Derminator



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Messages - SarahVaughter

556
Dieting does not cause scars but maybe the subcutaneous fat that lays just below the skin disappeared even though this should neither happen with dieting, certainly not locally, in one spot. Microneedling cannot trigger fat production so if the fat is missing in that spot, microneedling will not help.

If you indentation looks like in the last photo that you posted (where a big part of the cheek is indented), microneedling will not fix it. The structures under the skin are missing/impaired.

What could have also happened is that there has always been a scar and when you lost weight, the scar just became more visible because with dieting, the skin went from normal to "deflated" and that makes the scar more wrinkly. In this case, use a 1.5 mm dermastamp.

557
The first batch of single needles are in stock!

https://http://shop.owndoc.com/product-info.php?singleneedles-pid172.html

558
Retin A (Tretinoin) helps with hyperpigmentation and acne so it is a good choice.
For hyperpigmentation, buy a 0.5 mm regular dermaroller and roll up to three times a week.
The raised scar next to the nose: Stamp it with a 1.5 mm dermastamp and right after stamping, perform the pressure massage. Apply pressure with your fingers onto the scar spot by spot. Apply pressure to each spot quite strongly for about 20 seconds. Repeat several times.

For acne scars, buy a 1.5 mm dermastamp with 35 needles. Preferably, combine the dermastamp with a 1.5 mm dermaroller.
It is better to stamp just a part of your face but thoroughly and densely.
Stamp the scars on one cheek (or half of the cheek), when it heals, stamp the other, when it heals stamp the forehead scars etc.

If the scars are not improving, try longer needles, apply Tretinoin cream right after stamping and use the suction pump.
The bumps on your forehead look like they might be seborrheic keratosis (seborrheic verruca) but it is difficult to say and I am not sure. Look it up in on the Internet. If it is, microneedling will not help but you can have it shaved it off or have cryotherapy.

How the skin reacts after microneedling and how quickly it heals is individual and there is no other way than doing a test patch on a very small part of your face. If you stamp on Friday evening, it should be OK on Monday morning. The suction pump may case bruising so again, you have to try it.

You should do the TCA prior to stamping. When it heals, start with microneedling.

To prevent hyperpigmentation, you must avoid sun exposure after mcironeedling as much as you can and apply a high factor sun protection. If you are however  really very prone to hyperpigmentation after even small injuries such as bug bites etc. you may end up with hyperpigmentation after stamping. It is rare and it will disappear but do a test patch. Redness post-microneedling is normal.

Concerning the pores, I will paste here the relevant part from our dermarolling instructions:

Enlarged pores

Dermarolling works very effectively on acne scars but pores are not scars. Pores are ducts in the skin and their size is genetically determined. There is currently no method that can reliably and permanently make pores smaller. Very few of our customers managed to make their pores smaller through microneedling. You can try a regular 0.2 mm or a 0.5 dermaroller to thicken the epidermis or a 0.5 mm dermastamp. A thickened epidermis could make pores look smaller because the pore size is the smallest on the skin's surface and as you go deeper into the skin, the pore channel widens. Some of our customers improved their pore size with the single needle but always try just one pore to see if it is not making it worse. Do not expect results too soon.

559
We have a first batch of 180 x 5 needles available for sale in our store now.

NOTE: Some needles (the occasional needle) are slightly longer than 2 mm. We're working on getting the needles all 1.8 mm +/- 10%.

560
Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Add glycerin into my DIY vitamin c
« on: January 01, 2013, 11:04:01 AM »
>>personally I find vitamin c quite harsh


The acidic forms of vitamins are usually the most effective but also the most irritating. The acidic form of vit. A  is Retinoic acid, Tretinoin. Other forms of vit. A are slowly converted to Tretinoin in the skin but the conversion rate is not as high as when Tretinoin is applied directly. Tretinoin however is quite irritating. The same comes for vit. C, ascorbic acid.
Ascorbic acid solutions are very effective but they have to be used up within about one month from making the formulation so unless you prepare it yourself at home, it is unrealistic to sell them because by the time it gets from the factory to the consumer, it is already oxidized and rendered useless.

Yes, you can wash it off after 30 minutes. 

We do not sell the derivatives of ascorbic acid because they failed to increase vit. C levels in the skin. Only ascorbic acid increased vit. C levels.

Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies


Pinnell SR, Yang H, Omar M, Monteiro-Riviere N, DeBuys HV, Walker LC, Wang Y, Levine M.
Duke University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27707, USA.

RESULTS: L-ascorbic acid must be formulated at pH levels less than 3.5 to enter the skin. Maximal concentration for optimal percutaneous absorption was 20%. Tissue levels were saturated after three daily applications; the half-life of tissue disappearance was about 4 days. Derivatives of ascorbic acid including magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl-6-palmitate, and dehydroascorbic acid did not increase skin levels of L-ascorbic acid.

https://http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11207686


To make the subject even more complex, there is another problem with the derivatives of Ascorbic acid, namely peroxidation:


Vitamin C Derivative Ascorbyl Palmitate Promotes Ultraviolet-B-Induced Lipid Peroxidation and Cytotoxicity in Keratinocytes


https://http://www.healthmegamall.com/Articles/BabeskinArticle244.pdf



>>It may only be 60% of the population who get the age reversing benefits of vitamin C


Not everything always works in 100% of cases and for 100% of individuals but I doubt they can seriously back up the "maybe 60%" claim.

The results of the study below for example say there was significant improvement in wrinkling in 57.9% cases but it doesn’t mean that the rest did not get any improvement or benefits from vit. C. Vit. C helps preventing sun damage and that is very important.

Use of topical ascorbic acid and its effects on photodamaged skin topography.

Traikovich SS.
Beeson Aesthetic Surgery Institute, Carmel, Ind., USA. AJLively@POL.NET

RESULTS:
Clinical assessment demonstrated significant improvement with active treatment greater than control for fine wrinkling, tactile roughness, coarse rhytids, skin laxity/tone, sallowness/yellowing, and overall features. Patient questionnaire results demonstrated statistically significant improvement overall, active treatment 84.2% greater than control. Photographic assessment demonstrated significant improvement, active treatment 57.9% greater than control.

561
From the very beginning I have been recommending a combination of:

a dermaroller + the single needles or
 a dermaroller +  a dermastamp


..for any type of scars or stretch marks. A dermaroller for overall skin texture and the needles/stamp to precisely target the scars. 

If the scars are not improving, try longer needles, apply Tretinoin cream right after stamping and use the suction pump.

The initial improvement may sometimes be the greatest and the scars may not significantly improve with further treatments. For example, if you crush the hardened collagen and thus soften the appearance of the scars, it will make a big difference but once it is done, there is nothing to crush/soften any more. The first stage has been completed.

In the second stage, the scars should gradually fill in but this is not always 100 % successful and it can take a long time. Do not give up too soon.
Good luck to you and keep us posted.

562
Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: A-Ret cream 0.05% base cream
« on: December 31, 2012, 09:34:34 AM »
The 0.05 % in our store is fattier than the 0,025% but Tretinoin which is the active ingredient in all A-Ret creams causes drying of the skin (especially initially).
The more Tretinoin it contains, the more "drying" the cream is. Adding or not adding oil should be individual; depending on how prone you are to acne, how dry your skin is etc.

563
Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Botox and dermarolling?
« on: December 31, 2012, 08:58:05 AM »
It will not affect the efficacy of Botox, but do not perform any kind of microneedling over the botoxed area for the first two weeks. It can take up to two weeks for Botox to maximally paralyze the muscle (by blocking the receptors on the muscle).

Not even the longest needles used in microneedling reach the muscles but wait for two weeks anyway.

564
Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: A-Ret cream 0.05% base cream
« on: December 30, 2012, 03:57:58 PM »
You can solve this very easily. Just add for example a little of some cold pressed oil to our 0.025 % Tretinoin jar and mix it in (mixing may take some time but it should not be too difficult). Tretinoin is fat soluble so it "loves" oily and fatty substances.
 
The 0.05% Tretinoin cream contains:

Active ingredient: Tretinoin 0.05 %
Other ingredients: Decyl oleate, isopropyl myristrate, glyceryl monostearate, acetyl lanolin alcohol, ceteareth-30, cetyl alcohol, proline, monostearate of polyethylene glycol 400, urea, collagen, methylparaben, propylparaben, lactic acid, sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide, vitamin E, aroma and purified water.

