The reason dermarolling doesn't work for everybody

If you're like me, you've probably scoured the net looking for a "cure" for acne scars. You've read everything there is to read about acne and probably tried every affordable and sometimes not very affordable products and procedures-everything from creams to laser treatment. A couple of treatments that can easily be done from home is dermarolling and dermastamping.

The Reason Dermarolling/Dermastamping doesn't work for everybody

 There are claims dermarolling works but there are an equal amount of claims that it doesn't work. Why does dermarolling and dermastamping work for some people but not for others? I know the answer to that question.

When our skin is injured, it immediately starts to work on repairing itself. Unfortunately, scar tissue will remain. If scarring is deep in our tissues, it may not heal properly and bands of scar tissue will pull the scar inward giving it a puckered look.  This is called tethering also known as anchored scars. No matter how long you dermaroll or dermastamp, those bands will hold on tight to the scar.  There is a way to release these bands of scar tissue but before I get into that I'd like to explain how to determine if you have tethered scars.

Do you have tethered scars?

Go to a mirror. Stretch the skin around around your scars. Has the scar disappeared? If the answer is yes, then your scars are NOT tethered.  This is great news because this means there is a high chance dermarolling and/or dermastamping will help your scars. If the scars remain, your scars are tethered. This doesn't mean that you will be stuck with scarring forever. There are ways to release the scar tissue such as combining subcision and suctioning .

What is Subcision and does it work?

From what I've read, subcision is one of the best ways to release scar tissue. I have not had this procedure done because nobody in my area does it and it is pretty pricey.  I can not vouch it actually works but I have read countless reviews and personal stories stating that subcision has helped acne scarring. I've read and seen enough to believe that subcision works. This is my opinion. Please do your research before getting it done. If you decide it's for you, locate a reputable doctor. Do not do this at home. There is a high risk of scarring your skin.

Basically, from what I understand, a doctor will numb your skin and insert a long needle into the corners of the acne scar (or any type of scar) and move it back and forth-like a fan. People claim to hear loud popping sounds as the scar tissue is being released.

Once you've had the procedure done, you need to suction the area for a few minutes every day. This can be done at home. The only equipment you need is a small handheld suctioning pump.  The pressure from the suctioning pump is supposed to help pull the skin outward resulting in less indentations in the skin.

Can scars be completely erased?

Scars can never fully be eradicated so don't be disappoint if you try one of these procedures but some scarring remains. These procedures may help improve the look of the scar but that's about it.

Dermarolling Stretchmarks Session 1

I dermarolled my stretchmarks today. It was a little bit scary since I didn't use numbing cream. I recommend using it because the belly is actually very sensitive. At least, mine is! If you use numbing cream, be sure to wash it off BEFORE you dermaroll. Believe me, you do not want to roll that stuff into your skin!

Prepare before you dermaroll

Before you dermaroll, prepare your area! I always sanitize my workspace and tools with 70% Isopropyl alcohol. I let the dermaroller sit in alcohol for 5 minutes then I let it dry off before I use it. I also clean my skin with an alcohol swab.

What I use. I use the retinol cream after I dermaroll.

How to dermaroll your stretchmarks

After I sanitized my work area and skin, I stretched my skin so the needles on my dermaroller can go in deep. You want to add some pressure as you roll. Lift the roller as you change directions. This is to prevent track marks and tearing! I rolled 4 times up and down, 4 times horizontal, and 4 times vertical.

Stretch your skin then roll

  I didn't bleed but my skin got very red. Once I was done, it looked like I had a rash and my skin felt windburned. I washed my skin with water then applied Skincare Cosmetics Retinol day cream. It's packed full of Vitamin A which helps with the healing process.

Don't dermaroll too soon. Give your skin time to form new collagen.

The hardest part is the wait. In order for this to work, you must wait 6-8 weeks to dermaroll again. This is to give your skin time to form new collagen. If you dermaroll roll too early, you risk breaking up the newly formed collagen. If you want, you can dermaroll weekly with a .5mm roller to help with product penetration. The needles are too short so they won't interfere with collagen production.

 Before you put away your tools, sanitize them! It's better to be safe than sorry!

Happy Rolling!

Dermarolling stretchmarks

I have been dermarolling acne scars since 2011. I have had amazing results! I won't lie. There are still a few anchored scars (more on that in another post) that remain but no amount of dermarolling or dermastamping will help them. I will continue to dermaroll my acne scars, just in case, but I am pretty sure I have gone as far as I can with the dermaroller and dermastamp (on my acne scars).

