Scars are a common skin blemish that occur when the tissue has been damaged enough to affect the way the skin tissue heals. Scars can develop from multiple causes ranging from direct injury to acne outbreaks, and can vary in depth from superficial scars to deep scarring (commonly referred to as "ice pick scars"). Depending on how prominent the scar is, several options are available to lessen the appearance of your scar.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion uses a mixture of sandblasting and suction to remove the outermost layer of your skin, called the stratum corneum. As the microdermabrasion device passes over the skin, aluminum or zinc oxide crystals are propelled at the skin tissue. These crystals loosen the outer layer of skin from your body. A suction device follows behind the crystals to remove the loosened skin cells. By removing the outer layer of skin, new smoother skin cells are allowed to show through, reducing the look of your scar. The process also activates the production of collagen in the skin, which stretches and fills out the scar.
Dermabrasion
Although microdermabrasion is effective for superficial scars, deeper scars may require a more invasive dermabrasion treatment. Like microdermabrasion, dermabrasion works by removing the outer layer of skin and activating the production of collagen; However, dermabrasion removes greater layers of skin, resulting in deeper effects. Dermabrasion uses a mechanical wire brush or diamond burr to scrape away the irregularities on the skin, removing the rough edges of scar tissue.
Dermal Fillers
For scars that set deep into the skin ("ice pick scars"), dermal fillers may be used to plump up the scar area so that it is even with the surrounding tissue. To do this, dermal fillers can be injected into the scar to replace the lost tissue beneath the scar. Common dermal fillers include collage, hyaluronic acid and even transplanted fat from other areas of your body.
Laser Treatments
Laser scar treatments can act in two ways depending on the type of laser used. Ablative lasers target the outer scar tissue on the skin, vaporizing the outer dead skin cells to reveal the new smoother cells beneath. Non-ablative lasers target deeper into the skin, creating small injuries to the deep layers of skin tissue. These injuries activate the skin's natural healing process, which includes the production of collagen. The new collagen stretches the scar tissue and plumps up scars that have created valleys on the skin surface.
Punch Graft
When other scar removal methods have been unsuccessful, a punch graft procedure may be done to completely remove the scar. Punch grafts involve the use of specialized surgical equipment to cut out the scar tissue from the skin. Skin grafts are then taken from other areas of the body, such as behind the earlobes, to replace the removed skin. As the skin heals, little scarring will remain.
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