Which would you recommend; Dermapen vs. fractional laser for acne scarring? (photos)

Acne treatment should be based upon the type of scars. Boxcars will respond to Fraxel erbium or co2. Boxcars will also respond to aggressive needling plus PRP  and subscision.Large pores respond best to Fraxel erbium (restore). Combination therapy is often better than a single modality. ,Hope that helps.

Hi Sammy.  We've actually written about this on our blog recently and the key issue between the two treatments is heat.  The heat of fractional laser treatments vaporizes (removes in small perforated columns) the scar tissue associated with your acne scars.  These small perforations are then filled in with new, more elastic and pliable collagen.  The dermapen can force small openings in the skin, but as soon as it's removed, the scar tissue pushes back together because nothing has been removed.  Bottom line is that fractional resurfacing removes scar tissue to be replaced by new collagen and the Dermapen does not do this.

Not all acne scars are the same so you should have your
scars evaluated to see what treatment would work best for your particular
scars. The most common type of acne scar is called a rolling acne scar which
looks like a wave in the skin. For these particular scars, I would recommend a
combination therapy of Palomar Frax 1540 and Skinpen. You may need between 4-6
treatments.  I also always recommended a
skincare regimen with a few key ingredients to get your skin to optimal health
before starting any treatments. 

Thank you for your question.  It's difficult to say if one is better than the other as the laser offers many other benefits that microneedling doesn't.  However, if improvement in your acne scars is your goal, and if you're on a budget, microneedling is the way to go.  Having professional dermapen treatments at the highest setting over 5-6 sessions will give you 30-40% improvement in the acne scars on the entire face.  I would consider performing Bellafill first into all of the scars to maximize the scars before microneedling to get the best results.  If you have deep icepick scars that don't improve when you pull the skin apart, then you want those removed surgically first, then have the Bellafill, then have the professional microneedling performed. Hope that helps. 

A combination of deep and superficial treatments work best.  Under the acne scar I use an FDA approved 5 year filler; Bellafill.  Bellafill plumps out the acne scar and stimulates collagen production under the skin.  For the surface I use Dermapen with Regenica Growth factor recovery serum to also encourage collagen production.

For patients with pigment to their skin, like anyone other than Caucasians, I prefer microneedling.  There is no risk of hyperpigmentation or scarring with microneedling like there is with lasers.

Microneedling is best for milder
scars.
A dermaroller or other microneedling treatment can improve the appearance of
shallow, diffuse acne scarring along with improving all-over skin tone and
texture. For very deep acne scars, I would recommend combining microneedling
with another treatment such as dermal fillers, laser resurfacing or scar
treatment, including scar excision. In some cases, combining microneedling with
a regimen of other procedures may give you the best results. Since some of the
treatments you’ve tried already are actually more aggressive than
microneedling, I’m not sure you’ll get the results you hope for from a
dermaroller.

Thanks for your
question and my first recommendation is to consult with a board-certified
dermatologist or plastic surgeon well versed in lasers and also in dermal pens
such as the Dermapen. There is no question that most laser procedures will work
better than most of the pens that are on the market. Dermal pens work over
time, are associated with some bleeding at the time of the procedure, and
multiple treatments will be needed to see any appreciable results with your
type of acne scarring.



Lasers, mainly the
fractional lasers as well as the fractional RF devices (eMatrix and soon the
Venus Viva) as well as the fractionated RF microneedling devices like the
EndyMed Intensif will all work on these acne scars that you show in your photo.
Each one will have some downtime, more so when we talk about ablative
fractional lasers, but the results with these for acne scars are proven and
tried so I would find a physician in your area who does these, learn about
them, and what the best option will be for you.

Fraxel laser will yield much better results for acne scars over Dermapen. Fraxel will also improve the pore size and texture of the skin as well. There are times that a combination of lasers or treatments are needed. You may also need Restylane injected into the acne scars to plump the area. Please consult a board certified dermatologist with experience with Fraxel and acne scar treatments. 

At our clinic we have over 14 lasers, but we also have Dermapen (Professional,) as well as skin needling. I have been performing scar revision for nearly a decade now, and before the use of fractional lasers such as Fraxel, Profractional and CO2 CORE, Active Fx etc... , I did use skin rolling, especially on darker skin types. First of all I absolutely agree with Dr Rapaport with his answer- ALWAYS treat the SCAR and not find a treatment to suit you. This gives best results. Lasers not only break down the scars (as do deep Dermapen), but also denature collagen via the use of heat, this controlled heat stimulates cells to lay down new, and fresh collagen, and hence in most cases out performs Dermapen. (Exceptions include v v dark skin, but then we have erbium for this). If you visit acnespecialists.com.au I may have some old photos of skin needling, but 99% of the time I use other lasers and procedures to get my scars sorted. Why do we offer Dermapen then, if other treatments are better? It really comes down to pricing and what the patient wants. We thus cater for all budgets and needs, but best advice is always given firstRegardsDr Davin Lim Laser and cosmetic dermatologistBRISBANE, AustraliaUPATE-As of Jan 2016, my provisional trials of INFINI RF MICRONEEDLING now makes this my favourite treatment for rolling, mixed, atrophic and tethered scars, as well as small to medium pores. I have started using this system in Sept 2015, and the results for these type of scars are great. This is not just micro needling but energy based micro needling CheersDavin Lim