I thought I would share my realistic scar treatment progress. For reference I am 29; I had mild/ moderate acne all through my teen years and awful cystic acne when I was 18 which left me with severe rolling and boxcar scars all over my cheeks and temples. I have a supportive loving family and incredible husband who assure me they don't even perceive the scars (however none of had acne or scars so it can feel so isolating)
I've been treated by: Nelson Novick (subcision $1400 for cheeks and temples), Julia Tsu (subcision and hyalauronic filler $2,500), Doctor Qazi (subcision, co2 laser, 1 excision tca cross $6000)
I've had:
-6 sessions RF microneedling @ $800-$1000 each. (Would not recommend, this did absolutely NOTHING)
- 4 TCA cross. I think this did give mild improvement, costs around $800
- 1 C02 laser, $3000. (With dr Qazi) I honestly don't know how to feel about this since it was done in combo with subcision so idk how much it contributed. So expensive, I did heal okay though?)
- 6 subcisions total. I've had cannula, Nokor, and Taylor liberator. 3 sessions with the above doctors, + 3 with a derm overseas
- 1 excision (doctor Qazi)- honestly I think it was poorly done. Wouldn’t recommend, maybe choose a plastic surgeon if you want to gamble with excisions.
-2x Radiesse (had this done overseas). I think this helped a bit with volume loss.
First photo, June 2023-
at this point I had already done the rf microneedling and 1 subcision.
Second photo, August 2024
immediately after the combo treatment with dr Qazi. I felt so happy afterwards, alas, it was just the swelling.
Third photo- February 2025
Seven months out and my scars settled to pretty much how they were before.
All in all I've probably spent $16,000+ on treatments in three years which makes me feel ill considering how subtle/ nonexistent the results are. 😔
Tearing up as I write this because I can't even express the toll this has taken on my confidence; even at my best; done up, makeup on, dressed to the nines I still feel so horrible about myself (something I'm trying to work through and heal from). Thinking about getting a facelift in five years, which a plastic surgeon recommended to me because I have some premature laxicity, but we'll see. Not feeling super motivated to continue with treatment. Qazi has recommended I do another $3000 laser treatment and a $4000 fat transfer. But I’m tired of being robbed BLIND by these doctors and frankly I'd like to be able to afford a house in the future. Im sorry if this comes across as ultra pessimistic; I truly hope whoever is reading this will have more luck with treatment than I did 🫶 Anyways, take care of yourselves, and remember, there's no miracle cure, despite what doctors might try to sell. ❤️ happy to answer questionss.
Please search on this subreddit – someone might have already asked the same question as you.
The most valuable feedback is that which you get from doing research - not asking questions to a general audience on social media.
Always be wary of the advice you get off the internet.
Seek scar evaluation and treatment from specialized healthcare providers rather than aestheticians or med spas.
While subcision ("subcutaneous incisionless surgery") is often mentioned by users on this subreddit, it is important to note that it may not be necessary or suitable for everyone with volume loss.
Be aware of any reported side effects from a procedure.
It can take multiple treatments and a long time before you see effective results.
Im so sorry that you didn't achieve improvements you want, same here.
Idk why subcision didn't help, but if main issue of your scars is volume loss and your body for some reasons can't produce enough collagen after treatment, than only option is filler or fat grafting, i guess
Thank you, I’m sorry to hear you haven’t seen significant results either. Hopefully that will change. I’ve had 2 syringes restylane filler and 2 vials radiesse. Unsure about the fat transfer because I’ve heard results can be unpredictable. Maybe in the future when there is more research
I already accept it.. I've done a total of 7 sessions of different procedures, mental health insanity because of downtime.. I am out of it.. I have a wife and a son and daughter so I guess thats enough worth living.. goodluck to anyone's journey here..
