POSTED UNDER IPL REVIEWS
IPL Aged Me 10+ Years - Dunn Loring, VA
ORIGINAL POST
Like an idiot, I did not do my research before I...
Peyton2012February 8, 2016
$300
Like an idiot, I did not do my research before I bought a package of 3 IPL treatments off Groupon because I have visible capillaries and redness on my chin and on and next to my nose that I thought was getting worse with time (I turned 47 a few days after the procedure). She -- a PA -- used a Cutera Something on the right side of my face that felt like she was stubbing tiny cigarettes out on my skin. Half an hour later a huge blister popped out on my chin along with some much smaller ones on and next to my nose. Blistering burns are second-degree burns. Thankfully, the next day I already had scheduled an appointment with my dermatologist to get antibiotics for a horrendous outbreak of cystic acne I had in August 2015 -- I've had persistent, scarring, nodulistic acne on my chin and around my mouth since my teens. She told me to glop Neosporin or Bacitracin on the burns and then she wrote me an Rx for Doxycycline, an anti-acne antibiotic that also has anti-inflammatory properties. The triangular scab on the big blister fell off after 6 days, but there was another, smaller, triangle-shaped scar *below* it -- so I know (now) that the IPL penetrated at least to the dermis. I was so upset about the possibility of scarring that I had to pop Ativan just to get some sleep. The big blister left a slightly depressed and hypo-pigmented scar and there is a tiny white ice-pick hole from a small blister on the left side of my nose -- the side she *didn't* work on. Wonder if the "head" or whatever she used was triangular in shape?
Two weeks later the lymph node on the right side of my neck closest to the right side of my face swelled up for no reason. Then it went down. I never connected it to the IPL because, other than the blisters, there were no side effects at all, not even redness or swelling or tingling or burning or pain. I did not return for the 2 remaining treatments, Groupon refunded all my $, and the PA kept in regular touch with me and even said she was sorry -- which is much better treatment than others on this site have received.
The past week has been awful. I am totally freaking out about the horror stories I just found on RS and other sites. I cannot stop looking at my face every 10 minutes examining for the infamous orange-peel skin and the dreaded fat loss. I spend 8+ hours a day online researching IPL. The skin on most of my right cheek and on part of my left cheek now has the pinkish sheen of epidermal atrophy from IPL photons or whatever they are going just wherever the hell they wanted to on my face, and I seem to have more fine wrinkles around my mouth (thank God she didn't touch my cheeks or forehead, or I'd be in a psych ward right now, I'm so very upset and scared).
Yesterday I looked at my chin from an upside-down angle (face parallel to the floor), and I think there is a triangular depression on the right side of my chin -- next to the faint scar from the big blister -- and I thought OH MY EFFING GOD IT'S STARTED I'M DOOMED. I cannot concentrate and have stopped work entirely on two ambitious projects that I was so excited about only 2 weeks ago.
So, ladies, in your opinion, what is the usual time-frame for the orange-peel skin and catastrophic fat loss to manifest themselves? I have heard as long as 6 months!! Also, I entered menopause in August of 2015, one month before the treatment, so I don't know what is IPL damage and what is due to just aging and/or to cumulative collagen damage from all the cysts* and/or the 20 years of heavy drinking and light smoking that I did. But I've avoided the sun like a vampire for 30 years, so I've always been mistaken for 10-15 years younger than my age and I would like to stay that way.
Your thoughts?
* Cysts also produce benzoyl peroxide, which, in and of itself, attacks surrounding collagen fibers.
Two weeks later the lymph node on the right side of my neck closest to the right side of my face swelled up for no reason. Then it went down. I never connected it to the IPL because, other than the blisters, there were no side effects at all, not even redness or swelling or tingling or burning or pain. I did not return for the 2 remaining treatments, Groupon refunded all my $, and the PA kept in regular touch with me and even said she was sorry -- which is much better treatment than others on this site have received.
