Acne is one of the most widespread skin problems that affect over 80% of people of all ages and skin types. What’s worst, acne can leave permanent scars that ruin the appearance and the beauty of your skin. Fortunately, there are various treatment procedures that can help remove most types of acne scars. One of these procedures is what is known as the acne scar laser treatment.
Acne scar laser treatment has become one of the most popular procedures to remove acne scars and blemishes. And despite the high cost, more and more people are opting for this acne scar removal treatment as the favorite treatment option to get rid of acne scars.
What is exactly acne scar laser removal treatment?
Laser treatment for acne scars is a relatively new procedure to deal with acne scars that is also often used to reduce wrinkles and stretch marks. In this procedure, a laser beam is emitted into the skin area that affected by acne scarring.
In general, laser acne scar removal techniques improve the skin appearance in two ways: first, the laser burns off superficial layers of damaged skin allowing new healthy skin layers to grow in its place. Second, the laser encourages collagen growth which also helps in the making of healthy layers of new skin. The end result is a healthy clear skin free from acne scars.
There are different types of acne scar laser treatment procedures that are classified into two main categories: ablative and non-ablative laser treatments. A dermatologist can recommend the best laser treatment for you and that will depend on your skin texture, colour and the type and severity of your acne scars.
Ablative Laser Surgery (Also known as Laser Skin Resurfacing)
Skin resurfacing lasers or ablative lasers use high-intensity light beam to burn off the superficial layers of the damaged skin (epidermis) including the acne scar. Basically, the damaged layers of skin are peeled off and new healthy skin layers are allowed to grow naturally. In addition, ablative lasers help reduce the acne scar visibility by stimulating the collagen to tighten.
Laser skin resurfacing procedures usually use one of two types of lasers: CO2 laser and Erbium laser. Procedures using CO2 laser are the most effective and often require one single treatment session and few months for the skin to heal. In the other hand, procedures using Erbium laser require multiple treatment sessions, but the skin will require less time to heal between each session.
Ablative lasers are very effective for moderate to deep acne scars and have high success rates in most cases. However, these procedures have some side effects which include long healing time for the treated skin and extended skin redness.
Non-ablative Laser Surgery
Non-ablative lasers target the dermis beneath the top skin layers to treat mild to moderate acne scars and improve skin tone and texture. This treatment is also used to treat other skin problems such as wrinkles and stretch marks.
Non-ablative laser skin surgery is less effective than ablative laser skin resurfacing surgery but take less time to perform, require shorter healing time and less risk of infection.
Summary
Acne scar laser treatment is, to a certain extent, a type of surgery. Depending on the type of the laser treatment, you may need anesthesia or sedation; the treatment may last from 15 to 90 minutes; and you may need anywhere from few days to few months for your skin to heal so you can resume your usual skincare. It is also important to know that acne scar laser surgery my cause pigment changes in Asian and African-Caribbean skin after inflammation or damage.
Laser treatment for acne scars is not a magical cure to remove all acne scars, marks and blemishing. Rather, it reduces acne scarring and improves the skin appearance and general health.
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