Treating Acne Scars

Starting treatment of your acne scars begins with a consultation from your dermatologist. The doctor will examine your skin and scars and ask some important questions.

The first question will be about why you would like to treat the scars. Some people want less noticeable scarring while others wish to eliminate skin texture. It is important to remember that medical insurance does not cover the cost of treating acne scars so the patient will have to cover the full cost of the procedures. On top of those payments, some treatments require downtime where patients may not be able to attend work.

Speak with your doctor about what kinds of treatments will be effective for your acne scars and your dermatologist will create a plan that will work for you. The treatment plan will include considerations for many things such as scar types and where the scars appear on your body. Your dermatologist may recommend more than one treatment such as laser therapy for deep boxcar scars on top of subcision (a type of acne scar surgery).

Treatment for depressed acne scars

Acne scar surgery

Resurfacing: Laser therapy, chemical peeling, dermabrasion, microdermabrsion

Fillers

Skin tightening

Collagen-induction therapy, aka needling

Electrodesiccation

Treatment for raised acne scars

Injections (corticosteroids, interferon, 5-FU, etc.)

Acne scar surgery

Laser therapy

Cryosurgery

Scar creams and gels, silicone (dressing and bandages)          

Acne Scar Surgery: Dermatologists perform this surgery for very noticeable acne scars. It sounds a lot scarier than it is, as the procedure itself is minor and the patient remains awake but locally numbed for the surgery. The treatments is best for treating a few depressed scars and best results come from using other treatments in congruence with the initial scar removal.

Resurfacing Procedures: With widespread acne scarring, your dermatologist may opt to use a resurfacing procedure that removes many layers of skin that allows the body to produce new, unscarred skin cells. Your doctor may use the lasers, chemical peels, dermabrasion, or microdermabrasion to resurface your skin. The procedure works especially well for shallow scars that are nearly flat. The most effective forms of resurfacing cannot effectively treat deep acne scars.

Skin Fillers: Depressed, but not icepick scars, can be filled with dermal fillers such as collagen, the patient’s own fat, or another substance. Many fillers will only give short-term results which can last up to 18 months while others can be permanent.

Dr. Vitaly Blatnoy at the Orlando Dermatology Center is trained to do all types of procedures for your acne scars including laser treatments and cryosurgery which freezes acne scars and keloid scars. If you’re interested in learning your options schedule an appointment online today!