Warning: The Embarrassing Bodies website contains images of an explicit medical nature and nudity in a medical context.

Click Continue to proceed or Back for other Channel 4 programmes about health and wellbeing.

Video

Consultation: Acne Scarring

A patient comes to see Dr Harper about treatment for the scarring caused by her teenage acne.

Did you find this useful? YesYes NoNo

469 of 919 people said they found this useful

Comments

You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments are reviewed before they are published.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out the Channel 4 Health site or NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

i've been wearing a hood for about 2years now. I never go out anywhere…i am a full time college student however and always stay at the back of the class..soon after finishing my hod is straight back up..i understand there are thousands and thousands of the same comments put before you but i have been on the verge of suicude once before before because of the scarring on my face. I don't think now i would result to suicide, but never say never right! i should learn to accept it and am strong some days but most days im on my knees crying..i think my condition is reedeemable but only with finance which i do not posess, i know you can't help me but i just wanted to share how i feel instead of keeping it to my self all of the time.. Thankyou

Can i just ask Samantha, why you regretted taking Roaccutane? ive recently seen the doctor after sufferring acne for 2years and she has given me Trimethoprim antibiotics but i do recall her mentioning Roaccutane…what exactly is it and why the regret???
i am to go back within a month to see if there is any difference and if not im to try The Pill but im just so worried about being left with scars! My friends acne cleared up after taking the pill and she is left with very little, if any scarring but she highly recommended Bio Oil.

the acne scars in my face frustrates me in so many ways..i am very much happy to see this edition of yours..my friend and i,who shares thesame problem with mine,wants to know as to who we can approach to help us with it.it is really very disturbing for us that it crashes our self esteem to pieces..we are living here in retford and we are hoping you could recommend us to any NHS doctor nearest us..thanks

I have had acne since being 16, i am now 22 and tuck antibiotics until i was 20 but these did not have any affect and it was only when i was 21 that i heard about roaccutane which has been a god send to me as it has completely cleared up my acne. However, because i only heard about roaccutane after having acne for 5 years i have been left with scarring on both my cheeks which affects my daily life as i am very self-conscious about it. I am considering having pixil laser treatment and i hope this will help but im worried that the scarring may be too deep.

ive a 2 year old scare under my left arm, after i had a lump removed the scare is from under my bust up to my shoulder blade and about 7 inch long.Ive had exercise to help with PAIN and it also stings i find it hard to strech my arm can't sleep on my side ive also trid teasing the scare and bust and nippel. please help

i suffer from acne i am 17 years of age and i wanted to know if it is ok to get the laser treatment while am still a teenager and if it would affect anything.

PS. Is theere anywhere where i can get the laser treatment which has good results but at about £100-£200 a session.

i'm 17 and i suffer from severe acne, i've just been given anti biotics to take for them, but how long till acne turns into scarring????

I pick my spots quite alot but thats only because i suffer from dry skin aswell, does that make it worse?

I had acne since I was 13. Now 25 I have decided to go ahead with laser treatment from Dr. Patel. It's costing £500 per treatment for full face and neck. He has recommended 3-4 treatments about 4-6 weeks apart. It will take about 5 days downtime because the skin peals, so Im doing them on wednesdays to be ready for work monday. I have large dips on my cheeks, jaw and temples, and neck. Ill let you know how I get on in the next few months. Btw I'm male so I don't wear makeup, maybe females can cover up and not require the time off work if this was a concern. I also have lots of scaring on my back, shoulders and upper arms but these are different to the scars on my face and will not respond to the laser as they are not caused by the loss of collagen.

I have the same scarring as the lady featured in the programe, only my scars are more deeper & some are in bigger holes. I have suffered from severe acne in my teens & resulted to very deep pricks – looking like a cheese grater. When I look in the mirror I call myself "ugly", I have tried talking to my gp about how it is affecting me but he is not interested to help me which causing me feeling depress all the time & very insecured & often hating myself.Often people stares at me & sometimes asking why I have deep scaring on my face. I feel very lonely most times & does not want to go out with people or with my family. I don't talk about how bad I feel about myself to my family, as I feel they don't like me too. I'd like to have treatment but I don't know where to start or where to go. I always thought of contacting your programme but never seems to have the courage,feeling scared being let down. I feel very lonely & very unhappy about myself. My younger son is getting married in August & I always pray hoping I will fall very ill so I do not go to his wedding to face all these people. I just feel my son will be very embarassed to tell people that I am his mom. Sometimes my husband joke that I look like the moon! This is breaking my heart & feeling so bad about myself when my son is getting married. I am oriental by origin & I can recall my happy times during my younger years before I developed this awful bad acne. Not sure what should I do to atleast make the scars disappear a bit or I would like to have some laser done but so scared that I go to wrong one. Please help me, help me to hope for living.

the commentary says the dr patel used fraxional laser, but dr patel is clearly using pixel laser, so which is it? i have a small amount of scaring on my cheeks, which isnt deep. which would be ideal – fraxel or pixel? thnks




This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published - it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 were to need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don't swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines


More Like This

  1. Folliculitis

    Consultation: Folliculitis

    Dr Christian Jessen deals with a patient with an irritating case of folliculitis

  2. Dr Dawn Harper

    Dr Dawn Harper

    Find out more about Dr Dawn Harper

  3. Psoriasis

    Consultation: Psoriasis

    Dr Dawn Harper examines a patient with psoriasis

  4. Acne on the back

    Quick Health Advice: Acne

    Dr Pixie McKenna provides some information on the causes of acne, zits and spots as well as some of the treatme…

  5. Acne keloidalis

    Consultation: Acne Keloidalis

    A patient receives treatment for the disfiguring condition Acne Keloidalis.

  6. Acne Response Video

    Doctor Responses: Acne

    Dr Christian answers your most frequently asked questions about acne.

  7. HS Response Video

    Doctor Responses: HS

    Dr Christian answers your most frequently asked questions about Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

  8. Stretch Marks Response Video

    Doctor Responses: Stretch Marks

    Dr Pixie answers your most frequently asked questions about stretch marks.


Important Notice

The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.


If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here


Advertisement