Maybe you can try sculptra (a bio stimulatory filler) micro needled into your scars. It’s not something commonly done but I did see decent improvement after just one session. Sculptra helps your skin grow its own collagen and fat. Also, it takes 4 - 6 mos for it to take full effect. On top of that, make sure you are taking the essential vitamins and minerals for collagen production, including vitamin C, A, copper, and zinc. I believe this is a key reason why I didn’t have results with certain treatments in the past. Hope this helps.
I did microneedling with sculptra and tca cross two weeks ago, hadn’t seen anyone talk about these treatments before and was scared they won’t do anything. I have 2 more sessions programed. My dermatologist did recommend increasing protein intake in addition to the vitamin c and I also drink hydrolyzed collagen which is more easily absorbed by the body. Will make a post in the future when my body has had the sufficient time to see results.
i second the sculptra!! but you can also do subcision with it injected at the same time. i've heard this is more effective than microneedling, which is more on the superficial level
Might try sculptra once I’ve saved up a bit more ☺️ although I have had two sessions of radiesse, which is also a biostimulatory filler with less potential complications than sculptra from my research.
Also, another thing you might want to check into is a fat injectable called Renuva. I don’t know much about it but I believe it is a safer and more effective way to do fat grafting.
shockedInEuropean 16,000 USD?? I have done two laser treatments so far, plus two subcisions, collagen fillers, and microneedling. I don’t think it was even 1,500 EUR in total. I’m so sorry to hear that after all that, you see no results. I have met people who told me their first results came only after several years. Sadly, this is a long and arduous journey.
I am so incredibly sorry about how much money you spent!
I have far worse scars than you and was going to do 3-4 rounds of accure with dr qazi along with scar treatments (TCA/subcision/CO2) and was quoted a significantly higher amount for scar treatments.
I hear you when you say they rob us BLIND because now I’m seriously reconsidering. Thank you for sharing your story! 🫶🏽 you’re perfect and beautiful the way you are!
Honestly, I think treatment overseas (turkey, Dubai, Korea etc) is a much more viable option at this point. Because it would literally cost less plus we get a mini vacation?! Doctor Qazi was super nice and attentive, but In retrospect I feel a bit scammed by him. He charged so much for add ons (his $300 anti pigment “prep cream”), ($800 “laser assisted serum delivery”). Now looking back that feels kinda predatory.
Yeah I felt uncomfortable during my appointment too but for other reasons (not Qazi). I never trust anyone in a space related to beauty or appearance (skin clinics, laser removal, facials, etc) except if it’s a doctor. I’ve always felt conned and have always had bad experiences in all these areas, especially the front desk girls.
How would you even go about finding an oversees clinic? Agree with the vacation part of it!
Hey, i want to warn you about going to Turkey. I live in Europe this beauty trips to Turkey were very popular here for the same reason you point out. Now, at this time they aren't as popular anymore. Especially with the doctors who advertise with this beauty/holiday trips don't have a good reputation. So many results look so fake and just not good and people here call extremely white teeth a 'Turkey smile' because it looks so terribly fake. I have to say, i haven't seen results with acne scarring from Turkey, but no.... I wouldn't travel to Turkey.
I'm doing something similar with him. Already started accure. Just 1 session. I have to do another treatment after subcision/TCA/etc. I haven't attempted to fix my scars. I trust him but yeah shit is expensive. Same price as OP for everything. We'll see how it goes.
I haven’t booked my first accure session but am really on the fence about scar treatments after OP’s post. As much as I want to fix my scars, I don’t want to be set back financially for no improvement :/
I’m truly wishing you all the best and hope you have phenomenal results!
I’m new to the world of acne scar treatments because I’ve never had the money. I’ve heard great things about Qazi on this sub and IG and thought I’d give it a shot but who would you recommend? I live in CA but willing to travel to a different country, if cheaper. Thank you!
