Acne Magazine : Skin Care, Tips, Treatment Reviews

I am soon going to be getting a sample of the new scarring treatment product that was created in part by a plastic reconstructive surgeon called InviCible Scar to try out. I was told by a rep for the company, who offered to send me a free sample in exchange for an honest review of their product, that the product works well on scars that are not as old, but it can still also lighten older scars that may be pigmented deeper than the rest of your skin.

I thought it might be useful for this blog, as well as another blog I run on beauty advice, so I am going to post my review on the product after I have used it for long enough of a time to gauge it’s effects on the couple of scars, including a surgery scar I have where some skin was removed from my upper thigh to help remove a birthmark and skin graft it on my leg, but I thought you guys might also be interested to see if it works on acne scars that are still hyperpigmented. I have one that I plan on trying that out with, so I’ll let you guys know how it works.

As you know, there are some great naturally derived products for acne scarring today that I recommend, and who knows, this may be one to add to the list!  I’ll keep you posted, but it likely will be a few weeks until you see anything further on this discussion.

Well, I’ve really screwed up my skin in one spot on my chin, and just weeks before I’m getting married, no less! Of course, this is just my luck, but I’m hoping that it’s going to be fixed by then by applying a host of intensive moisturizers and natural healers for the next several days. Here’s what I did, the genius that I am. I had a pretty bad acne lesion about 3 weeks ago. It popped up thanks to stress about the wedding and a host of other issues that were causing me stress that I couldn’t seem to contain like I normally can now.

This large acne lesion not only was a sore sight on my face for a few days, but after it popped, it was a bright red spot that was very difficult to cover with any sort of cover up or concealer stick that I have, including my great technique of stippling it with a high coverage foundation that usually works. Like I said, this all transpired a few weeks ago, so I was actually left with a red spot that wouldn’t go away. Well, I figured, I’d give myself an acne scar treatment that usually works, every weekend until one week before the wedding.

Needless to say, I got too overzealous. I ended up scrubbing the you know what out of just that one spot. Well, I ended up literally rubbing the skin off, and then I combined that with my peel and now I have a blotch about the size of a dime on my chin where a tiny red scar used to be, so now it looks a world worse because I was so determined to get rid of it.

First off, I used way too much elbow grease, and second, I shouldn’t have then added the peel solution to it after I felt it burning, that should have been a sign to stop, but noooo, I thought I would be little miss smarty pants and outsmart my acne scar. Well, now I have a scaly, rubbed raw, red blotch on my face that hurt, and it feels like every time I smile, it’s going to crack, no matter how much I moisturize it.

It’s basically like a giant cold sore. It’s already peeling off in sheets, which is in turn making it look more red and raw. Arghhh! If only this could have happened even weeks ago, I would have assuredly gotten rid of it by the time we get married, which is 11/7, but now I’m not so sure. I’ll keep you posted on what works, just in case any of you inadvertently make this dunderhead mistake like I did

Laser resurfacing has become a more popular procedure as the quest to look younger and have more perfect looking skin becomes more of the society standard.  However, while laser resurfacing can produce some pretty astounding results as far as totally revamping how the skin looks in terms of texture, appearance, and collagen production, it also has some side effects that can range from bothersome to downright serious.  The good news though is that most patients are eaisly treated for any side effects of the procedure, and the ones that have more serious side effects are few and far between.

You see, when you receive laser resurfacing or microdermabrasion, you are essentially damaging the skin’s outermost layers, and that actually results in some sort of trauma for the skin, which can lead to other skin problems.  But if you are under the care of a licensed aesthetician or a plastic surgeon or dermatologist, they should be able to easily rectify any side effects with treatments that work quickly to clear up the problem.

One problem that is common is actually acne, because the skin was so severely compromised, the oil glands become over productive, and this stimulate a response by the skin to overproduct oil to help calm the skin down, sort of like after a sunburn, your skin has endured trauma, and the natural reaction to that is for the skin to produce more of it’s own natural lubricant, sebum, or oil.

Another side effect of laser resurfacing with a carbon dioxide laser is something called milia, which is the appearance of lots os tiny white bumps allover the skin, another problem that can be easily treated through medications and creams by a dermatologist.

There is a new drug that may be very useful in eliminating scarring that has occurred from surgery or from some other trauma to the body where a significant scar has been left.  The name of the drug is Avotermin and it is used by injecting it under the skin at the site of the scar.  It can work when it is injected before surgery subdermally (under the skin), or it can also work on existing scars, although there is no news on whether it could be used cosmetically for patients with acne scars to help them fade and diminish old acne scars.

Acne scars, as we all know, come in several varieties.  There are the icepick types of scars and other pitting that occurs and this looks basically like there are little scoops out of the skin.  These are just depressions on where skin should be, and they usually occur because we pick too much at a zit or pop it way before it should be popped, which creates more trauma in the area and subsequently creates a depression where the acne lesion used to be.

