Dermabrasion Didn't Help my Ice Pick Scars

asked 3 years ago by Christina W
Latest answer by M. Christine Lee, MD
Question viewed 7,478 times
Tags: acne scars, ice pick scar

I had dermabrasion done at the beginning of this summer. My dermatologist said my scars were deep enough that the laser would not make enough of a difference. I am still healing (it's August), just redness. I still have my ice pick scars and am disappointed by this. The dermabrasion did improve my scars but not the deeper ones. I would like to try something else, laser.? Any advice?

7 answers to Dermabrasion Didn't Help my Ice Pick Scars

Ice pick acne is a very difficult problem

Christina, What you are describing is a very difficult problem that we encounter in plastic surgery. As you know, options include laser, dermabrasion, or direct excision of the scars. The reason why these scars are so noticeable is because they are deep, and anything that deep on the skin will cast a shadow which is what catches the eye when you look at it. So the key to fixing this, regardless of the type of treatment, is to make the scars less deep so that there is very little shadow... more

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

What to do for ice pick scars

Ice pick and deep pitted and crateriform scars are incredibly challenging problems to treat. There is no perfect treatment that will completely remove these. Dermabrasion runs the risk of leaving behind hypopigmentation and an unnatural skin texture that are tell-tale signs that someone's had dermabrasion (their skin looks waxy rather than having normal pore formation). Fractional CO2 resurfacing is a much better and safer option. No matter what you do, however,... more

M. Christine Lee, MD
Walnut Creek Dermatologic Surgeon

Dermabrasion for acne scars

Dermabrasion is a very effective technique to correct some scars, including acne scars. Dermabrasion works by sending down the area around a scar so that the entire surface is on the same level. For deeper scars, you may benefit from subcision or by filling the area underneath the scar with a dermal filler.

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

May need more dermabrasion

Dermabrasion is a good procedure for acne scarring but does have its limits. Sometimes a series of treatments is required for the best results. These usually need to be spaced at least 6 months apart. "Ice pick" scars often need surgical excision as well.

Dean Fardo, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Options for acne scars:

There are many different options for managing ice pick scars: Consider these other procedures: Fillers or autologus fat grafting Skin needling Fractionated laser Excision and puch grafting Acne scarring is a difficult problem and realize that any improvement that achieves a 30% correction is considered maximally successful.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Deep scars need deeper treatment, like excision or Fraxel

Microdermabrasion is not effective enough for ice pick scars. However, when the skin is pre-conditioned with prescription based skin care prior to Fraxel laser resurfacing procedures ( you will need 5-6 treatments), you will get nice improvement and great reduction in appearance of your scarring.

Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Ice pick scarring is a difficult problem to correct....

Ice pick scarring is a difficult problem to correct. There are several treatments I will use for patients with ice pick scarring. The first is to use a punch biopsy tool to elevated the skin around the scar. The incision is then allowed to heal and about 3-4 weeks later, I use either dermabrasion or dermasanding to smooth the area. Another option is a process called subcision. The basic ides is to use some type of needle to undermine the scar and then fill the area to prevent the scar from... more

D.J. Verret, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

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