The past week has been awful. I am totally freaking out about the horror stories I just found on RS and other sites. I cannot stop looking at my face every 10 minutes examining for the infamous orange-peel skin and the dreaded fat loss. I spend 8+ hours a day online researching IPL. The skin on most of my right cheek and on part of my left cheek now has the pinkish sheen of epidermal atrophy from IPL photons or whatever they are going just wherever the hell they wanted to on my face, and I seem to have more fine wrinkles around my mouth (thank God she didn't touch my cheeks or forehead, or I'd be in a psych ward right now, I'm so very upset and scared).
Yesterday I looked at my chin from an upside-down angle (face parallel to the floor), and I think there is a triangular depression on the right side of my chin -- next to the faint scar from the big blister -- and I thought OH MY EFFING GOD IT'S STARTED I'M DOOMED. I cannot concentrate and have stopped work entirely on two ambitious projects that I was so excited about only 2 weeks ago.
So, ladies, in your opinion, what is the usual time-frame for the orange-peel skin and catastrophic fat loss to manifest themselves? I have heard as long as 6 months!! Also, I entered menopause in August of 2015, one month before the treatment, so I don't know what is IPL damage and what is due to just aging and/or to cumulative collagen damage from all the cysts* and/or the 20 years of heavy drinking and light smoking that I did. But I've avoided the sun like a vampire for 30 years, so I've always been mistaken for 10-15 years younger than my age and I would like to stay that way.
Your thoughts?
* Cysts also produce benzoyl peroxide, which, in and of itself, attacks surrounding collagen fibers.
Replies (60)
February 16, 2016
Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope you find support in the community.
February 18, 2016
Never heard of cysts producing BP before, but as far as your IPL experience, yes, I too had a bad experience, with new adverse effects in the skin showing up from immediately to about 8 mos post, now there is nothing new, just worsening of the wrinkles and bad texture. The 1st summer after my bad IPL I basically had to live under a rock could not enjoy the summer at all. For me, using good ss, moisturizert, and getting back on my retinA regimen helped, but did not cure all my weird sx. I am resigned to some degree of permanent damage. Don't beat yourself up, I had mine done by an MD who is a plastic surgeon. I don't think it matters how much research you do. These machines are plain unpredictable and dangerous. What works on one person scars another.
February 18, 2016
Thanks, IPLissues. I read your horror story and damn near everyone else's on RS and other sites. And I've recently decided to stop beating myself up, since my botched IPL treatment could just as easily have been done by someone with loads of credentials and years of experience.
But if I'd done my homework, I wouldn't have gone anywhere even near IPL, regardless of some people having a good outcome, and regardless of who performed it: the post-IPL pix and testimonials can be NIGHTMARISH.
Then there's the $ problem. I'm planning to get both vertical and horizontal facelifts when I reach 50, but I don't want to have to add the cost of fillers and/or fat transfers to what is certain to already be a massive plastic-surgery bill because of lipoatrophy.
But if I'd done my homework, I wouldn't have gone anywhere even near IPL, regardless of some people having a good outcome, and regardless of who performed it: the post-IPL pix and testimonials can be NIGHTMARISH.
Then there's the $ problem. I'm planning to get both vertical and horizontal facelifts when I reach 50, but I don't want to have to add the cost of fillers and/or fat transfers to what is certain to already be a massive plastic-surgery bill because of lipoatrophy.
March 6, 2016
Vertical and horizontal FL - do tell me more about these 2 procedures and why do you need 2 different ones? Good luck with healing.
March 6, 2016
I had been thinking about getting one FL to specifically address the vertical descent of tissues (thank you, gravity!), and another FL to address the horizontal -- actually diagonal -- sagging/loosening of skin toward the mouth and jawline (thank you, age-related loss of elasticity!).
You can see my Q&A inquiry re: the pros and cons of the Transconjunctival Deep-plane Mid-face Lift (TDML); a whole bunch of doctors answered with different points and solutions, and I thought it was very interesting what they said about the TDML, having 2 facelifts instead of 1, and about the changes the face suffers over time in general.
