Will dermastamping help flat scars from a chemical burn?

[Nikki05]

I was reading on another website that dermastamp/rolling/needling is only beneficial for sunken acne or injury scars. I have scars from a chemical burn that has left the skin slightly hyperpigmented and has shiny, pinkish scar tissue that looks whitish at times. The scars are about the size of an eraser and are thick and obvious. These scars have been there for the past 8 weeks.

I purchased the 1.5 mm dermastamp to try to break up the hard scar tissue (it feels hard when I squeeze it). I am hoping to break down the scar tissue and make them blend in more with the skin as opposed to standing out.  I am also trying to get the color of the scar to return to a more normal color.  Do you think using a 1.5 mm dermastamp will work for this issue? I obviously do not want to do more damage to the skin and make the scars even more obvious. I was planning on stamping 4 weeks apart. Is that too close together?

Also, after stamping a scar, should I expect to see blood? I know there will be redness, but I have seen other pictures of people bleeding. How long should the redness last? How many stampings does it take to see improvement? Also, if I am Caucasian, should I expect the skin hyperpigment due to the damage done by the dermastamp? I would be devastated if I caused increased hyperpigmentation. These scars do not get sunlight as they are not on my face.

Thank you in advance!

[SarahVaughter]

Sorry for the delayed answer. I somehow overlooked your question.

Dermaneedling works for indented, flat or raised scars.

How dermaneedling works:

https://http://owndoc.com/dermarolling/how-dermarolling-works/

Why it works for raised scars (reply #3):

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/needlingdermarolling-hypertrophic-scar

A 1.5 mm dermastamp is an excellent choice in your case and stamping four weeks apart is ideal. You may get some pinpoint bleeding after stamping and it is normal but it is not necessary. The scar will get temporarily more red for a while after stamping.

How long the redness last is individual. In most cases the redness disappears within 48 hours. Try the dermastamp first somewhere else to see how your skin reacts.

Hyperpigmentation is extremely rare and it only sometimes happened to those who are very prone to it. It disappeared eventually but in some rare cases, it took a long time.

[Nikki05]

Thank you for your reply. I have stamped once and there was pinpoint bleeding around the scars, but not on the scars themselves. Does this mean I did not break through the scar tissue?

One scars color has improved and another scar seems to have gotten a little thinner. They are all still obvious, especially because they are shiny. I still have a few questions:
1) will stamping remove or improve the shininess of the scar tissue?
2) will stamping blend the edges of the scar with the surrounding skin?
3) are the scars supposed to become temporarily raised after stamping?
4) should I use bio oil after stamping or is some other oil/cream better? It's still sensitive. I tried a skin lightener weeks before stamping and my skin broke out in a red rash.

Thank you so much for your advise! I value your expertise as so many others tell you what they think you want to hear!!

[SarahVaughter]

>Thank you for your reply. I have stamped once and there was pinpoint bleeding around the scars, but not on the scars themselves. Does this mean I did not break through the scar tissue?

Scar tissue is harder (dense collagen bundles) and it has much less blood supply than scar-free tissue so it usually bleeds much less.
 

>One scars color has improved and another scar seems to have gotten a little thinner. They are all still obvious, especially because they are shiny.

Good news!


>1) will stamping remove or improve the shininess of the scar tissue? 2) will stamping blend the edges of the scar with the surrounding skin?

Eventually it will, but it can take several months. If the scars are deep, they will never completely disappear, only improve. If they are shallow, they will disappear.

 
>3) are the scars supposed to become temporarily raised after stamping?

Yes, that is normal.


>4) should I use bio oil after stamping or is some other oil/cream better? It's still sensitive. I tried a skin lightener weeks before stamping and my skin broke out in a red rash.

You should moisturize it as much as you can. Oils are excellent moisturizers. 

[Nikki05]

Thank you for your quick response! It has been two weeks since my first derma stamping session. The other day I was looking at my scars (I had not yet put lotion on them) and they appeared somewhat dry. Some of the skin was flaking off. I know you said not to peel the skin off, but I wanted to make sure it was actually peeling and not just the shiny/dry look that scars can have. I was able to easily peel sections of the scar off.

So here are my questions:
   - Would derma stamping from two weeks ago make the scars start peeling now?
   - Is it normal for scars to peel?
   - Is it healthy skin peeling away or is it the injured skin peeling away to reveal newer, healthy skin underneath? Also, is the
     new skin underneath the peeling skin going to appear less scar like or will it be of the same consistency and appearance as
     normal scar tissue?
   - My scars are very noticeable because they are shiny. I have read elsewhere that new skin needs to grow overtop the scar
      tissue to make it appear less shiny because it is new skin. Is this true?
   - Is there anything else I can do to make the shine go away? Is the shine just the way the collagen is organized or that it
     was from a burn? I have several other scars and none of them are shiny. I even have one about three months older than
     the current ones I am treating and none of them were ever shiny. I just don't get it and it is stressing me out 
   - Is it necessary to hear a popping sound as I stamp the scar tissue because I am not hearing it, but I read other people do?
   - When exposing your scar to the sun for re-pigmentation, do you wait three days to do it or do you do it right after
     stamping? I wasn't sure if there was risk for hyperpigmentation if I did it immediately following stamping.

Stamping for the first time definitely gave me a scare as the skin appeared as red as a tomato and made my scars so much more obvious. I was glad to see that subsided within a few days. My raised scar also went back to the normal skin level after two days. Two scars that I stamped were a little tender the first few days after stamping. Is tenderness and sensitivity to touch normal? Did I stamp too hard or deep?

Thank you in advance to your responses! It is so wonderful to have someone who is knowledgeable and ready to share information 

[SarahVaughter]

All reactions of your skin that you describe are normal. The skin may start peeling within a few days or much later. This is individual. Redness, tenderness and sensitivity is completely normal after dermaneedling.

Scars caused by burns tend to be shiny. The entire top layer of the skin is gone, in burns.

The popping sound may and may not be present. Both are normal and OK.

You should wait several days before exposing the scar to the sun.