What are the best treatments for acne scars?

What are acne scars?

Acne scarring is often left behind as a result of inflamed blemishes and clogged pores. They happen when the skin’s follicle wall is broken and the wounds left behind can be shallow or deep. While shallow wounds are usually quite mild and will heal on its own, deeper lesions occur when the pore wall is broken and infectious substances spread into the surrounding tissue. When the skin experiences an injury such as this, it will attempt to repair it by creating new collagen fibers. Once the skin is healed, it is usually not as smooth as it initially was.

There are 2 main types of acne scarring, which include:

1. Keloid/Hypertrophic Scarring: This occurs when the body produces too much collagen in the healing process, which results in a buildup of raised tissue on the surface of the skin.

2. Depressed/Atrophic Scarring: There are 2 types of atrophic scarring which occur when there is a loss of skin tissue. This includes “icepick” scars, which are small but visible holes in the skin. “Boxcar” acne scarring resembles that of chickenpox scars and are typically circular in shape with angled sides.

Acne scarring can be treated at McLean Clinic to improve the health of your skin and to give you an increased sense of self-esteem and confidence.

How do I get rid of acne scars?
Luckily, there are a variety of treatments available at McLean Clinic to reduce the appearance of acne scarring to give you even, glowing, and radiant skin.

Profractional Laser Therapy

Using fractional resurfacing technology, ProFractional Laser Therapy is a quick and comfortable laser procedure that can be used on all skin types. It works by emitting a small laser beam that creates thousands of microscopic channels on the skin. These microchannels release the deep tethers that cause the deep, pitted, uneven appearance of the skin. Profractional Laser Therapy is a great way to dramatically improve the appearance of acne scarring because it stimulates the skin’s natural production of collagen, which will smooth out the skin’s surface to give you a glowing complexion with minimal downtime. At McLean Clinic, you will notice results in your overall skin tone and texture after a single treatment, although we typically recommend between 2 to 4 for optimal results.

Microneedling

Microneedling is a minimally invasive treatment option that has the ability to improve the appearance of acne scarring by stimulating the skin’s natural collagen production. Using the dermapen, a small, hand-held medical device, the skin will be penetrated in a minimally invasive way. These tiny punctures will trigger your body’s natural wound healing process, resulting in increased cell turnover and collagen and elastin production. Results will appear over time, as the microneedling treatment will even out the facial complexion to improve the appearance of acne scarring and eliminate hyperpigmentation and skin colouration.

Silk Peel Dermal Infusion

The Silk Peel Dermal Infusion is an effective way to treat acne scars because it works by exfoliating the upper layers of the skin, which contain old and dead skin cells. This exfoliation process promotes healthy cell regeneration and turnover to reveal the healthy, young skin underneath. Furthermore, the Silk Peel device will infuse your skin with a variety of skincare topical treatments and products depending on your needs. This will provide a completely customizable treatment option to give you even, glowing skin.

Epidermal Peels

Epidermal Peels, also known as chemical peels, are a great option to reduce the appearance of acne scars on the surface of the skin. It works by combining various exfoliating substances, such as lactic acid, glycolic acid and/or salicylic acid to brighten and rejuvenate the overall skin tone. The day after treatment, you may experience minor peeling and flaking, which is caused by the separation of skin cells during the exfoliation process. Epidermal peels have been performed safely for many years and has minimal downtime associated with it.