Best treatment for my severe acne scars - No results from InfiniRF or Fraxel. Could subcision help? (photos)

Question

I am starting to lose hope on improving my acne scars. I have had 3 treatments of Infini RF and 1 Fraxel but had seen little to no difference. I’m considering on getting subcision and had recently talked to a dermatologist on getting a fractora. What treatments are best fitted for my type of scarring and would fractora help?

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

No surprises here. I have been cautioning patients for years not to fall prey to the heavy marketing to promote fraxels and RF treatments. The hard science to support their use lags woefully behind the heavy marketing to promote them as was learned the hard way and costly way in this particular case. Sorry. Subcision, on the other hand, is a relatively inexpensive method for elevating and smoothing boxcar and rolling scars, and Field Subcision works well for elevating and smoothing larger areas of acne scar-related cheek atrophy, as appears to be the case here. Subcision has a long proven track record for safety and efficacy and I have personally been performing it with gratifying results for nearly thirty years. Just make sure this time to consult with a board certified cosmetic dermatologist and not just any venue hawking the latest "bells and whistles" device it has just purchased. Best of luck.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Our office has many different treatments for acne scars depending on the depth of atrophy or hypertrophy. Acne scars require a combination approach using our HI DEF protocol which uses a combination of lasers, topical scar modulation, and RF treatments to pixelate scars, improve contour, reduce hyperpigmentation, and improve the visibility of the scars so that they are no longer visible in ambient light. Everyone has a unique pattern of acne scarring and we employ our HIDEF technique to improve texture, color, contour, and topography. We often use a combination of treatments that begin with a careful examination to examine the micro texturing of the acne scars. Atrophic acne scars and indented acne scars can benefit from injectable fillers such as Radiesse, Sculptra, and Restylane with or without subcision to remove tethered scars and atrophic depression. Hyper-redness in scars can be improved with V beam laser, Excel V, BBL, IPL, and Venus RF to improve  the redness and reduce the visibility of deep scars. Fractional Thulium laser and clear & brilliant can also reduce the inflammation and redness of the scar when combined with topical therapy. Fractional lasers such as Fraxel, erbium, and CO2 laser can be combined with radio frequency and also fractional RF to improve textual issues and microtopography. Subcision and TCA cross are also used for deep ice pick scars and narrow valley scars in order to improve the micro texture.  Above all, our combination approach with our clinical nurses and board-certified plastic surgeons can improve the quality of your skin by using at home Melarase creams combined with PRP treatments in our office to improve your skin quality and tone. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an experienced team of experts in order to reduce your acne scarring.
 
Finally, hyperpigmentation of scars can be improved with at-home Melarase AM, Melarase PM, and Melapads to help reduce active PIH and melanin deposition.

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

"​Acne scars need a combination approach for long-term improvement. Everyone has a unique pattern of acne scarring, and most people have various types of scars, so we create a tailored treatment plan for each patient. We often use:
- Injectable fillers like Bellafill and Sculptra (with or without subcision) for atrophic, indented scars. 
- Subcision for depressed, tethered scars. 
- Vascular lasers like Yellow laser, Aerolase, excel V, BBL, or IPL for redness or thick acne scars. 
- Lasers such as Fraxel, Erbium, CO2, Halo or fractional radiofrequency (Venus Viva, Skinfinity, Morpheus, PiXel8, Fractora, Intensif microneedling RF) for textural issues and superficial scarring. 
- TCA CROSS and punch excision for deep ice pick scars and narrow box car scars.

All lasers are combined with microneedling/PRP to improve the results and accelerate your healing time. Keep in mind that a personalized combination treatment by an expert physician will give you the improvement you're looking for. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an experienced cosmetic dermatologist and acne scarring expert. Best, Dr. Emer. ​"

Best treatment for my severe acne scars - No results from InfiniRF or Fraxel. Could subcision help? (photos)

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Best treatment for my severe acne scars - No results from InfiniRF or Fraxel. Could subcision help? (photos)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Subcision

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.