Microdermabrasion VS Laser Therapy

[Archive]

Originally posted by Unlucky Girl

Hi. I am a 23 year old female who is fed up with feeling embarassed to wear sleeveless shirts and spending hours at the drugstore and plenty of money on lotions/soaps/exfoliators that don't work. I have KP (I think) on my upper arms and a little on my thighs. My doctor diagnosed me with this without even looking at it. It is basically a combination of little raised bumps and what looks like millions of dark red spots and a redness of the surrounding area on the skin. After reading posts on this messageboard it seems that there are many different variations of this condition.

I finally decided last week to give a try with cosmetic surgery/treatment. I went through the yellow pages here in Toronto (ont) and found 3 different centres that I made appointments with. My first appointment is in 3 days (Monday). I made one appointment with a specialist in laser surgery and two with microdermabrasion specialists. I only found this website after making the appointments and I felt discouraged after reading the posts concerning these two treatments. Basically, I am interested in getting rid of the red spots or at least blending them somehow so that they don't look so noticeable. I am not really concerned with the redness of the skin, it is just the spots that drives me crazy.

First of all I was wondering if anyone could share their experiences with either treatment and the type of results they were aiming for and secondly what people think about either treatment for the type of result I am looking for (getting rid of the spots). I realize that both methods are extremely expensive and hopefully the specialists that I meet with will be honest and forthright on the prospects of achieving my expectations. After reading most of the posts on this messageboard I feel so relieved that there are other people who share in my predicament and are more knowledgeable about the matter than most doctors/dermatologists. It would be nice to know what any one of you think about what I am attempting to undergo especially since it is ALOT of money. I am already paying over $200 to see these three specialists even before they tell me whether or not they can actually help!! At the same time, I have spent more money than I can even imagine at the drugstore and have countless numbers of bottles and tubes of worthless stuff in my bathroom, as I am sure that many other people can atest to.

I will post the results of my visits as they take place.

Also, on a different note, I think that the best way to ignite an awareness in and research on this condition that so many people are afflicted with is to go through the media. The least that would come out of this would be to educate those who are and those who are NOT afflicted with this condition AND hopefully this exposure would eventually produce a "it's JUST KP" attitude from both groups. The greatest result would be to instigate serious research and eventually to find a cure or prevention for it. I think that if I am not successful in controlling my KP that is the next step I am going to take. If I am going to live with KP I might as well go absolutely public with it and hopefully raise enough public interest and support to DO SOMETHING about it!!! I don't want people to stare or ask me about it. I want it to be 'normal' like having hair or freckles. It is frustrating to know that I am not the only one suffering from this and in so many of these posts I felt as though I was reading bits and pieces of my own life. It was comforting to see that many other people shared in my suffering but at the same time it infuriated me and made me feel discouraged. So many people are suffering and all that there is are these 'remedies' posted on this message board...most of which I have tried and tossed in the garbage...doesn't anyone out there important enough, with the money or means to research care about us???

Thanks for reading...

[Archive]

Originally posted by jazzy

Hey, let everyone know what your docs say and if you will definitley be trying both or either treatment! Yep, everything you said in your post I, and many others have been going through. It sucks.......and it is time that docs and researchers take this seriously to find a cure!
Keep everyone posted......