I had my dermabrasion with Dr Yarborough 2 months ago. My skin texture is much better than it used to be and the redness is almost gone. However, since i have mediteranean skin type when i am under strong white light i can tell that my face is sligthly lighter than the rest of my body. I can also detect the dermabrasion line ton the top of my forehead (i never had a line on the chin .
Now, i am thinking that i should expect this since the new skin has yet to see any sun without a layer of sunscreen on top of it. I hope that after 4 months is will return to my original color. However, i have not seen any posts from anybody with similar skin type and/or a similar experience.
I am really worried wheter or not the pigmenattion will fully return. I was expecting to get hyperpigmentation but that never happened which makes me a very very lucky guy for my skin color type.
if only i knew if the color would fully return...
what do u guys think?
thnx for the response, i really appreciate it.
i thought so too. it would make no sense for new skin to match right away with the surrounding skin.. especially since i used to be out in the sun all day long before dermabrasion which has given me some sort of a "permament" tan
obi,
Its been a month and a half, is your pigmentation getting better?
I am type IV asian, 4 months and 1 week post derma.
The skin is still somewhat red, but it also seem many shades lighter than original. If I did not have the redness now, I would look like I am wearing a white mask with a tanned neck. I have not had much exposure to the sun yet since the derma, I wonder if the sun will help in the future.
Am I screwed? Any type IV people that has healed from dermabrasion, did you go through this stage? How did your color improve? I am talking about turning from white back to your original color, not about reduction of redness.
Thanks,
Sword
not to scare you guys but hypopigmentation can result from dermabrasion... I read this somewhere and I have experienced it, not from dermabrasion, but from scrubbing my own face with a harsh-like texture cloth when I was young.. you can see part of my cheeks are a different color than the rest of my skin.. and I am type IV.. the hypopigmention never went away
Hi -
I have olive complected skin and have had two dermabraions, one in 1991 and one in 1993. I had extremely bad scarring from cystic acne. The complete pigmentation did not come back to its former darkness but seems to be a bit lighter. It is much more noticeable if I wear as sunblock all of the time. So I don't wear a sun block as much and give my skin a chance to darken a bit.
I would follow the doctors recommendation while you are healing. After a year or so after my last dermabrasion, I did go ahead and let my face get a bit of sun from time to time to trigger some darkening. However, it never returned to its original darkness. In my case, the improvement to the levelness of the skin was worth the loss of some of my pigmentation.
I'm not a doctor but that is what I did.
Take Care -
Dan
Thanks Dan.
Do you recall how long did it take you to loose the redness?
How much pigmentation do you think you have lost (percentage wise)?
Even though your skin was lighter than pre derma, how did it transition from pinkness to your current skin tone?
Does the sun darken your skin at all? Or does your skin not respond to it anymore?
Thanks,
Sword
Hi -
I have olive complected skin and have had two dermabraions, one in 1991 and one in 1993. I had extremely bad scarring from cystic acne. The complete pigmentation did not come back to its former darkness but seems to be a bit lighter. It is much more noticeable if I wear as sunblock all of the time. So I don't wear a sun block as much and give my skin a chance to darken a bit.
I would follow the doctors recommendation while you are healing. After a year or so after my last dermabrasion, I did go ahead and let my face get a bit of sun from time to time to trigger some darkening. However, it never returned to its original darkness. In my case, the improvement to the levelness of the skin was worth the loss of some of my pigmentation.
I'm not a doctor but that is what I did.
Take Care -
Dan
Hey Sword -
The redness persisted for a couple of months with some swelling. I had both done in the winter so if someone asked, I just told them that I had gotten sunburned skiing in Colorado. That took care of the questions. If I were do do one in the summer, I would just say that I had been in the Bahamas or some other such place. I don't like to lie but the inevitable questions about what is dermabrasion, etc. would get me into a 5 minute conversation. I also would tell people that I had the laser done - rather than dermabrasion because everyone is familiar with laser treatment and dermabrasion is much less well know.
I probably lost about 30% of my pigmentation but it does help to get some sun and keep the face darkened a bit. I do get some response from sun but it is not as drastic. As a kid, I was very dark toned in the summer since I live in the southwest U.S. and those were the days before sunblock. My strategy has been to get a little sun on the face and wear block if I am going to be out in the sun for extened periods of time, i.e. working on the yard or out at the lake. So - yes the skin does respond but not quite as much. As I mentioned before, my scarring was severe and the benefit that I got outweighted the loss of pigmentation.
