Acne scars can leave you with blemishes that aren’t just unsightly but can affect your confidence and self-esteem. There are many cosmetic treatments that can minimize their appearance, including laser treatments and injectables.
A minor procedure called punch excision can flatten raised acne scars. Other options include: skin needling with a needle-studded roller; dermabrasion; and steroid injections that can reduce redness, pain and swelling.
Subcision
Acne scars can be incredibly stubborn and require many different treatments to finally get rid of them. Some of these treatments include topical retinoids, microneedling with platelet rich plasma, laser treatment, dermabrasion, and chemical peels. However, one of the most effective treatments for acne scars is subcision. This surgical procedure involves going under the skin and releasing the fibrous tissue that is holding down the scars.
This is a great treatment for rolling and boxcar acne scars, as it helps to lift the scar to a more normal level. It is not typically recommended for ice pick or very deep boxcar scars as it will not improve them much. However, it can be combined with other treatment options to help minimize the appearance of these types of scars.
A few medical journals have published research showing that this surgical treatment is highly effective in improving the appearance of acne scars, particularly rolling scars. In one study by Alam, Omura, and Kaminer, they found that this treatment method was highly effective in treating rolling scars in combination with other non-invasive treatments such as microneedling and platelet rich plasma.
The results of a subcision treatment will start to show shortly after your procedure, with the full cosmetic benefits becoming evident a few months later as new collagen is produced. The improvement in your skin texture that will occur with this treatment will not only diminish the appearance of your scars, but it will also give your complexion a more vibrant look and feel.
As with all surgical procedures, there will be some discomfort after your subcision treatment. It may take a few weeks for the swelling and redness to subside, but this is completely normal. In order to reduce the amount of discomfort you experience, we will use tumescent anaesthesia for your procedure. This will numb the area so that you cannot move your muscles and makes your treatment more comfortable and less painful.
In addition to numbing the area, tumescent anaesthesia will also decrease blood flow to the treatment site, which will also help to alleviate any pain or discomfort. We will apply a topical numbing cream prior to your procedure to ensure that you are completely comfortable.
Dermal Fillers
Acne scars can be a real blow to your self-image. Unlike mild acne, which is easily cleared with topical treatments, severe acne may damage the tissue underneath. Even after the pimples go away, the damaged skin can leave behind visible blemishes that affect your appearance and make it difficult to conceal with makeup.
Dermal fillers can be a great option for people with moderate to severe acne scarring. They can help reduce the appearance of the scars by plumping the skin from underneath, which improves the texture of the skin. Fillers can be used on any area of the face where scarring is noticeable, including the forehead, cheeks and chin. You might also want to get Botox Edmonton area if you’re concerned about the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
There are a variety of fillers available, some permanent and some temporary. The most common types of fillers are hyaluronic acid based. These products are injected into the area of scarring using a fine needle. The injections can cause some minor discomfort but the procedure is quick. A topical numbing cream can be applied prior to the treatment to decrease the amount of pain felt. Ice is also commonly used to decrease pain and bruising after the procedure.
Some types of acne scars are not well suited to fillers, including macular and hyperpigmented scars. However, rolling and boxcar scars can respond very well to filler treatment, especially if the scars are isolated and not widespread.
Another method of filler treatment is fat grafting. This involves harvesting fat from a different area of the body and injecting it into the scars. This can be a more invasive method than the others, but it is very effective for reducing the appearance of atrophic scarring and improving skin texture.
Lasers, microneedling, RF microneedling and focal peels work by stimulating the body’s natural collagen production to treat the scarring. These treatments are great for people who want to avoid dermal fillers, but they can be a longer commitment as results take up to a year to become fully visible.
Microneedling
Acne scars aren’t permanent, but they do tend to take a while to improve on their own, even with topical treatments. However, if you have deep scars that won’t respond to other methods of treatment, microneedling may be the right solution for you. This treatment involves using a device that pricks the skin with tiny needles to stimulate collagen production and reduce textural irregularities, wrinkles, and stretch marks. It’s also one of the few treatments that can help reduce depressed scarring caused by lost tissue, commonly known as rolling or boxcar acne scars.
During the procedure, your dermatologist will numb the area with a numbing cream before starting to poke the skin with needles, which can feel uncomfortable, but is generally tolerable. Once the needles have been inserted, your skin will start to heal and can start to show results within a few days.
Some people experience mild redness, bruising, and inflammation after the procedure, but these effects should clear up on their own. It’s important to avoid sun exposure and exfoliants after the procedure because these can aggravate the side effects of skin needling.
There is moderate evidence that skin needling is effective and safe for the treatment of acne scars, but more double-blind, randomized controlled studies are needed to make a more definitive conclusion. Your board-certified dermatologist will be able to help you decide if this is the right option for your scars.
Microneedling can be used alone or in combination with other skincare treatments, such as vitamin C and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). PRP is a concentrated form of your own blood that contains golden healing plates. These can be added to your skin before a microneedling treatment or injected directly into the skin to help reduce the appearance of deep, indented scarring.
While you can buy a microneedling device for home use (a derma roller) to try at-home microneedling, it’s best to have a dermatologist perform the procedure. The derma rollers available for at-home use have needles that are much shorter than those used by professionals, which could cause damage to the skin.
Ellipse Selective Waveband IPL
The light-based technology from Ellipse is considered “Scandinavia’s Best Kept Aesthetic Secret for Flawless Skin.” Birmingham AMAE Med Spa is proud to be one of the few clinics in Michigan that offers this state-of-the-art, easy-to-use device. The Nordlys is the latest IPL technology to be added to the collection, and its patented Selective Waveband Technology eliminates unnecessary wavelengths so that only those needed for the desired treatment reach the skin, improving patient comfort, safety, and results.
During an Ellipse IPL photofacial, we will direct short bursts of light energy into the skin, targeting the redness and discoloration caused by acne scars. This will stimulate the body to produce fresh collagen and reduce the appearance of scars. The Nordlys’ selective wavelengths also target broken blood vessels and melanin, reducing coloring in age spots, freckles, and sun damage on the skin and nails.
A typical course of treatment consists of four treatments done three weeks apart, and the results are long-lasting. This treatment is quick, virtually painless, and can be performed on any part of the body.
What makes this type of IPL unique is its ability to treat broken blood vessels in the skin without harming other tissue. The light passes through the skin and is absorbed by the hemoglobin in the blood that is contained within the damaged blood vessel. As the hemoglobin absorbs the light energy, it converts to heat, and destroys the walls of the micro-blood vessel in the scar. The broken blood vessel is then reabsorbed by the body, leaving the scar less visible.
Ellipse IPL treatments are suitable for all skin types and skin colors. However, it is important to avoid sun exposure prior to your procedure to prevent darkening of the skin. For those with darker skin, it may be necessary to have additional sessions to achieve the desired result.
The Nordlys Ellipse IPL is a state-of-the-art photofacial device that is FDA cleared to treat vascular lesions, epidermal pigmented lesion removal and onychomychosis (nail fungus) as well as skin rejuvenation. It can be used on the face, neck, hands, legs and other areas of the body.