Specialized Treatments for Acne Scars Part II

There are many different procedures you can access today as adjuncts to standard acne therapy. Knowing a little about the various options will enable you to choose the appropriate one for your needs.

In Part I of this article we discussed abrasion therapies and peels; here we continue with an overview of alternative techniques to heal and repair damaged skin.

Soft Tissue Fillers of collagen or fat, injected under the skin as spot treatments, will reduce the appearance of scarring by stretching the skin. The effects, however, will diminish over time and treatments may need to be repeated periodically.

Corticosteroid Injections can reduce lesion pain and the possibility of cysts developing to create scars. The injections reach deeper infections that topical treatments cannot affect and improve healing time for severe lesions. The diluted corticosteroid is delivered by means of an interlesional injection which has the effect of "melting" the inflammation over approximately 3 to 5 days.

Punch Excision is a minor surgical procedure that literally cuts out individual acne scars by means of a punch biopsy style tool in a size that corresponds to the scar's diameter. The site repair is then accomplished by means of sutures or a skin graft (usually from behind the ear). If scarring is not entirely eliminated, this technique leaves skin better adapted to follow-up resurfacing procedures.

Punch Elevation is a variation on the same technique and is effective on certain types of scars. The walls of the scar are left intact, the base is excised, and the new base layer is elevated to the surface and attached by suture, glue or steri-strips. There is less risk of colour/texture difference as in grafting, and a smoother finish than sutures.

Laser Resurfacing is a high precision technique for removing one or more layers of skin to expose a new, healthy layer. The correct post-operative treatment of burn areas is a vital component of this procedure.

Laser & Light Therapy - Seasonal variations in the severity of acne symptoms have been noted and linked to the quality and quantity of light to which skin is exposed. Light therapies can be used to kill P. Acnes bacteria and are thought to reduce oil production in the sebaceous glands. A variety of approaches are possible, including blue light, photodynamic, photopneumatic, diode, pulsed dye, fractional, and pulsed light and heat energy. Treatments can be expensive, however, and insurance may not cover them. Research is ongoing and no consensus exists at present on their effectiveness compared to traditional therapies.

Radiofrequency treatments are new on the scene but hold promise for the treatment of moderate to severe acne.

All of the above are viable therapies for acne issues. Your dermatologist will be able to provide further details and arrange access to treatments.