Dr. Sam Lam Plastic Surgery Forum

Hi Dr Lam,
I've been reading your blogs and forum posts, and I must say that you're truly my hero!

I have recently received SMD, and I'll be getting a couple more. Can I use Retin-A with and after my SMD treatments?

Does Retin-A helps repair scars?

Thanks!
Monteroman

SMD? retin-a really does not help scars but can help the skin. i think that it won't hurt. that is something you need to ask your derm to be honest with you. what is SMD? microderm or something? here's what i googled:

SMD Sauter Mean Diameter
SMD Science Mission Directorate (NASA)
SMD Sea-Based Midcourse Defense
SMD Sea-Based Missile Defense
SMD Sega Mega Drive (game console)
SMD Senile Macular Degeneration
SMD Senior Managing Director
SMD Separate Mechanized Division
SMD Service Member Data
SMD Severely Mentally Disabled
SMD Ship/Shore Manpower/Manning Document
SMD Shore Maintenance Detachment (US Coast Guard)
SMD Short Message Delivery
SMD Sigma Mu Delta (pre-medical fraternity)
SMD Single Member District
SMD Skill Matching Database (Australian immigration)
SMD Small Munition Dispenser
SMD Société de Mèdecine Dentaire
SMD Software Management Directorate
SMD Solar Magnetic Disturbance
SMD Solder Mask Defined (semiconductor substrate process)
SMD Spectrum Matching Detector
SMD Speed Measuring Device (as in police radar guns)
SMD Standard Macrobiotic Diet
SMD Standard Market Design (US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
SMD Standard Microcircuit Drawing
SMD Standard Military Drawings
SMD Standardized Manufacturing Drawing
SMD Stanford Microarray Database
SMD State MARS Director
SMD Storage Module Device (interface standard for disk drives)
SMD Storage Module Drive
SMD Strain Measurement Devices Inc (Meriden, Connecticut and Chedburgh, England)
SMD Structures and Mechanics Division
SMD Studenten-Mission in Deutschland
SMD Sub Mucous Diathermy
SMD Surface Mean Diameter
SMD Surface Mount Device
SMD Synchronous Message Delivery
SMD System Management Daemon (Unix)
SMD Systems Management Director/Directorate
SMD Systems Management Division (Intel)
SMD Staroffice Mail Document
SMD Surface Mounted Device
SMD Synchronous Mirror Delay

Dr Lam,
SMD = Silicone Microdroplets.

Wow, you're studious; I laughed at all the SMD acronyms are out there. Sorry to waste a little of your time on that one.

So you're saying that if I get SMD (Silicone Microdroplets - or SM), taking Retin-A won't help improve the scarring?

monteroman

If you are getting SMD from another doc, just ask that doc. I hate being a third party butting in with my thoughts. That is usually offensive to another doc who is trying to take care of you. I hope you understand.
best,
sml

i have an appointment to see you next month. I was curious if I should start the Retin-A, and if it would be good to combine it with the SMD. Again, will it make a difference for my scarring?

Thanks for trying to avoid over-stepping your bounds.
monteroman

i think retin-a is fine in any case. it won't make a big difference one way or the other. the only time i ask people to stop retin-a is 1 month before a plasma skin resurfacing and 1 week before an IPL treatment. o/w no big deal. as far as helping scarring, i would be careful in responding to that. i think the collagen changes with retin-a are more subtle than that.