You can see my Q&A inquiry re: the pros and cons of the Transconjunctival Deep-plane Mid-face Lift (TDML); a whole bunch of doctors answered with different points and solutions, and I thought it was very interesting what they said about the TDML, having 2 facelifts instead of 1, and about the changes the face suffers over time in general.
August 12, 2016
Hello! If you receive this can you tell me how long it took for you to be able to be outdoors after the treatment. I am extremely photosensitive and have had to spend my whole summer inside after botched IPL in March.
Thx:)
Thx:)
August 12, 2016
Hi, I actually never go outdoors without a hat to shade my face, and on those rare occasions when I swim I wear waterproof 110 SPF on my face and keep it turned away from the sun as much as possible. I have been doing that for 30+ years, ever since I got a blistering sunburn in Hawaii. As a result, I had almost wrinkle-free skin in my mid-forties despite all of the drinking and smoking I had indulged in for decades. Then last year I had that one horrible IPL and many things changed.
I do not advise *anyone* to be outside in the sun without a hat, ever. Sunlight is so corrosive to both healthy and damaged skin. I also wear 110 SPF on my neck, chest, and the backs of my hands.
I do not advise *anyone* to be outside in the sun without a hat, ever. Sunlight is so corrosive to both healthy and damaged skin. I also wear 110 SPF on my neck, chest, and the backs of my hands.
August 12, 2016
Thx. I find u can't even go out with a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses. Just hoping that improves at some point since I'd like to spend a little bit of time in my garden and with my kids in the yard.
August 13, 2016
I would apply a heavy-duty sunblock (not sunscreen) before ditching the hat.
March 5, 2016
UPDATED FROM Peyton2012
5 months post
New Wrinkles and Photosensitivity
Peyton2012February 9, 2016
Both pix are of the right side of my face. The one taken on 2/2/16 shows the pink blotchiness that pops up every time I am in the sun. See how the areas around my eyes are not affected? That's where the plastic (should've been metal) goggles were. She did not target my cheeks or temples or forehead, but the IPL sent its photons or whatever all over the place, and to God only know what depths in my skin, causing God only knows what sort of damage, because IPL uses different wavelengths of light.
The other one was taken today 2/9/16 and shows the right side of my face smiling in the bathroom mirror. See all those lines? I didn't have them before. There are some on my left cheek, as well, but not as bad as on the ones on the right, the side that got the brunt of the IPL. The pores in the wrinkled areas seem to have larger pores, as well. My skin has been FRIED and seems drier, so I am slathering on olive oil. I ordered Imedeen tablets because Vivida are not available and I will explore dermarolling/dermastamping. I also just had to take an Ativan to stave off a massive panic attack.
Waiting to see what additional damage is going to surface and when it will surface is a bit like being informed that there's a 50-50 chance of your getting inoperable terminal cancer in the next few months or even years, but there's no way to tell if and when and how that's going happen. My shrink has upped my antidepressant and my therapist says she sees no changes, but this is driving me crazy to the point where *now* I'm terrified to look in any mirrors or even to touch my face.
The other one was taken today 2/9/16 and shows the right side of my face smiling in the bathroom mirror. See all those lines? I didn't have them before. There are some on my left cheek, as well, but not as bad as on the ones on the right, the side that got the brunt of the IPL. The pores in the wrinkled areas seem to have larger pores, as well. My skin has been FRIED and seems drier, so I am slathering on olive oil. I ordered Imedeen tablets because Vivida are not available and I will explore dermarolling/dermastamping. I also just had to take an Ativan to stave off a massive panic attack.
Waiting to see what additional damage is going to surface and when it will surface is a bit like being informed that there's a 50-50 chance of your getting inoperable terminal cancer in the next few months or even years, but there's no way to tell if and when and how that's going happen. My shrink has upped my antidepressant and my therapist says she sees no changes, but this is driving me crazy to the point where *now* I'm terrified to look in any mirrors or even to touch my face.
