There are various Seattle acne scar treatment options available for those looking for a remedy for skin damaged by acne. But the truth about acne scar treatment is there is no “one size fits all” approach. Selecting the right acne scar treatment for you will depend on a multitude of factors, such as your skin type, the severity of the scarring, and financial concerns. Read on to find out more.
Types of Acne Scars
Acne scars come in many forms. Some scars caused by acne are permanent and some are temporary. It’s important to understand the various types of acne scars before you start looking into treatment options.
- Macules are flat, red spots that can last several weeks. These types of acne scars normally fade away on their own over time, depending on how deep they are.
- Skin discoloration is when a healed acne scar results in discolored skin. These types of acne scars are also known as “post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation.” Skin discoloration may last for several months after an acne lesion has healed.
- Tissue scars may appear as enlarged, raised growths. They’re also known as “keloids” or “hypertrophic scars.” These acne scars are the result of excess collagen production in the skin.
- Loss of tissue is a type of acne scar that is also known as an “ice-pick scar,” “depressed fibrotic scar,” or “soft scar.” They often look like sunken pits on the surface of the skin.
Treatment Options for Acne Scars
Dermabrasion is a cosmetic procedure where a licensed medical professional “freezes” and then “sands” or “planes” your skin with a rapidly rotating brush to reduce the depth of acne scars. This process results in new layers of skin being formed that have a smoother appearance.
Microdermabrasion is an acne reduction technique that’s similar to dermabrasion. The main difference is less surface skin is removed in a microdermabrasion treatment. The procedure works by utilizing a vacuum suction and aluminum oxide “sandblasting” session on your skin. Microdermabrasion may require several treatments to effectively reduce acne depth, but each person is different so talk to your treatment provider to get an idea of what type of results you should expect.
Chemical peels are an acne scar reduction technique used to improve the appearance of the skin. In this treatment, a chemical solution is applied to the skin, which causes it to “blister” and eventually peel off. The new, regenerated skin is usually smoother than the old skin and helps reduce the appearance of acne scars. Depending on the strength of the acid used, you may experience minor side effects such as redness and peeling for several days after a chemical peel.
Retinoic acid products are applied to the skin to reduce acne scars. This type of treatment option can help reduce the appearance of acne scars, especially tissue scars.
There are several different type of acne scar laser treatments available as well. Laser treatments are normally performed by a licensed specialist such as a dermatologist. The procedure works by using a laser to remove the outer layer of your skin, then reshaping and contouring areas with visible acne scars.
- Fillers are acne scar treatments that are injected into deeper scars on your face. They can help “fill out” certain types of acne scars. These types of treatments may lead to temporary side effects such as swelling, redness, and bruising.
- Punch excision is a type of skin surgery that can get rid of pitted acne scars by individually cutting out scars.
- Punch elevation is another surgical treatment that is normally used on deep acne scars that have sharp edges and normal appearing bases. This method can reduce your risk of color or texture differences that may result from a punch excision.
- Subcutaneous incision is performed under local anesthesia by placing a specially designed needle under the surface of the skin to cut the tethering bands that may form from acne scars. Side effects associated with this treatment include bleeding and the formation of subcutaneous nodules.
- Skin grafting is when a physician uses a small piece of skin from another area of your body to fill in an area of acne-scarred skin.
What to do Prior to Receiving Acne Scar Treatment
Before you decide to go through with an acne scar treatment, it’s important to meet with a health care professional to discuss your particular situation. There are many Seattle acne scar treatment options, but not every treatment type may be right for you.
Ideally, you should not have any ongoing, active acne on your skin. If you do, you may have to undergo a separate treatment regimen for several months to get rid of surface acne. Do your homework and come prepared with a list of questions for your doctor, and you’ll be much more likely to have a successful treatment for your acne scars.
To find out more information about acne treatment, please contact us at Island Dermatology.
References:
http://dermatology.about.com/cs/acnescars/a/acnescars.htm
http://www.everydayhealth.com/acne/remove-acne-scars.aspx
http://www.dermanetwork.org/information/acne_scars.asp
