with a laser as Rullan does with a peel.
Note F93d did many other treatments NOT with Rullan alone to get these results:
Post peel 3 years
Even though I'm not an expert like BA, I also gave advice to tryinghard when he PM'd me last month to do many subcisions with fillers (CROSS on the ice picks and boxcars) and not jump straight to a phenol peel. Phenol peel would be a massive waste of time and moneybecause the scars are no where near level. They can predict a 90% reduction, but all it is IS a guess. I think at this point you should go talk to a therapist and figure out what you want to do with a dermatologist/plastic surgeon.
Hope you're feeling well, Maxzide, and I can't wait for your reports. Will be following your progress!
I'm on my day 4/5 recovery and I pass through the most uncomfortable part which is day 3. I was itching, burning, and can feel the pulsating blood vessel in my face. My eyes aren't as puffy as before and I look normally now.
I had multiple acne scars treatment from mechanical dermabrasion, 3x subcision/microneedling/scrupltra, so I'm not expecting chemobrasion to give me 70-90% improvement. Regardless of what the improvement resulted, I'll be moving on from acne scar treatment and with life.
I realized I didn't have any after care instruction in my package other than some products, and the office closed was closed when I request instruction via email. I do wish the staff and doctor could have gone over the instruction both verbally and written since I was under sedation. For a serious procedure like this, I do wish they have taken care of me better and provide me a cell phone number with any question instead of business hour email. I have absolutely no idea what to do right now while I'm recovering.
For anyone considering getting this procedure here, make sure you follow up with them month before and ask them if they needed anything to be done ahead of the proedure: paperwork, EKG, and blood works. Don't wait for them to barely remember and rush you for those labs within 2 weeks.
