Subcision-suction method for acne scars

[SarahVaughter]

The Subcision-suction method: A new successful combination therapy in treatment of atrophic acne scars and other depressed scars.

S Aalami Harandi, K Balighi, V Lajevardi,, E Akbari

Conclusion:

"Frequent suctioning at the recurrence period of subcision increases subcision efficacy remarkably and causes significant and persistent improvement in short time, without considerable complication, in depressed scars of the face."

Full article here:
http://www.owndoc.com/pdf/therapy-in-treatment-of-atrophic-acne-scars.pdf

Instead of subcision, needle the scar aggressively with the single needle from all angles or use a dermastamp.

From the study:

" start of suction on third day after subcision for flat and depressing subcised scars and its continuation at least every other day for 2weeks."

" high grade of improvement was mostly in patients in group A1 who had almost daily suctioning in the first week of suctioning period"


Subcision is a much more aggressive method than needling/stamping so you
should actually start suctioning sooner than 3 days after needling/stamping.
Start a day or two after.


A suction effect can be improvised with strongly sticking self adhesive tape or perhaps with a vacuum cleaner (crevice tool accessory-clean it very well before using it or buy a new one):
http://www.ourappliances.com/s/10037/vacum2.jpg

Please read these two forum postings. They contain some good tips from our forum members regarding the suctioning method:
http://forum.owndoc.com/showthread.p...les-aftermath- (http://forum.owndoc.com/showthread.php?802-Indented-forehead-shingles-aftermath-)(
http://forum.owndoc.com/showthread.p...getting-better (http://forum.owndoc.com/showthread.php?741-14-month-update-skin-keeps-getting-better)

[healingtoday]

If anyone is interested in trying the suction method, I've been using a kit like these:

http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&biw=853&bih=529&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=cupping+suction+kit&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=

It creates very good suction and you would want to get one especially for the face.

I've been trying it for a little bit...its too early to say about the results. I just needled my scars several days ago and I'll start suctioning and will report on if I see any results.

[qchris50]

This is a great article, I wonder if anyone has tried it with needling yet.

[soon]

Hi all,
I have one ice pick scar that I'm guna try to improve with the "suction method".
I'm hoping someone can guide me on how its done.
First I will try it with a syringe.
I'm clueless as to how often I do it and how long I'm meant to keep suction going.
Haven't had much luck doing an online search so any advise will be appreciated.
Cheers soon

[Fredrik]

I am also genuinely interested in performing this on myself, I have a few questions that I would love to get some expertise answers to before I start experimenting on myself.

- Would it be possible to go around with, let's say some tape to keep your skin constantly stretched after needling/dermarolling to force constant haemorrhage? If not, would it be good to perform suction several times a day or would that just do more bad than good?

- Can dermarolling also cause the fibers to release scarred tissue, or is needling from different angles the only option?

- While needling, would it be beneficial to pinch the skin for easier penetration with the needle? Like they do with the subcision.

Thanks a lot for sharing this new technique, the article gave me some new hope :-)

[FINLEY]

There is hope, thanks to Sarah. I have been doing the subcision procedure on myself with good success- the improvements are incremental and steady. (Living in the states, it was difficult to find a supplier of sterile, injectable saline and 28 gauge syringes, but I eventually found I can get them on-line from Allegra Medical, no questions asked.)
I never use the same syringe twice during one session of subcision, so I go through several syringes every 3 wks but they, and the saline, are inexpensive. I have been needling using dermal stamp, and rolling my face with a 2mm roller every 6 wks, and performing subcision every 3 wks, so that every 6 wks I am combining the rolling and stamping session with needling and subcision. I have had no problems, which may be because I use very good aseptic technique, washing everything down with alcohol before starting the procedure, filling the syringes using sterile technique, and cleaning my face and hands repeatedly with alcohol before each injection. I must admit, it takes some bravery to do this to one's self, and I say this as a RN, but it can be done. I have decided to pull out my 1.5 mm roller, which can be used every 3-4 wks, and start doing the entire combined procedure every 3 wks just to push it along a little faster.
Also, I love Alcare Plus, which can be bought on-line- I rub it into my skin many times per day on the days after I roll. It is an alcohol foam product used in hospitals to cut down on staph infections- it has an emollient which keeps the skin from drying out.
I am so empathic with anyone who struggles with acne scarring, having lived with it for 44 yrs before I started working with Sarah and her products, so I hope this advice will be helpful. Sarah is a gift from above!
Good luck!
P.S. I feel I actually "hear" the scar tissue releasing most when I am using the dermal stamp, which I do 6-8 times per scar each session, rotating the stamp slightly clock-wise after each punch. (My advice is to repeatedly clean the skin with alcohol soaked cotton balls throughout the procedures. I do not know if everyone agrees with that, but it works for me.)

