My skin is becoming red with sun exposure and my acne scars are not fading. Can laser surgery help?

Question

my skin becomes red on exposure to sun ,not just in sunlight but sometimes unevenly.my acne scars are not fading instead they are becoming darker. also i had lost my skin tone due to sunburn and some other unknown reasons. can laser surgery help me or should i go for peeling ? is there a way to regain my orignal skin tone?

Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. Laser surgery can erase and remove old skin layers to create fresh, new skin underneath to shin through. I suggest that you move forward and consult with your board certified facial plastic surgeon.
Best wishes,

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Fractional laser is an amazing and highly effective treatment in our office. We use the laser treatment to help with acne scars, large pores, fine wrinkles, tissue collagen loss, scars, sebaceous hyperplasia, active acne, and for brightening dark pigmentation. Although there are very strong fractional lasers such as CO2 laser, we use lighter treatments for corrective skincare and maintenance of results. Our Thulium fractional laser, clear and brilliant laser, and Ultra Thulium laser are excellent options in our clinic. We also perform CO2 fractional and erbium depending on skin tone and tolerance for downtime. Patients do have to use a Melarase cream before and after treatment to help further reduce pigmentation after laser. Dark spots can improve with these treatments. I recommend fractional laser for incisional scars as well, especially after plastic surgery.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Elisa A. Burgess, MD · Answer

I agree that a multimodality approach to acne scarring is good. The layering effect can be really nice and there are several approaches. Sometimes we start with our C02 laser, that we call Smartskin. It has a little downtime and can take a few months to start seeing some results as the collagen turns over. We consider maintenance with our Clear and Brilliant laser, which is really almost a no downtime laser. This will continue to smooth the tissue.  For deep acne scarring, then subcision (release of the scar tissue with a needle) and filling with a product or fat can be helpful. Medical grade skin care lines can help with redness and hyperpigmentation left over from the acne also.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

A combination approach will give the most improvement. Acne scars and redness need a combination of lasers, microneedling/prp, Cosmelan, subcision and fillers. Co2 is the best laser for scars, but Erbium is a great alternative. It will take a series of treatments and may need some treatments to maintain. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an acne scarring expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Leslie Pickens, MD · Answer

Laser treatment can indeed help acne scars and may even help your redness. It is unclear without an exam if your redness is due to rosacea or sun exposure alone. Protect your skin from the sun with sun block and limited exposure to prevent further damage and especially after receiving laser treatment.  Good luck.

Emil A. Tanghetti, MD · Answer

First and foremost, to protect against future sun damage you should be protecting your skin every day with sunscreen. I would recommend using an SPF of at least 30 and reapplying if you have extended periods of sun exposure. Lasers can be a very effective treatment for sun damage and pigmentation issues similar to the ones you describe. I would suggest a consultation with a dermatologist to discuss your main concerns and see which treatment options may be right for you. Good luck!

Chang Son, MD · Answer

There are handful of good options for you condition,and I do think laser resurfacing would be an excellent choice.  I would suggest, however, that a medical exam be performed with a Dermatologist prior to treatment.  There are condition such as rosacea/acne that might need medical treatment prior to cosmetic intervention. Good luck!

Lana Long, MD · Answer

It sounds like you have several issues at play.   Sometimes acne lesions can hyperpigment.  If this is the case you need to minimize sun exposure.  The redness may be from too much sun or a condition called rosacea.   Chemical peels , lasers and IPL can all help with uneven skin tone. I don't do these procedures in peak summer due to the possibility of hyperpigmentation.  For now, I would definitely  minimize sun exposure. I would see a doctor for a skin evaluation, get started on a bleach cream, and If still bothersome consider a procedure in the fall/winter.  Hope this helps. Lana Long, MD

Davin Lim, MBBS, FACD - Account Suspended · Answer

Really do need to assess carefully before embarking on a treatment, especially if you go red with sun exposure. The very first step is sun avoidance and SPF, then see a Dermatologist for a diagnosis. From these they can formulate a treatment plan based upon your scar type and your lifestyle, as well as your skin type. For the best results, one should target the acne scar type with ideal treatments and not just one device. The web reference below will take you to a resource to help you understand acne scar revision at a specialist level. I embedded all the videos in one page to help. 
  
For example deep ice pick scars, and narrow box car scars can be treated with TCA CROSS peels, mixed scars, rolling, and atrophic scars treated with fractional devices such as Fraxel, fractional lasers, PRP and INFINI radiofrequency. Atrophic scars (depressions) can be treated with either fat grafts, or with HA dermal fillers. Tethered and anchored scars are best treated with surgical techniques such as subcision. Other surgical techniques that we use include punch elevation, surgical elevation, punch excision and traditional excision of focal scars. 
  
The majority of patients will have a collection of different scar types, and hence a tailored treatment METHOD will be best. Careful examination, especially under angled lighting with scar mapping will give you an understanding of what are the best options for your scars. In the majority of patients its finding the correct combination that give you best results, and everyone is unique! All the best, 
  
Dr Davin Lim. Acne scar dermatologist specialist. Brisbane, Australia.

Sara A. Kaltreider, MD (retired) · Answer

Sun exposure and acne scars may be safely and effectively treated with CO2 fractional ablative LASER. Be sure to see a physician who has expertise in this area. Prevention of further damage and treatment of underlying skin conditions are also very important. Best wishes.

My skin is becoming red with sun exposure and my acne scars are not fading. Can laser surgery help?

Answers (10)

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