Acne scars are not fair. First you had to suffer from unsightly blemishes, and now that they’re gone, a permanent scar or multiple scars lie in their place. Not every a pimple leaves a scar, though. The blemishes and cysts that become inflamed, swollen, and reddish are most likely to cause a scar when they go away.
When acne erupts, it damages the surrounding skin. Your body tries to heal this damage by producing collagen. Collagen is a protein that helps support skin structure. Sometimes the body produces too little, and the result is a depressed scar, and sometimes it produces too much, creating a raised scar.
The good news is that you don’t have to live with acne scars. There are numerous options to treat both types of scars. At Los Gatos Dermatology, we offer seven different treatment options to help fade or eliminate your scars. Dr. Bruce Saal recommends the best choice or choices to make your skin look better. Treatment options include:
Both oral and topical medicines, often in conjunction with other treatments, can help reduce the appearance of some acne scars.
TheraClear Acne System treats acne scars without any oral or topical medication, ointments, or creams. It’s an FDA-approved vacuum and light device treatment that is effective for both reducing acne and acne scars. Multiple treatments are usually needed to achieve your desired result.
Thermage is a radiofrequency laser device that transmits heat to the skin, which promotes collagen production to fill out depressed scars. This treatment helps smooth and tighten your skin without medication, injections, or surgery. It not only diminishes the appearance of acne scars but improves your overall look and tightens loose skin.
This laser treatment fades sun spots, acne scars, and other hyperpigmentation on the skin. It’s an ablative treatment, meaning it removes the outer layer of the acne-scarred skin. It’s a powerful laser that produces remarkable results in terms of giving you an improved overall more youthful look.
But there are several days of downtime, which means your skin won’t look so great for about two weeks after the treatment as it turns red, swells, and peels off. So don’t plan any big social events immediately following the treatment.
Fractional laser treatments are less intense than an ablative laser treatment. The results aren’t as dramatic, so this treatment is best if you have mild acne scars. The laser uses fractional light energy to treat acne scars and also improve your skin’s overall appearance.
Downtime for fractional laser is minimal, and you will probably need two to three treatments spaced about a month apart.
Juvederm is a popular type of facial filler used for plumping up sunken areas in your face and filling in creases around your mouth. It can also plump up deep, sunken acne scars.
SilkPeel Dermalinfusion is a skin care treatment similar to microdermabrasion where the top layer of the skin is exfoliated. But with SilkPeel Dermalinfusion, various facial serums are used in conjunction with the buffing away of the top layer of skin to treat specific conditions.
For more information about how to fade your acne scars, call Los Gatos Dermatology in Los Gatos, California, or use the online form to contact us.
