Many adolescents and young adults suffer from acne for years and then when it seems to finally clear up, the ugly scars remain. The active breakouts are embarrassing and often rob patients of their self-esteem. Then the scars remain as a reminder. Can this cycle of embarrassment end? At Skinatomy Laser Clinic, we have some treatments to share with you to help you finally eliminate acne scars!
Fraxel skin resurfacing is a treatment that is designed to improve the look of acne scarring, surgical scarring, sun damage, fine wrinkles associated with aging, and to improve skin texture and tone. It is done in a series of 3-5 treatments that are spaced 3-8 weeks apart.
The Fraxel laser treatment creates tiny “microthermal zones” that go deep into the skin and push out the old sun-damaged, scarred or wrinkled skin. This action triggers the body’s own healing process and accelerates the production of collagen and new, healthy skin cells. People notice results within a week of the first treatment with a smoother look and a more healthy glow. Full results will be seen after the full series of treatments have been done in 5-6 months.
Microneedling is a treatment for acne scars, fine lines, and wrinkles. Microneedling stimulates the production of the skin’s own collagen and elastin. The treatment is done with the use of a hand-held device that is applied to your skin by a trained professional. This device contains a number of microneedles that will puncture your skin with controlled depth to create tiny, controlled skin injuries. Once this is done, your body will take over in order to heal your skin and will produce new collagen and elastin to heal and fill in those spots.
Microneedling can be done alone or with a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment. This treatment is often called a Vampire Facelift. In a typical treatment, your physician will draw blood from your own arm and spin it in a centrifuge machine to separate out the blood platelets from the plasma. The platelets in the blood contain proteins and other growth factors that will stimulate collagen production. Collagen helps to provide elasticity to your skin as well as helping to restore volume. This, in turn, gives your skin a more healthy, youthful look and helps to speed along the reduction of your acne scars. During a PRP treatment, the platelet-rich liquid will be topically applied to your face during and after microneedling.
A MicroLaser Peel works by sending a beam of light across the treatment area and by removing a thin layer of skin that has been damaged, resulting in an improvement in the skin’s texture. This peel is customized to your individual needs and the depth of the peel is carefully controlled. The treatment lasts from 15 – 30 minutes. When shallow settings are used, there is no anesthetic required for the patient’s comfort, however, deeper settings will require a numbing cream to make the treatment more bearable. Patients will receive special products to use during the healing process, which usually lasts 3 to 4 days. The end result is improved texture, tone, skin color, and reduction in the appearance of scars.
The Kenalog Acne treatment is an injectable steroid treatment that is designed to stop the formation of cystic acne. This steroid injection reduces the inflammation and clears the acne outbreaks over the course of a week. This treatment takes approximately 10 minutes. Ice or topical numbing cream can be applied to ease any pain from the injections. Results appear in approximately 5 days and there is no downtime with this treatment.
The Profractional Erbium Yag Laser creates channels in the skin that are narrow in diameter. It uses dual radio frequencies to target 2 separate layers of the skin at the same time. The creation of these channels in the skin encourages the body to produce new elastin and collagen in order to heal itself. Because there is no heat, it is safe for all skin colors. There is quick healing with this treatment and patients can return to their normal activities immediately. Treatments last approximately 30 minutes and most clients feel no pain during this treatment.
