Biohacker and longevity educator Faraz Khan shares his insight and knowledge on how to heal scars no matter how old they are and revive tired aging skin to a youthful state using biohacks learned (and proven) from experts in the field during his podcast (AntiAging Hacks) interviews as well as his personal research to heal his own battle with keloid scars over the span of 2 decades.
In today’s podcast we will learn:
1. The differences between scars and how they form.
2. How to treat keloids, hypertrophic scars, acne scars and stretch marks
3. A biohackers regimen to revive aging skin that your dermatologist won’t tell you.
4. Dermaroller “Dos and Don’ts” (as well as what are the best brands and styles to buy for particular concerns)
5. How to heal and treat aging skin and scars from the inside out
6. What Faraz would tell his 20 year old self
7. The worst thing you can do for scars that a doctor may actually recommend
8. Best brands and recommended products
ABOUT FARAZ KHAN
Faraz’s expertise comes from his own 2 decade journey to manage and finally heal his keloid scars accumulated since childhood as well as from the knowledge he gained in the many podcast interviews he has done with experts in the field.
KELOIDS
A keloid scar is an enlarged, raised scar that can be pink, red, skin-coloured or darker than the surrounding skin. They can develop after very minor skin damage, such as an acne spot or a piercing, and spread beyond the original area of skin damage.
Google it! It ain’t pretty
Beware of surgeries and treatments that may activate keloids
FACTORS THAT CAUSE KELOID SCARS
- Genetic predisposition
- Age (11- 30 YRS) – collagen production is highest and more reckless during these ages.
- Darker skin tones are more susceptible
HYPERTROPHIC SCARS
A hypertrophic scar is a thickened, wide, often raised scar that develops where skin is injured. Scars are common during the wound healing process, but a hypertrophic scar is a result of an abnormal response to a trauma or injury.
70% of burns turn into a hypertrophic scar, usually a month or two after injury. Keloids can form years after the injury.
HOW SCARS FORM
TGF Beta 1 and TGF Beta 2 are more inflammatory and rush to the site of damage. If you get keloids or raised scars from injuries you have an overabundance of collage buildup at the site. Yep, we can have too much collagen!
TGF Beta 3 then enters later to normalize collagen levels to make sure the scar is smooth.
It is OK to take collagen peptides orally during an injury.
75% of skin is made of collagen. 35% of what’s inside the body is made of collagen and lines all of the organs.
KELOID PROTOCOL
1. Silicone gel sheets (buy on Amazon. Faraz uses this one.) It puts pressure on the scar at the beginning of the formation of the scar. Increases blood flow. Do this only as the keloid scar is beginning to form.
2. Aggressive scars – A dermatologist may apply liquid nitrogen to the scar to freeze it and slow growth.
3. Inject scar with corticoid steroid (beginning of the formation)
4. Dermaroller or Dermastamp. (Faraz uses this one and I just received mine yesterday!) This procedure injures the skin, but not enough to cause damage or re-initiate keloids. It hits it just right. Dr. Aust from Germany 1994 microneedling. Showed it works on burn scars, keloids, and hypertrophic and acne scars. Rejuvenate.
5. Be patient. You may need 1 year – 1.5 year to remove the scar.
DERMAROLLING
Can work on old scars
Needle size – Start with 0.5 for beginners. See reaction. Wait 4 weeks and repeat. Go up to 1mm and wait 4 weeks. Then 1.5 in 4 weeks.
Risk of infection. Dip In 90% – 99% alcohol for 10 minutes before or after. Cleanse face for no germs.
For $20 you can easily find one on Amazon.
Faraz prefers the dermastamp, because you can adjust needle length from 0.5 – 3mm instead of having to buy multiple dermarollers.
WHEN TO STOP DERMAROLLING?
If you have a scar, the skin will tell you.
For the face – once you start to get to 1 – 1.5 needle length, dermaroll (or dermastamp) every 3 – 4 weeks.
After 3 to 4 sessions with a good length you will see improvements in skin.
You can use it once a quarter for maintenance. It takes 5 – 7 minutes.
Can do it for the rest of your life.
HOW TO DERMAROLL
Pass on each area of the face 6 – 8 times in a horizontal motion at 45 degrees
Pass on each area of the face 6 – 8 times in a vertical motion at 45 degrees
This procedure takes approximately 10 minutes
Add Hyaluronic acid before and after. No other topicals or serums directly after rolling/stamping
Faraz uses this hyaluronic acid serum.
