What Are Acne Scars?
Even after acne symptoms clear up, there may still be some discolouration or scarring left behind by those symptoms. That is known as Acne Scarring.
Types of Acne Scarring
Acne Scarring may range from mild “scarring” such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which refers to red or brown discoloured spots, to depressed scars, which are usually grouped into three categories, boxcar scars, icepick scars and rolling scars.
- Boxcar scars are wide and U-shaped with sharp edges.
- Rolling scars are wide with rounded edges and an irregular rolling shape.
- Icepick scars are deep and narrow, resembling small round or oval holes.
Acne scarring usually comes in a combination of scar types. At our clinic, we offer a variety of treatment options to provide the most suitable plan for your unique skin condition.
How Do You Treat Acne Scarring?
Peels exfoliate the surface of the skin, which helps to improve skin texture, fill in depressed scars and clear pigmentation from within.
How Do Chemical Peels Work?
Chemical peels cause the top layers of the epidermis to peel off, boosting cell turnover and renewal rate.
- Depending on your skin condition and the depth of the pigmentation or scarring, our doctors will prescribe either milder peels such as ones using Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA), or stronger peels that use trichloroacetic acid (TCA). The skin will produce more collagen in reaction to old skin peeling off, which breaks down the pigmentation and helps to “fill in” the depression left by the scar.
Carbon Laser Peels
Carbon Laser peels remove debris and oil within the skin and stimulate collagen production.
- Liquid carbon, which binds to dirt, dead skin cells and sebum that clogs the pores, is applied to the skin. When heated with the laser, the carbon fragments into tiny particles, taking the impurities in the skin with it. As the tissues in the skin react to the heat, this boosts collagen production and helps to break down hyperpigmentation and fill in depressed scars.
BB Thulium Laser
- The BB Thulium Laser targets the upper dermis by gently peeling off the the top layer of skin with minimal downtime. This can resurface the uneven skin texture caused by depressed scars and at the same time penetrates deeply into the skin to remove melanin-producing cells that causes post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation as well. In addition, the heat that reaches the surrounding tissues will help to produce more collagen and boost cell growth as an injury response. In short, BB thulium laser can help to improve skin texture such as scarring, uneven skin tone and tighten skin as well.
Scar Subcision
Scar subcision is often used to help lift scars by boosting collagen and loosening scar tissue.
- A hypodermic needle is inserted directly beneath the scar to loosen and break apart the fibrotic tissues connecting the scar to the tissue underneath. This allows the scar to be raised while the wound healing from the treatment boosts collagen production and cell regeneration.
How Do Dermal Filler Injections Work?
Dermal filler injections raise the scar from within while promoting collagen production.
- Dermal Filler Injections use hyaluronic acid to increase volume in the skin and stimulate collagen-secreting fibroblasts. Though hyaluronic acid will be broken down by your body after a few months, the boost in collagen helps with long-term skin texture and continues to help heal the scar.
