Microneedling On TT Scarring

Hello beauties! Long time, I know! I have been avoiding updating hoping that I would have some major improvements to update but it just hasn't happened. To be honest it has me kinda bummed out! I've read a lot of reviews on here where ladies are in a similar boat. I certainly see improvements from where I started and the change has been life altering (for the better). That being said, like a lot of ladies on here, my results aren't what I had expected. I'm still not happy with my bb. I was hoping to retain the shape of my bb and have the sutures and thereby the scarring hidden on the inside and this was not the case. I ended up having hypertrophic scarring and my PS is treating it with Kenalog (steroid) injections. I have seen some improvement but one side is still very raised and dark. I also have this weird bulge in my upper abdomen that I didn't have immediately following surgery and didn't have prior to surgery. My PS says it's just my normal anatomy but I have a really hard time accepting this. I was nice and flat two month out and now I'm not. I have put on 5 lbs (which I'm not happy about) but I have a hard time believing that the bulge is attributed to the slight weight gain. Am I crazy? I've also been experiencing pain on the right side of my upper abdomen a little under my breast. I've brought it up several times to my PS and described it as a muscle cramp that comes out of nowhere (no physical exertion) and then when I bend backwards in a stretch I get some relief. It happens sometimes 4 or 5 times a week. My PS says it can in no way be related to the work he did but I didn't experience it prior to my TT. He thinks it could be my gallbladder (great) so I have an appointment with my primary care to have it looked into.
I've also had an awful time getting motivated again in my workouts. I was doing so well before my surgery and I'm so disappointed in myself. I think part of it is that I get really bad seasonal depression. When I was doing really great it was sunny and warm and cheerful. In the winter I just have this strong desire to hibernate. It makes me miss when I used to live in southern California when it was gorgeous all the time. I know this has also contributed to my time away from the community as well. You ladies are all so helpful and your positive reviews and progress really help to bolster my spirits. I just hope Spring and then Summer are better seasons for me and I can see the progress in my body that I really want!

Hello beauties! I thought I would write a review for you ladies on my experience with microneedling. If you've read my TT review you'll know that my scarring wasn't progressing as well as I would like. I brought this concern to my PS and he suggested microneedling. I have been using Skin Medica Scar Recovery gel for a month now and haven't really seen any progress or improvement with my scar. As I was concerned that microneedling would let me down like the scar recovery gel did my PS offered to have me go in for a consult with the therapist in office that does microneedling and speak to her. My PS offered to cover the first session to ensure my satisfaction and to make sure my body didn't react poorly before I purchased a package. I was very appreciative of this and felt that it showed true care for my outcome. I went in for the consult two weeks ago I saw before and after photos of a woman who had the microneedling done on TT scars that were a year old. The most impressive thing was that her belly button began to cave in more after the treatments which I really want for mine. I let the therapist know that my bb is what I am most concerned with. She seemed extremely positive that my results with microneedling would be great especially since I was only 2 months out and the scars were still very fresh. She said the earlier the intervention with scarring the better. I felt very comfortable with her and the explanation of the procedure. I asked LOTS of questions and she was very knowledgeable with each one. I had previously asked the ladies at the desk what the cost of microneedling would be and they had quoted me $350 per session with discounts on packages of 6 or greater. I found that a bit of a bitter pill to swallow considering I had just shelled out $11,000 for the tummy tuck plus items for after care like the CG and scar recovery gel. That being said I really wanted the best result possible and if that money meant and invisible scar it was a hard call! I was so relieved when I brought this up to the therapist and she said "oh no, that was a quote for the whole face. For a small area like your scars it would be $150 a session or $200 if you did PRP." She also let me know that it may take up to 6 sessions and that if I purchased the 6 in advance they would apply a 15% discount. This sounded reasonable so I scheduled my complimentary introduction session for the next week. I went in and signed some consent forms. There were instructions like 1.Don't go in the sun/tanning bed while undergoing microneedling 2. Drink LOTS of water 3. Don't exercise for 2-3 days after (apparently the rush of blood can cause more swelling and issues) There were very little by way of side effects beyond swelling and irritation that should subside within 3 days. This made me feel very comfortable. She said that most women if they are going to react, react to the serum used during the procedure and not the actual microneedling itself. They use a pen microneedling device and she did not recommend the dermarollers as they can tear skin. She said most times she's seen issues it's with this type of device. She was convincing enough that I wouldn't dare try a home dermarollers which after talking to her it seems crazy to me how much they are marketed now and how many women use them! She let me know that some women opt for numbing but it adds considerable time to the procedure (up to a half hour for the numbing agent to take effect). I said, let's try it without and see how I tolerate it. Turns out it was absolutely fine. If you've ever been scratched by a cat, that's what it felt like. As a bonus I'm still numb in certain areas from the TT so in those areas I didn't feel anything. It was super quick, I did bleed but not profusely, she bandaged me up and told me to take them off an hour or so later. It was red for the first few days like she said and then it subsided. She recommended I use the Scar Recovery gel more frequently after the procedure as the microneedling allows the product to do more and be more readily absorbed. She said it could take up to three weeks to see a change and that several sessions would be required to see something dramatic. I think I will sign up for the package after the holiday. You are meant to go in once a month so January I'll go again. I will try to update pictures weekly so we can see if there's a difference. I know I'll need your help ladies to tell me if you see any changes!!! Here I've posted before pics and the day after the procedure which was a week ago. I'll try to post new pics tomorrow. If you beauties have any questions for me about microneedling and my experience please don't hesitate to leave me a comment!!