Let's talk about acne scars

 

What are acne scars?

Acne scars are permanent. changes and indentations that occur on the skin as a result of severe acne.  Temporary red and brown marks left early after acne has occurred as these marks will almost always improve without treatment.

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Treatment  options?

Firstly PREVENT severe acne, and acne cysts filled with  pus are formed. These cysts destroy natural tissue which is not replaced during the healing process.  When the cyst eventually empties and the area heals, it usually leaves behind an indentation (or scar) on the face. On the chest and back the scarring can be lumpy (known as “hypertrophic” or Keloid  ” scarring).

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How is acne scarring treated?

There are many treatments available for acne scars which can improve and soften the appearance of the scarring. A combination of treatments may be required. It is unrealistic to expect the return to completely normal skin following treatment.

The ideal treatment will depend on four main factors:

1. Skin type (skin type is classified according to the amount of pigment in the skin)
2. Type of scar (scars can be” rolling”, “atrophic”,” box car”,  “ice pick” or “anchored”)
3. Down time available (time it takes the skin to heal after the procedure)
4. Cost of the procedure (more complex procedures involving lasers and fillers will usually cost more than simple procedures such as radiofrequency and skin needling. Some procedures such as full laser resurfacing or scar revision conducted by specialists carry a Medicare rebate).

 

• Fillers

Hyaluronic filler injections are best used for atrophic scars and rolling scars. They have the advantage of immediate improvement and minimal downtime.

The treatment is initially repeated at 6 monthly intervals but eventually the frequency may be reduced to twice yearly.

• Intralesional corticosteroids

Intralesional corticosteroid injections are best used for lumpy acne scars.

Several injection treatments may be needed. This treatment can also be combined with vascular laser.

• Skin Peels

Simple less expensive and under controlled conditions create dramatic improvment

• Laser treatments

Laser treatments – remove thin layers of skin. Non-ablative (non-wounding) lasers stimulate collagen growth and tighten underlying skin. Although non-ablative laser resurfacing is less invasive and requires less recovery time, it is less effective than ablative laser resurfacing for deeper scars.

• Recovery time following fractional laser treatment ranges between 3 to 8 days.

Most people will benefit from  laser treatments  Darker skin types will usually require pre treatments compared with lighter skin types.