Zora uses this hyarluronic acid spray. Click this link to get it at a 20% discount. Reply to this email for a discount outside of the US.
Watch the YouTube video by Pampered Wolf for more tips on dermarolling.
Only use hyaluronic acid right before and after dermarolling. Vitamin A, C, E serum can be put on several hours after. Faraz uses this vitamin A,C and E oil.
Studies show that applying a serum with vitamins A, C and E 4 weeks before dermarolling have better outcomes.
Can dermarol daily with 0.1 – 0.5
BEWARE OF WHAT SOME DOCTORS TELL YOU
Keloid and hyper trophic scars should not be surgically removed. It makes it worse.
POWERFUL DUO
Microneedling every 3 – 4 weeks PLUS a silicone gel daily is better than microneedling by itself. The silicone gels also dulls the shine. At night apply the vitamin A, C, E
STRETCH MARKS
Better to deal with stretch marks and scars when they are in the red phase Retinoids and laser may help stretch marks, but dermarolling is great for both red and white skin scars.
You can dermarol on stretchmarks and use retinoids, but do not use it too close post microneedling.
Also use Vitamin A, C, E plus a deeper needle size. Around 1mm
RETINOIDS
Faraz prefers retinols to retinoids, because they are weaker. He recommend Isotretinoin (by prescription only) but use the weakest one 0.025%
It doesn’t slough off skin as much.
Be careful of strong forms of retinoids.
If you’re sensitive, you can use bakuchiol as it is a gentler form of retinoid.
DO’S AND DON’TS
Don’t use silicone gel on scars that are indented (acne, stretch marks) as it eats away the top layers of the skin.
Do make 2 -3 passes when using the Dermastamp.
Beware of scar creams. They don’t work. It may help with color, but won’t change the scar.
FARAZ’S SKINCARE ROUTINE
1. Avoid the sun
2. Wash morning and night and use toner
3. Antioxidant serum with vitamin C
4. Moisturizing
5. Aloe vera – anti-inflammatory and moisturizer – Hawaiian Moon Aloe
6. Methalyne blue mixed (antioxidant) mixed with copper peptide serum every 2 – 3 days or once a week – Removes damage from environment, pollution and sunlight
7. Copper peptide cream daily
8. Dermarol once every 3 weeks at aggressive length
9. Will start laser for rejuvenation, sun spots, to reset and be more careful
MEN VS WOMEN
Men treat skin poorly for too long and seem to do ok.
Menopause is not great for skin. Loss of estrogen degrades the skin.
Beware of endocrine disruptors and oxidative stress in many skincare products.
Avoid toxic ingredients that add to an already toxic load of the environment we live in.
The average woman uses 12 products before leaving the home.
The average man uses 4 products before leaving the home.
NUTRITION
Your beauty begins from within. What you put inside your body is important. Eat lots of greens and healthy foods.
For scars healing, if you’re 10 – 30 years old be more careful, but after 30, you can eat certain foods to produce collagen on its own.
Collagen – use a hydrolyzed collagen supplement in a protein shake. You can eat gelatin. Collagen is smaller amino acids that can pass through the stomach faster. You can also use these exact molecules to create your own collagen.
Vitamin C
Zinc
Copper
Bone Broth
Skin healthy foods – omega 3s fatty fish, walnuts, olive oil. Don’t eat too many omega 6 fats
Eat the cartilage off of chicken bones
ADVICE FOR TEENAGE SELF
Answers to all of your problems of the mind and body…are out there. Be patient, find mentors, ask people.
Get the Free Guide to Slow Aging Skin
LINKS
- Silicone gel sheets – New Gel + E for silicone gel
- Dermastamp
- Hyaluronic acid
- Environ A, C, E oil
- Isotretinoin – by prescription only
- Bakuchiol in newer skin creams – many on market. No preference
- Hawaiian moon aloe vera
I hope you all enjoyed our talk and find this email useful and for those of you who could not attend, you can listen to the podcast here.
FOLLOW FARAZ – ANTI-AGING HACKS
Website: Anti-Aging Hacks
Instagram: @antiaginghacks/
YouTube: @Anti-aging Hacks with Faraz Khan
Podcast (website): Anti-Aging Hacks
Apple Podcast : Anti-aging Hacks
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This podcast is edited by @JonathanJK
This blog post is edited by Alison Copywriting
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