By: Matthew Hick
Acne scars can have a great deal of mental and psychological effects on the people who have them. Luckily, today there are many medical procedures that can lessen or completely eliminate the scars that are caused by acne. Let’s look at a few.
Acne can make our skin appear old looking. It is a physical defect. But it doesn’t have to be permanent. There are several medical procedures available today which can remove or improve scars, or provide an overall skin rejuvenation.
Chemical peels are ideal for small depressed scars and some slightly larger ones. It involves removing the top layers of skin with chemical applications. After the chemical is applied to the skin, it will blister and peel off. The new skin forms, which is smoother than the previous one. The chemical applied and the depth of the scar will determine if the patient needs sedation. The face will look red like it is sunburned and the skin will blister and peel anywhere from 3 to 14 days after the procedure, depending on the type of peel used. It will result in pain and time off from work. This may need to be repeated unless a deep peel is used.
Soft tissue augmentation is used to correct some atrophic scars. It involves injecting either collagen or fat, from another part of the body, under the skin where the scar is located. It elevates the scar, bringing its surface even with the surrounding skin area. This procedure may need to be repeated until a desired result is achieved.
Dermabrasion was originally developed to treat acne. It involves manual abrasions with a brush to remove surface layers of skin. This can be very painful and requires anesthesia. After the procedure, the skin will be raw red and medicines for pain will be prescribed. It will take months to completely heal. A similar technique, which removes less skin for superficial defects, is microdermabrasion. This is a mini procedure that may be repeated. It stimulates collagen and cleans pores, which can prevent future outbreaks.
Laser skin resurfacing involves the use of short pulses of energy to remove the top layer of skin bloodlessly. It also stimulates collagen production. Similar to other peels, the face will be red and sensitive for months. It is the choice treatment for acne scars.
Intense Pulsed Light(IPL) involves emitting high intensity pulses of light to penetrate the skin and rid it of scars. It is a non-invasive procedure, which can be tailored to your condition and skin type. Different machines accomplish different levels of penetration. Afterward the face will be slightly red for several hours and the skin will begin to flake in a week. There is no real downtime with IPL.
These are some of the different medical procedures, which can repair your acne-scarred face. Advances in technology have improved on the methods involved. The object of them all is to fade, remove or improve the various degrees of acne scarring. You may remember your battle with acne, but you no longer have to go through life with the war scars. You can have smoother, younger looking skin in no time.