[soon]

Hi FINLEY,

Thanks so much for all your detail and experience.
Personally, for now I'm not going to use injections.
I will single needle as usual but then want to try "suction"
I have a syringe with no needle that I hope I can use for this.
I've ordered this.....

http://www.dealyea.com/Product/Facial-Pore-Cleanser-Cleaner-Blackhead-Acne-Remover.htm

But not sure if it would be as good as manual suction (fighting immature urge...actress, bishop hehee)
I hope its just done post needelling.
Advise from anyone who's tried this would be great. If not guess I'll try 2minutes daily for a few months (suction only, needle as per instructions)

FINLEY I agree.....Sarah is truly a genuine & giving soul. It's like that saying "do what you love & the rest will follow"
She cares and she's not "fluff" I like her edge....I bet she doesn't suffer fools......hmmm maybe this
Is my last post jk :)

All the best,
Cheers soon

[soon]

Sorry if this is a bit far from topic but.....
I was looking at healingtodays link and was wondering if suction cups,
have any benefits to normal skin.
Cheers soon

[SarahVaughter]

I think that Finley combines it with another method I was writing about: Saline injections.

http://forum.owndoc.com/showthread.php?246-Saline-injections-for-acne-scars&highlight=saline

Finley, I am surprised you had problems with getting the sterile saline solution (also called a physiological solution) because I believe they sell it OTC in any pharmacy to clean wounds. I have it in the first aid kit in my car. It is better to buy many very small bottles and always open a new one with each new session.
Medline Sterile Saline Solution, .9%, 5ML, Box: 100
http://www.amazon.com/Medline-Sterile-Saline-Solution-9/dp/B000K6WHEG/ref=pd_sim_hpc_2


> I'm clueless as to how often I do it and how long I'm meant to keep suction going.

"The protocol for suctioning was: start of suction on third day after subcision for flat and depressing subcised scars and its continuation at least every other day for 2weeks."


"On the first days, we used less negative pressure; but in the subsequent sessions, depending on the condition of scars, we could increase negative pressure (even to maximum: −70 mmHg), length of time (not more than 4 s in each pass) and the number of suctioning passes (even 8–12 passes) per session."

This is not very relevant to your case because 70mm Hg is 0.09 bar and that is a very strong underpressure - nearly a full vacuum. You cannot achieve this at home.

However, preventing the fibrotic fibers from re-attaching doesn’t need such a high underpressure. As they explained, they also wanted to cause a hematoma to enhance the effect.


> Can dermarolling also cause the fibers to release scarred tissue, or is needling from different angles the only option?

You have to really aggressively needle the scar to release the fibrotic tissue.



> While needling, would it be beneficial to pinch the skin for easier penetration with the needle? Like they do with the subcision.

Probably yes but you may end up with a hematoma.

[FINLEY]

Oh, Sarah, I am very fussy because I am an RN. I wanted sterile injectable saline without any preservatives vs the wound flushing type of saline. In the states injectable saline requires a prescription at regular pharmacies. After much searching, I found Allegro Medical Supply on the internet, which sells sterile saline for IV flushing which it is very safe for subcutaneous injection. I am terrified of infection. The scars I am treating were caused by a staphylococcal infection I acquired in a hospital while working as a student nurse 43 years ago. The needle subcision, dermal stamping and saline injection procedures are really helping these very aged scars fill in. I am so grateful for your help!
Thanks always to you.

[soon]

Would this method be beneficial for surgical scars?
I'll need a tummy tuck & breast lift from weight loss so
I'm trying to learn all I can to do post op to reduce scars.
;)

[Dollys]

Sarah,

Can you start selling the Nokor Needles with scalpel top as we who live outside US can not buy them anywhere on the Internet, please sell them in smaller packs the boxes of 100 and we will be many customers ordering from you

http://www.allegromedical.com//syringes-c570/needle-admix-18g-1-1-2-in-thin-n-p548849.html?engine=shopping&utm_source=shopping&utm_medium=feed&CS_003=9164468&CS_010=ff80808111238d9d011124b67e644b9d&gdftrk=gdfV21244_a_7c477_a_7c2723_a_7c548849

[SarahVaughter]

I will think about it but you do not need Nokor needles to perform subcision. "Ordinary" needles such as diabetic needles will do for ordinary scars. It is not easy to perform or self-perform horizontal needle subcision - you can end up with skin nodules or possibly even small scars.

