Scars and Acne Scar Treatment

Enhance the way you look and feel

While many people recover from acne without any permanent effects, some people are left with acne scars that have resulted from their acne.  There is considerable variation in types and degrees of acne scars/acne scarring from one person to another but the emotional   turmoil this condition causes is shared by all.

Why choose SKIN MD and Beyond for your Scar Correction Treatments?

 SKIN MD and Beyond’s longstanding experience in non-surgical cosmetic treatments means that we are  the ideal choice if you're thinking about undergoing scar/ acne scar treatment.  Scarring is a    physical condition that can have a huge psychological impact. It affects all ages and can destroy self-confidence, affect relationships and even  shape the way people live their lives.

The First Step in Treatment

Dr. Wright personally assesses each patient’s skin condition through a detailed skin and health history, review of previous treatments and skin examination.  She will help assist you in your decision about which treatment will best suit your goals and lifestyle. Due to the large number of treatments available, a consultation will help you decide which best treatment suits you. Overall, there are a number of treatments that are effective in the treatment of scarring. As a rule, the more invasive the procedures will yield better results with fewer treatments, but will require more recovery or downtime.

Getting the Best Results

Dr. Wright will design an individualized SKIN MD and Beyond Scar Treatment Program for each patient which may include some or all of the following treatments. Results of scar treatment are up to a 95% improvement but are variable depending on the treatments performed, the cause of the scar, the type of scar, body site, thickness, depth, individual healing, immune function, infection and skin type.

The most common types of Acne Scars are:

Ice Pick Scars - Ice pick scars are narrow, sharp scars that make the skin appear that it has been punctured with an ice pick. They are usually narrower than 2 mm and extend into the deep dermis or subcutaneous layer. They are the most common and a classic sign of acne scarring.

Boxcar Scars - Boxcar scars are round to oval depressions that have sharp vertical edges. Unlike ice pick scars they do not taper to a point at the base. Theses angular scars usually occur on the temple and cheeks, and can be either superficial or deep, these are similar to chickenpox scars.

Rolling Scars - Rolling scars occur as a result of tethering of otherwise normal-appearing skin to the subcutaneous tissue below. This process gives the skin a rolling or wave-like  appearance.

Hypertrophic Scar – Hypertrohphic scars develop when the skin produces excess collagen as the injury heals, creating a raised mass of tissue.

                      
Other Scarring Includes;

Keloid scars - where the size of the scar is significantly raised, red/purple, and disproportionate to the size of the initial trauma caused by the acne.

Deep divots - these are simply very deep scars that involve loss of subcutaneous tissue volume and result in a large divot.

Macular scars - After an acne lesion has healed, it can leave a red or hyper pigmented mark on the skin. This is actually not a scar, but rather a post-inflammatory change. The redness or hyper pigmentation is seen as the skin goes through its healing and remodeling process, which takes approximately 6-12 months. If no more acne lesions develop in that area, the skin can heal normally. Any color change or skin defect still present after 1 year is considered to be a permanent defect or scar.  This type of acne scarring is characterized by flat areas of increased and decreased pigmentation or redness as a result of acne. Although there are not any indentations in the skin or raised scars, this is considered as a scar by many patients who have this problem.

Laser Treatment for Scars

Lasers have become the treatment of choice today for acne scars and Skin MD and Beyond is leading the way in offering patients a comprehensive program.  To ensure that patients achieve the results they want, Dr. Wright offers multiple laser options to effectively treat these skin texture issues.

Lasers work by stimulating collagen production in the skin, thereby smoothing out scars. This can be accomplished in a non ablative fashion (without removing tissue), ablative fashion (vaporizing or removing outer layers of skin) and in a microablative technique (microscopically removing tissue).

The microablative or fractional method of resurfacing skin which the Palomar Lux 1540 laser uses has revolutionized the treatment for acne scars has become the gold standard today. As well, the Lux 1540 is not only the treatment of choice for acne scars but it is also able to treat a wide variety of skin conditions such as wrinkles, skin laxity, and photo damage. 

At the top of the list is the Palomar Fractional Laser
- the Lux1540.

This laser works by smoothing the scar ridges and        encouraging collagen growth beneath the scar. This laser, the Lux 1540, uses the latest technology in skin  resurfacing by treating the skin with microbeams of laser light. Because these microbeams only target a pin-dot size of skin tissue at a time, the untouched skin surrounding the treated skin protects the integrity of the epidermis and healing occurs quite quickly. 

Patients will experience about 2 hours of heat to the face immediately after treatment and about 24 hours of redness. Because there is no actual peeling of skin , patients stated that the downtime was very minimal- which is very different to most of the machines available. With this negligible downtime (1-2 days of slight swelling), there is no reason to miss work!

Acne Scars are treated with a series of procedures. Five to six treatments may be required to show positive effects. Because the collagen response is seen over time, final treatment results are usually seen between 6 and 12 months after the last procedure. Patents may choose more aggressive treatments for faster results, but should expect several days of downtime with higher level treatments.

Trauma and Surgical Scars

Scars from accidents or surgical procedures can be painful visual reminders of what you went through as well as being disfiguring. A series of Lux 1540 fractional laser treatments can help soften and minimize the appearance of these scars.  Unlike other lasers, the Palomar 1540 can treat all skin types and tones and works on your entire face: forehead, eyes, nasolabial folds, lip lines, chin and even the neck, chest

Micro Laser Peel

In the past, traditional full resurfacing (ablative) techniques would peel down to a 120 micron depth of skin. As a result, the skin would become red, swollen, and weepy and patients are off of work for a minimum of a week, and the redness frequently would persist for 1-2 months.  In today’s busy world, most people cannot stay away from work for the week and cannot tolerate one to two months of redness.

