So as promised, here is the documentation of my second run-in with my Dermastamp. To refresh everyone's memory, about 6 weeks ago I stamped each of my 3 raised scars with a 1.5 Dermastamp that I purchased from www.owndoc.com, and I took this picture at the 4 week mark to show how the scars appear smoother. Here are some pictures of the scars on the right side of my face, as the one on the left is very hard to see in photos.
You can also see that I look "tan" for a change, and to that I owe a Thank you to 302's self tanner. In the more recent pictures you'll see I haven't reapplied, and I have returned to my former ghastly-white self ;) I will not be self tanning at any point that I plan on photographing progress anymore though, as it did help the scar blend into my skin tone a little bit more, which is great for me but but for documenting progress on this blog. ;)
This is an up close of the largest scar at the 4 week mark. This scar has lost some height since the initial stamping, and the border of the scar isn't at such an incline. I was happy about the progress with this scar, but I think we can make it smoother. I don't care as much about it's coloration, I just want it to be as flat as possible. You can see the hair growing through the center, which in case I didn't mention in the past, this scar is from a re-occuring breakout/ingrown hair that kept coming back over and over. It didn't stop coming to a head until I started using 302, and when it healed I had this scar, which I did expect.
This is the smaller scar at the 4 week mark, which is almost on my chin/jawline. This guy was born from me picking my skin, pre-302 or even before I got my Esthetics license. This one has softened slightly, but not as much as the larger scar at this time. You can see this one made more progress when photographed at the 6 week mark.
Right Side
If you look at the smaller scar in this picture, versus how it photographed at the 4 week mark, you can see the pigment of it seems softer.
Left Side
These were taken on 1.30.11, about 15 minutes before I stamped my skin for round two. I had just cleansed with the Bar and applied Calming Mist. Between the two pictures you can see all three scars, 6 weeks after the initial stamping.
Now, on this next picture I decide to be brave. I took a picture of my skin, immediately after using the stamp (15 stamps per scar) before I cleaned the area with a little Rubbing Alcohol (normally I would never apply Alcohol to the skin, but the stamp does cause bleeding and penetrate the dermis so sanitation is a must in my opinion). This does make the process look a bit barbaric, and painful. I would like to reiterate at this time two things. Firstly, I do not find the stamping procedure painful at all. Since I have not used a full face roller, I can't compare it to that. And Secondly, I am a trained professional. I am not advocating (nor discouraging) all you Do-It-Yourselfers from giving Needling or Dermarolling/Stamping a try:
My Partner was thoroughly freaked out by this one, and being as he is a model for my upcoming full face Rolling treatment (with a 1.0mm) he was not very happy to see this. However, I promised him I would allow him to feel the roller on his arm before I started using it on his face, just to help him make a decision as to whether this is a process he wants to try. Also, the small marks near and around the bottom scar are scratches from my puppy. :P
Here are the scars on the right, after the stamping and after being cleaned. You can see that pinpricks of blood (good thing! It means we hit dermis, baby!) are still seeping through around the scar. I got great pleasure out of the crackling noise when stamping the large scar. Dermastamping physically breaks up the scar tissue so the skin can regenerate and reform. Also, this is the picture where I told you I had lost my fake tan and reclaimed my ghastliness. As soon as the redness subsides from stamping I'll be spraying myself down with Self Tanner again.
And the last picture for today is the scar on the left side of my cheek, after being stamped. It's obviously a little red, but this one bled the absolute least of the three scars.
After stamping, yet again, I applied the triple threat combo of A-Boost, C-Boost, and High Potency 302 Drops. This is the only time I ever mix 302 actives, per professional recommendation.
And there you have it! 4-6 weeks from now I will re-post pictures of the scars along side the pictures taken immediately before this session, so we can compare them side by side. This way we can see the improvement from Stamp session 1 to stamp session 2. I decided not to stamp the faint lines on my forehead or between my brow, because I am focusing on Ultrasound to treat them. I feel given my age, I am not at the point where I am turning to Needling or Dermarolling for Anti-aging solutions, however I may in future years. As for now, my skin looks perfect after an Ultrasound Facial, and with consistent Ultrasound in between stamping it will not only help keep my skin youthful but accelerate the healing process and collagen remodeling of the scar tissue.
As a reminder, any questions you would like me to ask Richard Huber (The Father of 302 Skincare!) when he visits me this month need to get to me by February 17th. I'm meeting with him first thing on the 18th and want to have my interview questions all ironed out.
Thanks for reading, and as always:
Wishing you great skin,
Danny Vanity
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