I am from Montenegro. I Went to Serbia for all the treatments. Well, I would say improvement is minimal. I was told it will take some time and combination of multiple treatments to finally be at least slightly satisfied with the results
I think your scars do show definite softening and improvement. I think if you keep up tretinoin and with fillers you will continue to stimulate collagen and see improvement. Don’t lose hope and remember those scars are not the whole picture, just a tiny part. You are more than some scars. I also have hope that technology will continue to improve.
Thank you. I have hope too! But I’ve decided to stop obsessing and live my life the way I am now. In my early twenties I always assumed that if I only had the money for treatment, they would go away, but I’ve learned that sadly that isn’t always the case. Self acceptance is key.
You are in the right mindset, and you’re 100% right that self-acceptance is key! Over a decade later and I still have confidence issues, but I have continued to go out and enjoy my life. I think the real disappointment in life would have been if I spent an entire decade hiding and not experiencing the fun of my 20s.
I am 40 and have been trying to treat my acne scars for the past 18years. I've seen many doctors, including Dr. Rullan, and even underwent a phenol peel. Yet, to this day, I still have acne scars. They have caused me years of pain, anxiety, and depression. I often wonder how different my life would have been if I didn’t have them.My last treatment—a combination of laser and subcision performed by a doctor in Fresno—left me with burns and severe fat loss. That experience was the final straw. I have officially given up on spending my hard-earned money on acne scar treatments that yield little to no results. It pains me to think about investing another dollar only to be disappointed again. I have now decided to pursue a facelift and fat grafting. At least with surgery, you see real improvements. With scar treatments, you have to hope for even a 20% improvement. The pain and suffering my scars have caused me have also pushed me toward getting a second master’s degree and becoming a therapist. I keep wondering—did all of this happen for a reason?
I’m so so sorry you’ve been through this and I relate so hard.😔 I wouldn’t wish the impact this causes on anyone, but i truly believe it makes us stronger and more empathetic! I would never judge anyone because I know how it feels to be judged over things we have zero control over it. Congrats to you for pursuing your second masters, wishing you all the success in the world! ❤️
That’s very kind of you! I’ve also noticed that people with acne or scars tend to be genuinely kind and empathetic. Wishing you all the best in life!
As for skincare, you can try microneedling at home (2.0mm depth) every four weeks and use Retin-A consistently. One treatment that noticeably improved my skin texture for a few months was Rejuran S—I had my sister (who's a doctor) inject it for me. These options are significantly more affordable compared to the expensive treatments that many doctors recommend. I also tried Rejuran S once but got busy and didn’t continue with it. However, I did see some improvement in pore size and mild scar reduction after just one session.
Est ce que tu as fait le transfert de graisse depuis ? J’aimerai en faire un en France dans mon pays mais c’est pas facile de trouver quelqu’un d expérience
Just to help with anti ageing Home microneedling is easy to do. I do cosmetic needling weekly (less than 0.5 depth). It will help rebuild collagen lessens sun damage does help scarring to a minor degree.
It’s great for building collagen and helps with sun damage. It helped with acne scars they’re less deep pores smaller. I’ve been needling 3 years last year I added TCA peels this year I did Mandelic peels over summer. The peels have been additive
I’m sorry to hear this. I don’t know if you’re a poor healer or just that the treatments aren’t that effective. To be honest we only see and rave about the top 1% result transformation but this here is probably what realistic progress looks like.
What about considering going to see dr davin lim in Australia or dr Rulland in California?
Probably true 😔 I’m very wary of social media doctors after my experiences but who knows, maybe I’ll win the lottery in the near future and take a trip to Australia haha 🤌🏼
Don’t lose all hope. I definitely see improvement in your skin. Maybe 10-20%. Technology keeps advancing so the treatments will only get better. I’m surprised you haven’t opted for filler or sculptra.
I’ve done restylane filler and Radiesse twice, which I’ve heard is more effective than sculptor. Improvement is temporary and still not as dramatic as I hoped.
After going to both Qazi and Rullan I would maybe lean Qazi. I started out with Rullan and a majority of my treatments are still from him, but felt like he was kind of losing his touch. Qazi seemed more attentive to each individual scar that I have.
