| Laser treatment for acne scars is a very useful way | | | | scar visibility. Ultrapulsed carbon dioxide lasers and |
| of diminishing or getting rid of any scars you were | | | | erbium YAG lasers are those most often used during |
| unlucky enough to get through having acne. There are | | | | laser resurfacing. |
| other treatments for scarring including dermabrasion, | | | | When treating scars with laser treatment, unprotected |
| chemical peels, subcision, punch techniques and | | | | tissue is exposed and the skin is injured. Wound care is |
| augmentation. Laser treatment is suitable if your scars | | | | very important to prevent infection and the skin might |
| are relatively shallow rather than 'ice pick' type scars. | | | | be reddened for up to 12 months after the treatment. |
| There are various kinds of scars which you might | | | | A non-ablative laser works differently. It will trigger |
| have if you have had acne. Ice pick scars usually | | | | changes within the dermis without affecting the |
| occur on the cheeks and they have steep sides and a | | | | epidermis. The newest FDA approved laser for this is |
| jagged edge. They cannot be stretched by pulling the | | | | Smoothbeam, which targets the sebaceous gland and |
| skin and might be shallow or deep. Depressed fibrotic | | | | heats it which has the effect of reducing sebum and |
| scars are quite big. Ice pick scars might turn into these. | | | | the visibility of acne scarring. |
| You might have soft scars which can be deep or | | | | Another type of laser is the yellow pulse dye laser. |
| shallow. Atrophic macules can occur anywhere on the | | | | This is good for treating keliodal scars. It flattens them |
| body where you have had acne. They are usually | | | | and controls itchiness and redness. |
| small on the face but can be bigger on the body. On | | | | Laser treatments last between 5 and 20 minutes and |
| your chest or back you might have follicular macular | | | | should not be too uncomfortable. It usually takes just a |
| atrophy which are soft, small white lesions which look | | | | few treatments before results are noticed. |
| like undeveloped whiteheads. | | | | Laser treatment can cause skin discoloration in people |
| 95% of acne sufferers will have scars. Minor scars | | | | with darker skin tones and is not guaranteed to work. It |
| might be a mere annoyance but major scarring can | | | | can also be expensive, costing anything from $100 to |
| lead to embarrassment, depression and emotional | | | | $6000 depending on the extent of your scarring, which |
| suffering. | | | | part of the body it is on and how many treatments are |
| Laser treatment is one option to treat scarring. There | | | | required. |
| are two categories of laser used in this process. | | | | If you have scars and they are causing you |
| There are non-ablative and resurfacing (ablative) | | | | depression or embarrassment, it might be worth |
| lasers. An ablative laser will burn away scar tissue and | | | | looking into laser treatment for acne scars because it |
| stimulate the dermal collagen to tighten. This reduces | | | | could make a great difference to your life and outlook. |