Types of Acne Scar Removal Treatments

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A number of treatments are available for acne scars through dermatological surgery. The type of treatment selected should be the one that is best for you in terms of your type of skin, the cost, what you want the treatment to accomplish, and the possibility that some types of treatment may result in more scarring if you are very susceptible to scar formation

A decision to seek dermatological surgical treatment for acne scars also depends on:

The way you feel about scars. Do acne scars psychologically or emotionally affect your life? Are you willing to "live with your scars" and wait for them to fade over time? These are personal decisions only you can make. Have you tried skin Care products?
The severity of your scars. Is scarring substantially disfiguring, even by objective assessment?
A dermatologist’s expert opinion as to whether scar treatment is justified in your particular case, and what scar treatment will be most effective for you.
Before committing to treatment of acne scars, you should have a discussed your skin care products with your dermatologist regarding those questions, and any others you feel are important. You need to tell the dermatologist how you feel about your scars. The dermatologist needs to conduct a full examination and determine whether treatment can, or should, be undertaken.

Various Types of Acne Scars

There are two general types of acne scars, defined by tissue response to inflammation: (1) scars caused by increased tissue formation, and (2) scars caused by loss of tissue.

Types of Treatments

Collagen Injection - Collagen, a normal substance of the body, is injected under the skin to "stretch" and "fill out" certain types of superficial and deep soft scars. Collagen treatment usually does not work as well for ice-pick scars and keloids

Autologous Fat Transfer - Fat is taken from another part on your own body and prepared for injection into your skin. The fat is injected beneath the surface of the skin to elevate depressed scars.

Dermabrasion - This is thought to be the most effective treatment for acne scars. Under local anaesthetic, a high-speed brush or fraises used to remove surface skin and alter the contour of scars.

Microdermabrasion - This new technique is a surface form of dermabrasion. Rather than a high-speed brush, microdermabrasion uses aluminum oxide crystals passing through a vacuum tube to remove surface skin.

Laser Treatment - Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used to recontour scar tissue and reduce the redness of skin around healed acne lesions.

Skin Surgery - Some ice-pick scars may be removed by "punch" excision of each individual scar. In this procedure each scar is excised down to the layer of subcutaneous fat; the resulting hole in the skin may be repaired with sutures or with a small skin graft.

Skin grafting - This may be necessary under certain conditions, for example, sometimes dermabrasion unroofs massive and extensive tunnels (also called sinus tracts) caused by inflammatory reaction to sebum and bacteria in sebaceous follicles.

Treatment of Keloids - Surgical removal is seldom if ever used to treat keloids. A person whose skin has a tendency to form keloids from acne damage may also form keloids in response to skin surgery.