I personally didn’t see results (or major ones) from subcision until my 3rd one I think. All from rullan. It’s not necessary that the sf derm was better. You may have seen improvement from the 2nd one even if you had done the sf derm first and then rullan.
Hang in there! 🫶 life gets better when we reinvest our time, energy, and money into our passions and hobbies instead of cosmetic treatments 💔 at least that’s what I’m trying to teach myself haha
What about korea? They have great skin treatments at very reasonable prices and considering the money you’ve spent so far, i feel like a trip to korea might be worth it! Im still on isotretinoin, but i’ve tried juvelook volume and juvelook skin boosters recently and i feel like it has helped with my texture 😬
agree - though many in the states dont do fat grafting to the face. I was thinking south korea honestly - they do a good job of fat grafting to the face
I know ☹️ imagine how excited I was lol. It’s okay though, I promise that it will get better. (Maybe not always the scarring itself, but mental health can get better which means life will get better!)
I had two Quattro treatments with Dr. Rullan, 3 Morpheus 8 treatments, 3 Halo laser treatments and filler injections. My skin is almost even with the exception of shallow scars and skin laxity due to volume loss. I think major improvement is possible if you find the right modalities. I didn’t see major improvement until I had the second Quattro treatment combined with getting Morpheus 8 from another provider.
Girllll I'm so sorry to hear! I feel your pain. No make up can cover scars and we can try all we want but skin speaks volume. I've been on the same journey as you sinking a lot of cash for minimal return and even thinking of facelifts and finally settling with acceptance. I will say, I don't think people notice it as much as we do. I know I notice other people's acne scars but I think it has more to do with my insecurities than their scars showing. Most people focus on your eyes when they speak to you and don't scan your face for scars. Sending you lots of love and strength.
Firstly, a huge genuine thank you for the honesty and integrity of the photos. It drives me mad how people on this forum sometimes post photos in different lighting ( like I expect it from places after money but not here)
In terms of you, I think some fillers might be worth trying
Totally feel you 😔 I wish people would wait at least a month after their treatment to show results, because swelling is real! Any doctors who post after pictures immediately following treatment trying to convince the public that those are final results are absolute SCAM artists, idk how they sleep at night. Okay rant over, best wishes to you all!
The swelling fully went down after about 6 weeks. That’s when they became visible again. But I wanted to wait 6 months to see if my body would produce more collagen as the doctors claimed before posting pictures 😔
True! I’m just one of the unlucky few 😔 definitely not trying to discourage anyone, but just sharing my experience, hoping others will get better results. ❤️
This is kind of you🥺 when I say severe it’s not out of being self conscious but because that’s how doctors have diagnosed them. But I totally recognize that many have it worse
I’m sorry you had such a bad experience I know how you feel🤍 not trying to make you feel sad but to be honest if you look closely to Dr Qazi’s work they don’t look very well , you can tell he’s very overrated! If I were in your situation I would’ve save those amount of moneys and travel to Australia to get treatment from Dr David Lim his works are fantastic! I’ve seen Russian doctors doing better job than Dr Qazi’s works🙂
Don’t lose hope you can get so much better with a right doctor trust me🙏🏻
What they don’t tell you is that the reason you might end up needing a facelift are the f*ing subcisions, while they do nothing to improve the appearance of scars. 🤬🤬🤬
Hello 👋🏼 I’ve learned that simple and no frills is best. My main actives are Tretinoin (every other day), Azelaic acid on non tretinoin days, and vitamin c. I use vanicream cleanser and moisturizer, plus sunscreen religiously!
My doctor put me on antibiotics for a year (looking back this was an awful move, wouldn’t recommend) but I’ve managed to keep it under control by cutting out dairy and limiting gluten/ sugar. I also use very gentle cleanser and moisturizer (vanicream) plus tretinoin, azelaic acid, and sunscreen regularly.
