Messages

691

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: 1 year dermarolling acne scars (15 sessions) - no improvement

« on: October 09, 2012, 05:40:10 PM »

I would like to express my gratitude to everybody who took the time to describe their experience. No method works in 100% of cases or 100% of skin conditions. And for those for which it works, dedication and various approaches in microneedling are often necessary to achieve results.

692

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Looking for a dermaroller to use on extensive stretchmarks

« on: October 09, 2012, 05:38:52 PM »

The most effective for stretch marks is the combination of a regular 1.5 mm dermaroller + the single needle or a dermastamp + Tretinoin cream:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/stretch-marks-individual-needling/

Yes, you should use the regular (wide) roller and a 1.5 mm dermastamp with 35 needles.

There is no problem using it on the breast area. It may even slightly improve the loss of elasticity.

You can use a dermastamp on your facial scars (buy another 1.5 mm stamp with 35 needles and use it only on the face). The skin doesn't have to be completely clear but it should not have really serious, painful acne full of pus.

693

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: vit c lotion could have darkened my skin?

« on: October 09, 2012, 05:37:20 PM »

Vit. C is a mild skin lightener, since vit. C is tyrosinase inhibitor (not a very strong one). Tyrosinase is the enzyme that converts tyrosine to melanin (skin pigment).

However not everybody reacts the same. You should reduce the application and dilute it with more water. Wash it off your face in the morning.

A double-blind randomized trial of 5% ascorbic acid vs. 4% hydroquinone in melasma
Liliana Elizabeth Espinal-Perez MD, Benjamin Moncada MD*,

Abstract
Background Melasma is an acquired treatment-resistant hyperpigmentation of the skin.

Methods Sixteen women with idiopathic melasma were included in our trial.
After randomization by another clinician, they were instructed to use, at night, 5% ascorbic acid cream on one side of the face and 4% hydroquinone cream on the other side, for 16 weeks. Sunscreen was applied daily throughout the period of observation. They were evaluated every month by colorimetry, digital photography, and regular color slides. Subjective evaluation by each patient was also taken into account.

Results The best subjective improvement was observed on the hydroquinone side with 93% good and excellent results, compared with 62.5% on the ascorbic acid side (P < 0.05); however, colorimetric measures showed no statistical differences. Side-effects were present in 68.7% (11/16) with hydroquinone vs. 6.2% (1/16) with ascorbic acid.

Conclusion Although hydroquinone showed a better response, ascorbic acid may play a role in the therapy of melasma as it is almost devoid of side-effects; it could be used alone or in combination therapy.

694

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: How to ease itching after dermarolling

« on: October 09, 2012, 05:35:36 PM »

After dermarolling, the inflammation can cause itchiness. The more moisturized you keep the rolled area, the less it itches, provided the used products are not irritating. Tretinoin for example is very useful to apply on stretch marks after rolling, but it is acidic so it itches:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/Why-use-Tretinoin-for-stretch-marks

On top of Tretinoin creams, apply moisturizing products.

Yes, you can use a dermaroller on the burn scar but a 1.5 mm dermastamp is even better because it is more targeted.

695

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Could you tell me what type of scar this is?

« on: October 09, 2012, 03:47:02 PM »

Before I answer - what happened to the picture? Could you re-upload it please? (you can make yourself unrecognizable or email me the picture and we will do that).

Without picture, this thread becomes much less useful for others and it would be counterproductive to give recommendations when others can't see anymore what I'm recommending about..

696

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Dark Pigmentation on Lip

« on: October 09, 2012, 03:17:45 PM »

I see what you mean. The same is valid for those spots. Sun protection and preventing dryness. Try hydroquinone or freshly squeezed lemon juice.

697

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: dermarolling eyebrows

« on: October 08, 2012, 06:51:47 PM »

A scar has almost no metabolic activity and usually it has no hairs due to lack of proper blood flow and other reasons. Needling often crushes the scar tissue and triggers revascularisation of the scar. This sometimes results in skin "normalization". If the scar is in the area of the eyebrows or the scalp, there is a chance the hairs will partially regrow after needling.

You should stamp the scar every ten days with a 1 mm dermastamp.

698

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Dark Pigmentation on Lip

« on: October 08, 2012, 06:35:06 PM »

I actually think that the pigmentation looks good because it nicely and precisely frames the lips. Like a lip liner that looks totally natural..

Most pigmentations are a result of sun exposure and lips that are dry and cracked are especially vulnerable to UV damage. You must start using a sunscreen on your lips every day.

Every  second day when you brush your teeth in the evening, use your toothbrush to massage/exfoliate the lips. Do it very gently, especialy in the beginning. Try it first on your upper lip to see how the lip reacts.

Always keep the lips soft, for example with Vaseline. The greasier the better. Apply the sunscreen first.

Concerning the pigmentation, you can try a cream that contains hydroquinone but you will risk the pigmentation will get uneven (some parts will get lighter and some will not). Dermarolling is not appropriate in this case.

699

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Product absorption needle size

« on: October 08, 2012, 05:05:59 PM »

Retin A contains Tretinoin (Retinoic acid), which is acidic. It can sting and make the skin quite irritated if you enhance its absorption by dermarolling. Some of our customers do apply the A-Ret right after dermarolling but you must be very careful and do a test patch on a small part of your skin first to find out how your skin reacts.

Also, it takes the skin some time to get used to Tretinoin so start applying it without dermarolling at first. Apply it on the days that you do not roll.

A 0.25 mm should be slightly less painful. What kind of skin condition are you trying to improve?

The increased absorption is the highest right after dermarolling. It does not last for 24 hours, neither hours, even though increased absorption may occur to a certain extent for hours.