 Dermarolling stretchmarks: Will it Work?

I am moving on to dermarolling my stretchmarks. I had my first baby 18 years ago and was left with a stomach full of stretchmarks. They don't bother me at all and I don't plan on getting rid of them (because they were created out of love) BUT I am curious to see if dermarolling will help even them out. This will be a little experiment of mine. Please keep in mind that these are old stretchmarks so they have faded and match the color of my skin but they are indented and that is what I'd like to work on.

I plan on dermarolling ONE small section. I will take photos and post them for you to decide.  For those of you who are looking for a way to get rid of stretchmarks overnight, don't expect a miracle. Dermarolling takes time. It may take up to 6 months or longer to see results.

I will start dermarolling my stretchmarks this weekend. For now, take a look of a close up of what my stretchmarks look right now. 

Arrow is pointing to the stretchmark I plan on dermarolling. It's a big one!

Does Dermarolling and dermastamping get rid of wrinkles

The claim is if you dermaroll, the wrinkles will disappear. I can tell you from experience the dermaroller does not help with wrinkles. If it does, it's a VERY minor improvement. It is so minor that it's not even noticeable.  I have been dermarolling since 2011, but I haven't seen a difference in my wrinkles other than them getting deeper as I age.

The reason people claim dermarolling/dermastamping gets rid of wrinkles

I have read reviews from people claiming that dermarolling has help some people get rid of their wrinkles. What I have noticed from these reviews is that these people have only been dermarolling for a short period of time (less than 3 months). It takes up to 6 months or longer in most cases to see results. Are these people lying? I don't think so. I believe their wrinkles diminish in appearance but only for a short time.

Microswelling

What they are experiencing is micro swelling. This happens when the skin has been injured. The skin swells up. It's working hard to repair itself. What happens when the skin swells up? All the wrinkles fill in but this is only temporary. Microswelling lasts for up to a week but can last longer if you are dermarolling or dermastamping every single day. You don't want to dermastamp or roll everyday because you need to give your skin time to heal UNLESS you are using a short needle (.5mm) which is great for product penetration.

Have you been dermarolling or dermastamping once every 6-8 weeks for over 6 months? Have you seen results? I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Dermarolling between Dermarolls

I decided to lightly dermaroll my skin last night. Normally, I do a hard roll every 6 weeks (when I'm not breaking out) that's it but I know Dr. Fernandes sent his patients home with a dermaroller (with shorter needles) so that they could roll at home to help with product penetration. Well, that's what I always wanted to do but I didn't have the money to purchase a whole set of rollers so I just did my one roll ever 6 weeks.
I have been getting such terrible breakouts and it's happening all the time. I have so many new scars (indented and red marks). It's so depressing. I apply vitamin C serum and vitamin E and A daily to help my skin heal but come on we all know that our skin is a very strong barrier and nothing is getting through that! I'm basically throwing away money each time I apply my special serums and lotions!
So, the last time I rolled, I waited about a week and I lightly rolled and the applied my products. I decided to lightly roll last night. I may have rolled harder than I realized because my face was all red and it stung when I applied my vitamin C and E. I woke up this morning with my skin stinging and when I went for a jog the sweat on my face stung my face.
I really need to invest in a new roller with short needles. I don't want to destroy the collagen my skin is producing.
I'll let you know if my light rolls are helping the new scars heal faster. I'm going to do it once a week. I am also considering doing single needling. I am not familiar with that process but there a few scars I always seem to miss when I roll.