Also, my whole face was dermabraided so it does not look patchy. My face is just a little lighter.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Dan
Thanks Dan.
Do you recall how long did it take you to loose the redness?
How much pigmentation do you think you have lost (percentage wise)?
Even though your skin was lighter than pre derma, how did it transition from pinkness to your current skin tone?
Does the sun darken your skin at all? Or does your skin not respond to it anymore?
Thanks,
Sword
Hi -
I have olive complected skin and have had two dermabraions, one in 1991 and one in 1993.AA I had extremely bad scarring from cystic acne.AA The complete pigmentation did not come back to its former darkness but seems to be a bit lighter.AA It is much more noticeable if I wear as sunblock all of the time.AA So I don't wear a sun block as much and give my skin a chance to darken a bit.AA
I would follow the doctors recommendation while you are healing.AA AA After a year or so after my last dermabrasion, I did go ahead and let my face get a bit of sun from time to time to trigger some darkening.AA However, it never returned to its original darkness.AA In my case, the improvement to the levelness of the skin was worth the loss of some of my pigmentation.AA
I'm not a doctor but that is what I did.
Take Care -
Dan
TWO SOLUTIONS....
i just completed my 6 hour research on pigmentation restoration. Pigment is lost after dermabrasion because of two reasons:
1. melanocytes are killed on the basal layer is the derma is too deep
2. and/or melanocytes become a little deisfunctional producing less pigment
pigmentation restoration is actually possible. Most of it is aimed at vitiligo patients which does not qualify for us (its for very extreme cases and it involves melanocyte transplantation from other areas of your body while dermabrading your skin again). After seeing before and after pics and studying the methods i decided that it is not the proper treatment for hypopigmented patients frmo skin resurfacing. ( http://www.noblevitiligoclinic.com/photographs.htm )
However, i was able to find two treatment methods that qualify for us and have permament results:
http://www.cosmeticsurgery.com/articles/archive/an~39/
doctor can be found at: http://www.laserskinsurgery.com/treatments...s_cosmetic.html
and
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/1...journalCode=dsu
i would not first wait for at least 9 months after derm before trying these procedures.
I have white spots (hypopigmentation) all over my back because I used a at home microdermabrasian kit on it two years ago. Two years later, and I still haven't gained the pigment back and the spots make me really self conscious. When I go to the beach, I keep my shirt on.
I noticed that the white spots on my back are as light as the skin on my ass. I suppose that if I don't expose my back to the sun for years, the rest of my back that is tanned will fade back to a color as light as my ass and the white spots will even out.
Do you think this is possible? Or is the skin on my ass only that light because it has NEVER been exposed to the sun? Do tans eventually fade completely so that the skin returns to its natural, unexposed, undamaged color (e.g. the color of your ass).
sounds like you've damaged your melanocytes in your back, i didn't know that microderm could do that.
i am not sure if your back would ever return to its original white color but even if it did, if you took your shirt off to go to the beach you'd get a tan pretty fast and the white spots would reappear (aka, letting your back go white would not permamently blend the hypopigmented areas) which makes the idea kind of useless.
however, i don't think you have killed your melanocytes since microderm is not invasive. you should try some laser therapies for vitiligo that could potentially reactivate them.
I noticed that the white spots on my back are as light as the skin on my ass.AA I suppose that if I don't expose my back to the sun for years, the rest of my back that is tanned will fade back to a color as light as my ass and the white spots will even out.
Do you think this is possible?AA Or is the skin on my ass only that light because it has NEVER been exposed to the sun?AA Do tans eventually fade completely so that the skin returns to its natural, unexposed, undamaged color (e.g. the color of your ass).
Hi Obi,
I too have Mediterranean Skin and have had two dermabrasions with Doctor Y. The first one took about 4.5 months to get almost back to normal colour (like 95% -remaining redness only noticeable to me and under the lights) and then a further 1.5 months to get back to 100%. He did tell me we went very deep. From the second it took me about 3months to get to 95%. I am now five months out am am now 100% back to normal colour from the second. The second one was far easier to heal from than the first.
