acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

[AnjanaSaDil]

hello all,
i used to have some major cystic acne in my teenage years, which left some indents in my cheeks. indents as in they are not hyperpigmentation or marks, the skin is just slighty ‘‘dented’’ where the pimple used to be. i guess the technical term for this is ‘‘scar’’ or ‘‘ice pick’’..a more severe version of this example would be people who have small pox marks on their faces. however, thankfully mine are not too too deep, but it im still very self conscious about them b/c my cheeks are not as SMOOTH as i would want them.

according to my research, laser peels are the best option i have to get rid of these and have smooth cheeks again. however, due to finances, thats not an option right now.

my question: do u ladies know of any exfoliators, peels, at home stuff i can get from sephora, ulta, etc etc that would (if not completely get rid of) but at least help the look of these dents look less noticable in the meantime?..or any makeup primers/filles out there that u know will help?
do any of you also suffer from these indents as well? and what has helped u?

thx!

[kali_billi]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

primers or fillers are meant to smooth out minor imperfections like size of ur pores so they wont work on scars

i dont think anything other than medical treatmnets can heal these scars. so save the money ur gonna waste on cosmetics and rather go for medical treatment

[stoppit]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

Laser is not known to work on these sorts of scars. Unless you have read any impartial reviews of clients saying it's worked? Have you joined some acne forums?

Fillers like restylane is a temporary cosmetic procedure. Otherwise the procedure that is known to work is "punch excision" but it's quite costly; it's a minor surgery.

I would stick with foundations made for this, such as dermablend to smooth out your cheeks for special occasions.

[AA1985]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

I have similar scars! I'd love to have my cheeks smooth again :( My derm just prescribed Retin A. He said it'll make the skin smoother over time. As in, it'll take a loooong time. And he scolded me for touching my face and making the scars appear in the first place :'(

[Lady_Gaga]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

i too have some indents... not very deep thank god! But i too would like some skin resurfacing thing done to make my cheeks look smoother. Will 3-4 sessions of microdermabrasion will help? The doctor said that laser for my skin tone is not suitable (im neither dark nor white, that typical paki complexion :) ).

AA1985 i was given retin A some two weeks ago, but i would never ever put that thing on my face.. It brings out more acne in the initial stages, which means more scars.

[Gina]

@stoppit

Laser is not known to work on these sorts of scars. Unless you have read any impartial reviews of clients saying it's worked? Have you joined some acne forums?

Fillers like restylane is a temporary cosmetic procedure. Otherwise the procedure that is known to work is "punch excision" but it's quite costly; it's a minor surgery.

I would stick with foundations made for this, such as dermablend to smooth out your cheeks for special occasions.

thumbs-up a good skin primer too!

[janab-e-ali]

@stoppit

Laser is not known to work on these sorts of scars.

That is completely incorrect.

Fraxel lasers are actually considered the gold standard for treatment of depressed acne scars. Unfortunately, they are not an option for dark skinned patients because they can cause hyperpigmentation. There are some resurfacing lasers that can be used safely on skin of color, but they may not be widely available in all areas, you would need to consult with a cosmetic dermatologist (preferably one who specializes in skin of color) to discuss those options.

For mild to moderate ice pick scars on dark skinned patients, we typically recommend monthy TCA or AHA peels...they're quick, they're safe, and if done properly they don't carry a significant risk of hyperpigmentation. That's why I recommended it in the previous thread as well.

@stoppit

Otherwise the procedure that is known to work is "punch excision" but it's quite costly; it's a minor surgery.

With the advent of cosmetic lasers, surgical excision of acne scars has actually fallen out of favor in the medical community. Every scar you excise will leave behind it's own scar, which will likely require resurfacing with microdermabraison or chemical peels anyways. We only use punch excisions for very deep, isolated lesions. It certainly isn't an option for someone with diffuse scarring.

[stoppit]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

^Ok great. Personally, I couldn't find enough evidence on the internet of people who have had laser resurfacing to have successfully smoothed ice-pick scars, even though clinics like to recommend it highly. I know that's not the world but you'd think there would be a decent amount of favourable reports. Same with peels.

If I was confident that either of these would work, I would have done it myself.

But you are the expert so I'm out.

[AnjanaSaDil]

@stoppit

Laser is not known to work on these sorts of scars. Unless you have read any impartial reviews of clients saying it's worked? Have you joined some acne forums?

Fillers like restylane is a temporary cosmetic procedure. Otherwise the procedure that is known to work is "punch excision" but it's quite costly; it's a minor surgery.

I would stick with foundations made for this, such as dermablend to smooth out your cheeks for special occasions.

hi stoppit,
actually, i know for a fact that laser does work, since my friend used it some years back (approx 3 treatments) and her acne depressions are non-existent now! its as if she never even had them, i was amazed!!

@janab-e-ali

That is completely incorrect.

