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« on: August 22, 2013, 03:21:51 AM »
With the aid of David M. Derry's scar regeneration documentation, I successfully improved the appearance of my 8-month-old hypertrophic road-rash scar (located on anterior of forearm) in 24 days using only topical treatments of Lugol's 5% Iodine solution. I recently took a break so that I could adequately assess any progress that was made. It's almost impossible to tell what the scar looks like when it is saturated with iodine and peeling skin. I've included a before picture and a very recent picture of what my scar presently looks like.
As you can see, the scar has made a clear transformation. I believe the discoloration surrounding the scar in the recent picture is from a combination of inflammation/apoptosis/iodine staining -- it is gradually fading. It's hard to see in the pictures, but there is thinner scarring surrounding the larger scar tissue, which is why I was painting those areas. I am about to begin treatment again, but I would also like to incorporate the use of a dermaroller to see how it impacts the regeneration of the scar. From what I understand, dermarolling breaks down the excess collagen to allow for softening/flattening of the scar. In theory, iodine is supposed to be capable of actually regenerating scar tissue back to normal tissue. My use of a dermaroller to break down the excess collagen might seem excessive when you consider the regeneration theory, however, presently, my progress only supports that iodine can improve the appearance of scars, not fully regenerate them. What I am sure of is that it will help the iodine penetrate deeper, and perhaps the damaged tissue response will speed up the regeneration process.
I would appreciate any feedback on how I should approach dermarolling based on the type and present condition of my hypertrophic scar. I expect to continue the documentation of my treatments in blog format since there is limited photographic documentation of treating scars with iodine. If dermarolling can be beneficial to iodine treatment, it would benefit anyone treating scars for me to find out.