Scars

Acne Scar Treatment

Due to the lack of technology in the past, acne scar treatment has not been very successful nor effective. Now, thanks to research and development, the cosmetic industry has revolutionise the way scars are treated resulting in smoother skin appearance. Having said that, no acne scar treatment can ever guarantee the perfect outcome and therefore you should be realistic about treatment. It is crucial not to expect the acne scars to completely disappear overnight after treatment. Scars heal at different rates, some patients may achieve more satisfactory results than others and some scars take a lot longer to heal.

Even though many acne scar treatment options are readily accessible to the general public, do not get caught up in glossy brochures and smart looking skin clinics, do your homework. Research the treatment facilities, make sure the doctors or dermatologists are board certified and hold the necessary qualifications to perform the different procedures. As these treatments are not cheap, take your time to find the best dermatologist, do not be afraid to ask them questions such as after treatment care and post treatment support. If something goes wrong, will they be willing to reverse the procedure or take remedial action for free. There are now many types of acne scar treatments that target different types of scars. Laser is the most common treatment option.

Typically there are two forms of laser treatments, ablative lasers which remove the outer skin layers and non-ablative lasers which create changes in the dermis without resurfacing the skin. Non-ablative lasers can be done quite quickly and are non-invasive hence requiring very little downtime. Controlled lasers burn off skin tissue to a certain pre-determined depth to smooth out the skin surface where the scar tissues are located. It normally takes about two week for the skin to heal but do expect the skin to remain red and patchy for a while longer. The redness should fade over the course of several weeks, some might even extend to several months. Milder form of scars will benefit the most from non-ablative lasers that encourage and stimulate new collagen growth. Always remember to ask your dermatologist to lay out all the risks, advantages and disadvantages of the various prescribed treatment methods.

Other techniques include punch elevation, punch grafting and punch excision. These are suitable for depressed scars. Subcutaneous incision or subcision is often used to treat rolling scars under general anaesthetics. Dermabrasion, micro-dermabrasion and dermal fillers are also popular treatment options to remove or minimise scars.