700

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Could you tell me what type of scar this is?

« on: October 07, 2012, 06:29:35 PM »

There are no alternatives but to use our upcoming needle. One month from now we will receive samples from the manufacturer, we have been promised.

The reason why no alternatives to our upcoming needle exist is that our needle stops automatically, it is only 1.8 mm long. Our previous needles were slightly longer and they caused terrible bruising with some customers. The previous needle type is not available for production anywhere in the world anymore either - the manufacturers refuse to produce more of this custom-made device, since they say it is too much work for them, they won't produce them at any price - they are simply not able/willing to do it anymore (they also refused to pay us back thousands of dollars we paid them to start production), hence we now use a specialized medical needle factory instead of a tattoo needle factory.

Cost to us: $5000,- for the molds and $20000 for a minimum order qty. Excl. shipping, which is also several thousand dollars. So this upcoming single needle really is going to be unique and will likely remain unique. So please be patient and, by buying it when it has become available, help us to recoup some of this approx. $30000,- in total costs associated with providing this needle for purchase. (We need 3333 purchases of 5 needles for $9,- just to break even!) We have spent one year trying to get a suitable needle developed and it is proving harder than we had hoped for. Hundreds of emails have been exhanged with various manufacturers, we had many frustrating months but we are finally reaching the end, hopefully..

701

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Advice needed for the scars in the photo

« on: October 03, 2012, 10:46:42 AM »

There is hardly a more difficult skin problem than scars on the nose. Stop stamping the nose. The nose area is always unpredictable and it can react "wildly" to any treatments. Usually, doctors refuse to do laser treatment on the nose because it can turn out bad. You said in your initial posting that the scars on the nose improved so I though you may as well give it a try but it does not seem to be a good idea, at least not in your case.

You could try our 0.5 % Tretinoin cream for the nose (use every second day before you go to bed). Use just a little. Long term, it could slowly remodel the skin by speeding up the turnover of the skin but it can take a year.

Continue stamping your cheeks (that is safe) but instead of mild weekly stamp, do very dense and deep stamping of one or two scar at a time. When it heals, stamp another one. Thus you will not be red all over and you can perhaps get away with just one or two red spots at work.

Let me/us know how things progressed after three months.

702

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Best Treatment

« on: October 03, 2012, 10:16:04 AM »

Stamp your scars densely every three weeks with a 1.5 mm dermastamp.

Your scars may be tethered to the underlying skin structures and it would be worth combining the stamping with the suction method (we sell the suction cups now), especially if you get no results with the stamping itself:

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

It is not completely necessary in your case, but a 0.5 mm regular roller (roll your entire face up to three times a week) will likely improve the overall skin texture.

703

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Red spots on my skin after dermastamping

« on: October 01, 2012, 03:26:21 PM »

The dermastamp goes deeper than a dermaroller with the same length needles. We warn to do a test patch first, in our instructions, for that reason.

What you describe is rare but when it occurs it is completely normal and even a sign that you've treated thoroughly, with a good likelihood of treatment success.

You can buy Heparin cream in the pharmacy (usually OTC) to diminish the spots but don't use it right after dermaneedling - wait a day because it is a blood thinner. Don't expect miracles from it either - it could take a long time (weeks) before those spots are gone, unfortunately.

Hopefully you can use makeup to make it less visible.

704

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: What to do about lines on my face?!

« on: September 30, 2012, 05:38:48 PM »

I see. In those new photos, the lines look like ordinary wrinkles.
I recommend our 0.5 % Tretinoin cream.

Please read some general information about Tretinoin here to find out what to expect. Read especially the reply with the studies:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/questions-about-our-three-a-ret-creams/

Buy a regular 0.5 mm dermaroller (roll up to three times a week) and a 1.5 mm regular dermaroller (roll densely every three weeks.
For the wrinkles above your lips, use a 1.5 mm dermastamp. You may need a numbing cream here. You can also use the dermastamp to stamp the deepest wrinkles on your cheeks as well. You can use the 1.5 roller and the 1.5 stamp during the same session.

705

Dermarolling / Microneedling / Re: Can dermarolling lead to cancer?

« on: September 30, 2012, 12:54:29 PM »

I quote from the article:

As stated, long-standing inflammation secondary to chronic infection or irritation predisposes to cancer. [emphasis mine]

So what they're saying is that if you suffer from years of chronic bacterial/viral/fungal infection or irritation (due to the inhalation of asbestos etc.), that when this infection or irritation is so severe that it is accompanied by inflammation, that there is an elevated risk of cancer seen, in certain specific situations/organ systems.

So they found a link between an elevated risk for cancer in case of chronic, serious infection/irritation, so serious that chronic inflammation was caused by the condition. The article mentions that cancer can cause inflammation, to illustrate that correlation is not evidence for causation.

Chronic infection or chronic severe irritation can't possibly be compared to the short, mild, occasional inflammation caused by dermaneedling, an inflammation caused by brief mechanical stimulation, not by chronic bacterial/viral infection or long-term exposure of irritants such as asbestos.

So there is nothing to be afraid of, not even if you have infection-caused long term inflammation of the skin. Because if there was an elevated risk for cancer even with chronic inflammation of the skin, then long-term acne sufferers would at least occasionally end up with facial tumors. They don't. If years of active acne has not lead to an elevated incidency of skin tumors, then certainly dermarolling, which causes a much, much lower level of inflammation for a much shorter time, will not pose a risk of cancer.

The article is also clear that even in the extreme situations (chronic infection/irritation) from the study, correlation is not evidence for causation. So, no - dermaneedling can not cause cancer. At least there is no evidence for it, nor reason to believe it can.