codedmessages
July 25th, 2004, 01:10 PM
Hello
I am someone whose interested in laser resurfacing, after using a bha solution (PAULA's CHOICE - 2% BHA SOLUTION w/a pH 3.2 ) for my acne, my skin has been left emaciated, well that might be an exaggeration, but it looks like I may have had a bad reaction to the product. More or less my skin now looks like an orange peel, scaly almost, pores larger, a lot less smooth.
I do not know if I am allergic to salicylic acid or what, I was very careful about how much I put on and the first two weeks applied everyother day. I used it for a total of five weeks and there was a lot of peeling and irritation and this is where I should have seen the red flag and stopped immediately. But I was convinced that it was normal. Ive used retin a and other creams and have peeled as well. According to Paula's website (http://www.cosmeticscop.com/)customers are asked to consider the lower strength BHA first. But my pores are always clogged with junk and I can squeeze any random pore and something will come out. But anyways, I felt the 1% strength would only be a waste of time and opted for the alternative.
I dont know how relevant this might be, but I applied a gob of sunscreen afterwards (usually 20 to 30 minutes after the solution penetrated my skin) and this of course left a white cast on my face which I now realize was part of the problem, I could not really tell how bad my skin was getting cos of the sunscreen. I am also wondering if the salicylic acid combined with sunscreen, gave my skin an allergic reaction? I know its the not the sunscreen itself, because I have used it before without any problems. But the two combined, maybe?
I called PC's customer service line after a week after stopping and they told me, the irritation was not normal and that I should have stopped immediately. I really should have.
I have seen three doctors since, and so far only the first agreed with me, saying that whatever the bha solution did to my face looked permanent and he did not have a clue about what to do, so he gave me a steroid and then a prescription for renova. This did nothing.
I saw another dermatologist and she could not see anything wrong with my skin and that its impossible for salicylic acid to leave any scarring because it works at the superficial level of the skin.
She put me on the highest strength of RETIN A (the red tube) which only left my skin very dry and irritated, what a waste of time.
THE PROBLEM IS NONE OF THESE DOCTORS HAVE SEEN MY FACE BEFORE NOW AND ARE ASSUMING WHAT THERE SEEING AS NORMAL.
Now onto the third derm Im seeing now, who I felt might be able to help. But like the second doctor, agreed that there was nothing wrong with my skin as far as he could tell, his reaction "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT- I CANT SEE ANYTHING WRONG!". Ive asked him to do a biopsy in hopes to change his mind, but more importantly to find out how many layers of skin have been affected , and what may have happened. Anyways hes refused to do so and has asked me to ignore everything and get over it. In the beggining he was more understanding, evern considering a biopsy to please me, but mostly to get me off his back. I asked what options I had if the biopsy came back showing what I had been saying all along to be true. He then went on to say, he would consider several microdermabrasion procedures. This is a joke, this isnt rocket science - time and time again I have beentold that anything the salicylic acid may have done to my skin, would have diminished after a month or so. But here we are three years after the fact and well my face still looks really awful and exactly the same. Microdermabrasion works only at the surface of the skin. How the hell is this soppostue help my situation, when obviousily this stuff that I used has left its mark all over my face, and has gone way deeper. I mean isnt that why nothing has changed since I stopped? THAT IS WHY I AM LOOKING AT LASER RESURFACING - when this was bought up , he said "OVER MY DEAD BODY" saying that I would pigment and that laser resurfacing is not an option for patients with dark skin.
I can see where he is getting at, I am of indian descent(south asian), but I do not know what else to do.
What is your take on this, are there any doctors who work the laser on someone of dark skin? Is it an absolute NO?
Hes also refused any kind of chemical peels, I think he may be a little on the conservative side. He is playing things too safe.
A good three years have passed and nothing has happened, my face looks terrible, I need some hope.
Please Help
Thanks
I am someone whose interested in laser resurfacing, after using a bha solution (PAULA's CHOICE - 2% BHA SOLUTION w/a pH 3.2 ) for my acne, my skin has been left emaciated, well that might be an exaggeration, but it looks like I may have had a bad reaction to the product. More or less my skin now looks like an orange peel, scaly almost, pores larger, a lot less smooth.
I do not know if I am allergic to salicylic acid or what, I was very careful about how much I put on and the first two weeks applied everyother day. I used it for a total of five weeks and there was a lot of peeling and irritation and this is where I should have seen the red flag and stopped immediately. But I was convinced that it was normal. Ive used retin a and other creams and have peeled as well. According to Paula's website (http://www.cosmeticscop.com/)customers are asked to consider the lower strength BHA first. But my pores are always clogged with junk and I can squeeze any random pore and something will come out. But anyways, I felt the 1% strength would only be a waste of time and opted for the alternative.
I dont know how relevant this might be, but I applied a gob of sunscreen afterwards (usually 20 to 30 minutes after the solution penetrated my skin) and this of course left a white cast on my face which I now realize was part of the problem, I could not really tell how bad my skin was getting cos of the sunscreen. I am also wondering if the salicylic acid combined with sunscreen, gave my skin an allergic reaction? I know its the not the sunscreen itself, because I have used it before without any problems. But the two combined, maybe?
I called PC's customer service line after a week after stopping and they told me, the irritation was not normal and that I should have stopped immediately. I really should have.
I have seen three doctors since, and so far only the first agreed with me, saying that whatever the bha solution did to my face looked permanent and he did not have a clue about what to do, so he gave me a steroid and then a prescription for renova. This did nothing.
I saw another dermatologist and she could not see anything wrong with my skin and that its impossible for salicylic acid to leave any scarring because it works at the superficial level of the skin.
She put me on the highest strength of RETIN A (the red tube) which only left my skin very dry and irritated, what a waste of time.
THE PROBLEM IS NONE OF THESE DOCTORS HAVE SEEN MY FACE BEFORE NOW AND ARE ASSUMING WHAT THERE SEEING AS NORMAL.
Now onto the third derm Im seeing now, who I felt might be able to help. But like the second doctor, agreed that there was nothing wrong with my skin as far as he could tell, his reaction "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT- I CANT SEE ANYTHING WRONG!". Ive asked him to do a biopsy in hopes to change his mind, but more importantly to find out how many layers of skin have been affected , and what may have happened. Anyways hes refused to do so and has asked me to ignore everything and get over it. In the beggining he was more understanding, evern considering a biopsy to please me, but mostly to get me off his back. I asked what options I had if the biopsy came back showing what I had been saying all along to be true. He then went on to say, he would consider several microdermabrasion procedures. This is a joke, this isnt rocket science - time and time again I have beentold that anything the salicylic acid may have done to my skin, would have diminished after a month or so. But here we are three years after the fact and well my face still looks really awful and exactly the same. Microdermabrasion works only at the surface of the skin. How the hell is this soppostue help my situation, when obviousily this stuff that I used has left its mark all over my face, and has gone way deeper. I mean isnt that why nothing has changed since I stopped? THAT IS WHY I AM LOOKING AT LASER RESURFACING - when this was bought up , he said "OVER MY DEAD BODY" saying that I would pigment and that laser resurfacing is not an option for patients with dark skin.
I can see where he is getting at, I am of indian descent(south asian), but I do not know what else to do.
What is your take on this, are there any doctors who work the laser on someone of dark skin? Is it an absolute NO?
Hes also refused any kind of chemical peels, I think he may be a little on the conservative side. He is playing things too safe.
A good three years have passed and nothing has happened, my face looks terrible, I need some hope.
Please Help
Thanks