What to Do About Acne Scars
Treatment for acne scars is one of the most popular reasons that people seek out the care of a dermatologist. Acne is an extremely common skin condition that affects many teenagers and young adults. Although it usually resolves itself in time, acne can leave unwelcome reminders in the form of lingering acne scars. If you are embarrassed about your acne scars, you will need some solid information about your treatment choices. This will allow you to proceed with confidence and make an informed decision about your scar treatment.
Laser Treatments
This treatment for acne scars involves the use of a medical laser that transmits focused wavelengths of light under the surface of your skin affected by acne scars. The light is converted into thermal energy that safely heats skin, prompting your body into removing old, damaged skin tissue and replacing it with fresher skin that displays minimized acne scars. One main advantage of laser acne scar treatment is that it offers real results without any need for downtime in many cases. The level of precision offered by the laser lets us target a very specific area of the skin, leaving neighboring skin intact.
Chemical Peels
A chemical peel is a type of treatment that involves applying a chemical liquid that encourages portions of the outer skin layer to slough off and reveal new skin tissue underneath. Typically, medium and deep chemical peels are employed for treating acne scars. A medium peel normally involves the use of a chemical known as TCA to remove portions of the epidermis layer of skin and boost the formation of new skin tissue. It may require some sedation and downtime. Deep chemical peels containing stronger chemicals like phenol or carbolic acid can be used in the case of deep acne scars that are unresponsive to other types of treatment.
Microneedling
Microneedling is a treatment for a multitude of conditions, including acne scars. After numbing your skin with a topical agent, we smoothly glide a microneedling hand piece over your skin to form thousands of microscopic injuries in its surface. This will boost your body’s natural production of collagen to lay down a fresh collagen matrix and minimize unsightly acne scars. Many patients benefit from having multiple microneedling sessions. You should see a continual improvement in the condition of your skin, provided you wait a few weeks between each treatment.