The results sound like so far they are nothing short of amazing, with post surgical scars being treated with the drug and the scars being almost completely unseen in about twelve months.  I’m not sure how it works, but I’d imagine it goes to work right at the site of the trauma and somehow prevents the cells from collecting there and causing redness or marking that is perceivable to the naked eye.

The drug was effective on keloid type raised scars in helping to reduce the raised look of the skin, as well as reducing redness.  Some people who participated had their scars literally almost disappear, and others had great effects but not that great.  I don’t think, reading about this, that it would be approved for something like acne, because it sounds like it is more of a surgical use, but who knows, it could create cosmetic spinoffs that dermatologists can use in office to help you treat your acne scars and get rid of them.  More to come on this I’m sure…..

I just got done using one of my favorite fruit acid based skin peels, and when I rinsed my skin off under warm (never hot!) water, I noticed that my skin squeaked when I was rinsing it.  That may sound good, but it’s not, because when your skin is “squeaky” clean, it means that you’ve probably stripped it of two much moisture, and some of it’s protective barrier has been swept away.  That’s all fine and good, and that’s actually the purpose of an acid peel, especially one that is strong like the one I just used.

However, just because it did what it was supposed to, which was sweep away old dead skin cells and many healthy newer ones as well, in order to force the skin to produce newer, fresher skin cells, you still need to replenish that protective moisture barrier, artificially albeit since you’ll be using a lotion or cream that is not made of your own skin cells, however, it provides protection against a few things.

A good, rich moisturizer when applied after an acid peel that perhaps you have used to help diminish your acne scarring, or maybe just to give your skin a fresher, more youthful look, is essential after an acid peel, especially one that is stronger in concentration that strips away more skin cells.  I like to use one that is very emollient with ingredients that are not stripping, in other words, I try not to use another product with any type of acid or exfoliant ingredients in it since I’ve already done that enough with the peel.

You want to apply the moisturizer, which by the way should also be noncomedogenic, very generously.  You shouldn’t have to worry about it clogging pores because your skin will be like a sponge after a peel (or microdermabrasion), and will soak it right up thirstily, probably looking for more.  You may think you’re putting too much on, but you’ll watch and see that it does all soak in.  Not only does this prevent tightness, but also helps prevent excessive peeling and also helps soothe and calm the skin afterwards.

I wrote about a week or so ago about how I had purchased a retinol based product called RoC deep wrinkle night time treatment cream, which has gotten high marks for helping to “iron out” heavy deep wrinkles, especially where I’m concerned, which is crow’s feet coming off he sides of the eyes.  It also may help with a little of the bumpiness that I notice from time to time on my chin I’m hoping, but there are also good acne scarring products that help to even out this unfortunate side effect of suffering from acne for years as an adolescent.

Retinol is actually a great product for wrinkles because it helps to exfoliate the skin, but it also helps to thicken the skin, or so I understand through the reading I’ve done on the popular skin care ingredient.  So, I figured that with my purchase of the RoC deep wrinkle product, I may enjoy not only wrinkle reduction benefits, but also benefits in my skin tone and evenness of it.

I wrote that I experienced a breakout initially when trying this product, and I did, but it has now subsided about a week later.  I think I’m noticing an improvement in my skin, but then again, the power of suggestion can be very powerful in the mind and I’m not discounting that it’s wishful thinking yet, especially since I’m not that far into using it yet. I’ll keep you updated on both the wrinkle reduction aspect and the possible benefits it may have for scarring or unevenness.

My sister made me happy recently when she said she may find a job soon at a place where she can actually also enjoy the services instead of just work there, somewhere like a laser center.  I asked if she thought maybe she could get me a reduced price on services and she thought maybe, so I was already starting to fanatasize about getting these pesky age spots on the side of my face lasered right off, because apparently laser therapy can help immensely with age spots.

Also though, it may be able to help greatly diminish acne scars that are still pigmented.  I’m not sure if it’s a really good treatment as far as smoothing out pits and nicks from acne scarring, because that may require more of a serious laser resurfacing, which could potentially require a lot of downtime and pain, as opposed to a more superficial laser treatment that only abrades the outer skin layer instead of the deeper tissue which results in more pain and swelling and trauma, and increased down time before you fully recover.

She said that she had a few spots of sun damage lasered off and could tell a difference right away.  What  laser does it is zaps away the localized area, so it does not “wound” the surrounding tissue, and this localization allows it to focus the beam in one targeted area and essentially remove the brown spot all together, without making the surrounding area red or swollen, but instead taking the pigment out of that one specific area.

It also is one of the better treatments for age spots because it supposedly is not as likely to leave a white spot in it’s place, which can be a side effect of certain prescription fading creams that take the melanin out of the skin over time but also may whiten the surrounding are in certain skin types.

If you want teeny, tiny pores and are tired of seeing those large pores around the nose area – the side of the nose are the worst, I know, then there are some products that you can use that help to smooth and refine the skin, including enlarged pores, that will help to lessen the appearance of these pores.  There are also, of course, procedures that you can go and have done which are not only expensive, but are also required on an ongoing basis for the results to stay as they look today.