My dermarolling experience

A couple of people I know have asked why am I blogging about things other than dermarolling. Isn't this supposed to be a blog about dermarolling? Yes it is but you can not dermaroll unless your skin is clear. You can roll the areas where there are no breakouts but you should never, never, never roll over skin with acne (cystic or non cystic), or over any open sores. You'll spread the bacteria and make your skin much worse.
My problem is the area I need to roll is also the area that keeps breaking out. My left side keeps getting new cysts so it's been almost impossible to roll that side. I have rolled the other side and now my face looks a little lopsided (wrinkles on the right side have improved while the left side is very noticeable). This is something new that I just noticed. I guess it just takes wrinkles awhile to "heal." Even though I hate having a lopsided face, I love that I can actually see the difference the dermarolling has made. In previous posts, I wrote that I didn't think dermarolling helped wrinkles but I was wrong. It works but it takes time. Just like it takes time for scars to fill in. 
Back to what I was saying in the beginning of this post....I blog about other things such as products I have used and professional treatments because those are things I have used to help clear my skin. Clear skins equals to being able to dermaroll! I post my honest opinions (whether it's positive or negative)and tell you what has worked for me. Like I've said so many times before, we are all different so something that worked for me may not work for you or vise versa. I'll try anything and if it doesn't work I move on to something else.
Right now, I am working on getting rid of one pimple that won't go away. It's very fleshy and there's nothing inside of it. As soon as it's gone, I'm rolling like a crazy nut!
Thanks for reading my blog! I have a couple of new products I want to blog about that I think could help you. My skin is clearing up thanks to one of these products. I just used something else yesterday so I'll report on the results in a few days. Stay tuned! :)

Do hot compresses really help Cystic Acne?

Apple Cider Vinegar works

As you all know, I have recently started using Apple Cider Vinegar to get rid of my cystic acne. It totally works (look at my before and after pictures)on hard cysts! I got another cyst on my chin and it was BIG! I applied ACV twice the first day (undiluted) and woke up the next morning with a little bump. I applied some more the next night and I woke up with nothing! NADA! It was gone. Then I got another cyst on the bridge of my nose so I applied ACV and guess what!?! 2 days later it was gone. It takes 2 days for it to work on me which is fine. Sometimes those things would stick around for a month or more AND they'd scar! None of these new cysts with the short life span has scarred (what I mean by scarred is indented scars). I do have some red marks left on the bridge of my nose and the other 3 cysts I had before also left red marks but they aren't bad.

Do hot compresses work on cystic acne?

I have one cyst that is fleshy and unlike any cyst I have ever had. It's very soft but there's nothing inside of it and it won't go away. ACV helped shrink it ALOT but there's a little bump AND it's very red. I decided to try a home remedy I read about online: hot compresses supposedly help break up the material inside the cysts.
Well, THAT did not work at all! All it did was make me look like a clown. I started off with warm water because I read that hot water could cause bacteria to multiply. Who knows but I didn't want to take the chance. The warm compresses weren't working (I tried it for 2 days). So, I decided to warm up the water a little more and boy was that a BIG mistake. My whole face turned red.
Look at the picture! ALL that redness wasn't there until I applied the hot compress so please be careful! Luckily, 3 hours later the redness went away but what a pain in the butt! And I had to go out looking like that!

Honestly, I don't think warm or hot compresses work to break up the stuff inside the cyst. It sure didn't work for me! I won't be trying that again! If you try it, then do it when you don't have to leave your house that way if it turns out the way mine did you could at least wait it out until the redness goes away.

I so desperately want that fleshy cyst to go away (it's the dark red mark) so that I can finally dermaroll that side of my face. If anybody has any suggestions on what I can do, please message me or post a comment with advice!

PMD microdermabrasion and Acne Scar Update

I haven't posted in quite awhile mostly because I have been having such terrible cystic acne breakouts. I have not been able to roll at all. My skin is full of new scars. FORTUNATELY, the dermaroller has done it's job and has fixed all the old small scars except for the line scar I mentioned before and one other old one that has filled in alot but it's still there (but you can only see it if I stretch my skin). All the other scars: GONE! They are filled in! I am so happy about that.

PMD Home Microdermabrasion Machine Mini Review

My problem is that I keep getting more scars thanks to my cystic acne problem. I've been searching for that miracle product that will at least reduce the amount of acne I get around my mouth. I purchased a PMD (personal microdermabrasion machine) for about $179 about a month ago and have done about 5 treatments with the light disk. You have options: light, medium or coarse disks. The kit comes with the light and medium disks and they are only good for about 3 uses. I started off with the light one and didn't see a difference in my skin. My husband says my skin looked younger but I don't see that. :( I moved on to the medium disk and that was okay but still no major difference. I ended up purchasing the coarse disks and tried it last week. OMG it is super rough but I felt that one. I put too much pressure and scratched my skin up in some areas and it left some marks but I felt it work AND a sunspot I have peeled off a little bit. Not all of it but some did come off. So, next time I use it I will have to be more careful. I will go into more detail about it later but I just wanted to share what I am using along with the dermaroller. By the way, I did not run the machine over my cysts or the areas healing. I don't want to scar my skin anymore. Right now, the cysts are gone but the scar are still healing.
Here is what the box looks like:

