Treatment of Acne Scars

Treating Acne Scars

Today there are a number of innovative techniques designed to treat acne scars. The majority of acne scar treatments improve the patients cosmetic appearance and boost the self confidence.

Treatment of Acne Scarring

Prior to correcting acne scarring, it is generally advisable to wait until the acute acne episode has subsided for several months. Scars improve with time as the body often tries to correct the appearance. Besides the scars, the color of the skin may also be unsightly. In most cases, the color blemishes fade and only the scar remains. Your physician will examine and provide you with the best treatment. The exact treatment is individualized and is dependent on the nature of the scarring, medical history and prior treatments. The following treatments are frequently used to treat acne scars.

Dermabrasion: This technique basically removes the superficial damaged skin with an instrument (wire brush) which acts like sand paper. The skin is cooled down prior to the procedure or the physician may utilize a local anesthetic. The dermabrasion essentially remodels the skin which results in a smoother and more even skin with a newer and fresh appearance. The procedure is only performed once and the results are permanent. One must avoid the sun after the procedure to avoid darkening of the skin.

Punch and Graft: In some individuals there are depressed scars on the face, these scars are removed with a small punch like device and the skin defect is filled by a patch of skin from elsewhere in the body or closed with sutures. Frequently, the procedure is combined with chemical peeling or laser resurfacing. This procedure is effective but some residual scars may remain.



Soft Tissue Fillers: In some cases where individuals have moderate sized depressed scars, the scars can be filled by with various fillers like ovine collagen, collagen-related fillers, polymer implants or the patient's own body fat. Most individuals respond well to this treatment. The injection of these materials does not permanently correct acne scars, so further injections are necessary.

Laser Therapy: Laser is an excellent method of treating acne scars. The laser generates a beam of energy and re-sculptures the skin. The scars treated with laser may develop a normal skin appearance with a nicer skin contour. Laser is fast becoming a popular treatment of choice for numerous skin defects and produces good results. After the procedure, the physician's orders must be followed to get the best cosmetic results. On the downside,

Laser is expensive.

Chemical Peeling: By applying a chemical solution to the skin, certain types of acne scars can be treated. The procedure removes the old damaged skin and enables growth of newer and fresh skin which is smooth. There are several chemical peeling agents in varying concentrations used to treat acne scars.

Microdermabrasion: This modified technique uses aluminum oxide crystals that pass through a vacuum to remove the damaged skin. It is most useful for the very superficial skin lesions. Most individuals requires multiple sessions for the best cosmetic results. The procedure is fast and does not require any downtime

A Final Word

Acne treatment is difficult and results are not always satisfying. All the above techniques have some temporary side effects. For the best results, seek a dermatologist with experience in the various methods and closely follow all the instructions after the procedure. Both time and patience are required for a good result