6 replies to this topic

[Scentless100]

Over the years acne has been a major problem for me, but since I started on oral tretinion and since then topical retin-a (0.025%) the acne has cleared up. I got back from the dermotologists today and he prescribed me retin-a for another 3 months which will be 6 months in total. Once I`m finished on this course, I want to get my acne scars and scars from when I was attacked repaired as much as possible.

Is fraxel or laser surgery the best way, or should I be looking at buying Some glycolic acid peel for use at home? I`ve searched about a bit on here but can`t find too much about any specific products, how to use them with retin-a and whether or not I should be using glycolic acid myself or paying a specialist to do it for me?

This is what EvaVictoria said a few years ago:

"What would do wonders is to apply MdFormulation Glycolic acid lotion (Facial lotion) with 12% GA and have 4 GA peels (at the derm's office with 70% GA every other week). Treatment time is totally 8 weeks with very little redness and peeling and with excellent results on acne-scars"

I can`t find that product on the web and I`m wandering if that advice still holds true, or is there a better way of fixing the scarring?

Cheers

Edited by Scentless100, 05 April 2011 - 07:49 PM.

[curious_sle]

very little redness and peeling sounds like a winner to me... might try that too...

[Scentless100]

I`m also thinking of adding an antioxidant into my regimen before applying a sunscreen. I`m thinking of either:

Clinique: Continous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer

OR

Skinceuticals CE Ferulic

Which would be better for my skin in its current condition?


To describe my skin, it is bad. I have acne scarring in concentrated areas on my cheeks. They are mostly not too deep, with a couple of deeper pits. I have a 1cm scar on my temple, and a 2cm vertical scar above my lip. I have a `rough` looking complexion, bags under my eyes and sagging skin on my forehead. I`m male, in my mid twenties and am giving up smoking. I feel upset when I look in the mirror.


My current regimen is:

AM
Nivea for men sensitive face wash
L`Oreal Hydra energetic intensive 24hr moisteriser comfort max
Soltan (Boots) SPF50+ anti aging sun defense cream

PM
Nivea for men sensitive face wash
Generic Retin-a (0.025%) prescription



My proposed regimen is:

AM

MD Formulations Facial Cleanser 12% Glycolic Compound pH 3.8)
Clinique: Continous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer OR Skinceuticals CE Ferulic
(OPTIONAL - basic moisteriser for dryness)
LA ROCHE-POSAY ANTHELIOS Extreme Face Fluid SPF 50


PM

Nivea for men sensitive face wash
Generic Retin-a (0.025%) prescription

How does this sound for someone in my situation? My dermatologist told me to keep appyling the retin-a for 3 months, wait 3 more months, and then see go and see my GP about laser surgery if the scarring hasn`t cleared up.

P.S. If Fredrik or Eva, or any others with extensive knowledge has the the time to respond to this thread, and can help me, I would be genuinely, forever grateful.

Edited by Scentless100, 07 April 2011 - 11:02 PM.

[mustardseed41]

I`m also thinking of adding an antioxidant into my regimen before applying a sunscreen. I`m thinking of either:

Clinique: Continous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer

OR

Skinceuticals CE Ferulic

Which would be better for my skin in its current condition?


To describe my skin, it is bad. I have acne scarring in concentrated areas on my cheeks. They are mostly not too deep, with a couple of deeper pits. I have a 1cm scar on my temple, and a 2cm vertical scar above my lip. I have a `rough` looking complexion, bags under my eyes and sagging skin on my forehead. I`m male, in my mid twenties and am giving up smoking. I feel upset when I look in the mirror.


My current regimen is:

AM
Nivea for men sensitive face wash
L`Oreal Hydra energetic intensive 24hr moisteriser comfort max
Soltan (Boots) SPF50+ anti aging sun defense cream

PM
Nivea for men sensitive face wash
Generic Retin-a (0.025%) prescription



My proposed regimen is:

AM

MD Formulations Facial Cleanser 12% Glycolic Compound pH 3.8)
Clinique: Continous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer OR Skinceuticals CE Ferulic
(OPTIONAL - basic moisteriser for dryness)
LA ROCHE-POSAY ANTHELIOS Extreme Face Fluid SPF 50


PM

Nivea for men sensitive face wash
Generic Retin-a (0.025%) prescription

How does this sound for someone in my situation? My dermatologist told me to keep appyling the retin-a for 3 months, wait 3 more months, and then see go and see my GP about laser surgery if the scarring hasn`t cleared up.

P.S. If Fredrik or Eva, or any others with extensive knowledge has the the time to respond to this thread, and can help me, I would be genuinely, forever grateful.

Use a good zinc oxide sunscreen with a high % of zinc such as Burnout, Devita, Purple Prairie.

[niner]

Scentless, I would be a little wary of using both glycolic acid (or other hydroxy-acid) and tretinoin at the same time. They're both exfoliants, and the combination might be a little much. I've used both glycolic acid and a mild retinoid (retinaldehyde) at different times, and had good results with both. In each case, the benefits build slowly over time, I've been told, and that was my experience as well. Quitting smoking will help your skin. You might want to consider BioSil and Lutein supplementation. They have some actual clinical data behind them. I've been using them for a while and I'm pretty happy with the trajectory of my skin health.

[JLL]

I think Matt from these forums has mentioned quite a few times that topical vitamin C and ferulic acid helped reduce his acne scars. Here's some of the reported effects of vitamin C on skin:

Increases the transcription rate of DNA in vitro
Increases fibroblast proliferation by a factor of four to six in vitro
Doubles collagen synthesis of fibroblasts in vitro
Has anti-inflammatory properties in vitro
Enhances collagen production (type I and III) in vivo
Protects from UV-induced photodamage and skin cancers in vivo
Reduces uneven pigmentation in vivo

More on the subject here.

Not sure how well lutein would work for acne scars, although lutein has been shown to be beneficial for skin in general. But the main effects seem to be increased photoprotection, elasticity and hydration.

Same thing with BioSil -- supposedly helpful for skin in general but not sure about acne. In the study on middle-aged women, skin roughness was reduced, so who knows. Personally, I didn't see any effect from taking BioSil or JarroSil.

[blueinfinity]

got this from a nasty fall on asphalt on my face,

forehead cleared up quite nicely with manuka honey, but the other areas did not do as well, darker skin spots on nose, under eyebrow, and cheek,

continue with manuka honey? or other suggestions?