[twilight fairy]

Quote:

Originally posted by ebatesy23@Mar 21st, 2004 - 9:56 am hey if you get it done you should post before and after pictures...i suppose it has an overall affect on what your skin looks like...would love to see

yeah, do that, please

i have overall crap skin (red marks, prone to acne, uneven tone) and am considering it also.

[Alejandro]

Quote:

Originally posted by ebatesy23@Mar 21st, 2004 - 9:56 am hey if you get it done you should post before and after pictures...i suppose it has an overall affect on what your skin looks like...would love to see

I think you can judge from my photos posted a while ago in the Pictures of us thread, compared to the ones recently, and you can see a very noticeable difference

[twilight fairy]

Quote:

Originally posted by Alejandro+Mar 21st, 2004 - 12:51 pm--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alejandro @ Mar 21st, 2004 - 12:51 pm)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-ebatesy23@Mar 21st, 2004 - 9:56 am hey if you get it done you should post before and after pictures...i suppose it has an overall affect on what your skin looks like...would love to see

I think you can judge from my photos posted a while ago in the Pictures of us thread, compared to the ones recently, and you can see a very noticeable difference [/b][/quote]
what page are your 'before' pics on?

[Alejandro]

Wheh, those are old, and Im not into doing homework, but you can do some search

[twilight fairy]

thanks anyway

[Orochian]

Quote:

Originally posted by Acid@Mar 11th, 2004 - 2:49 pm i dont have any scars, i just have annoying skin which i can never get perfect, so im gonna get micro-d to super buff it i just wondered if anyone has heard any bad things about it......like aging skin faster or uneven patches

If you don't have an existing skin condition that you want to get rid of, ie. scars or fine lines, any type of peel or microdermabrasion will only temporarily change your skin; it certainly doesn't change your skin type and the various problems associated with that skin type. What exactly is it about your skin that you don't like? You might also want to look at non-ablasive laser treatments like Smoothbeam - they are more expensive at $200-$500 per session and require multiple treatments, but they are known to have long term and significant effects on your skin. I know someone who used to have a host of skin problems due to excessive oiliness, and after 3 or 4 smoothbeam treatments her skin was finally under control and not oily at all. Ask your dermatologist or google for details.

On the other hand, if you have shallow scars or pigmented blemishes, microdermabrasion works really well. The actual results depend on the aggressiveness setting you and your dermatologist (or aesthetician) decide on; the gentler the procedure, the less drastic the results with a much faster healing time (or virtually no healing time). I had one done a few months ago that was quite aggressive and it took me a good week or so to fully recover (skin was first red and irritated and then started to peel), but the end result was quite remarkable.

I've never had a chemical peel done at a dermatologist's offic, but I've heard from a lot of people in the know that it's not worth it since a lot of the same supplies are now readily available on the market and are quite safe to use at home. I've been using a 20% glycolic acid peel and it works pretty much like microdermabrasion, and you can control the extent of the peel yourself by timing the procedure.

I just bought another type of chemical peel called TCA online, and it's supposed to be even more effective than glycolic acids, and was exclusively sold to professional aestheticians and dermatologists until very recently. Can't wait to try it.

[Orochian]

Oh, and if you're going ahead with the microdermabrasion, one important advice: Don't freak out when you see your face after the procedure, it's *supposed* to look much worse than before. The redness, patchiness, and unevenness will eventually fade as your skin heals and (possibly) peels. And whatever you do, keep your hands busy and do NOT mess with your face too much - trauma and irritation inflicted on skin during its healing process are likely to become much more severe than normal. Also avoid using any strong topical skin treatments while your skin heals, and don't moisturize unless you absolutely have to - it'll slow down and deter the renewal process, basically rendering the procedure useless. Good luck!

[tealady]

How long does that last, Orochian? Do you have to go into hiding?

[Orochian]

tealady: my skin was red and patchy for 2-3 days, then the dryness set in and for the rest of the week my skin was gradually peeling. Now, I did go out and live my normal life during that time, thanks to the help of a bit of tinted sunscreen (which is a must for any post-peel skin), I just made sure I wasn't attending any important event. It wasn't unbearable, though it's safe to say I wasn't in my best mood during that week :P . But again, you can completely avoid this by asking the aesthetician to go with a gentler approach - you'll just have to settle for less visible results. Beause, remember, peeling is the key to skin renewal, and while the process can look pretty ugly, the more you peel, the more of the pre-existing problems you're eliminating. I'm all for bang for the buck, so I went with a moderately aggresive - but still safe - session.

But it was all worth it because the results were great after the peeling subsided.

[paprika_hiccup]

I have scarring froma car accident, and I was going to do the microderm when I was healed enough, but I never did. I chickened out, b/c I was scared that it would turn out worse than before. I didn't know is that aestheticians could perform these procedures- I was going to have it done by my plastic surgeon (I've only had reconstructive work done , not cosmetic- so far. . .)

Personally, I would have it done by a dermatologist, jsut becasue they have studied all things skin-related for many, many years. I'm sure there are plenty of aestheticians who are very knowledgeable and amazing at what they do, but I know I would feel much more secure with an MD. You won't get pressured to buy the salons products after the procedure and you might be able to have it covered by your insurance I'd like to hear/see how it goes--

[whereisthatsusu]

one of my mom's friends had it done, and her skin is now very sensitive and doesn't respond well to many skin products...maybe she didn't go to a good enough doctor? but her skin does look great

[whereisthatsusu]

alejandro, saw the pics in the "Pictures of Us" thread...

very cute!!

[Acid]

**** i have my appointment on monday morning! and i have to look amazing by tuesday (vivienne westwood show)

they told me the redness will only last up to 1 day at the VERY most

[Orochian]

That's at best a ridiculously optimistic estimation, to put it mildly.

If the tuesday event is important to you, I suggest rescheduling your microdermabrasion appointment. I know a few other people who has the procedure done on a regular basis, and even those on the most gentle settings would take at least 2-3 days for their skin to completely return to its normal state.

[tealady]

Sean, how did it go?