Documenting dermastamping/dermaneedling progress

[NoMoScars]

Totally understandable. I will just have to try the OwnDoc .05 roller. I have the 1.5 OwnDoc roller already. I didn't know you carried retin a cream though, I will definitely have to check in to ordering that because I tried retin a gel years ago and it dried me out so bad my skin was literally cracking! And a derm prescrbed that! I've gotten better results over these last few months than I've ever experienced from a derm.

Thanks a lot Sarah for helping me through this

[FuturePerfect]

@NoMoScars:  I can see improvement in your skin tone. You look great! We are starting to stamp and roll at around the same time, and I also see improvement in my skin too. I will update my progress with picture after 6 months. I think your idea of adding 0.5mm is a good idea. Since I last posted on your thread, I've been stamping and rolling with 1.5mm every 3 weeks. During that time, I make a note of how my skin heal after stamping/rolling. I noticed that my skin healed quite well so I have added 0.5 mm rolling every week, and it helps with my skin texture. I am increasing the frequency to twice a week for 0.5mm rolling. I don't expect any adverse effect and hope to see even more improvement.

First you stopped smoking and now you have great skin. What's next? 

[NoMoScars]

    awww shucks  thanks!

[NoMoScars]

Hi room

I've been meaning to post updated pics of my dermastamping progress for over a month but life kept getting in the way but here it goes.

I finally took Sarah's advice and began the retin a very late in the summer. I started with the recommended low dose .025 and also combined it with prescription strength hydroquoinine at 4% I think. I had and still have some pretty deep hyperpigmentation. I moved up to .05 a few weeks ago and still pretty red but not too bad. And like some experience, I suffered a mild purging and broke out a little on both cheeks.

Overall, I am pretty happy with the results I've received from needling my scars. I've used the 1.5 mm roller and stamp, a 1.0mm stamp, a .05mm roller, and I single needled a few individual scars. I had some mild to moderate ice pick, box car, and I also think a few very shallow rolling scars. I began needling early this summer but wasn't very consistent because dermarolling/stamping does cause a bit of hyperpigmentation for me. I usually use the 1.5mm roller and 1.5mm stamp and I think I only stamped around 4 times altogether because I took a break for several weeks to begin treating my cheeks for the discoloration.

Its been over a month since I used my dermastamp last and my pictures are from earlier this evening. I will post updated photos again in a month or two when the hyperpigmentation should have faded a bit more.

Best wishes on your journey and thank you Sarah for everything that you do:-)

[NoMoScars]

Sorry for posting such large photos 

Sarah please resize for me and if possible can the photos be placed right side up?

I've gotten a new phone since I began this journey so my pictures are a lot better and you can clearly see all the improvement:-)

Dermastamping and dermarolling is definitely working for me and all it took was some research and patience.

Don't give up

[SarahVaughter]

Thank you for posting, I fixed your photos and I will comment a little later.

[SarahVaughter]

I think that your overall skin texture is much smoother and your scars are slowly getting shallower (see the red circled scars). For someone who has micro-needled his face only a few times, you got good results.

You are unfortunate with getting the hyperpigmentation but hopefully this will improve soon with tretinoin and hydroquinone.

Thank you for documenting your progress. As a reward for making the effort, please email to martina@owndoc.com and tell her what products from our store would you like (as a token of appreciation) and give her your name and address for shipment.

When you have time, please email me (sarah@owndoc.com) a photo of your right cheek that should show approximately the same area as your initial "before" photo. I know you posted an "after" photo of your right cheek but it does not seem to cover the same area as the "before" photo.

Thank you!

[NoMoScars]

Thank you Sarah for posting the Side by Side photo. Without it, it can be a little hard to tell if there is any improvement, how much improvement, or if what you're actually seeing isn't just plain ol wishful thinking

I knew there had been some positive changes for me when I looked in my driver's side visor mirror. The scars would just jump out at me Now they have softened considerably.

Although my scars were not severe, I needled very aggressively (stamped then rolled) and I was a swollen bloody mess afterwards. But the smoothing that followed made it all worth it even though I got some really dark patches of discoloration. I started the tretinoin and hydroquoine which helped lightened those areas but I broke out a bit after starting that treatment so now I gotta deal with that  . Some of smaller more shallow pits are completely gone and I'm hoping some of indentations left behind continues to improve

Sarah,  besides the bleaching cream and retin a for the hyperpigmentation, do you think that I can do anything else to further improve my results? I didn't use the individual needles that much and I never tried adding the tretinoin immediately after needling some of the stubborn deeper scars. I may just try that at this point. I know that I will never be completely scarefree but I'd like to get as close as possible (fingers crossed lol)