Acne Scar Removal Techniques

Many people take away more from their teen years than memories of school and first loves. Unfortunately, bad battles with acne can leave faces scarred for years. Acne scars look like permanent pock marks on the face, creating craters in the skin's surface. Severe acne scars cannot be covered with makeup and often gives the skin an aged and worn look. There are procedures available to remove scarring from acne.

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers can be injected into acne scars to raise the surface of the skin and give a smoother look. Fat, bovine collagen, human collagen, hyaluronic acid derivatives, and polytheyl-methacrylate microspheres with collagen can all serve as dermal fillers. These injections are an ongoing process as they do no permanently correct acne scars.

Punch Excision

This surgical method involves using a punch biopsy tool, which is basically a sharp cookie-cutter tool. This tool comes in a range of sizes and is matched to the size of the scar. The patient is given local anesthesia as the scar is excised with the punch tool and the skin edges are sutured together.

Subcutaneous Incision

Also called Subcision, Subcutaneous incision is used to break up the fibrous bands that cause acne scars. A specially beveled needle is inserted under the skin so that it is parallel to the skin surface. There will be bruising after the procedure due to the work under the skin, but this is gone in about one week. The risks include bleeding, which can be controlled with proper anesthetics and bandaging, and the formation of subcutaneous nodules.

Laser Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing is a procedure used in treating several skin defects. When it comes to acne scars, the lasers used are usually either the carbon dioxide or erbium lasers. Lasers burn the top layers of skin to a very precise depth. As the skin heals, the burned layers are replaced with newer appearing skin. How the skin is cared for after the surgery has a great deal to do with determining the success of the procedure.

For more information on acne scar removal and other face surgery procedures, visit Dr. Apostolakis at www.dr-apo.com www.dr-apo.com.

Joseph Devine