565
Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: I think I developed an infection
« on: December 30, 2012, 10:44:06 AM »
Thank you for letting us know :-)

566
Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Add glycerin into my DIY vitamin c
« on: December 28, 2012, 09:14:04 AM »
I used to advise against mixing vit. C into creams or other substances because ascorbic acid (vit. C)  is best absorbed when applied directly to the skin but I understand that due to its watery consistency, it is a bit messy and mixing it into a cream will make things easier.

Vitamin C crystals basically never expire (keep them out of the sun and keep the container/bag closed).

Once you mix them with water or into something, it should be used up within a month (because it slowly starts to oxidize) and it should be stored in dark, closed container and preferably in the fridge.

So do not prepare or mix big batches.

567
Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Dr. Desmond Fernandes
« on: December 28, 2012, 04:48:18 AM »
@Dreamer:

You will find the answer in the first forum posting of this thread:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/subcision-suction-method-for-acne-scars

Suctioning right after needling/stamping would be OK too but you may get more bruises.

If subcision was done (do not do this yourself), suctioning the same day is not a good idea.

568
Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Likelihood of Derma-roller infection?
« on: December 27, 2012, 12:21:09 PM »
With proper disinfection and a normally functioning immune system, the risk of infection is extremely small. Countless people all over the world are dermarolling without any problems. I have answered a similar question here:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/is-sepsis-possible-from-dermarolling-is-it-deep-enough-to-possibly-cause-that/

After selling dermarollers for over five years, one of our customers (we have tens of thousands) reported something that could theoretically be an infection but it could have also been an inflammatory overreaction to dermarolling.  The onset of pimples was certainly related to dermarolling but the pain in the tonsils was likely due to catching a cold or a mild flu and had no connection to dermarolling. Please read my reply in this thread:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/i-think-i-developed-an-infection/

The only way one can get an infection from dermarolling is due to gross negligence in cleaning the roller, basically. And even then, the risk is very small.

569
Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Dr. Desmond Fernandes
« on: December 26, 2012, 05:38:28 PM »
I have great respect for Dr. Fernandes and I am not sure whether microneedling was already widely used by the time he made the "no serious bleeding, no results" statement but current reality does not support that statement. Almost nobody rolls at home with a 3 mm dermaroller, causing so much blood as seen on the attached photo (a 3 mm roller is used), and still there are thousands of "homerollers" reporting great results and backing it up with before-and-after pictures. It may perhaps take a little longer with needles shorter than 3 mm, but in return for a little extra patience you get the peace of mind that there is a no danger for infection, which with 3 mm is starting to become a small risk factor.

Just one example concerning success with a 1 mm roller size:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/improvement-after-dermarolling/

Dr. Fernandes rolls his patients (or at least some of them) with a 3 mm dermaroller but he also promotes and uses on himself shorter sizes – such as 1 mm and others.
 
Skin thickness varies depending where on the body it is (the thinnest skin is on the eyelids, the thickest is on the foot soles) and it also varies individually but it is on average between 1 - 2 mm thick.

A dermastamp penetrates deeper than a dermarolloller of the same needle length (unless you push the roller into the skin with very much force).

A 1.5 mm dermastamp normally penetrates about as deep as a 2 mm dermaroller.

A 2 mm dermastamp will normally penetrate slightly less than a 3 mm dermaroller.

If you read the size guide in our dermarolling instructions, you will notice that I tend to recommend a combination of a dermaroller and a dermastamp (or a single needle) for scars and wrinkles – a dermaroller for an overall roll and a dermastamp to locally target individual scars and wrinkles.

In case the scars or wrinkles do not respond to microneedling, it is a good idea trying longer needles (or/and applying Tretinoin right after microneedling or/and adding the suction method etc. but rolling large areas at home with a 3 mm size dermaroller and inducing such bleeding as seen on the photo carries more risks, is painful and it is not really necessary from our experience.

I have gotten many emails from people (living in various countries) who underwent a professional dermrolling treatment by plastic surgeons and the needle length used was usually a 1.5, maximum 2 mm.

I have answered a similar question here:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/the-more-blood-the-better-when-dermarolling/

Related forum postings:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/do-we-need-to-get-that-bloody-to-get-results/

BTW a dermaroller was already patented in 1975 by Dr.Pistor:

https://http://www.owndoc.com/pdf/dermaroller-patent.pdf

570
It depends how the scar revision was done. If they cut out the scar and stitched the skin back, it can take quite a long time to heal so wait about one month.
If the scar revision was done by a method that heals very quickly, you do not have to wait that long.