RED BLEMISHING ON FACE HELP!!

Posted by Paul on August 14, 1999 at 10:41:05
I had suffered with servere acne for four years. After finally being put on Roaccutane my acne has finally cleared
up and i have been free of it for a year. However after living without this long I still am very unhappy about my complexion. Although I am not to badly scarred, my face is covered in red blemishes and marks. My Dermotolgist said this would clear up in about 6 months so I decided to wait. However 1 and a half years later my skin looks exactly the same. I am nineteen years old now and feel I have already missed out on a lot of my teenage years it has servely eaten into my confidence and I have finally decided to do something about it as I can not continue like this. What i would like to know is would Laser treatment, dermabrasion, or any other method  get rid of these blemishes or at least reduce them. I have tried talking to my local doctor but I just get shrugged off so any information I would be grateful of as I am going to have something done.
Paul
U.K.  
Posted by Derm M.D. ASR on August 14, 1999 at 21:45:41
Paul:
If what you have are red marks, as opposed to indented or thickened scars, then I would say yes, there should indeed be a lot which can be done to help you.  I must say I am perplexed that redness has persisted that long.  I would have thought (and said) the same as your Dermatologist, namely that they should fade in 6 months.  Are you perhaps squeezing them or otherwise traumatizing them in some way?
In any case, I would suggest your consulting a Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon experienced in laser treatment.  There are several lasers quite effective at reducing redness of whatever cause.  Laser peeling or dermabrasion are also reasonably helpful for smoothing scars, and deserve your investigation.  (In the States we call this Resurfacing, which I understand is in the UK what you do to roads . . .)
If your face troubles you as much as it clearly does, you ought to look into lasers, though I'm not familiar enough with your country's medical system to tell you how to do this.  The Internet might be as good a place as any to start.
Best.
Dr. R
keywords: acne, scars, laser, resurfacing, dermabrasion, Rockoff
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