Replies (38)
February 9, 2016
You are very lucky. I had my cheeks treated with one IPL session by a doctor and they have dropped. I also have fat loss around my eyes. It's been six months and some days I feel like a psych ward is my only option. My entire face has changed shape. I also take Ativan at night. I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sure you will see great improvements. The fact you blistered and the burns were visible on the outside is a good sign I think. I had no blisters or visible burns, just swelling and redness. My cheeks dropped about 2 weeks after the procedure.
February 9, 2016
Hi Samsmom,
Thank you so much for your kind comment. (I studied your IPL horror story -- I'm so very sorry about what happened -- and I have also read everyone else's IPL horror story on this site and others.) I do not feel so alone and crazy anymore. God, I'd love to kick myself for not doing the extensive research on IPL that I did on lower lid blepharoplasty (which I've been saving up for).
I just saw my other dermatologist (yes, I have 2 and both do IPL), and very luckily she did not pooh-pooh my concerns about fat loss after I pointed out to her the large triangular indentation of dermal atrophy or fat loss that is now visible on the right side of my chin without my having to bend over. She says I'd've seen adverse effects like extensive fat loss well before 4 months (I'm 4 months out). I really, reeeeallllly hope she and you are right -- from what I've read, lipoatrophy can start off in one spot and then have a "domino effect" on the rest of the face, hollowing everything out in a matter of months or even years. SIMPLY EFFING HORRIFYING! I quit smoking last month, but now I'm going to go have a cigarette.
Thank you so much for your kind comment. (I studied your IPL horror story -- I'm so very sorry about what happened -- and I have also read everyone else's IPL horror story on this site and others.) I do not feel so alone and crazy anymore. God, I'd love to kick myself for not doing the extensive research on IPL that I did on lower lid blepharoplasty (which I've been saving up for).
I just saw my other dermatologist (yes, I have 2 and both do IPL), and very luckily she did not pooh-pooh my concerns about fat loss after I pointed out to her the large triangular indentation of dermal atrophy or fat loss that is now visible on the right side of my chin without my having to bend over. She says I'd've seen adverse effects like extensive fat loss well before 4 months (I'm 4 months out). I really, reeeeallllly hope she and you are right -- from what I've read, lipoatrophy can start off in one spot and then have a "domino effect" on the rest of the face, hollowing everything out in a matter of months or even years. SIMPLY EFFING HORRIFYING! I quit smoking last month, but now I'm going to go have a cigarette.
February 9, 2016
Lol! I quit too the same month I had the IPL but now I smoke more than ever due to my nerves. I realize I'm making things worse but I already feel so low. I work from home now as my anxiety was too high to go into the office. In a train wreck. You will be fine and I'm sure the worst is over.
February 10, 2016
Thank you so much for your soothing words. I examined the triangle of dermal and/or fat atrophy under a harsh light and, yes, it is definitely there. I'd like to chalk it up to decades of cystic-acne damage in that spot and to the rapid aging that can accompany menopause, but I don't know. My dermatologist suggested filler for it.
The skin with the pinkish or brownish sheen (depends on the light) is definitely epidermal atrophy from the IPL treatment, which I plan to treat with Imedeen pills (which are supposed to help reverse epidermal atrophy in people who are on topical steroids), and with dermarolling.
In the meantime, I am popping Ativan and have resumed my habit of smoking every day, starting first thing in the morning and ending around 10 pm.
The skin with the pinkish or brownish sheen (depends on the light) is definitely epidermal atrophy from the IPL treatment, which I plan to treat with Imedeen pills (which are supposed to help reverse epidermal atrophy in people who are on topical steroids), and with dermarolling.
In the meantime, I am popping Ativan and have resumed my habit of smoking every day, starting first thing in the morning and ending around 10 pm.
February 10, 2016
Thanks for sharing on RealSelf. I hope you find support in our community.
February 11, 2016
Thanks, Jill! I have already been contacted by 2 very kind members who have provided invaluable support and information.
