Commonly asked questions about acne scar reduction
Acne is a very common condition characterized by pimples, blackheads,
whiteheads, pustules and larger nodules and cysts. Acne doesn’t only
affect teenagers but can also affect adults. For many patients, once
these lesions go away, they leave behind discolorations and indentations
on the skin and prevent patients from achieving the clear skin they
desire. Although not harmful, most people are bothered by the
unattractive appearance of these scars and seek treatment to remove or
significantly reduce their appearance.
Acne scarring is most often caused by larger acne lesions, such as cysts
or nodules, which can swell and rupture, causing a break in the wall of
the individual pore. Infected material from the inflamed lesion can
spill out through this break and can affect the nearby healthy tissue,
leading to the appearance of a scar. The treatment of these scars was
previously challenging. However, there have been amazing technological
advances pioneered by dermatologists at the Wellman Center for
Photomedicine at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General
Hospital for treating acne scars. Most patients with acne scars can
appreciate significant improvement when treated by someone with the
laser expertise of Dr. Omar Ibrahimi. As each case of acne scarring is
different, we recommend seeking a consultation before determining if you
would be a beneficial candidate. Some patients have depressed acne
scars such as ice pick or box car scars, others have an extremely red
appearance to their scars and some patients developed raised or keloidal
type of scarring.
There are several different approaches to treating acne scars, including
the use of the Fraxel (also know as Fraxel Dual or Fraxel Repair) or
Fractionated laser, an ablative fractional laser such as the eCO2 laser,
the V-beam perfecta laser, or with injectable fillers. Our office is
also one of the few in the country that has the Infini, a fractionated
radiofrequency device, that is safe for treatment in ethnic patients
with skin of color. Our office is unique in that it is one of the few
that possesses the entire spectrum of lasers/devices used to treat acne
scars.
Frequently asked questions about acne scars is:
Q: Will laser really help the appearance of my acne scars?
A: Yes, we are just beginning to appreciate the benefits of lasers
in improving the appearance of acne scars. Acne scars come in many
different flavors such as ice-pick scars, box-car scars and keloid
scars. Each entails a slightly different approach and a different
settings with different lasers. It isn’t just about picking the right
laser to be treated with but also seeing someone with the expertise and
know how to approach each individuals’ issues.
We have several different types of lasers, including the Fraxel Dual,
the Lutronic eCO2, the Lutronic MOSAIC and the Candela Vbeam Perfecta
laser. We also are one of the few offices that has a fractionated
radiofrequency device, the Infini, which allows us to treat Hispanic,
African American and Asian/South Asian patients in a safe yet effective
manner. We choose the best laser or device to address your acne scars as
we have all the options available. When you see an office with just one
of two lasers, they will use a one-size fits all approach which may not
give you the most improvement.
Q: Does laser for acne scar reduction hurt
A: The laser procedure involves a small amount of discomfort. If the
area is small it can usually be numbed up with a shot of numbing
medicine, and topical numbing creams can also be used to reduce the
amount of discomfort. These usually make the treatment tolerable for
most patients.
Q: How many treatments does it take?
A: The speed at which your acne scars improves depends on a few things:
1) The type of acne scar you have. 2) The level of aggressiveness chosen
to treat the acne scars with. 3) The type of laser/device used. Many
places rent lasers which move around from location to location and
lessen the efficacy of the device. We have several state of the art acne
scar reduction lasers and devices which are not rented or shared by
anyone else. 4) The skill of the laser surgeon. The knowledge and
training level of the laser surgeon enables the patient to receive the
most safe, yet aggressive treatment approach. Do you want someone who
spent years learning how to use lasers to treat you, or do you want
someone who was trained at a weekend course or by a laser company?
Q: What does it cost to be treated?
A: It is not possible to give a simple answer to this question. It
depends on the size, intensity and type of acne scars and this can only
be evaluated by a consultation. Be wary of those who offer you a bargain
or a lower price. If you need more treatments because the person who is
treating you does not understand laser physics, the “cheaper” treatment
may actually work out to me more expensive than seeing a laser expert
who can optimize the laser settings for you and improve the appearance
of your acne scars faster.
Q: What types of lasers will my acne scars be treated with?
A: The answer to this question ultimately depends on the appearance
of the acne scar. We have a pulsed dye laser (Vbeam perfecta) which can
help improve the appearance of redness and induce collagen and scar
remodeling. We also have both ablative and nonablative fractionated
lasers (also called Fraxel lasers) that help remodel scars very
effectively.
Our office is also unique in that we have an Infini device, which
uses radiofrequency energy and thus can be used safely even in the
darkest skin types. No other office in the state has the state of the
art technology and a physician with world class knowledge to treat your
acne scars.
Q: I read about the Picosure laser being used to treat acne scars?
A: The jury remains out on this question. To date there has only
been a single small study done in one office that suggested that the
Picosure laser could be used to treat acne scars. The gold standard to
treat acne scars remains the Fraxel laser.
Source:
http://ctskindoc.com/lasercosmetic-treatments/acne-scar-reduction/