Which laser treatment would help minimize the appearance of post-inflammatory erythema? (photo)

Question

I have pale Caucasian skin. I was treated with acutane for chest acne. Four years later I still have Post-inflammatory erythema. What would be the best protocol to get rid of the scars? IPL or VPL both or something else.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Our office has many different treatments for scars depending on the depth of atrophy or hypertrophy. 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 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 scars and indented  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 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

Bhupendra C.K. Patel, MD, FRCS · Answer

Your photograph shows both, vascular changes as well as some pigmentation. As long as you don't mind that the laser treatments will reduce your chest hair (!), we use a combination of different wavelengths to treat the pigment and the vessels/erythema (532 nm; 540 nm; 570 nm) and also the Aerolase laser (650 msec Nd:Yag). This combination gives us excellent results as you can see in the link provided. As long as your surgeon chooses the correct wavelengths to treat these changes, the make of the machine is not important. You will need several treatments but the results will be excellent!!

Which laser treatment would help minimize the appearance of post-inflammatory erythema? (photo)

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Which laser treatment would help minimize the appearance of post-inflammatory erythema? (photo)

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Everything you need to know about IPL

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