February 15, 2016
I have the same wrinkles when I smile. They start beside the bottom of my nose and go all the way up to where the IPL stopped. I have to moisturize heavily. I never needed much moisturizer before this happened and always used a toner. I have not used anything harsh in my skin since this happened and my face is as dry as sandpaper.
February 15, 2016
Me too! I have -- excuse me, *had* -- normal skin on my right side of my face, it never needed moisturizer either, and now it is crinkly and pinky-shiny and has enlarged pores even though she didn't actually touch it with the IPL. The texture has not changed (yet?), but I slather on extra-light "tasting" olive oil at night. I am hoping that dermarolling and special supplements will fix my fried epidermis and return me to normal skin.
I spent 30 YEARS staying out of the sun and in 10 minutes I got 3 decades' worth of UVA and UVB rays blow-torched onto a large part of my face. Unbelievable.
I've been thinking a lot about you and your situation, Samsmom, and my prayers and best wishes are with you and with many others on this site who have been damaged physically and psychologically by IPL/RF/lasers.
I spent 30 YEARS staying out of the sun and in 10 minutes I got 3 decades' worth of UVA and UVB rays blow-torched onto a large part of my face. Unbelievable.
I've been thinking a lot about you and your situation, Samsmom, and my prayers and best wishes are with you and with many others on this site who have been damaged physically and psychologically by IPL/RF/lasers.
February 18, 2016
Sorry, I misspoke (miswrote?). IPL does not emit in the UV range, or at least not in "significant" amounts.
HOWEVER, it is still a very powerful and potentially dangerous thermal device that can reach as far down as the fat layer -- contrary to what some doctors say -- and can cause limited or wholesale atrophy of that layer in addition to limited or wholesale atrophy of the dermis and epidermis. That the IPL was able to burn such a deep hole in my chin is *prima facie* evidence of that range of skin penetration.
HOWEVER, it is still a very powerful and potentially dangerous thermal device that can reach as far down as the fat layer -- contrary to what some doctors say -- and can cause limited or wholesale atrophy of that layer in addition to limited or wholesale atrophy of the dermis and epidermis. That the IPL was able to burn such a deep hole in my chin is *prima facie* evidence of that range of skin penetration.
February 16, 2016
Hi Peyton and Samsmom - I am 15 months out of my last IPL and I still have the lines. What can we do about this? I have tried many oils and creams and things. The same plastic surgeon suggest more collagen producing therapy but I am terrifed and will not go near it. I also have rosacea so have to be very careful what I put on my skin. If there is ANY suggesting you might be able to offer, please do let me know. I know how painful this is for you. I too have been taking anti-anxiety medication since this has happened. I sincerely wish you both the strength to get through this as I know you will. All my very best. Hugs. Wendy
February 16, 2016
Hi Wendy,
I have spent the past three (3) weeks doing research on IPL, laser, and RF treatments, sometimes spending more than 10 hours per day on the computer. I've also been researching skin diseases and conditions that cause bad effects similar to the ones sometimes resulting from the cosmetic treatments I just listed. From what I can tell, mild to moderate wrinkles come from damage to the epidermis (top skin layer) and/or the dermis (collagen and elastin layer). If you are lucky, the damage stays in those two zones and can be reversed mostly or entirely via certain solutions. If you are not lucky, you may have sustained major damage to the fat layer (it's between the dermis and the muscle layer), and that can cause catastrophic and irreversible fat loss because fat cells do not replace themselves when the cause of their necrosis is *artificial* interventions, i.e. laser/RF/IPL and topical skin preparations like steroids and Retin-A (which, oddly, can stimulate collagen production in some people, but not in others). It's such a crap shoot! And if you have a ton of fat loss, for now all you can do is what I call the Three F's -- fillers, facelifts, and fat transfers. (BTW, PRP appears to have efficacy issues vis-a-vis the fat layer.)
