Fighting Acne Scars with Microneedling and Dermastamp - Australia

I'm on the never-ending quest for perfect skin..or at least, skin that is free from acne scarring and pigmentation.

I'm in my late 20's and have been battling acne (and consequently the scarring) for over 15 years.

I've tried many known treatments over the years, including prescription drugs, AHA's, Retinol A, Glycolic, Salicylic and Lactic Acid peels, Deep Sea Peels and more...

I've considered various forms of laser treatment but have been advised by several cosmetic doctors that my European "olive" skin is not ideal (or even suitable) for this type of treatment.

Instead, I've been advised to try micro needling and so, I had my first session on Thursday 6th of July.

The treatment took approximately 80 minutes which involved 20 minutes of numbing cream and 13 minutes of LED light post treatment.

My skin numbed well (likely due to my current use of active skin care products) and the treatment was comfortable. I paid for a full face session, but as I was concerned about downtime, I asked the therapist to just focus on my cheeks. (1.5 cm depth)

Immediately following treatment, my skin appeared red and raw. I had scheduled the next day off work as I was unsure what my skin would look like.

Day 1 post needling; my skin was still red and 2 lines were very apparent on my left cheek where the therapist was testing out the needle depth. My skin felt dry, but no pain or discomfort..just red.

Day 2 - Still very flushed and red - two red lines are prominent and seem more obvious as the rest of skin appears to be healing . Applied moisturiser every 6 hours and had one pimple appear on my left cheek.

Day 3 - Extremely dry, dull and patchy. My skin had turned a light brownish-tanned colour and wearing makeup is impossible due to the flaking and shedding of my skin. Lucky it's the weekend!

Day 4 (Today) - After washing my face and returning to my usual skincare routine, using AHA's etc my skin is looking a little fresher. Still, feeling dull and patchy - red lines are finally starting to turn brown and flake.

Apparently, I should begin to see results within 4-6 weeks of treatment. I'm booked in for an additional 3 sessions, 1 per month and will continue to update below.

After seeing some slight improvements from my original treatment in July, I had booked in for a second treatment.

I underwent my second dermapen treatment yesterday and this time, I opted to have my entire face treated, rather than just my cheeks. Although my acne scars are confined to my cheeks, I have enlarged pores on my chin, nose and forehead. I am hoping to see reduced pore size in these areas.

As I am currently on annual leave, I encouraged my therapist to go as deep as she liked as downtime is less of a concern this time around.

We settled on a 2ml needle depth and the therapist passed the dermapen over my face several times, starting with my forehead and finishing with my chin.

I found this session (and the 2ml depth) to be significantly more uncomfortable than the previous session, particularly around the nose, upper lip, chin and temples.

My skin is extremely red, raw and tight today. The images attached were taken immediately after the therapist had wiped the blood off my skin. Small scabs have now started to form between my eyebrows and on my upper lip - I'll certainly be staying indoors for the next few days.

I will continue to post photos of the healing process.