I have deep acne scars on my cheeks and forehead. I've been using at-home chemical peels for years with very minimal results. As a grad student, I obviously can't afford expensive professional treatments so I bought this dermaroller on Amazon. I did my first treatment four weeks ago and its hard to tell since I didn't take any before pictures, but I think my more shallow forehead scars. I did not do a very good job on the treatment because it hurt more than I expected. I did bleed quite a bit which was hard because I get a little faint at the sight of blood :(. I'm doing another treatment today and I plan on doing a more thorough job since I know what to expect now. I'm posting pictures from today and I'll post more in a few weeks. Sorry i only have a crappy phone camera.
23 Year-old Girl, 1.5 Dermaroller for Deep Acne Scars
After second treatment
I meant to update sooner but I've been too busy. I did my second treatment four weeks ago. Its a little hard to tell, but I think there is some improvements. I wish I had a better camera. Today, I'm doing a second treatment this time with a 2.5 mm dermastamp. I realize that some of my scars are probably too deep for the 1.5 mm. I'm so excited to see some results!
2 weeks after third treatment
As you can see the very deep scar on my left cheek is practically gone! Other scars look better but its hard to show with my crappy camera. I'm so excited. I recommend using the 2.5 mm needles if you have deep rolling scars like me. I'm very glad I never invested in $5000 fraxel treatments! I'm going to wait another 3 weeks for my next treatment.
1 week after 4th treatment
1 week after 4th treatment. I deliberately took the picture with downward lighting so as to highlight the
6 weeks after 5th treatment
I've noticed decent results since my last treatment. It seems like waiting 6 weeks rather than 4 improved my results. I've also been using topical vitamin c. This seems to improve my skin texture even if it hasn't improved my scarring. Today, I'll use my 2.5 dermastamp again! I'll post pics in a few weeks. These pics look different because they're not in natural light whereas the others were.
3 weeks after 7th treatment
Sorry, I haven't been back for so long! I did my last treatment 3 weeks ago and I'll do another in 3 weeks. I went home for Christmas and my family was amazed by how much better my skin looks!
Thoughts on Needling
I decided to try needling because: 1. Having acne scars is very depressing. People judge you for it. I think its worse than being overweight. 2. The laser treatments are far more than I can afford. 3. The reviews of laser treatments aren't that good. I mean, if I paid 5000 dollars for a treatment, I would expect a complete cure. Though my scars aren't all gone, I think needling is far more cost effective than these scam treatments dermatologists are giving. I developed cystic acne at age 11 and soon after developed scarring! I can honestly say my skin looks better today than it has since like age 10. It almost makes me want to cry! I feel kind of like people who have dropped a ton of weight. I'm so used to avoiding mirrors and pictures and slathering on make-up, it feels very strange not to. I feel far less self-conscious. Its so liberating to feel as if everyone that looks at you isn't judging you!
1 Week After 8th Treatment
Last week, I did my eighth treatment. I used a 3 mm stamp. I
I know that this is supposed to be dangerous but some of my scars are very deep. I healed at the same rate as always so I don't think I caused any nasty side effects. I'm really happy with the results on my deep rolling scars and I've been focusing treatment on them. I still have a lot of ice pick scars though. In the future, Ill focus on needling these.
I know that this is supposed to be dangerous but some of my scars are very deep. I healed at the same rate as always so I don't think I caused any nasty side effects. I'm really happy with the results on my deep rolling scars and I've been focusing treatment on them. I still have a lot of ice pick scars though. In the future, Ill focus on needling these.
Products
Here is the vitamin C I use. I am in love with it. It makes my complexion so much healthier.
http://www.amazon.com/L-Ascorbic-Naturally-Fermented-Crystals-Vitamin/dp/B003EE5MZC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1423874877&sr=8-3&keywords=absorbic
Here is a a peel I use occasionally after my skin is no longer red from needling. It is good for hyperpigmentation.
http://www.amazon.com/Salicylic-Acid-Green-Extract-Brush/dp/B00HK7GTGA/ref=pd_cart_rp_4_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=1190C3XRKS9W2TWJSSQS
http://www.amazon.com/L-Ascorbic-Naturally-Fermented-Crystals-Vitamin/dp/B003EE5MZC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1423874877&sr=8-3&keywords=absorbic
Here is a a peel I use occasionally after my skin is no longer red from needling. It is good for hyperpigmentation.
http://www.amazon.com/Salicylic-Acid-Green-Extract-Brush/dp/B00HK7GTGA/ref=pd_cart_rp_4_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=1190C3XRKS9W2TWJSSQS
7 weeks after 9th treatment
It has been a while since I posted. I did my ninth treatment about seven weeks ago and I will do another soon. I feel like there was more improvement after waiting 7 weeks as opposed to 5 or 6. I'm finally starting to see some improvement in my tiny (but deep) ice pick scars as well.
3 weeks after 11th treatment
I'm still working on it. I wish it was working faster. I have been taking pictures from angles and light that show the scars. However, I think this makes it necessary to keep changing the angle. People I know say my skin looks much better.
