aloha everyone! i'm at the tail end of my course of torture, er, accutane, and am noticing that now i have all this scarring. specifically, the texture of parts of my skin now resemble the peel of an orange. not cute!! in fact, very baaaaad. so, i'm considering my options. i know many of you have tried these methods and would be very interested to know y'alls opinions on this stuff.
my derm tells me that microdermabrasion is a waste of time, but i don't know if he's being straight or just trying to make a buck, ya know? it is his opinion that dermabrasion is the way to go. i have no idea what this costs, or how long the recovery time is. and i think i have to wait six months or a year or something like that, right? anyone? please help! ali
Re: dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, chemical peels
Quote:
Originally Posted by arock
my derm tells me that microdermabrasion is a waste of time, but i don't know if he's being straight or just trying to make a buck, ya know?
No, your derm is being truthful with you! I got a series of at least 10 micro treatments AND AHA peels, and truthfully, I still can't really see a difference. Yeaaah, I guess my red marks faded a little bit, but I think that had more to do with my using Neutrogena Healthy Skin Lotion than anything else! I would have to agree that microdermabrasion is a big stinkin' waste of money!! I would not recommend it. My derm told me the same thing about micro - he actually laughed at me when I said I went and got the treatments done, and told me that micro is very overrated and a big waste of time and money. He said that the micro kits you can buy at Walgreens have the exact same affect as the treatments you get at a doctor's office.
Dermabrasion is a pretty invasive procedure that you will have to take time off from work/school/other activities to heal. However - most people have seen the best results with dermabrasion. But I do believe that after Accutane, you must wait one year to get micro, peels, or dermabrasion b/c your skin stays very fragile for a loooonnnnggg time after Accutane. If you get any of the above procedures any sooner than that, it can cause permanent scarring, so don't risk it!
Re: dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, chemical peels
Dermabrasion and high strengh chemical peels (TCA and Phenol peels, not glycolic or AHA peels which will do nothing) are for very deep scars. They are very invasive and involve a lot of downtime.
I agree with PaperStars that if yours are surface scars, try microdermabrasion first. It will take time of course. Don't expect overnight miracles - that's why getting it done at a derm's is a waste of money because those 10 - 12 treatments are just not enough time to work. Pitted scars take a long time to heal. Try a home kit instead. I've had great success using Epidermx and Silkia camellia oil together. I had moderately deep indents and they are about 80% improved after using these 2 products for 9 months.
dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, chemical peels 
My derm told me the same thing about micro - he actually laughed at me when I said I went and got the treatments done, and told me that micro is very overrated and a big waste of time and money. He said that the micro kits you can buy at Walgreens have the exact same affect as the treatments you get at a doctor's office. 