I wouldn't worry just think you need more time. The thing with wire brush dermabrasion is that it does take a while to return to normal, but for me, the results are worth it --- the hardest part is not worrying about it during the healing time. FYI I tan very well in the summer
sounds like you've damaged your melanocytes in your back, i didn't know that microderm could do that.i am not sure if your back would ever return to its original white color but even if it did, if you took your shirt off to go to the beach you'd get a tan pretty fast and the white spots would reappear (aka, letting your back go white would not permamently blend the hypopigmented areas) which makes the idea kind of useless.
however, i don't think you have killed your melanocytes since microderm is not invasive. you should try some laser therapies for vitiligo that could potentially reactivate them.
Dan,
Thank so much for answering my questions in details. My concern is how the lighter face would look on my darker neck, and in time, with the scalp when the inevitable hair loss occur.
Since you had 2 full face dermabrasions so long ago, did demabraded and non-dermabraded skin blend over time? i.e. no line effect? Do people notice your lighter face at all?
Thanks,
Sword
Hey Sword -
The redness persisted for a couple of months with some swelling. I had both done in the winter so if someone asked, I just told them that I had gotten sunburned skiing in Colorado. That took care of the questions. If I were do do one in the summer, I would just say that I had been in the Bahamas or some other such place. I don't like to lie but the inevitable questions about what is dermabrasion, etc. would get me into a 5 minute conversation. I also would tell people that I had the laser done - rather than dermabrasion because everyone is familiar with laser treatment and dermabrasion is much less well know.
I probably lost about 30% of my pigmentation but it does help to get some sun and keep the face darkened a bit. I do get some response from sun but it is not as drastic. As a kid, I was very dark toned in the summer since I live in the southwest U.S. and those were the days before sunblock. My strategy has been to get a little sun on the face and wear block if I am going to be out in the sun for extened periods of time, i.e. working on the yard or out at the lake. So - yes the skin does respond but not quite as much. As I mentioned before, my scarring was severe and the benefit that I got outweighted the loss of pigmentation.
Also, my whole face was dermabraided so it does not look patchy. My face is just a little lighter.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Dan
Hi Obi and Sword -
The doctors went along my jaw line and there is a circular line below my hairline that shows where the dermabrasion went to. I have a mediteranian skin type that darkens pretty easily in the summer. The pinkness from the dermabrasion looked like a sunburn for about 2 months then began to dissapate. My skin had some swelling and puffiness for about 2 months also. I had a couple of questions from others about the redness and swelling but to be quite honest, no one seemed to care much about it or comment much.
I wore a sunscreen constantly for about a year and I could tell in photos that my face was noticeably lighter than my neck and other areas. However, this could occur anytime you use sunscreen on one area and not another. The screened skin will just not darken as much. I then began to wear sunblock if I was going to mow the yard or otherwise be out for awhile but did not wear it generally during the work days, going to and from the car, etc. Allowing a little bit of sun during the day without a block gives me a little more color in the facial skin after it was healed and helps to minimize the color difference. During the winter, there is not much difference because both my neck and body and face get less sun so I look lighter all over.
The line below the hairline is barely noticeable and because the rest was done along the jaw line, it blends pretty well. I had a friend that had spot dermabrasions done about 20 years ago and his skin was lighter than mine. During the summer he would use an application of a sunless tanning solution every few days and honestly, I could not tell that he had any lighter areas. It all blended in just fine. Because so many people are now concerned about the effects of the sun on the skin, there are many new types of sunless tanners that are coming out. They seem to be much better these days. Back then, the sunless technology was not good and you had about three or four choices. Now all of the major companies have a product.
Have you talked to your drs. about hypopigmentation? What did they say? I have just managed mine over the years and don't think much about it.
If you have any more questions, let me know.
Dan T.
Thanks Dan. My problem is a lot more serious than yours and obi's. I can deal with 30% pigment loss, but it appears most of my new skin has very little to no pigment at all, except for the dark hyperpigmented area. It is more like an 70% loss for me. The lightness is most apparent under strong light.
Thank you Dan for your reply.
what do you guys think about this product..?
http://www.dermabest.com/products.aspx?type=1&pID=1
it seems like its promoting natural melanocyte restoration.
From the vitigo support website
What is Novitil/Sinvitil/Dermabest?