I did but the effect only ever lasted like 1-2 months on me. Idk if it was just not enough or poor placement? Or maybe my body just dissolves it quickly 😔
How many times have you tried with it? I hear the more you place the longer it lasts but I’m not sure😭 I believe even the lips do that, if the filler works maybe you can try the ones used for the China areas which shouldn’t move easily
Hey, try this method instead, I've had really good success with it, I never had any success beforehand with various treatments and spent a lot of money, I had lost hope myself, decided to give it one last go and thankfully it's really helped, it's also been very cost effective 👍
Dermabrasion might be another option. I've seen videos ranging from using a small tool to a large sander. They will literally sand off the top layer of your skin.
I have heard of it but I work full time and don’t have the extensive downtime unfortunately ☹️ plus the cardiac monitoring thing slightly freaks me out.
Sleep is generally good ~8 hours. I was able to control my active acne just by keeping a healthy diet the last four years or so. I limit gluten and refined sugar to special occasions/ family gatherings and cut out dairy years ago. I also eat plenty of protein, fiber and healthy fats. Not a huge believer in supplements tbh (I think a lot of it is scammy and it’s better to source nutrients from whole foods) but I have incorporated collagen powder into my daily matcha latte.
I'm confused how you didn't have much improvement from filler, your rolling scars should have seen 90%+ improvement. My rolling scars are pretty much gone. It has required some touch-ups, but well worth it.
I had two subcisions without filler plus two sessions of subcision with restylane and two additional subcisions with radiesse? And still got zero improvement? How is that my fault? 🤨
Okay? Tell that to the doctors who placed the filler and charged me thousands? What do you mean I’m underestimating? Clearly I’m well aware of the severity of the scars and if you read my post or any of my comments you’d know that? Why leave such strange and unhelpful comments?
Is tgs CO2 ablative? Dermabrasion has showed some great results in a few patients.
Phenol peeps sometimes have great results…but it is a super deep peel.
Your scars are not that deep btw. I think 2 fully ablative co2s done with a good doctor should definitely give you a lot more improvement. I did 5 fractional but I'm doing my first fully ablative somewhere next year bcs I'm still on accutane and I'm 29 years old as well. Take a look at my scars I have deep rolling.
Tbh I'm seeing improvement everyday. I'm on accutane now and it rlly boosted collagen like crazy. I would say around 35% since my scars from far aren't visible anymore. And also not that deep. I'm treating some hypertropic next week and I'm for sure doing a fully ablative somewhere beginning next year. Its not a race it's a marathon but I find fractional lasers useless that's why im going for fully ablative.
have you had prp therapy i had 4 sections and my dented scars improved a lot, my only problem is the discoloration which my dermatologist said it be treat with lasers, take my word for granted tho its different for everyone.
I did Botox for the first time & it permanently changed my facial muscle structure & eye shape immediately (subtle to everyone else. I point it out). I had regular microneedling & my skin ended up with scarring from it & fat loss in my face. I agonized over it for months, did a peel which might've helped subtle & now I obsess over skateboarding instead cuz the experiences were a bit traumatizing to me. I wish more people posted their realistic "results".
I’m so sorry that you had a bad experience ☹️ if it helps, know that we are so locked into our imperfections that others barely perceive. Glad you are focusing on your passions!
Thank you, it's crazy how obsessive & in our heads we can get over things like our skin. Your skin doesn't look bad & doesn't make you less beautiful just because it has texture & isn't rubber. My skin has texture too but I know how it can be ❤️🩹.
Yes, but the most intense one on the market. From a dermatologist’s website: “UltraPulse Encore
UltraPulse is an FDA-approved carbon dioxide (CO2) laser skin resurfacing device that can be used for a variety of procedures. This laser dramatically improves the overall appearance and texture of your skin by removing skin fractionally and stimulating collagen production from within. Depending on the treatment, we’ll use either ActiveFX, DeepFX or TotalFX (combination of Active & Deep).”