 Here the little machine with some of the disks:

New Product I am trying: 25% Mandelic Acid Peel

Okay so I found another product that I think you all might be interested in. I was looking through Makeup Artists Choice website. I was thinking of doing a chemical peel to help with the red marks when I came across something called a Mandelic Acid Peel. According to the website, it helps with fine lines, hyperpigmentation and ACNE...INCLUDING CYSTIC ACNE!!!! I did some research and read a ton of raving reviews about this stuff. People say it kills off the cyst!!! I was so excited and after 2 days of research ordered the peel. It was on sale so paid a total of $17 with shipping so I got a good deal. I got the 25% Mandelic Acid peel. Regular Price is 15.95 for a 1 oz. bottle (I got a $5 discount) but you can also purchase a sample size for $3.50.
I ordered mine on May 16, 2013 and got it today (May 18th). Talk about fast delivery! I am giving it a try tonight. I took before pics and will post before and after pictures once I am done. I hear it takes a few peels before you see results so I may wait a few weeks before I post the pictures. This peel is gentle enough to use once a week for 2 weeks and then you can use it every 4 days. I am super excited! I will keep you all updated.
I am definitely NOT giving up the dermaroller! I will roll again very soon. It really works for me so can't give that baby up!

Dermarolling Update

My last post was quite a while ago. I haven't been able to roll since the last time because my skin has been breaking out so much. I am hoping it will be clear in a week or 2 so that I can FINALLY roll again. In a way, I think it's a good thing I've waited. I've heard of people who have rolled consistently every 6 weeks for months and months and then take a long break (like 6-8 months) to give their skin time to repair itself.

A Few Updates

The weird overgrowth of skin that I posted about shriveled up and flaked off! It was such a weird experience and one that really scared the heck out of me! Luckily, it's gone but I have been having lots of breakouts in that area ( which is normal for me) .

A long time ago (I don't remember how long ago) I got brave and rolled my forehead and mentioned that I wouldn't do it anymore. I have noticed that the lines on my forehead have definitely softened ALOT. So much that I am going to dermaroll my entire forehead again. I don't think I took before pictures when I rolled my forehead the first time but I will this time and I'll post the results. I'm really excited about that.

As for all the other scars that I had, a lot of them filled in but there's so many new ones so it's hard to tell much of anything. I am getting so tired of this...I get rid of scars and then I end up breaking out again and more scars form. It's so frustrating. My only consolation is that I know if I hadn't been rolling those scars away I'd have way more and my skin would look even worse. Quite honestly, even with the new scars, my skin doesn't look as bad as it did before I rolled.

Dermarolling caused too much skin growth

 The area where I have the most acne scars (on both corners of my lips) has become very bumpy with what looks like the overgrown of skin. I am not sure what to make of this. Sorry for the quality of the picture but I purposely took the picture with the sun hitting my face so that you can see what I am talking about.  I took a picture under normal lighting and you can not see the extra skin.  It looks like pimples in the picture but it is not acne. It is the overgrown of skin.

See those bumps...that's extra skin. I think Microdermabrasion will smooth it down.

Here's a picture taken of my skin under normal lighting. As you can see, the bumps aren't visible which is why I posted the bright picture above.

Picture taken under normal lighting. You can't see the bumps but they are there!

I am due for another dermaroll...actually I was supposed to roll on December 7th, 2012 but I didn't have the time. I will probably roll this weekend. I'll post new pictures so you can see the progress. My skin is still healing (very slowly) so that's good. The acne scars look so much better but I haven't noticed much of a difference in my fine lines. Maybe I need work work on those areas a little harder.... 

I posted an update on the overgrowth of skin. Click on the link to read what happened: Dermarolling update

Does Dermarolling help erase fine lines?

I've been dermarolling for almost 1 1/2 years because I've been trying to get rid of my pitted acne scars. If you've been following my blog, then you know that I have had a tremendous amount of success with getting rid of old small pitted scars and had some success shrinking medium sized scars and almost no to very little success in getting rid of the brand new scars.
I'm still young..ish (35 years old) so I don't have major wrinkles except for some on my forehead (sorta deep due to my squinting problem) and very very fine lines near my eyes and I've got very faint smile lines. I've been rolling those smiles lines since I started dermarolling and they are still there. I honestly haven't seen much a of change which is disappointing. :( I've read the dermarolling works on fine lines so I'll keep working on those areas and keep you updated.
I haven't had the courage to roll the area around my eyes since the skin is so sensitive there but I rolled my forehead during session 6...If you want to read about that dermarolling experience check this post and this one). I haven't seen any change but it's only been a few weeks. I honestly don't think rolling gets rid of fine lines but maybe it takes time!?!
Has anybody had success with their fine lines? I've read Dr. Fernandez's studies and seen pictures of his patients who had wrinkles and I was amazed with the results. He uses a few other products (like Large doses of Vitamin A before the procedure is done) so maybe that is the difference.