You should certainly first try many dense and deep vertical needlings with our very thin single needles, combined with some kind of suction method and saline injections (I wrote a forum posting about saline injections). Only if this method fails should you consider horizontal subcision.

[FINLEY]

As someone who has just completed her 10th subcision session, I agree totally with Sarah. You will see results with vertical needling and saline injections, with suction, or not. Additionally you could, as I have done, add derma stamping to the sessions. After I derma roll my entire face, I single needle each scar, and then press into the scars with the derma stamp approximately 6-8 times. Following that, I do the saline injections. I believe, anecdotally, that my results are very good. (Sometimes when I look in the mirror I am surprised to see my face looking so much smoother!!!!!!!) The last thing you want to do is to do more harm......

[soon]

Yay FINELY,
I'm excited to read this method has worked so well for you.
Because of your results & detailed explaination, I'm going to try it.
Hope you don't mind some questions.....:P

1. Do you use any suction device? If so what?
I've ordered small suction cups as pore cleaning device isn't strong enough.

2. Do you use a new "fresh" needle every single time you penetrate skin? Or one needle
per scar?

3. As a nurse what do you think is the best treatment for surgical scars? Short & long term.

Thanks
Soon

[FINLEY]

Last question, first: I have no experience with surgical scars, sorry. I do think I would use a derma roller on them initially to see if the resurfacing effect of derma rolling alone would provide improvement. I think going slowly would be my advice. Sarah might have some further advice......

I do, however, have lots of experience with acne scars: I do use a fresh single needle for each session, but not for each scar. As one works with the needles one notices when the needles seem to dull. I do sometimes use 2 needles per session, but the second needle might not be used extensively, thus having some "life" left in it. I do reuse those needles, running the needle under water and gently placing needle on a plate, submerged in alcohol for at least 20 minutes- I then place the needle gently back into original packaging, seal package, and use it for part of another session, if it seems not to have dulled. (A dull needle will not be helpful to release scar tissue fibers.)

I also have not used a suction device so can give no advice regarding use.

I have been using a 20% solution of Salicylic acid (available on Amazon) on enlarged pores I have on my nose- it does appear to be slowly shrinking the pores, and it has greatly slowed down oil production; I especially appreciate having no more shiny nose at mid-morning. (I do keep a bowl of ice water on the counter to use to dilute the acid when each 5 minute session is ended; then I rinse with cool water.)

I no longer derma roll my nose- the skin on my nose seemed to tolerate derma rolling poorly, unlike the rest of my face, neck and upper chest, all which respond very well to derma rolling.

As a nurse, my best advice is to follow Sarah's directions very closely- prepare all of your equipment on an area that you have cleaned thoroughly with alcohol. Fill your syringes very carefully being careful not to touch the roller, needles, etc. to any other surface before you use on your face. (As with any endeavor, good preparation is the key, and this is an endeavor. I feel that it takes a lot of courage every time I perform the procedure.)

Good luck- the results are worth the effort!

[soon]

Thank-you FINELY.

I really appreciate the detail you give.
I hope the following isn't to obtuse but never seeing it done ....
How many times would you inject "squirt" saline into one ice pick type scar?
I'm scared I'm going to over fill it and it'll pop.
You do it multi directional, is that right?
What occurs after injections? I'm wondering how long scars looked full before its absorbed.
It's not clear to me yet what injecting saline versus just needleing does. Scientific info takes
awhile for my brain to store it.
I've read saline can temporarily fill wrinkles. If you've any, have you tried?

