Acne scar treatment
How to treat acne scars?
If your dermatologist believe that a treatment is right for you, your dermatologist will create a treatment plan customized to your needs. In creating this plan, your dermatologist will consider many things, including scar types and where the scars appear on your body. If you have taken isotretinoin to treat acne, be sure to tell your dermatologist before treatment for acne scars begins. Your dermatologist relies on in-depth medical knowledge to determine which treatments are best for you. Let’s look into some:
1. Dermabrasion/Microdermabrasion
Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion are facial resurfacing techniques that mechanically ablate damaged skin in order to promote re-epithelialisation. Although the act of physical abrasion of the skin is common to both procedures, dermabrasion, and microdermabrasion employ different instruments with a different technical execution. Both techniques are particularly effective in the treatment of scars and produce clinically significant improvements in skin appearance
2. Laser treatment
All patients with box-car scars (superficial or deep) or rolling scars are candidates for laser treatment. Different types of laser, including the non-ablative and ablative lasers are very useful in treating acne scars. Ablative lasers achieve removal of the damaged scar tissue through melting, evaporation, or vaporization. Carbon dioxide laser and Erbium YAG laser are the most commonly used ablative lasers for the treatment of acne scars. These abrade the surface and also help tighten the collagen fibers beneath. Nonablative lasers do not remove the tissue, but stimulate new collagen formation and cause tightening of the skin resulting in the scar being raised to the surface. Among the nonablative lasers the most commonly used are the NdYAG and Diode lasers.
3. PRP Microneedling
PRP and microneedling for skin involves injecting growth factors using smaller needles and using a sterile roller comprised of a series of fine, sharp needles to puncture the skin. At first, facial skin must be disinfected, then a topical anesthetic is applied, left for 60 minutes. The skin micro needling procedure is achieved by injecting plasma separated from one’s own plasma and rolling a performed tool on the cutaneous areas affected by acne scars , backward and forward with some pressure in various directions. The needles penetrate about 1.5 to 2?mm into the dermis.
As expected, the skin bleeds for a short time, but that soon stops. The skin develops multiple micro or nano bruises in the dermis that initiate the complex cascade of growth factors that finally results in collagen production. Results generally start to be seen after about 6 weeks but the full effects can take at least three months to occur and, as the deposition of new collagen takes place slowly, the skin texture will continue to improve over a 12 month period.