The new Whisper Micro Laser Peel treatment is another new addition to today's anti-aging arsenal as well as scar treatment.  Micro laser resurfacing treatments, are microablative treatments specifically designed to peel the skin layer by layer, allowing Dr. Wright to control the depth of skin removed.   Each level (20-50 microns) provides a   different end result, adjustable to fit the lifestyle needs and end desires of the patient.  

In comparison, microdermabrasion and glycolic peels, typically performed by an esthetician, are an ideal "polishing" procedure which can reach a depth of 10-15   microns. Because Micro Laser Peels are a “weekend” skin peel which goes deeper into the epidermis, it is the perfect “next step-up” fromMicrodermabrasions and Chemical Peels.  

The healing process varies from patient to patient but will generally take from two to four days. The procedure can be performed on Thursday or Friday and you can return to work the following Monday. Immediately following the procedure you will feel as if you have a bad sunburn. You will have minor sloughing and itchiness the following day. By day two, redness will begin to fade and by day three any redness can be easily covered by makeup.

The Whisper Micro Laser Peel is used for the treatment of wrinkles, the improvement of scars, and in the general rejuvenation of skin .  At the time of your consultation a medical questionnaire and assessment will be completed and Dr. Wright will set up a treatment plan including the depth of the peel and the number of peels required to achieve the desired results. Dr. Wright may recommend up to five treatments done monthly.

To learn and find out why SKIN MD and Beyond is recognized as a national expert with the Whisper Micro Laser Peel, watch Dr. Wright in a live demonstration on the televised show ABC American Health Front. Click Here.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion  is a superficial type of treatment using very fine crystals of aluminum oxide to remove the dead outer layer of the skin resulting in a smoother skin surface. The procedure takes 30 minutes and patients can immediately return to regular activity. Only the very surface cells of the skin are removed, so no additional wound is created. Microdermabrasion is a technique can be helpful  with mild acne scarring. Generally, more than 12 treatments are required and the results are usually slight, and certainly a lot less dramatic than the other treatments mentioned above. To learn more click here.

Chemical Peels

Chemical Peels use a chemical solution to burn away the fine outer layers of the skin. These topical preparations including lactic acid, glycolic acid and salicylic acid which act to improve skin surface  texture and pigmentation. The solutions are available in several strengths, depending on the degree of peeling desired. Healing can take from 3-7 days until a new, smoother layer of skin is then formed. . Generally, these medium to deep chemical peels are required to achieve a significant result, but a series of more superficial chemical peels could help achieve some improvement in milder acne scarring without significant downtime. To learn more click here.

TCA CROSS Technique

For ice-pick scars, there is a technique called TCA Cross. This involves careful placement of high concentrations chemical called TCA (trichloroacetic acid) into the ice-pick scar. This stimulates the production of new collagen and remodelling of existing collagen to fill in the acne scar. The advantage of this treatment is that it is localized to the problem only and not the unaffected skin.  

Repeated CROSS application can help normalize deep rolling and boxcar scars, and deep ice pick scars, but it is likely that other procedures may be included  to obtain the most change. The degree of clinical improvement in the original study was proportional to the number of courses of CROSS treatment, with good improvement after three to six courses being recorded in more than 90% of cases. This technique can also treat chicken pox scars and dilated pores, as well as reconstructing depressed surgical scars.
The CROSS Technique is another color on the palette of therapies for acne scars and other depressed surgical scars. A consultation will be necessary to evaluate each patient's needs and develop a comprehensive and individualized approach to scar rejuvenation.

Dermal Fillers

Injections with Evolence(collagen) and Restylane(hyaluronic acid) are good treatments for shallow and deep acne scars. These naturally-occurring fillers can be injected under the area of the scar to "stretch" and "fill out" certain types of superficial and deep soft scars. 

Dermal fillers usually does not work as well for ice-pick scars and keloids. Results are immediately apparent and patients usually require touch-up treatments every six months to two years. 

To learn more click here

Photofacials

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Treatment or Photofacials uses multiple wavelengths of light to gently remodel the collagen and is used to eliminate superficial skin irregularities.  This  treatment is best suited for flat macular scars where the main problem is pigmentation changes rather than changes in the skin texture. Pigmentation and vascular changes are a result of inflammation caused from acne and photofacial is an ideal treatment to decrease these red and brown discolorations.  In many cases, it is important to ensure that any active acne is under control prior to treating acne scarring, as the changes to the skin caused by acne can persist for a long time.

Medical Grade Facials

SKIN MD and Beyond Medical Grade Facial Treatments use products with the highest activity levels available to address multiple skin care concerns. Custom   preparations combining a wide range of enzymes and polyhydroxy acids are used to treat each individual patient. The procedure takes 60 minutes and patients can immediately return to regular activities.  

Under the direction of Dr. Wright, your aesthetician will create a customized Medical Skin Care Program for your daily home regimen consisting of medical grade skin care products to optimize treatment effects and maintain good results. Programs are customized for each patient to ensure they are using the best products for their individual skin care needs.

Prescription Medications may also be prescribed by Dr. Wright in conjunction with your Comprehensive Acne and Acne Scarring Treatment as part of our multifaceted approach to maximize results in a short period of time. 

To learn more about our Acne Skin Care Product click here.