Acne Scar Removal Techniques for Smooth Scar Free Skin
Acne scar removal is the process of removing primarily indentations in the scar that are the result of acne lesions resulting from inflammation within the dermis. Usually scaring takes place with severe acne as nodules or cysts heal. As the inflammation is reduced and healing takes place, some indentation of the surface skin can take place. These indentations result from wound healing.
Sometimes the wound leaves a hyperpigmentation or redness as the skin heals. While this is not usually classified as a scar during the healing process, if the discoloration lasts longer than a year it is considered permanent is classified as a scar.
Acne scars are usually classified in the following ways:
- Icepick scars are deep pits that with a narrow, sharp profile. They are typically less than 2 mm in diameter and protrude deep in to the dermis or subcutaneous layer.
- Boxcar scars are round or oval depressions that have a relatively flat surface from 0.1 to a little over 0.5 mm below the surface of the surrounding skin.
- Rolling scars give the skin a wavy appearance.
- Hypertropic scars are thickened or keloid scars
The preferred way to prevent scar producing inflammation is to properly treat acne as soon as possible. Improper treatments or no treatments can allow the inflammation to worsen, deepen and eventually cause scarring.
The proper acne scars removal technique depends on the type of scar. There is no single treatment that works for all scars.
Acne Scar Removal Techniques
Dermal fillers are injections that pump up the depression. Often a filler such as fat or collagen are used. While dermal fillers can elevate the area of the scar, dermal filler injections are not permanent injections and must be repeated.
More effective acne scar removal methods produce permanent results. Often one technique will greatly reduce the depression allowing another technique to be used to provide a more perfect solution.
Punch excision acne scar removal involves using a punch, like a tiny cookie cutter, to encircle and extract the tissue comprising the scar. If the scar area is small the resulting void can be sutured together to heal. The resulting scar is at the same level as the skin and eventually fades. Other times a skin graft from another part of the body (often behind the ear) is used to fill in the void to the level of surround skin. If the graft has a slightly different pigmentation a skin resurfacing treatment can normally correct the problem.
Punch elevation is an acne scar removal technique often used on boxcar scars. Here a punch removes the surface skin at the bottom of the indentation. The raw skin at the base is then elevated to the level of the surface and attached to surrounding skin with sutures, Dermabond skin glue, or steri-strips. This process has less risk of pigmentation differences than the punch excision with a skin graft.
Subcutaneous incision is used for acne scar removal when you have rolling scars. A special needle is use to gently break up the fibrous bands that cause the uneven skin surface. Healing results in a more even surface.
Laser resurfacing performs acne scar removal by burning off the top layers of skin to a precise depth. Healing replaces the skin with a smooth layer of new skin. The newer Fraxel laser treatment penetrates deeply into the dermis to create thousands of microthermal treatment zones that allows your skin to heal faster so you have less downtime.
In addition, there are a number of acne scar removal products you can buy locally to help remove or at least hide your acne scars.
Your should see your dermatologist to determine which acne scar removal technique would be best for your particular situation.
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