Most people who develop pimples as teenagers don't have lasting scars. But for those who do, the acne scars can interfere with their social lives and self-esteem, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. If this sounds like you, laser scar removal and laser resurfacing might help.
Causes of Acne Scarring
The severity of your acne, plus your genes determine if you will develop scars from your pimples, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you have particularly bad cystic or nodular acne, which involves painful, swollen bumps under the skin, you probably will wind up with scars. In addition, if one of your parents or another close relative was scarred after a teenage bout with acne, you are more likely to develop scars, as well. Depressed acne scars, in which the healing lesion leaves a depression in the skin, occur most frequently.
Solutions
Dermatologists rate acne scar surgery as one of the most effective treatments for depressed scars, according to the Academy of Dermatology. With several different techniques to choose from, the surgeon can cut the scar out, separate the surface skin from the underlying scar tissue or even fill it with a dermatological filler. Laser resurfacing, meanwhile, removes the top layer of skin, making depressed scars appear more shallow. Many dermatologists combine surgery and laser resurfacing for best results.
Procedure
If you and your dermatologist decide that the best way to treat your acne scars involves acne scar removal combined with laser resurfacing, you'll almost certainly undergo the scar removal surgery first, according to the Academy of Dermatology. When your skin has healed, you can proceed with the laser resurfacing. Dermatologists do both procedures on an outpatient basis. You will receive numbing cream or light anesthesia prior to the procedures.
Time Frame
Treating acne scars takes time. If you have surgery to remove your scars, you most likely will not see immediate improvement, the Academy of Dermatology says. Depending on the type of surgery performed, bruising may last for up to two weeks. The most powerful lasers, meanwhile, create wounds, and you'll need to take special care of your skin to avoid infection. After healing, many people continue to see improvement for up to a year and a half.
Considerations
Acne scars can be difficult to treat, but dermatologists report good results with the combination of scar removal surgery and laser resurfacing, according to the Academy of Dermatology. The surgery minimizes the scars, and the laser resurfacing smoothes the skin. Although no procedure can make your skin as perfect as it was, the surgery-laser combination often provides satisfactory results.
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