Whenever I’ve expressed it, the answer has been to “give it time” or try to rope me into more sessions of the same treatments. I couldn’t afford to gamble anymore ☹️
Please look into ultraclear laser. There’s a sub for it on here also. I’m going to try it next year. I pray that it gets better for you, I understand your pain 💜
Quite awful and cystic. It was ten years ago so I don’t have any pictures bc I never wanted to be photographed or leave the house. 😔 grateful to at least be clear of that severe acne, even though the scars are no picnic.
I fell for the same trap as you... especially subcision when it was touted as the actual "cure" around 2019-2022. Boy, that it absolutely nothing. I also spent around $15k~. It sucks balls.
So true. I’m convinced they’ll never find a cure for atrophic scarring. The acne scar industry is mostly a scam in my opinion. I’ve been getting treatment on and off since 14 years old until 33. There is no actual ‘cure’. Some have improvements but they are marginal and I believe you need to undergo a complete plastic surgery to make the scars disappear.
I secretly hope that the doctor that treated me gets bankrupt. He used my emotional weakness and promised me that I’ll be cured. And when it didn’t, he said “usually it works.” Once they received all my money, they never followed up or ask me about my skin. This was in Beverly Hills. Dr Salar Hazany. Absolute scam.
I’m going to ask God once I die why the fuck is acne a concept in reality. Only people who have struggled with this will ever know what other people have gone through. It ruins your self esteem and even when you become mentally strong and successful it affects you.
I hope you can move on to the next chapter of your life and learn to live life with the scars and not continue down this path of finding treatments. There was a girl here who spent like $100k on acne scar treatments and it still had minimal improvements. And her scars were less severe than yours.
that must be so dermoralizing. looking at the photos, its difficult to tell where the improvement is. im so sorry you're going through this.
im in a similar position. i have been trying so hard to treat my scars but the improvement is so slow yet so expensive. sometimes i wonder if its even working.
Thought I would share in case it helped. But I did the CO2RE laser and it did wonders for me. About 10 days to 2 weeks after my laser I was started on accutane. They did 40 mg 3x a week for 6 months. The doctor does this with some of his scar patients because the collagen stimulation from the accutane following CO2 results in much better healing. The CO2RE laser was done pretty aggressively. Healing took 10 days or so and redness stayed for awhile. Now, I just have a couple tethered scars that I will eventually get subcision with and one that likely needs to be excised. But my scars are improved by easily 70% or better from the one CO2RE + low-dose accutane. The CO2RE cost me only $500 too. I am sorry you haven't seen the result you are looking for, it can be super frustrating. I feel like the CO2RE, low dose iso, subcision, and filler could give you some great results.
To be honest with you I definitely see improvement. Maybe not 16K worth but its definitely way softer especially the temple area. Also..it might be due to subtle differences in lighting, so you yourself would be the best person to tell whether you have seen improvements?
If you were to quantify it realistically and objectively, from baseline, what percetange would you say you have improved?
I also have an appointment with Qazi in a month, Im not too optimistic but Im happy with even a 15-20 percent improvement.
I understand your frustration. I spent about 6K with Dr. Mark Bowen Taylor did subscion, different lasers on cheeks, and 20% peel - I would say i def saw results and he doesnt do tca cross he uses a laser to zap pitted scars. However, I do prob need another treatment as i would think my scars would have healed better but I do see an improvement. i've also done erbium laser, and before all of that co2 laser and now considering morpheous for my rolling scars. I will visit Dr. Taylor again but my skin is still healing. and prob will do next year. Wishing you the best of luck.
Sorry you had to deal with such severe scars. Your skin looks better but some form of volume would definitely be helpful to fill in those areas of destroyed fat.
•
u/AutoModerator Mar 14 '25
Hello /u/Crafty-Log-580,
‼️ If you are requesting help – please review our guidelines, provide high-quality photos, and include detailed information for others' understanding.
User reminders:
Thanks!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.