Novitil (also known as Sinvitil or Dermabest) is a natural topical products that some people use, which contains sources of vitamins, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Some people report that Sinvitil is helping them repigment. Many report no results at all, even after months of treatment. The company has an aggressive marketing program, which leads to many people trying the product. Sinvitil is a formulated gel that contains an extract of proteolipids (oils). It purports to help stimulate the pigmentation process. The other ingredients are distilled water, glycerine, carboxymethylcellulose (a derivative of cellulose used in the manufacture of processed foods as a stabilizing and emulsifying agent and in medicine as a laxative), camphor, Menthol, and Kathon (preservative).
Hey Sword -
I looked at the photo and could not see much color change, maybe just slight variation. It also looks like the demabrasion did a great job on the scarring because I really can't see much and it looks like the lighting was greatly contrasted. I have not tried that product that you mentioned but I may look into it a bit. The photos of the Aussie woman are quite dramatic.
There is a salon here in the city that I work that advertises treatements that help restore pigmentation (I think unless I don't remember correctly) so I will go by and talk to them and see if they know of any products or treatements that are currently in use that are effective. It may just be an artificial tanning product but it is worth and ask. With a little sunlight I have been able to moderate the color differences so I haven't given it as much thought. I do know that when I did not allow any sun to the dermabraded areas, it did look pinker and lighter than the adjacent areas.
I will let you know what I find out.
Dan
From the vitigo support website
What is Novitil/Sinvitil/Dermabest?
Novitil (also known as Sinvitil or Dermabest) is a natural topical products that some people use, which contains sources of vitamins, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Some people report that Sinvitil is helping them repigment. Many report no results at all, even after months of treatment. The company has an aggressive marketing program, which leads to many people trying the product. Sinvitil is a formulated gel that contains an extract of proteolipids (oils). It purports to help stimulate the pigmentation process. The other ingredients are distilled water, glycerine, carboxymethylcellulose (a derivative of cellulose used in the manufacture of processed foods as a stabilizing and emulsifying agent and in medicine as a laxative), camphor, Menthol, and Kathon (preservative).
Hi Dan,
My scars are all shallow ice picks, no rolling scars at all. They are still there, except they are shallower and smoother than before. I don't mind them coming back if I can come out looking normal again.
I never had light skin before, it really freaks me out. I hope I am the only one seeing the big contrast.
It is hard to evaluate the color when my skin is still red, all I can say is it is a lot lighter than before.
Thanks for looking out for us Dan.
Sword
Sword -
Anything of interest on the vitigo website? I have not had a chance to check it out yet. Any unversities doing medical studies on vitigo?
Dan
Hi Dan,
My scars are all shallow ice picks, no rolling scars at all. They are still there, except they are shallower and smoother than before. I don't mind them coming back if I can come out looking normal again.
I never had light skin before, it really freaks me out. I hope I am the only one seeing the big contrast.
It is hard to evaluate the color when my skin is still red, all I can say is it is a lot lighter than before.
Thanks for looking out for us Dan.
Sword
Hi everybody.
I wanted to come back and share my experience with dermabrasion, 6 months post. Things are looking great. My face has healed completely and pigmentation has also returned. I always thought i would need a second dermabrasion but with the dramatic improvement i've had (i am not gonna talk about %s) i've changed my mind. I can honestly say that this is the first time in my life that i don't have to worry about my scars. However, i would like to note a couple things i've learned form my experience:
First and MOST important!
Wait at least six months before judging the final result.
In the first month my face was red with no scars due to swelling.
On the second month my face was pink with scars reappearing every day.
On the third month (worst month) my face was white/pink with the same texture as before.
During the 4th and half of the fifth month, my face looked very hypopigmented but the scars were filling in.
On the sixth month, after i stopped using sunscreen (at 4.5 months) my face slowly regained all pigmentation (mediteranean tan skin type) and the texture improved DRAMATICALLY.
Having said that, i probably regretted having dermabrasion more than 50 times during the first 4 months port-operation. However, at six months, my final evaluation is that this operation was one of my best decission i've ever made. Would i go through it again if i still had acne scars? With all my heart, Yes i would.
Based on my personal experience i would suggest that people with a tan should stop using sunscreen after their skin has completely healed, to allow for the melanocytes to be reactivated and the pigmentation to return. I am not a doctor (only a BS in biochem) but i know that the more the new skin is deprived of sun, the higher the chances of the melanocytes to become permamently deactivated. On the same note, if the skin is exposed too soon, the melanocytes and other cells can be destroyed. My doctor did advise me to stop the sunscreen at 4.5 months after he saw me at 3.5 months post.
Finally happy