Acne Scar Removal
December 31st, 2010 | Author: Tony FerraroYou acne is now controlled, but you have found some scarring on your face and neck. You don’t feel very comfortable in public. You feel like everyone is looking at you. What can you?
You have some options. You may find that some of the options work better than others, but you will have choices, and you may have to do more than one type of treatment. All you can do is see what works for your skin type. When you are looking for cures for acne scarring, though, it’s more about improvement than a cure.
The type of scars a patient has determines the treatment choices available to him. Scars are caused by the acne having destroyed the collagen that gives skin support. There are deep scars called Ice Pick Scars. These scars reach below the epidermis. Microderm and dermal abrasion do not work well with this type of scar. Then there are atrophic scars, which are shallower and have smooth edges. Then there are Hypertrophic scars, which are lumpy scars found mostly on the back and neck. They are raised above the level of the epidermis.
Microderm abrasion is a chemical peel type of treatment that exfoliates the epidermis. The cells of this top skin layer are removed. This encourages your body to create a new layer of epidermal cells. If your acne was mild, and scars not too deep or plentiful, this method may work quite nicely for you. Microderm abrasion seems to work better in young people than older adults. This is because as you grow older, you produce less collagen, and this method depends on collagen production.
With microderm abrasion, you need not see a doctor. There are do at home kits that you can buy, or you can go to a spa and see a professional. Doctors are optional in this case. Microderm abrasion is not very expensive and is painless. Remember, it doesn’t work with the ice pick type acne scars.
Dermabrasion is a treatment that removes not only the epidermis, but several layers of the dermis as well. You need a doctor to accomplish this treatment, and you will undergo anesthesia. The doctor will use a tool that has a burr at the end to scrape off the top layers of skin. It can be painful for about a week. You can be back to work soon after, but you may want to stay home some extra days because of your appearance. Your skin will look red and sore. This method does not work on the Ice Pick scars, either.
Chemical Peels take the top layer of skin off of your face. There are two that are rather mild. They are Betahydroxy acids and Alphahydroxy acids. In order to have this treatment done, you need to go to a doctor. If you do it yourself and leave the chemicals on too long, they may do serious damage to your face. Thus, the doctor. When you get a chemical peel, you may experience redness, irritation, and crustiness. With a mild peel, though you could be going back to work immediately after the treatment.
Creams for removal of acne scars are also popular. They can be done at home. You generally have a series of treatments that you apply over time to remove dead skin cells and enhance the growing of new skin with new collagen.
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