I am currently using "Philosophy" cleanser and moisturizer and their nightime retinol cream to help my 59 year old skin with wrinkling and large and "enlarged pores" from having cystic acne when I was young. I had two dermabrasions when I was 25 and it produced some additional scar tissue on one of my cheeks so I will not have any kind of surgery on my face ever again. This is where my question begins. I ran across your website by accident and got hope again when I read your article on scar reduction. I than ordered your super cp serum and was told to go on and finish the retinol night cream and then maybe changeover to the lacsal serum at night. Will your products help with leftover mild pitting, large pores and wrinkling and can I continue to use my philosophy cleanser and moisturizer (contains ester of lactic acid)? What ingredients should I avoid mixing your cp serum with.

You can continue your Philosophy products.

This is short advice on scar reduction.

This is our general advice on scar reduction.

We think almost any skin blemish (scars and pitted scars, keratosis, skin tags, moles, age spots, sun damage, stretch marks, warts, hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation, white scars, discoloration) can be reduced or removed with a combination of hydroxy acids, skin abrasion, and Skin Remodeling Copper Peptides (SRCPs).

Copper peptides also suppress the production of TGF-beta-1, the scar forming protein. So as you remove scar tissue, the SRCPs help prevent new scar formation.

The hydroxy acids and abrasive methods slowly loosen and dissolve the blemish tissue and the SRCPs help the rebuilding of new skin.(Caution: This advice applies only to normal skin blemishes. Any skin blemish that appears dark, irregular, or bleeds should be promptly checked by a dermatologist.)

Scar reduction is a balancing act of scar removal and rebuilding skin. Too rapid removal of scar tissue and you get a hole in your skin and too little scar removal and there is no progress. In the past, dermatologists often observed that strong hydroxy acids, and other methods like the use of liquid nitrogen on blemishes, would remove the skin blemishes but subsequent skin irritations limited the use of these methods.

Skin may look worse for a time during scar reduction. Some deep scars such as from acne are covered over with a layer of good skin but as the buried scar tissue is pushed to the surface, it becomes noticeable. Often, one has to first get the skin into a healthier condition and then focus on removing the scars. More SRCPs makes skin healthier, more hydroxy acids remove tissue. The method is slow but usually works and has no downside.

We find that repeated use of moderate strength hydroxy acid, followed by the use of SRCPs, usually removes skin blemishes without excess skin irritation.

The SRCPs are usually rubbed into the scar area in the morning and the Hydroxy acid product rubbed in at night. Stronger hydroxy acids and our stronger SRCPs work faster but irritation can sometimes be a problem with the stronger products. Sometimes, people also use retinoic acid (Retin-A or Renova) along with the hydroxy acids to speed scar removal. The products should be used every day.

Some people with severe scars have had good results by applying the products four times daily a hydroxy acid at 8 am, a SRCP at noon, a hydroxy acid at 5 PM, and a SRCP before bedtime. You should see an improvement in a month but some old scars such as stretch marks and keloid scars may take 6 to 8 months to slowly remove. Slower is better in scar reduction.

1.If you are under 30, have acne in the scar area, or have rosacea, then use Super CP Serum in the morning and LacSal Serum at night. Start the products lightly - 1 drop of each daily then slowly increase the amount used.

2.If acne is not a problem, then use TriReduction Cream in the morning and LacSal cream at night.

3.If you are not getting enough effect, then try Super Cop or SuperCop 2X Extra Strength Extra which are our strongest SRCP but can cause itching. If it itches, you can wash it off with warm water. Skin slowly adapts to the Super Cops but this can take some time. Usually Super CP Serum is applied lightly in the AM ( 3-4 drops to the entire face) and concentrated specifically on your areas of concern. A Super Cop Cream (or Super Cop 2X) can be used as a spot treatment once a day very lightly. You can even work it into the skin with a flat toothpick.

4.Some clients report good results after applying Super CP Serum, letting it dry for a short time, then applying LacSal Cream over the Super CP Serum.

5. If you still are not getting a good enough effect, then replace our hydroxys with a 30% glycolic acid or lactic acid product. There are links to sellers of these at www.scar-reduction.com or http://www.reverseskinaging.com/resellers.html. For difficult lesions, like age spots, the salicylic acids (about 12% salicylic acid) used for wart
and callus removal often work well - drugstores have these.

6. Skin color usually reverts to its pre-damage color.

7. Blemish reduction can be further accelerated by skin abrasion with exfoliating washcloths (microdermabrasion cloths), pumice stones, abrasive pads, or microdermabrasion kits such as those used to remove calluses. Flat toothpicks can loosen pitted scar tissue. Needles are often used to break up hard or fat-containing scar
tissue in depressed scars such as after cystic acne.

Skin Needle Rollers (roller with needles) often reported work well with our copper peptides. It is available on Internet. Don't use it more than once weekly. Clean it after use and sterilize it before further use.

8.Using Retinoic acid (Renova or Retin-A) with SRCPs often produces faster scar reduction. Use 0.05% to 0.10% retinoic acid creams.

9.Daily supplements of 1 gram vitamin C, 1 gram MSM, and 1 gram each of either flaxseed oil, borage oil, or primrose oil also help skin rebuilding.

10.Stress inhibits skin repair and the rate of scar reduction by increasing blood cortisol. Taking 75 to 100 mgs daily of DHEA during periods of high stress may help block the cortisol effect and stimulate skin repair.

11.Regular aerobic exercise floods more blood into the skin and speeds skin repair and scar reduction.

12. There is more information at www.scar-reduction.com.