Acne Scar Treatment (Subcision, Fotoma Fractional, Chemical Peel and Hyalarmic Acid Filler) - Salt Lake City, UT

Hi Eva- I did have severe cystic acne very early in jr high and high school years. The subcision, chemical peel and laser treatment were all done on 10/24. Filler, mostly on my done temples and upper side of my cheeks, was done 4 weeks after the initial procedures. I had the best results (pretty close to 100%) on my mid to lower cheeks where that was not necessary. Healing time was pretty intense the first 3-4 days with the scabbing and chemical peel. Peeling was pretty much complete 7-8 days. Most of the heavy swelling had subsided after a couple of weeks although I would swell and turn very red with any kind of activity or even just later in the day for the first month. With regards to pain level, the procedures themselves were painless. Applying anesthetic probably hurt the most surprisingly enough with some pain now and then from the laser. My pain level was fairly low during the healing afterwards. Skin would get very itchy the first couple of weeks but applying large amount of ointment would resolve that quickly. I am currently between 5 and 6 weeks and my skin still turns red and swells if I'm too active but looks pretty normal at the start of day. Hope this helps...

Thank you for the additional informative. I wonder why your skin turns red and swells when you are active? How long does it take to subside after?

Its exponentially better each week but skin type takes longer to heal. I was told not to exercise, avoid hot water and direct sunlight. Something to do with being sensitive to post 'inflamatory type responses'

Hi Alicia- thank you so much! I came in with some pretty realistic expectations in results from the consultations considering what I was starting from. I'm not going to lie and say that I had some very supportive friends and family who kept me positive and commented on my improvements during my first couple of weeks of recovery. Pre-procedures I was pretty confident that I had learned to live with my bad skin condition and not let it bother me. Although, I definitely have been grinning ear to ear and can't remember being as happy as I am looking in the mirror and hearing great comments in my improvements. I just need to get through the redness and swelling completely and start working out again since I'm a runner. I also miss the sunlight :)

Meant to say that I really did have supporting family and friends. Reads the opposite on previous reply.

By all means, ask all the questions you wish to ask. I had all the same questions before the procedures and more than happy to share. I would say I've retained about 90-95% improvement on my lower half of my cheeks. The upper half and temple area on one side is about 85-90% while the other side is about 65-70%. We used some acid filler for that area but that is temporary and last about 2 years. I know this is a big decision especially traveling from England. Feel free to ask more questions on comments or send me messages.

BTW these estimates are by me and not a professional :) I will also add it depends on lighting as you know can make acne scars look much worse or much better. I've tried to post pics that can clearly show my skin and results as I'm not confident I'm exact with my estimates.

Which hyaluronic fillers (Perlane, Restylane) did he use specifically that would last 2 years? The only hyaluronic acid filler that I know that lasts that long is Voluma, which just got approval new to the US. Thanks for all the info!

Yeah, thanks for taking pictures in similar lighting. Looks like the same spot in your bathroom. This is very important in making an assessment, because as you say, lighting can really be misleading. Thanks for being so helpful!

Thank you very much! I'm very satisfied with results.

I actually had quite a bit of issues with hyperpigmentation the first 6 weeks. It would look a lot worse as each day progressed. It has improved immensely the last couple of weeks. I was very sure to avoid the sun 100% of the time, used cold water on my face and any kind of exercise.