Can Botox Help with Atrophic Facial Acne Scarring?

Hello Blythe, I have been using Intradermal Botox injections for oily skin, large pores, fine wrinkles, "blotchy" skin and acne sequlae (red / brown spots) and have been seeing very satisfying and pleasing results with my Patients. Based on my experience with Intradermal Botox for these other conditions, I feel that it would certainly be worthwhile for you to consider a treatment with Botox to help improve the appearance of your scars. The Botox would work by providing some... more

Blythe, Whenever you are considering improving the skin, whether for cosmetic reasons or reconstructive (or anywhere in between), it is best to approach the skin from the structural, biochemical and mechanical aspects. This multimodal approach promotes improvement in the skin dermis, health and stress, respectively. For the structural component, medications such as Retin-A help to improve the underlying collagen framework. For the biochemical component, eating healthly and taking... more

There is no physiologic reason for Botox to be effective for directly softening acne scars. As you probably already know, Botox works by weakening muscles of facial expression. The reason your forehead became smoother is that there is a muscle in the forehead that was weakened, causing an overall smoother contour to your forehead skin (as it usually does). The effect was not a result of injection into the acne scars. The effect that Dr Jafri describes in the cheeks is more likely an... more

Botox is the best for lines caused by excessive movement of underlying muscles. It can also result in lifting when injected into a muscle that pulls the face downward. It does not, however, have any benefit for the skin depressions caused by the inflammatory damage to the skin from acne. For that, you need either laser or filler. This highlights the importance of seeking the opinion and treatment of a physician trained and certified in a specialty like dermatology. You want to be treated by... more

Botox is great for many things, but for acne scars it is a stretch. Acne scars are never easy to treat. First , the people who get the scarring are genetically prone to scarring. Many people get acne without the scarring sequellae. Our amamentarian with regard to acne scars is; 1- Prevention - this is the obvious choice. acne can be treated with Benzoyl Peroxide, Retin-A, Topical and oral anti-biotics, accutane, manual treatments to treat the pores and blackheads, and now the latest... more

Botox is not used for atrophic scarring secondary to acne. Botox is best for facial lines of animation commonly treating the upper 1/3 of the face.