Dermarolling #6 update

Just thought I'd give you all a quick update on my last dermarolling session.

Dermarolling progress

The holes that were left on my forehead have closed! YAY! I was so worried about that. I am going to see how things go these next 6 weeks and if I see even a teeny tiny change I may roll my forehead again. I would love to minimize the lines on my forehead but I can live with them if I have to. It's the acne scars I don't want to live with.

My nose is fine, Thankfully. It is flaking alot but I don't know if it's because I rolled that area or if it's because of the weather.  The area around my lips (on both sides) are also flaking (very minor flaking). I don't think that's happened before.

There's absolutely NO Microswelling going on around my nose area or forehead. :( But the area I normally roll (from below my nose to my chin)is nice and plump. My skin looks fabulous right now. I believe that if I didn't keep on getting new scars (Thanks to my cystic acne) that my skin would be scar free (or at least almost scar free since I know the dermaroller won't completely 100% get rid of the scars) but unfortunately I have new scars. New scars seem to be harder to get rid of. The old ones respond better to the dermaroller.

I will post pictures the next time I roll so that we can compare the changes. Happy Rolling! 

Dermarolling Session #6

I dermarolled for the 6th time yesterday (October 26,2012) but this time I added my nose and forehead. I am not recommending it because I can see little holes in my forehead now. I'm a little freaked out but there's nothing I can do about that except HOPE the holes close up. I'll keep you updated.

Why you shouldn't dermaroll your nose

I rolled my nose too but it's full of enlarged pores so I don't know if any extra holes were left behind like on my forehead. I really don't care...my nose looks horrible either way. I did, however, come across an article (didn't bookmark it so I don't have the link) that said NOT to dermaroll your nose because supposedly the skin on the nose doesn't heal well. Oops. I didn't read that until AFTER I rolled my nose but it doesn't look damaged. Microswelling doesn't seem to have worked on my nose either. The enlarged pores are still there...oh well. I'm more concerned about my scars. Looks like I have new ones and one of them is a line scar again. ugh. why does this happen to me? I hate this.
I worked really hard on the area around my lips and chin. I bled and the popping sound was horrendous. It was also very hard to roll the newly scarred areas...like I was rolling through mud. I know that's the scar tissue breaking up. I am looking forward to rolling these scars away. Most of the other ones I was working on before have filled it.
Can you all believe that it's been about 1 year 4 months since I started rolling! Amazing how time flies but I'm telling you, if you stick with it you won't regret it. Now if I can only figure out a way to prevent new zits from appearing....ugh

Interesting Study with pictures done on Dermarolling

I found this interesting study done on Dermarolling and thought I'd share it with you. The study shows that dermarolling does work but only on certain types of scars which could explain why dermarolling works for some people but not for others. Check out the pictures and tell me it doesn't work! I love it!
Here's the article:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2840919/

Dermarolling Session #5

My skin finally healed and I have not gotten another acne cyst lately so I was able to Dermaroll on Sunday, September 2nd, 2012.  I was so excited. It had been awhile since I last Dermarolled so there were quite a few new scars that needed to be worked on.
My scarred skin was really HARD so when I started rolling it started to pop. The popping sound always creeps me out but at the same time it feels good knowing I am breaking up the scar tissue. 
I ran out of my Vitamin A cream so I had to apply Vitamin E afterward. I prefer the Vitamin A cream better. I think it works better on the scars. I used Vitamin E when I started rolling but once I switched to Vitamin A I started to see (faster) results.
I took some pictures before I Dermarolled but I am going to wait to post them until 6 weeks so that I can post side by side before and after pictures to see if there are any changes in my new scars.
Right now, my skin looks amazing! I Love Microswelling!
I'll keep you all updated. Oh and I may have discovered what has been causing my cystic acne!!!!!! I am still doing some research but once I read more about the potential culprit, I'll share it with you.