Acne Scar Treatment
What Should You Know
Acne can occur in various degrees of severity. Mild acne refers to those whiteheads (pimples or closed comedones) and blackheads (closed comedones) that all of us encounter from time to time throughout our lives. This form is not associated with scarring unless you traumatize the skin and secondary infection occurs.
Moderate acne occurs in individuals who have a genetic predisposition to acne and differs from mild acne in that pimples tend to be red/inflamed (papules) and/or red/inflamed with white center (pustules). This form may lead to scarring depending on the severity.
Severe acne is associated with nodules which are pus-filled cysts or lumps that develop under the skin and tend to be painful. This form tends to lead to the most severe form of scarring.
The treatment of acne scarring depends on the severity and type of scar.
- Rolling scars – have a dip or gradual depression in them
- Linear scars – scars that are deep and narrow
- Ice-pick scars – scars that are circular and deep
- Hypertrophic scars – scars that are thick and raised
There are many treatments that are used for acne scarring including chemical peels, microdermabrasion, microneedling, dermabrasion, surgery, laser resurfacing, and fractionated laser treatments. With the exception of chemical peels, none of these treatments are performed if the acne is active, so we would work to get the acne under control prior to performing any of the other procedures.
How We Help
At FreshSkin, we offer many options for treating acne scars. We usually start out with a thorough examination and possibly even simple blood tests to ensure that there is no hormonal component to the acne. We then put our patients on appropriate medical grade skincare products that are customized to their skin. Depending on the severity of the acne, a series of chemical peels are used to help resolve the acne and soften the scars. Thin superficial scars are improved with microneedling.
Surgery is used to remove ice-pick scars and hypertrophic scars prior to laser resurfacing or fractionated laser procedures.
Deep laser resurfacing is used when there are mainly hypertrophic scars, but fractionated laser resurfacing (ProFractional®) is preferred when the scars are rolling or linear.
All of our treatment methods are safe and effective options to reduce acne scarring. Call today to schedule your consultation and learn how we can help rejuvenate your skin.