Anyhoo, it sounds like you avoided the fat-loss horror, so -- I'm not a dermatologist, but, given the effing hundreds of posts and reviews and web pages I've read, including a few scientific papers -- I can suggest to you what I am going to do, which is dermarolling plus supplements plus creams, a trifecta which attacks the problem from within and without. The problem is, the list of supplements and creams that people claimed helped them is quite long! I'm already on Imedeen pills (Vivida tablets and Vivida cream not available anywhere on the planet, it seems), HA pills, and Neocell Fish Collagen pills. (The HA and Neocell may not help, but I'm giving them a whirl anyway). I might also try French pine bark tablets. As for creams, I'm thinking human stem-cell serum??? I dunno, I still have time to decide before the .25mm and .50mm dermarollers I ordered from Amazon arrive in the mail.
Also, it might take up to 2 years to achieve partial or complete reversal of laser/RF/IPL damage to epidermis and/or dermis in certain individuals.
And ... that's where I'm at at the present moment.
I have spent the past three (3) weeks doing research on IPL, laser, and RF treatments, sometimes spending more than 10 hours per day on the computer. I've also been researching skin diseases and conditions that cause bad effects similar to the ones sometimes resulting from the cosmetic treatments I just listed. From what I can tell, mild to moderate wrinkles come from damage to the epidermis (top skin layer) and/or the dermis (collagen and elastin layer). If you are lucky, the damage stays in those two zones and can be reversed mostly or entirely via certain solutions. If you are not lucky, you may have sustained major damage to the fat layer (it's between the dermis and the muscle layer), and that can cause catastrophic and irreversible fat loss because fat cells do not replace themselves when the cause of their necrosis is *artificial* interventions, i.e. laser/RF/IPL and topical skin preparations like steroids and Retin-A (which, oddly, can stimulate collagen production in some people, but not in others). It's such a crap shoot! And if you have a ton of fat loss, for now all you can do is what I call the Three F's -- fillers, facelifts, and fat transfers. (BTW, PRP appears to have efficacy issues vis-a-vis the fat layer.)
Anyhoo, it sounds like you avoided the fat-loss horror, so -- I'm not a dermatologist, but, given the effing hundreds of posts and reviews and web pages I've read, including a few scientific papers -- I can suggest to you what I am going to do, which is dermarolling plus supplements plus creams, a trifecta which attacks the problem from within and without. The problem is, the list of supplements and creams that people claimed helped them is quite long! I'm already on Imedeen pills (Vivida tablets and Vivida cream not available anywhere on the planet, it seems), HA pills, and Neocell Fish Collagen pills. (The HA and Neocell may not help, but I'm giving them a whirl anyway). I might also try French pine bark tablets. As for creams, I'm thinking human stem-cell serum??? I dunno, I still have time to decide before the .25mm and .50mm dermarollers I ordered from Amazon arrive in the mail.
Also, it might take up to 2 years to achieve partial or complete reversal of laser/RF/IPL damage to epidermis and/or dermis in certain individuals.
And ... that's where I'm at at the present moment.
February 17, 2016
I got those same lines on my cheeks from IPL. Nothing has helped, and with rosacea I can't do dermarolling. IPL was a major trauma in my life.
February 17, 2016
Are you working on discovering and rectifying the cause(s) of your rosacea? Because it's a shame you can't do microneedling, since that and Retin-A are actually capable of remodeling and restoring collagen, respectively. Just my 2 cents.
March 15, 2016
Hi Emily,
I thought you might be interested to know that microneedling the rosacea areas on my nose and my chin with my .25mm and my .50mm, respectively, has not made the rosacea any worse -- contrary to popular advice. I will keep on needling those areas since my rosacea is mild and not pustular and I'm curious to see what happens to the rosacea over time. Of course, I'll stop that if anything bad happens.
I thought you might be interested to know that microneedling the rosacea areas on my nose and my chin with my .25mm and my .50mm, respectively, has not made the rosacea any worse -- contrary to popular advice. I will keep on needling those areas since my rosacea is mild and not pustular and I'm curious to see what happens to the rosacea over time. Of course, I'll stop that if anything bad happens.
