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j david , 07 Dec 2010

scar treatment

i went to dermatologic laser center yesterday for a free consoltation in metarie louisiana. the m.d on staff just said i had really extensive scarring on my back and shoulders. picking never came up during our conversation. he seemed conscerned and like he wanted to help. he recommened 6 treatments of laser therapy at $900.00 a pop and some take home creams. then he said it would be a year after treatment before i saw major results if much at all with the extensive scarring i have. i am considering a much cheaper series of microdermabrasion treatments. i really dont know what to do. i mean i still pick sporaically with no routine. i am a student at u.n.o. and cant afford much. any way any suggestions?
3 Answers
Holes.
December 17, 2010
I have looked up on ton on scar treatment, countless hours and nights, and from what I understand laser surgery carries much heavier risks (obviously), even including the risk of new scarring. It also requires a lot of downtime and strict caretaking, which I mention because I know a lot of us pickers tend to pick at and harm things we know we shouldn't.. As for microdermabrasion, if done professionally it is a lot less risky than laser surgery, but you also won't get anywhere near as significant results. Microdermabrasion is mostly meant to be a skin maintenance tool, kind of like a car wash for skin, but several treatments are known to minimize SUPERFICIAL scarring, and I emphasize superficial. If your scars are really as extensive as the doctor you mentioned said, then microdermabrasion most likely won't give you the results you're looking for. However, I can't really vouch for the effectiveness of laser either. From what I read the results seem to vary from person to person and for every success story you find, there's someone claiming that lasers ruined their life. My advice would be to research as much as you can (if you haven't already), seek the most professional help possible, and think very carefully about the choice you make before you go ahead and do it. As I'm sure we both know first hand, acting impulsively isn't really a good thing..
j david
December 21, 2010

In reply to by Holes.

thanks for reply!!! im gonna spend tax return cash on a series of obagi peels and a series of dermabrasions. i will be happy with even small results cause it means maybe one day with continued treatment they may even out. i will let you know. where are you from? i live in slidell,louisiana rt outside neworleans.
Aargh
December 30, 2010
Hi j david! I've been working on this issue myself as I have some pretty nasty raised red scars on my face and neck where I've picked in the past. My dermatologist has been giving me cortisone injections every 4 to 6 weeks directly into the scar. I won't lie, it hurts like HELL and they'll bleed and sting for a few hours. But it has helped some. My doctor has assured me that we can flatten and fade my scars which is great because right now I look freakish. A couple of my scars are now almost flat and colorless, but I have several others that are still itchy and lumpy. They will require additional injections, I'm sure. Then at night I've been sleeping with these self-adhesive silicone patches I bought at CVS. You'll find it with the other scar treatment stuff on the shelf. Forget the Mederma gel and the paint-on stuff--you'll only get minimal results, if any, on those big scars. Try the injection and silicone patch route before undergoing expensive treatments. So far it is working for me...slowly but fairly steadily. Best of luck to you.

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