20% salicylic solution......ouch :)
I daily use a 2% and leave it on prior to Sarah's Vit C.
Once I made a 5% solution & found that it stung.
I'm so glad your getting some good results from it.

thank-you
soon

[FINLEY]

I inject the saline under the scar- not directly into the scar. I most often do it only one time during a session, but I do have one box-car type scar that I have sometimes injected x2, once from above and once from below. You can observe the saline filling the area and will see a small amount of "ballooning out" of the scar- it will look like a small bug bite. Stop then- no need to overfill. The saline will gradually be reabsorbed by your body. Occasionally you might get a small hematoma, or raised area of bleeding at the site. If that happens, I gently apply pressure to the area- do not press down hard. I always keep ice cubes handy and hold a cube on area briefly after I have applied pressure. It has been my experience that the saline is absorbed pretty rapidly- probably in a few hours, which would be expected in a healthy adult. As I understand the physiology of subcision, it is the repeated releasing of the scar fibers, through multiple treatments, that produces the final result, not the temporary filling of the scarred area with saline. Is that theory correct, to your knowledge, Sarah?

[soon]

Perfect explanation.....thank you again FINELY.
I feel much more confident going ahead with it.

[FINLEY]

Soon, I edited my previous post realizing I referred to my scar as an "ice-pick" scar, when I meant "box-car". Cheers!!!

[SarahVaughter]

Please read these two forum postings. They contain some good tips from our forum members regarding the suctioning method:

http://forum.owndoc.com/showthread.php?802-Indented-forehead-shingles-aftermath-(

http://forum.owndoc.com/showthread.php?741-14-month-update-skin-keeps-getting-better

[Dewydewey]

I initially posted in the "indented forehead shingles aftermath" thread but am adding my post here as well.

I am using Vaughter's 1.5 mm dermastamp and purchased a wine vacuum from a local wine store to try the suction method (thank you member Arachne).

I stamped my rolling acne scars and waited three days before suctioning those areas. I have read the article you provided on the first post of this thread (three times!) My goal was to suction the areas once a day for a week and then every other day for additional week. I am on day two of suctioning. My question is if I could damage my skin? Since we are using the wine vacuum as the suction and not for what it is intended...I thought I should reach out and post my concerns before I suction any more.

My skin becomes very red after suctioning-no bruising or hematomas, though. I can see the prick marks in my skin complete with the red pinpoint bleeding marks. My skin looks exactly the way it does when I stamp. Because I have suctioned two days in a row, my skin has never had time to calm down and I'm just starting to have doubts! Any one else trying this technique at home?

[boafriend]

So how long are we supposed perform the suctioning if we are using a wine pump? And how long between each "suctioning?" (ex. 5 seconds every pump for 2 minutes, etc.)

[SarahVaughter]

From the study:

"In the beginning of suction period, elevated lesions were not
suctioned until they became flat. On the first days, we used less
negative pressure; but in the subsequent sessions, depending on
the condition of scars, we could increase negative pressure (even
to maximum: )70 mmHg), length of time (not more than 4 s in
each pass) and the number of suctioning passes (even 8–12 passes)
per session. ‘Effective suctioning caused oedema and haemorrhages
in the subcised scars and led to ELEVATION OF DEPRESSING SCARS
ABOVE THE SKIN SURFACE’ (Fig. 1f,g)."

"high grade of improvement was mostly in patients in group A1 who had almost daily suctioning in the first week of suctioning period"


The underpressure they used is really very strong (0.09 bar - that's a
tenth of the atmospheric pressure, so a strong vacuum).

I am not sure whether the wine bottle pump is completely comparable to their
professional suction device but there is no other way than improvising a
little.

[Dewydewey]

Dear Sarah,

Would it then be safe to assume I cannot damage my skin with the wine vacuum pump? I did not suction my skin yesterday because I am really fearful that this could cause broken capillaries. Could this cause broken capillaries ? My skin has calmed down and is not so red...I don't mean to sound negative but it would be my luck to end up with skin that looks worse than what I started with.

By the way, I used my Electrolux vacuum cleaner the day before yesterday with a crevice attatchment. The machine started to have this horrible smell so I turned it off. I'm feeling a bit disillusioned right now to think I may not have only messed up my skin but also damaged my beloved vacuum cleaner, too!

[cesamaddictaol]

Where are people buying these suction tools from? I have really bad rolling scars and I am desparate for some help. Do you think the suction method would help me? Has anyone tried the Vaculifter? I'm considering buying one. It's the only kind of Suction device I can find online that's intended for the face.

[Dewydewey]

Hi cesamaddictaol-

The wine vacuum pump was suggested by another member, Arachne. I purchased one from a local wine shop. It was approximately $12.00. I am not familiar with the Vaculifter-I will have to search that.

I went ahead and resumed with the suction today (with the wine vacuum) being that the redness has subsided and this was my biggest concern. I was afraid I may be breaking capillaries. I don't even know if that is possible! I am also just suctioning one scar instead of several. I'm remaining optimistic and patient.