Fraxel lasers are actually considered the gold standard for treatment of depressed acne scars. Unfortunately, they are not an option for dark skinned patients because they can cause hyperpigmentation. There are some resurfacing lasers that can be used safely on skin of color, but they may not be widely available in all areas, you would need to consult with a cosmetic dermatologist (preferably one who specializes in skin of color) to discuss those options.

For mild to moderate ice pick scars on dark skinned patients, we typically recommend monthy TCA or AHA peels...they're quick, they're safe, and if done properly they don't carry a significant risk of hyperpigmentation. That's why I recommended it in the previous thread as well.

With the advent of cosmetic lasers, surgical excision of acne scars has actually fallen out of favor in the medical community. Every scar you excise will leave behind it's own scar, which will likely require resurfacing with microdermabraison or chemical peels anyways. We only use punch excisions for very deep, isolated lesions. It certainly isn't an option for someone with diffuse scarring.

thx so much for the info! i fit your description of mild to moderate ice pick scars, and i'm medium skin toned...so can you recommned any peels that i can purchase to do at home? granted those would not be as strong as an in office peel, but at least i'll be doing something proactive in the meantime until i can splurge on a derm treatment or laser.

[Gina]

Anjana, are u open to temporary fillers? Different kinds of dermal fillers are being used widely to add 'bulk' to the ice-pick scars.

[AnjanaSaDil]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

gina,
well, i figure if im going to spend big money on it, it might as well be a permanent fix, like the peels or laser resurfacing...
although....how much are these fillers costing? i might just look into it if its a semi permanent fix.

[Gina]

Depends where you get them done from.. laser resurfacing and fraxel treatments/sessions are being done all over Pakistan. However, some have ended-up with more pigmented and uneven skin. Collagen fillers last upto 3-4 months..

[pakifairy]

Re: acne indents/deep ‘holes’/ scarring

i’ve had a fraxel type laser done on some of these and it didn’t work. honestly, good makeup and skincare and keeping your skin clear and even toned helps to make the scars look softer. you could also try silicone microdroplets done by dr. lam in texas Lam Facial Plastics - Dallas Plastic Surgeon, Dr Sam Lam he’s amazing. and for the tiny tiny holes like scarred pores you can do TCA CROSS but only by a professional.

[Mabrook]

Re: acne indents/deep ‘holes’/ scarring

this article has some gr8 info n diff options.
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/FAQ-SUMMARY-SCARS-TR-t5996.html

[stoppit]

@pakifairy

i’ve had a fraxel type laser done on some of these and it didn’t work. honestly, good makeup and skincare and keeping your skin clear and even toned helps to make the scars look softer. you could also try silicone microdroplets done by dr. lam in texas Lam Facial Plastics - Dallas Plastic Surgeon, Dr Sam Lam he’s amazing. and for the tiny tiny holes like scarred pores you can do TCA CROSS but only by a professional.

I completely agree about the skin care and makeup bit. Unless they are really deep this helps a lot.

[Mabrook]

Re: acne indents/deep ‘holes’/ scarring

i would talk to my derm abt silicone sheets n derma rolling. i’m not for tca. lots of ppl on net hav praised both these methods for scars. however silicone sheets i’m not sure how well they work for indented scars but u can always chk ur doc.
also if i were in states i might hav visited this place called Divine Beauty. they r in Santa Fe i think

DivineBeautyInc

from the video reviews it does look promising. so if u r close by may be they r worth to chk.
ok they hav contact info on their site
rejuvastamp.com

[pakifairy]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

silicone sheets don't work for indented scars they are more for the raised scars (from what i've heard). honestly silicone microdroplets done by only certain doctors cn lead to good results . i know dr. lam is the BEST for this but i heard bad stories from other doctors who do microdroplets (only a few do them). If i really wanted to get rid of them and if they are deep you can do the microdroplets from dr. lam and for the tiny scarred pores you can do TCA CROSS. mine weren't deep enough for microdroplets so he did the tca cross on me. you have to go for 3-4 sessions to see a difference.

lasers are a waste of money in my experience (and from all the research i've done)

[AnjanaSaDil]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

bump!

[AnjanaSaDil]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

so, in respect to my original post, can you ladies plz reccomend a good primer? i've heard rave reviews about smashbox photofinish, urban decay, laura mercier, etc etc...which one would be BEST for my problem?? or at least come the closest?

[stoppit]

Re: acne indents/deep 'holes'/ scarring

I didn't find that primers help any.

For me, exfoliating products like Estee Lauder Idealist Dual Action and Olay Regenerist Thermal Skin Polisher help minimise the appearance.

I also use a chilled toner that closes up the scarred pores and helps the skin look smoother.

After that, once I apply a very thin veil of foundation and then lightly dust some powder, they look is dramatically reduced. I think a good foundation that does this without looking like you have anything on, is key.