UPDATED FROM Peyton2012
5 months post
Popping Pills and Spending $$
Peyton2012February 11, 2016
Can't believe I put my face -- the only thing I halfway like about myself -- into the hands of a total stronger who may have had as little as two days' worth of training on an extremely dangerous thermal device that sprayed photons all over most of the right side of my face and part of the left side, even though she didn't actually touch my cheeks, forehead, or temples. Have gone from checking my face every 10 minutes to being terrified of looking at my face at all. Had to get an Rx for Ativan from my shrink and am smoking again from sheer nerves.
Just bought Neocell Fish Collagen w/HA pills and Source Naturals Skin Eternal HA pills because someone on another site says they reversed the epidermal atrophy she got from Retin-A. Next up: a .25mm dermaroller.
Many thanks to anyone who is reading this review!
Just bought Neocell Fish Collagen w/HA pills and Source Naturals Skin Eternal HA pills because someone on another site says they reversed the epidermal atrophy she got from Retin-A. Next up: a .25mm dermaroller.
Many thanks to anyone who is reading this review!
Replies (9)
February 15, 2016
Hi. I had the same triangle atrophy from IPL on one side of my face . I got rid of it with derma needling , retin A and vitamin C , but it wasn't a quick fix it took me almost two years , every six weeks i stamped my face with 0.5/1 mm needles. And you will want to try creams with stem sells ( human origin , not from plants) . I don't believe that Collagen pills would improve your face , it not how the skin works .
February 15, 2016
OMG, really? Thank you SO much for telling me that, my emotional stability has been on this wild see-saw thing since I started reading IPL horror stories a few weeks ago -- I'm not even allowing myself to look in mirrors anymore. Congratulations and kudos to you on your extraordinary perseverance over 2 whole years to get rid of that area of dermal atrophy, it sounds like that area retained some collagen-restoring abilities despite the considerable damage. BTW, I have Retin-A (0.25%), but I'm too scared to use it because of the horror stories involving *that* skin product. Thanks also for the tip about stem-cell serums! I guess those are next in my shopping basket.
July 29, 2016
So happy to hear something worked to repair the damage! I have a huge triangular indentation on my left cheek and three in a row on my right chin. Will try this in the next couple months after skin has had more time to recover. Thx for the info.
February 18, 2016
Don't smoke, and I don't advise doing anything invasive for at least 3 mos. Let your skin heal 1st. Smoking will make the damage worse.
February 18, 2016
I'm almost 5 months out. Do you mean wait another 3 months to start dermarolling?
March 6, 2016
Sorry, at 5 mos you should b ok to do dermarolling. I meant 3 mos from the date of the IPL.
March 5, 2016
March 9, 2016
Hi! I had to comment to you after reading your story. I am very sad to hear your story, and sad that you were a victim of someone claiming to be a professional wielding a laser. What I am more interested in talking to you about though is the source of your cystic acne. I too have suffered years of cystic acne, and also smoked a number of years along with heavy drinking. Let me tell you...the three are related. Cystic acne is a sign that your digestive system is not ridding itself of toxins properly. You probably suffer fatigue and it sounds like depression. Please do some research and try to learn about Candida overgrowth as a result of heavy drinking and smoking. The antibiotics your doc is recommending are most likely adding fuel to the fire in your belly that is causing boils in your face. It took me years to piece together the puzzle and to understand that the antibiotics temporarily make it better only to make the next flare up far worse. Your skin and all of your symptoms will heal over time if you start focusing on putting healing and nutritious foods in your body at every chance you get. Omega 3s and vitamin c by mouth will help give your body nutrients to heal. Curezone forums have a lot of information online about natural treatments for a gut that is out of whack from drinking and an overly acidic environment. Hope this helps. It will take a couple years, you must be patient, but if you put good stuff in it will eventually show on the outside.
March 9, 2016
Thanks! I quit drinking years ago and I am already on Omega 3s and Vitamin C, but I will definitely check Curezone and ask my dermatologists and my PCP about the possible Candida issue.
The smaller scab under the big scab fell off in 9-10 days. It was weird, though.