[cesamaddictaol]

Thank you for your advice. How long have you been using the suction technique?

I went ahead and bought a cupping prodcet from www.massagecupping.com for about 40 bucks

If this site however at some point in the future desides to seel something affordable I will gladly rather purchase something recommended by this site *hint*

Hi cesamaddictaol-

The wine vacuum pump was suggested by another member, Arachne. I purchased one from a local wine shop. It was approximately $12.00. I am not familiar with the Vaculifter-I will have to search that.

I went ahead and resumed with the suction today (with the wine vacuum) being that the redness has subsided and this was my biggest concern. I was afraid I may be breaking capillaries. I don't even know if that is possible! I am also just suctioning one scar instead of several. I'm remaining optimistic and patient.

[Dewydewey]

This is my first time using the dermarolling and suction technique. I used a 1.5 Vaughter dermastamp, waited three days and then began suctioning with the wine vacuum. My cheeks are my main concern and I am trying this experiment on just one cheek. I had intended to suction every day for one week but stopped suctioning after about day three because I was concerned with broken capillaries (the area post suction was very red). The redness subsided after about two days so I then resumed the suctioning-but only on one spot. I'm hoping someone will post their knowledge about what causes broken capillaries...The one area I am suctioning has changed from a bright red hue to that more of a brownish hue. It does not hurt but is very difficult for me to cover with my makeup.

I am basically following the program in the article that Sarah posted at the beginning of this thread and will now proceed to suction every other day for one week. I then plan to stop suctioning for the following two weeks-reintroducing Vitamin C in the morning and Retin A at night.

This will put me to week four and then I will dermastamp and begin the routine all over again.

[Arachne]

I'd like to report some promising results with the vacuum pump I use to suck the air out of opened wine bottles. It is the perfect tool to use for indented scars caused (in my case) by shingles. I tried syringes, but they were too small and did not exert enough suction power. This does the job to perfection. It is important to make sure you get a pump that lets you attach the "cork" to the body of the pump (see photos of my pump). Some pumps sit on top of the cork without forming a single unit. That type of pump would make it difficult to avoid wobbling when you're trying to apply it to your face. You need quite strong arms to work the pump horizontally against your face, as you must exert a lot of pressure against the scar to make an airtight seal. Mine is labelled "Bar Craft", made by Kitchen Craft (http://www.kitchencraft.co.uk) a UK based company.

I've been doing the demastamp/suction treatment for several weeks now and can definitely see some improvement. I use a 1.5 mm dermastamp every three weeks. On the third day after dermastamping I use the wine pump every night until the next dermastamping session. I activate the pump about six or eight times, holding the pump's handle extended for a count of three or four seconds each time. It is important to position the end of the cork onto the scar in such a way that a completely airtight seal is formed. A little oil smeared on your skin helps to seal the gaps. When you do it correctly, you can feel the pressure when you activate the pump, and there is a tugging feel on the skin and a popping sound when you release the pump. You will then see that the skin over the scar has risen up to form a dome shape, a bit like a well-risen sponge cake just out of the oven. For the first few days, you may also notice tiny red prick marks appearing. This is presumably blood flowing to the areas left by the dermastamp pins. The scar looks much flatter and gives you an idea of how it will eventually look (with luck!) once the underlying tissues have been rebuilt. By next morning, the scar reverts to its indented state and the red prick marks have gone, but after a couple of weeks you begin to notice that the scar is not quite as deeply indented as it originally was, and this daily coaxing into shape is very encouraging. By the third week after dermastamping the daily reddening effect caused by the blood leaking into the derma stamp's pinholes during suctioning is not nearly as evident as during the first week. This is one indication that the skin has healed sufficiently, and it's time for a new dermastamping session, and the whole cycle begins again. People think I'm quite made to be attacking my scars with pins and pumps. But I'm now absolutely convinced that it works.

Over on the shingles (http://forum.owndoc.com/showthread.php?802-Indented-forehead-shingles-aftermath-%28&p=3531&highlight=shingles) thread, there is a picture of my scars taken a few weeks ago, and I'll update my progress with new pics in due course.

[Dewydewey]

Thank you, Sarah and Arachne for taking the time to post. I am very appreciative of your updates and Sarah for maintaining this forum :)

[boafriend]

So I bought this wine vacuum pump and I feel absolutely NO suction or tugging feeling on the skin with my pump.



