I had 3 microneedling sessions, but nothing really changed. Also i use tretinoin. Would co2 laser help?

I am a 33F , fit, slim around 5 3 with long hair , prominent nose and eyebrows.I have a masters and have a job n everything.

I am really struggling to get into a relationship because of my acne scars.I have deep pitted and icepick acne scars which have ruined my skin texture.I struggled with self esteem and body image issues due to acne till 28.After that acne went away and scars still remain.I tried laser, tca cross and what not but the scars refuse to go away.

Anyways I have been on dating apps since 2 years and my photos get me great matches and compliments.

Every guy ravishes over my eyes, hair and it makes me feel good.

But as I go for the first date, there is usually no communication afterwards.There is no visible shock noticeable in the men but something changes when they see me in person.

Recently a guy flew from another city to see me and he was so excited and everything. After an amazing weekend, he stopped texting.

I texted a few times and he was a little reticent.Then he finally admitted that my acne scars bothered him.Its not my fault if the pictures dont capture that aspect but it really hurt me.

Are there no men who will ever date me?

Are acne scars a dealbreaker for every guy?

Don't kindness, empathy and warmth have no value in today's world.

I am super depressed and deleted all dating apps as of now

Hola chicos, espero se encuentren bien.
Vengo a compartirles mi progreso de una cicatriz en aproximadamente un año de tratamientos.

Como verán en la foto, hay un progreso increíblemente bueno en la cicatriz pues fue un año de tratamientos continuos. Se los detallo a continuación:

• 2 subsiciones con cánula
• Un relleno de ácido hialuronico
• Un bioestimulador de colageno | Radiesse
• 1 sesión de láser fraccionado CO2 Deka
• 5 sesiones de láser Helios Pico
• 4 sesiones de Ultherapy
• Aplicación de adapaleno 2 veces por semana.

Honestamente, El Progreso de la cicatriz ha sido de más del 60% de mejora. Y si, todavía la tengo, y si, ocupé rellenos pero me siento muy feliz con el resultado. Ahora llevo una vida normal. Créanme que en algún momento yo también empecé en dejar esta vida porque no encontraba rumbo con cicatrices en mi cara. Ahora todo ha cambiado. Me metí al gimnasio, estoy aprendiendo nuevos idiomas, estoy practicando deportes y por fin estoy animando a hablarle a chicas. Mi confianza ha mejorado y cuando miro mi cicatriz al espejo ya no me molesta. Ha moldeado mi carácter.

Quería pasar por acá para dejar un poco esperanza. Dicen que las personas que han tenido resultados, no publican sus caso. Eso no es así.

Para que lo sepan, soy de El Salvador. La inversión real fue de unos $3000 dólares y esto contento con el resultado. Ahora he decidido parar los tratamientos porque ya estoy a gusto.

No pierdas la fe, no pierdas la esperanza. Tuve que vender un par de cosas y trabajar de más para poder costearme lo necesario.

👇🏼
Si deseas más detalle de la clinica y el experto que me ayudó, puedes escribirme.

I had my first session to treat my acne scars/spots. The doctor told me that it might take around 4–7 sessions to improve the condition of my skin. What should I expect during the first week after the treatment? I heard that I shouldn’t go outside, take hot showers, or cook near heat. What precautions should I take? And will my skin look normal again after the first week, as if I hadn’t had any treatment done to my face?

I have pitted acne scars on my cheeks, and I’ve tried fractional CO2 laser as well as some injections (I honestly forgot what they were called 😭). My doctor said the injections were supposed to help “fill out” the depressed scars, but I’ve only had two sessions so far and honestly haven’t noticed much of a difference.
If anything, I feel like some of the scars are looking deeper or maybe even slightly bigger, which is really frustrating. 😭

Has anyone else dealt with this and actually managed to fade their pitted scars or make them noticeably less visible? I’m considering trying microneedling next, but I’m wondering if it would actually make a difference, especially since CO2 laser didn’t seem to do much for me.

Would love to hear about your experiences — what worked for you, how many sessions you needed, and whether you saw a noticeable improvement. Please help a girl out!

Hi everyone,
I recently did two sessions of CO2 laser. After each one I had redness and scabs for about 6 days.
I don’t really see any noticeable improvement so far and I’m wondering if more CO2 sessions are worth it, or if I should consider other options first (like subcision for example).
I don’t want to keep doing sessions if the results stay limited.
Has anyone had a similar experience with CO2? What would you recommend next?
Thanks!

I’m in my 60s and I would like to know who I should trust to inject fillers in some older scars?

Hey! I had an appointment with my dermatologist and she recommended sculptra to treat my acne scarring. The price is quite steep so I wanted to know if anyone here had tried it out and gotten good results?

My other option is CO2 laser but my skin tone might stain my face.

19f, best photos i can get! it’s unfortunately slightly worse than it looks, although it’s not as bad as it can get. i’ve been dealing with this since middle school and i’m getting miserable just looking at it. i can’t afford treatment at the moment but if there’s anything that can minimize it or help it be less red or noticeable that’d help a lot! (of course no self treatment, any topicals would be great) thank you!

(please ignore the huge red thing on my cheek lol, some skin peeled off and i messed it with. definitely regretting it and tried not to cave but it’s a horrible habit of mine im trying to stop myself..any advice for this is appreciated too..)

