Laser Resurfacing for Acne Scars

Unfortunately there is no "miracle" quick fix for acne scars.  Profractional Laser Resurfacing can be a very effective method for minimizing and diminishing acne scars.  This procedure is also safe for most skin types.  It usually requires 5-7 treatments depending on the severity of the scarring and only has 2 - 5 days down time.  The cost is also substantially less than other laser resurfacing such as Co2.Best,Dr. Rodgers

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

Laser resurfacing for acne scars can be effective, but acne scars are very difficult to eliminate completely. Often, a combination of treatments works best on acne scars, as each scar might benefit from a different treatment. Flatter scars might respond well to filler injections, while ice pick scars might need excision and closure, or even small punch grafts to fill them in. Often a combination of a series of laser resurfacing treatments and filler injections can be very beneficial.Be sure to see a physician that specializes in cosmetic facial procedures.Best,

Laser resurfacing can be very effective at minimizing the appearance of scars.  However, keep your expectations realistic.  There is no perfect treatment for scars, only treatments that can improve the appearance of your scars.  Since you are not adverse to downtime, you will be able to get significant improvement with each treatment.  Look for lasers that stimulate and remodel collagen in the dermis and deep dermis.  
Please also understand the difference between scars.  Are your acne scars crater-appearing or ice pick in appearance?  Crater scars respond best to resurfacing treatments; ice pick scars do not.  The best option for treating ice-pick scars is to have your largest ice-pick scars excised first.  Then after healing, proceed with a series of laser treatments. The number of treatments will be determined by degree of scarring and how well your body creates collagen.

Laser resurfacing is commonly used to improve the appearance of scars. However if used inappropriately laser resurfacing can result in scars. Safety is paramount with every patient we treat and to avoid this we have a safety protocol for laser resurfacing of the entire face.

•      Avoid in certain high risk skin types, identify before treatment





•      Safety protocol for every patient





•      Clear post laser resurfacing instructions





•      Use of bio-technology to enhance recovery after laser





•      Use of test-patch of laser to avoid risk





•      Poor patient compliance with post op wound care instructions





•      An experienced doctor who has used laser resurfacing for many years with good results







•      State-of-the-art modern laser designed for safety and fast recovery

Resurfacing is effective for acne scars, but one treatment is sometimes not enough.  Be cautious about trying to do too much with one treatment.  Unless you are very light in skin color, your risks will climb rapidly and you will risk skin discoloration, and either loss of color or increase in pigment color, especially if you have an ethnic background.*

The simple answer is that this question is not so simple. The first issue is what type of scars are involved. We treat pigmented (brown or red) and textured (bumpy or indented) acne scars very differently at our practice. In addition, the type of treatment recommended depends on the skin type of the patient. Generally speaking, we use the following treatment methods for acne scars at our practice.
Pigmented (Red) Acne Scars - Cynosure V-Star Laser Treatments. This is generally for light skinned patients.
Pigmented (Brown) Acne Scars - Bleaching creams (Cosmelan, etc.) or Q-switched lasers (Hoya- Conbio Medlite C6 or Palomar Q-Yag V). The is generally for medium and darker skinned patients.
Textured Acne Scars - Erbium Laser Resurfacing. This resurfacing technique is appropriate for lighter skin types up to and including light Asians and Hispanics and is not used in our practice for black, East Indian or other very dark skin types.
Finally, if you have textured acne scars, are light skinned and want to be treated only once, your best bet may be CO2 resurfacing, which is typically viewed in very high regard for the results attained, but is difficult to recover from. Most other less invasive forms of textured acne scar resurfacing would involve multiple treatments.

Laser resurfacing is a non-surgical procedure that uses laser beams to treat skin concerns like wrinkles, scars, and discoloration: How it worksLaser resurfacing uses short pulses of laser beams to heat the skin and create a controlled injury. The skin's melanin and water absorb the light energy from the laser, which then destroys the surrounding tissue. The body's healing response is triggered, which can improve the skin's color, texture, and tone. What it can treatLaser resurfacing can treat a variety of skin concerns, including: Acne scars Birthmarks Discoloration Fine lines and wrinkles Skin growths Tattoos Types of lasersThere are different types of lasers used for laser resurfacing, including carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium lasers. A doctor will determine which type of laser is best for your skin. Recovery timeRecovery time after laser resurfacing can be up to two weeks. Laser resurfacing is most commonly used on the face.

Thank you for your question. You can treat acne scars by doing a series of treatments via LightPodNeo Aerolase laser or PicoSure laser. The PicoSure laser is FDA-approved and is gentle on your skin, with minimal discomfort or downtime after treatments. PicoSure works by sending ultra-short pulses of laser energy into the outer and inner skin layers. The Aerolase laser aims laser technology Into both the outer and inner layers of your skin. As it penetrates the deep layers of your dermis, it helps to combat bacteria and any other infections. It also will help reduce oil, swelling, and inflammation. I recommend getting a in person consultation with a board-certified dermatologist.

Acne scars can be difficult to treat and results can vary depending on the severity. In our practice we like to use a fractionated erbium, micro-needling with PRP and TCA peels. The more aggressive treatments like the fractionated erbium will give you faster results but require more downtime. It is difficult to get great results with just one treatment, multiple treatments and a combination of modalities typically have the best end result. Hopefully this helps and you find a treatment plan that works best for you. Dr. Meghan Nadeau, Seattle,WA