Acne scars can be a very troubling problem. Even though the acne breakouts may be controlled or have long since stopped, the scarring remains for a lifetime. Treatment for acne can be as troublesome as the disease itself. Usually, successful treatment requires a team approach with a dermatologist and a cosmetic surgeon. First, attention must be turned to stopping any outbreaks then repair of the scarring. If outbreaks continue, scarring is likely to continue and any treatments aimed at treating scarring would be futile.
There are many options for treatment of acne today depending on the severity of outbreaks. These are beyond the scope of this article except to say that treatment for the underlying disease process is a must. Once the outbreaks are well controlled, attention can be turned toward erasing the lasting marks on the face. Of note, acne is not only a disease of adolescence. Adult onset acne is not completely uncommon and is seen in women who are pregnant – often with more severe scarring.
Though there are many options for treating acne scars, there is not one treatment that works for every patient. The options are in some cases limited by skin color, skin type, type of scarring, and health conditions of the patient. Patients with lighter skin generally have more options than patients with darker skin though everyone can see improvement.
For superficial acne scarring, less invasive procedures can be undertaken to produce excellent results. Light facial resurfacing and procedures to reduce redness left after active acne outbreaks can help to reduce the tell tale signs of acne scarring. While options are available to everyone, the most options exist for patients with light skin and superficial scars.
For deeper scars, a deep chemical peel, ablative laser (CO2 or erbium) resurfacing, or dermabrasion/dermasanding may be necessary. For deeper scars, deeper solutions are necessary. Again, several options exist. Deeper scars can be surgically excised with the larger acne scar replaced with a surgically placed small line. This can later be refined with other rejuvenation techniques. Punch grafting affords a simple method for treating multiple scars. A circular punch is used to create an incision around an acne scar. The scar is then allowed to heal and the resulting skin irregularity is smoothed. Subcision involved releasing the tethering attachments underneath the scar and then filling the space with either a temporary or permanent filler to prevent the scar from reforming when it heals. With the advent of new temporary artificial fillers such as hyaluronic acid, this is a good option for larger depressed scars.
Dr. Verret is a facial plastic surgeon in the north Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas. For more information about torn earlobe or eyelid surgery visit Dr. Verret online or call for a consultation 972.608.0100.