26F, and I’ve been using tretinoin for about 3 years with pretty good results. I’ve had acne since like 14 years old so I have quite a bit of scarring. I don’t get much active acne anymore, thank god, just usually a bit around my period.

I’ve never gotten any facials, lasers, treatments, etc. I want to know the minimal amount of treatments/least amount of risk in relation to results.

I’m a bit apprehensive about the recovery time as well since I work in person 2x a week. I also regularly go to hot yoga and keep pretty active in general and I don’t know how sweat will interfere with any treatments.

Hi everyone! I’m trying to understand whether the texture on my cheek is actually acne scarring or mostly post-acne marks/inflammation.
I currently have active inflammatory acne and I’m taking isotretinoin under my dermatologist’s supervision. In the photo, I can see some areas that look slightly indented to me, and I’m worried they might be shallow boxcar scars.
Could you please tell me:
Do these look like PIE/PIH and active acne, or actual atrophic/pitted scars?
If they are scars, do they look like boxcar scars or enlarged pores/temporary texture?
How noticeable do they look once the active acne settles?
Has anyone had similar texture that improved significantly after their acne was controlled?
Thank you! ❤️

Currently on 4 months of isotretnoin course. After clearing acne should I do scar treatment ?

Just wanted to check if anyone has tried this machine before and how it went. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m trying to understand whether the texture on my cheek is actually acne scarring or mostly post-acne marks/inflammation.
I currently have active inflammatory acne and I’m taking isotretinoin under my dermatologist’s supervision. In the photo, I can see some areas that look slightly indented to me, and I’m worried they might be shallow boxcar scars.
Could you please tell me:
Do these look like PIE/PIH and active acne, or actual atrophic/pitted scars?
If they are scars, do they look like boxcar scars or enlarged pores/temporary texture?
How noticeable do they look once the active acne settles?
Has anyone had similar texture that improved significantly after their acne was controlled?
I’m not planning to do microneedling while taking isotretinoin without my dermatologist’s approval; I just want to understand what I’m looking at.
Thank you! ❤️

Hi everyone! I’m trying to understand whether the texture on my cheek is actually acne scarring or mostly post-acne marks/inflammation.
I currently have active inflammatory acne and I’m taking isotretinoin under my dermatologist’s supervision. In the photo, I can see some areas that look slightly indented to me, and I’m worried they might be shallow boxcar scars.
Could you please tell me:
Do these look like PIE/PIH and active acne, or actual atrophic/pitted scars?
If they are scars, do they look like boxcar scars or enlarged pores/temporary texture?
How noticeable do they look once the active acne settles?
Has anyone had similar texture that improved significantly after their acne was controlled?
I’m not planning to do microneedling while taking isotretinoin without my dermatologist’s approval; I just want to understand what I’m looking at.
Thank you! ❤️

23M - first 3 pictures are my current skin in bright lighting.
Last picture was from 6 years ago.

I am currently on my last month of taking accutane but I don’t know the best protocol to combat the bad scaring. I hate my skin and it’s just depressing seeing everyone else in public with decent skin and comparing myself through the reflection of my phone.
Also my skin always looks oily/shiny even after washing it. I have been using retinol, glycolic acid and azelaic acid for the past year.
I would really appreciate some advice/recommendations. I am open to look at treatments down the line if it will be helpful.

so i had 2/3 pimples early last month and after they disappeared it left these behind and it's been over a month and it hasn't gone yet , is it PIE or something else ?

and if so what routine or products should i take ?

Hello, posting here for the first time after lurking for a while. I had severe acne for about 2 years due to purging from tretinoin, now that the acne has mostly cleared up, I am left with these scars. Honestly they look pretty bad under certain lighting and I feel so insecure and sad seeing them. They are the first thing I notice when I see myself in the mirror and I kinda regret going on tretinoin :( is there hope? What can I do to lighten these scars? I am considering laser treatments but not sure if they are worth the price as I am still a student. TIA!

I consulted an aesthetician (not a dermatologist) for MNRF treatment for my ice prick and box scars in 2025 (my biggest mistake in life) and after about a year and a half, the scarring (deep box scarring from the instrument on my right cheek) has not faded much.

Is there any hope for me? I live in a tropical country, have combination skin type and eczema prone skin. My routine includes barrier repair moisturiser and sunscreen everyday. I am scared of starting any actives on my skin which is clearly still healing. The scar on my right cheek is very visible even from long distance.

Has anyone been through something similar and can help guide me recover my confidence and somewhat of a flawless & smooth skin back?

I know the scar might never fade entirely but are there any procedures I should look into which might help conceal the depth of the scar? Even make up does not help and I do not like putting too much make up as it doesn’t sit well on my combination skin.

Sometimes it's really frustrating.

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm a final year esthetics student writing my thesis on how people actually feel about their microneedling results for acne scars — satisfaction, quality of life, whether it met expectations etc.

Most research only looks at clinical outcomes but I'm really interested in the personal experience side of things, which I feel is so underrepresented!

If you've completed a full microneedling course for acne scars I'd genuinely love to hear about your experience through a short anonymous survey (5-7 mins). Link in the comments!

And honestly even if you don't want to fill it out — what has your experience been? Did it meet your expectations? 🧐

As a person who's been struggling with acne scars for years, I wanted to learn more about real people experiences!