These procedures include microdermabrasion, which is commonly used for everything from wrinkles to old acne scarring.  Microdermabrasion uses microfine crystals that are blown out of a machine at high speeds, then the machine sucks up these crystals, along with any dead skin cells that it has collected, and leaves you with a clean finish, and less dead skin cells.  It speeds cell turnover and also renews the skin’s outer layer by blasting it away.  It’s like sandblasting, only for your face, or think of it as a powerwash. You can also see refined pores and less appearance of enlarged pores when you get regular microdermabrasion appointmens.

It also can unfortunately drain your bank account at anywhere from fifty to one hundred dollars a pop.  Add into that the fact that many spas also may include or expect gratuities for their technicians, and you have a potentially very expensive beauty habit.  There are also chemical peels, which run about the same in price.  These refine the pores by stripping away dead skin cells and also tightening the skin, which makes pores appear much smaller pretty quickly.

However, you can do both microdermabrasion and chemical peels in the comfort of your own home for a lot less money. See our acne scarring products page for a great home microdermabrasion complex that works fantastically on the skin.  Other treatments that can help to tighten the pores are pulse light therapy and deep peels.  Let us know if you have any other techniques that work to tighten and lessen the appearance of the pores.  It is, after all, one of the hallmarks of great skin.

There is a relatively inexpensive and fairly effective way to HELP fade red acne scars.  Notice I say it will HELP, but I believe that there are a combination of items that will actually totally diminish acne scars that are stubborn with regular use and those can be found here at acne scarring products. 

When I say regular use, I believe that many fairly abrasive or potentially irritating products like acid peels and microdermabrasion kits for home use should be used on a weekly basis, and you need to use your independent judgement if you happen to have super sensitive or easily irritated skin, especially if you’ve had acne for quite some time, since sensitive and acne prone skin tend to go hand and hand. 

One such inexpensive items is a lactic acid peel.  You can get acid peels in a dermatologist’s office or an aestheticians office, but you will pay a heck of a lot more for them than you will if you purchase them online.  I’ve found the best values on at home acid peels that have alike percentages of acid concentration as those used in professional’s offices, if not just a tad weaker since of course they don’t want individuals to burn their skin unintentionally at home.

There are still warnings on the ones sold for home use though, because you can indeed still over do it at home, even with a slightly weaker formula.  You can over dry and almost burn the skin with lactic acid peels, but more so with harsher ones like glycolic acid peels if you’re not careful. 

They tell you to rinse the product off the face if you start to feel any burning, and they’re not kidding.  If you start to feel pain, immeidately rinse the stuff off, but mostly be in tune to how your face feels to see if you should just do the minimum time or if your skin has a thickness enough that it can tolerate a slightly deeper peel. 

Of course, the deeper you go, the faster you can help diminish things like red pigmentation leftover from acne scarring, or icepick and pitting scars as well, which are much harder to diminish and take more time because they are actually depressions left in the skin from the trauma caused by old acne lesions, especially the deep acne lesions. 

Lactic acid peels are a little less irritating, and are recommended for those that suffer with acne over other peels because they are gentle, and because they also help correct discoloration caused by old acne scars. 

I just read an interesting article about treatments and lifestyle tips and products for preventing and treating stretch marks on the body.  Stretch marks are caused when a person gains and loses weight rapidly, such as with frequent dieting and yo-yo’ing of weight, or when a woman becomes pregnant, from her skin expanding for several months. 

Many times what happens is, although our skin is extremely strong and resillient, almost like a balloon or a rubber band, if it is stretched beyond it’s elasticity capacity for too long, it may not go back to the original color and texture it was before the trauma.  That’s what a stretch mark results from.  It often is a white color or a purplish type of color, or sometimes can be a shade of pink.  Sounds an awful lot like what can happen to our skin’s coloration after an acne lesion has been treated, huh?

Personally, I have a few and they look white to me, almost like the absense of pigment, and they clearly look like a balloon that’s been overexapanded for two long, because they have a set of lines that looks where the point the collagen gave out and the skin began to give up and give away some of it’s integrity.  These marks, in many ways, are like acne scars, in that they resulted from a trauma to the skin in that area, and they have become discolored or misshapen because of that trauma. 

For that reason, what’s good for stretch marks and often recommended by dermatologists to help get rid of them, is often the same prescription for getting rid of and fading acne scars. 

Examples of the similar treatments that can be used on both acne scars and on stretch marks for improvement are laser treatments, lotions and creams with alpha hydroxy acids in them, which smooth and buff away old skin cells to reveal fresh new, and undamaged skin, Retin-A, which is a topical cream or gel that helps to regenerate lost collagen and build up the skin to renewed integrity and strength, softening lines and indentations and also helping with  discoloration, and using peptide-type lotions and creams (like the much hyped Strivectin, which believe it or not, is actually a stretch mark cream, not a wrinkle cream).