Any idea as to what I'm doing wrong? There's no button or anything and I know you just stick one of the cork things in and start pumping, but...yeah I'm not feeling anything.

[Dewydewey]

Hi Boafriend,
I remember seeing this brand at my store but opted to purchase one that resembled the picture that Arachne had posted. Mine is from Vacuvin. Are you sure you have a tight seal on the area? Also are you pulling all the way up on the pump? You may have to pump a few times. Just like Arachne posted, my Vacuvin wine vacuum makes a clicking noise and it is at this time there is so much pressure built up that one can no longer get in another pump. It is very similar to how my air pump feels when I am putting air in my bicycle tire-except of pushing down you are pushing up. There is a definite point where you feel the tight pressure and know it is time to stop pumping.

[Dewydewey]

Also I practiced on my leg a few times to kind of perfect my technique before I used it on my face :)

[boafriend]

Hi Boafriend,
I remember seeing this brand at my store but opted to purchase one that resembled the picture that Arachne had posted. Mine is from Vacuvin. Are you sure you have a tight seal on the area? Also are you pulling all the way up on the pump? You may have to pump a few times. Just like Arachne posted, my Vacuvin wine vacuum makes a clicking noise and it is at this time there is so much pressure built up that one can no longer get in another pump. It is very similar to how my air pump feels when I am putting air in my bicycle tire-except of pushing down you are pushing up. There is a definite point where you feel the tight pressure and know it is time to stop pumping.

Yeah, this is the funny part. I feel that the corks don't FIRMLY fit into the pump. I don't know if this is the reason why.

And yes, I'm pretty sure I'm pulling all the way up on the pump. I also tested on an area of my leg (with some oil applied prior) and I didn't experience anything. Absolutely no tight suction feeling and no clicking sound of any sort. =/

[Arachne]

Hi Boafriend. Yes, the corks have to fit onto the pump in such a way that there is no air leakage possible. There are two places that must be absolutely airtight: the join between cork and pump, and also the join between skin and cork. If there's even a tiny gap anywhere in those two places you will not be able to produce a vacuum. Another thing is that you have to press hard all the time while you are pumping. Dewydewey's comment about the bicycle pump is exactly right. That's what it reminded me of too. It's a matter of luck whether your wine pump will work, as it depends on its design. I had another type of pump which did not work because the corks are not designed to fit onto the pump in the same way: you simply position the pump over the top of the cork and press down to form a seal. That's fine for wine bottles standing upright on a table, but it doesn't work for our purposes because you can't exert the necessary pressure when you try to press horizontally against your face. So it's important to get the right kind of pump.

[boafriend]

Hi Boafriend. Yes, the corks have to fit onto the pump in such a way that there is no air leakage possible. There are two places that must be absolutely airtight: the join between cork and pump, and also the join between skin and cork. If there's even a tiny gap anywhere in those two places you will not be able to produce a vacuum. Another thing is that you have to press hard all the time while you are pumping. Dewydewey's comment about the bicycle pump is exactly right. That's what it reminded me of too. It's a matter of luck whether your wine pump will work, as it depends on its design. I had another type of pump which did not work because the corks are not designed to fit onto the pump in the same way: you simply position the pump over the top of the cork and press down to form a seal. That's fine for wine bottles standing upright on a table, but it doesn't work for our purposes because you can't exert the necessary pressure when you try to press horizontally against your face. So it's important to get the right kind of pump.

Yeah the way these corks fit into the pump look similar to the designs we've been seeing but I'm wondering if it's the fact that these corks are rubber that's preventing them from really staying in firm place in the pump. =/ Maybe I'll try looking for a different one today. I'm guessing I should look for a pump in which the corks included are made of perhaps plastic or metal?

[Dewydewey]

The cork from my kit is rubber (it came with just one). The pump itself is made of plastic. Could it be that your pump has a square end to it rather than a circular one? I'm not sure why it's not working. I wish I could help...

[boafriend]

The cork from my kit is rubber (it came with just one). The pump itself is made of plastic. Could it be that your pump has a square end to it rather than a circular one? I'm not sure why it's not working. I wish I could help...

Yeah, mine is square shaped, not circular. Maybe this is why? Well I'll try looking around for different ones. Either way I'm late on the 3 day waiting period since I last stamped, so...we'll see.

I appreciate you trying to help, though.