Acne scars form in the skin because of the intense skin inflammation that occurs in the acne lesions, and this inflammation causes gross damage to the collagen in the skin, thus resulting in deep scars forming. This happens especially more commonly in areas where acne cysts have been present. They also come on in situations where the acne lesion has been picked or squeezed, which causes further damage and inflammation in the skin and the formation of deep scars. The acne scars that form can be deep as in icepick scars, shallow or boxcar shaped. Scars never go away by themselves and can cause a lot of anguish, emotional and psychological problems because of the disfiguring effect on the face. One proven way of improving acne scars is by using laser resurfacing. Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing improves scars by causing multiple selective and targeted pinpoint areas of skin ablation of the top skin layers, allowing the untouched normal skin to rapidly recover, while the targeted spots rebuild collagen and make the scars shallower. All types of acne scars can be treated, including the deep icepick type of acne scar. At the same time the skin is tightened with some smoothening of wrinkles and irregular skin pigmentation is reduced with improvement of tone and texture. Treatment procedure: Free consultation with our aesthetic medical practitioner Cleansing of face Application of numbing cream for 40 minutes 15-30 minutes of fractional laser on the scars. You will be wearing eye protection during the laser treatment. Application of moisturizer and sunblock The machine we are using for this laser treatment is a CO2 fractional laser machine. The number of sessions needed to achieve a sustainable significant result: depends on the severity of the acne scarring. This may take up to 6 to 8 sessions, spaced about 4-6 weeks apart. We cannot guarantee complete disappearance of all acne scars, but the degree of improvement will be significant. Possible side effects of this treatment: Transient redness and swelling of the treated area which may last 5-7 days. Some mild pinkness may persist for up to a week after that (this is more common in patients who tend to blush or flush easily or who have a lot of dilated blood vessels on the skin). Mild crusting and oozing which may last 5-7days Any existing cold sore may be worsened Rarely, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation may occur (this risk is minimized by the usage of creams post-treatment) Client precautions and general advice Please inform doctor if there is a history of cold sores or allergies to medications or other medical problems Darker-skinned clients may have a slightly higher chance of developing increased pigmentation of the skin after the laser This treatment is not suitable for pregnant women Patients with active severe acne may not be considered suitable for lasers till the activity is diminished Any current infection on the face is considered a contraindication for laser treatment Any oral isotretinoin (Roaccutane) treatment (usually given for active severe acne) given in the past 6 months is considered a contraindication Patient should not have had any laser treatment on the face in the past 4 weeks Post-laser antibiotics may be given to prevent infection In spite of the application of numbing cream, there may still be some mild pain during the laser treatment. The skin will feel like there has been a sunburn for the first 24 hours. Application of ice packs or cold compresses for 5-10 minutes every hour for 5-6 hours will give a lot of comfort. Painkillers can be used to reduce discomfort and pain. A cream will also be supplied for the treatment area to allow faster recovery and prevent infection. It will be a good idea to stay away from work and take time off from normal activities for about 5-7 days post-laser treatment to allow the skin to return to normal. After the laser treatment you will see multiple small whitish dots on the treatment area which may be in a grid-like pattern. These are commonly referred to as MTZ (micro-treatment zones). These will turn brown in 2 days. Do not scratch off the small brown burn spots on the skin that will be there after the laser treatment. Scratching these spots may lead to infection or scarring. Allow them to fall off by themselves (usually after 5 – 7 days). Skin protection (staying away from the sun) is essential as the sun may trigger off or worsen pigment formation.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 17:04:56 +0000
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