Is Bellafill better than peels and lasers for acne scars, or would a combo of both work better?

I personally do not use or like Bellafill for the following reasons.1.  It has collagen which has a higher rate of sensitivity and can happen despite negative skin tests.  It can also show up many years later.2.  It has PMMA (Poly Methyl Methacrylate) particles which are permanent.  Your skin continues to age but anything permanent in the skin will not change and down the road can give unusual appearance.In essence I would still stick with other methods to improve acne scarring such as subcision, laser resurfacing, Dermal pens like Rejuvapen and microdermabrasion. Fillers like hyaluronic acid are also helpful and are reversible.RegardsDr. J

"​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. ​"

Which treatments are best for acne scars depends on a number of factors, including the type and extent of the scars, the individual’s lifestyle and preference, and the experience of the treatment provider. Bellafill is FDA approved for use on atrophic, distensible scars (those that can disappear when stretched manually), and the results last over 2 years and perhaps longer. The benefit is that the treatment time is short and there is no recovery time needed at all. However, if you have extensive scarring, Bellafill may be more time consuming and expensive than you would like, in which case having a laser treatment may be better. A combination of Bellafill and other types of treatments is a possibility as well. The best thing for you to do is to visit a board-certified dermatologist experienced in acne scar reduction for an in-person consultation in which you can discuss your options and find the best treatment plan for you.

Bellafill is indicated for the long-term (5 years) correction of moderate to severe, atrophic, distensible facial acne scarring on the cheeks in patients 21 and older. Bellafill is very impressive as an individual treatment. However when we consider what happens to the skin of a patient who has significant acne scarring, most of these patient are dealing with pigment and textural issues as well. Our goal is to combine effective and appropriate laser and light therapies (i.e. ablative, non-ablative, microneedling) and/or therapeutic peels with Bellafill for overall acne scar and skin quality correction.

Many patients need a combination of fillers and lasers to treat acne scars.  Fraxel is the gold standard for acne scars.  You may need different lasers depending on your skin type. Best to consult with a specialist in scar removal.  Best, Dr. Green

Of all the treatments that we have available to us now for
treating acne scars, Bellafill is by far the best. It works on many types of acne cars but if
the scar is soft and can be flatted when it is stretched out, Bellafill really
works well. Acne scarring results in
tissue loss and using a filler makes the most sense in terms of treatments as a
result. Lasers and peels can help but
what we are doing with these treatments is trying to make the scars less deep by
thinning the skin surrounding the scar. While
these treatments can help, many patients that I see have tried peels and lasers
and after a Bellafill treatment, they are much happier with their scars than
after the other treatments.



Bellafill is FDA approved for acne scar treatment and the
latest literature on Bellafill shows that it will last at least 5 years and
that is actually has a better safety profile or fewer adverse events than
treatments with the other fillers.



I hope that helps.



Best regards.