Acne scars may be treated through various non-invasive techniques. Since most of these procedures are considered cosmetic rather than medically necessary, insurance coverage will likely not cover them.
Dr. Green works closely with her patients at her boutique dermatology office in Manhattan to develop a treatment plan that produces optimal cosmetic results. Get in touch today to schedule an initial consultation!
Acne Scar Revision
Scars can be caused by surgery, injury or severe acne – all of which are painful and unsightly forms of skin disfigurement that are emotionally distressful. Luckily, non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments exist that can greatly decrease their appearance.
Scar revision can be performed for cosmetic or functional reasons; either to alter a scar in order to make it less prominent and make its texture or color less prominent. A revision procedure can help make scarring less prominent or make it less obvious while improving texture and color quality.
Scar treatment products sold over-the-counter typically involve topical applications that contain ingredients like onion extract or vitamin A to reduce scar appearance, yet their results remain limited as they cannot reach into deeper layers of the skin where scars reside.
An increasingly effective approach to scar revision is surgical scar revision surgery. This process entails surgically extracting the scar and suturing its wound to reduce size and visibility; it is most frequently employed on acne scars and keloid scars.
As part of your scar revision procedure, you may receive local anesthesia or sedation, depending on your unique needs. Once the scar is completely numb, your surgeon can utilize one or more techniques for revising it; such as cryosurgery – in which liquid nitrogen is applied directly onto the area to “freeze” away scar tissue – typically used on shallow and small scars; not recommended for darker skin tones.
Subcision, another surgical scar revision method, uses a needle to break apart scar tissue that connects the surface of the skin with scarred areas and stimulate collagen growth for scars to flatten out and fade over time*
Other less-invasive procedures that can help to minimize acne scars include laser and dermabrasion treatments, which resurface the skin to produce an even texture and tone, microneedling can increase collagen and elastic tissue while producing similar effects as dermabrasion, dermal fillers can address depression scars by “filling them in,” making them less noticeable; typically these results need to be maintained with regular appointments every six to 12 months for best results.
Acne Scar Removal
Acne scars can be an emotional burden and have an adverse impact on one’s self-esteem. Luckily, there are various treatments to fade and remove acne scars for healthier-looking skin – these include subscision, which involves breaking apart fibrous bands that pull scar tissue down to lower layers of your skin; punch grafting whereby an area of skin is removed in a similar fashion to excision; and cryosurgery where liquid nitrogen freezes the raised scar tissue until it dies off naturally.
Acne Scar Treatment Options
Acne scarring can leave skin looking bumpy, uneven and discolored even after acne has cleared up; its memory can leave scars as a reminder. If acne scars make you self-conscious about yourself and its appearance are starting to affect your confidence levels, there are various treatment options available to remove or reduce their severity.
Your choice of acne scar treatment depends on both the type and degree of scarring present as well as your desired results. A dermatologist can be an invaluable source of guidance regarding which therapies will provide optimal solutions.
Resurfacing procedures such as dermabrasion or laser resurfacing can be used to treat shallow to moderate acne scars by smoothing their surfaces, while also helping diminish boxcar and ice pick scars by smoothing out their sharp edges.
Chemical peels may also help improve the appearance of superficial acne scarring, and are an ideal treatment option for those who have less severe scars. This technique involves applying a chemical solution directly onto the skin which peels away its uppermost layers. Once this process has taken place, healing begins naturally reducing boxcar and icepick scars significantly and may provide relief to less severely scarred individuals.
Fillers may help to treat other forms of superficial scarring by plumping the skin and diminishing raised scars. Made of collagen or fat, fillers are typically injected using needles into the skin using an injector gun for even distribution and to produce an even complexion. This procedure typically takes only minutes in-office.
Deeper scars often require surgical removal or skin grafts for corrective purposes. Your doctor can use punch excision, which involves punching out an individual scar and then closing up the wound using stitches or skin grafts; or subcision to loosen fibers beneath it and lessen its appearance.
Raised or keloid scars require more aggressive treatments; however, you do still have options available to you. A doctor may inject steroids directly into the scar tissue to soften it; microneedling can also help by creating more elastic skin by producing additional collagen production throughout your facial region.
Acne Scar Treatment Cost
When considering acne scar treatments, it’s essential that you are aware of their costs. Chemical peels and laser skin resurfacing treatments may vary significantly in cost; prices depend on various factors including type and severity of scarring as well as how many treatments will be necessary before visible results appear.
Acne scars can have an enormously detrimental effect on both one’s self-image and mood, prompting many patients to undergo cosmetic treatments to address them. But it is essential that expectations for what this procedure can achieve remain realistic; most cosmetic treatments such as dermabrasion, laser skin resurfacing or subcision with dermal fillers have proven successful at gradually diminishing the appearance of scars over time.
As with any condition, acne scarring cannot be permanently eliminated; your scars may return at some point in the future. To help ensure scarring doesn’t reoccur, follow your dermatologist’s recommendations regarding skin care practices.
Insurance may cover the costs of scar removal; in such instances, their dermatologist will contact their insurance company and set up a payment plan with them. Plastic surgeons may offer financing solutions as well; alternatively, patients can seek financial assistance through personal loans, credit cards or healthcare loans.
Ice Pick, Boxcar and Rolling Scars are three main forms of acne scars: depressed acne scars with long thin indentations in the skin known as Ice Pick Scars are the hardest to treat while Boxcar Scars are an atrophic form with pitted edges which give it its name.
Rolling Scars are another type of atrophic scar that looks as though someone rolled their finger across the skin, creating indented and undulated waves of skin with indented depth and texture. Treating Rolling Scars may be easier and more affordable than Ice Pick or Boxcar scars.
Sometimes a patient’s cosmetic treatments will be covered by their health insurance provider. This is often the case with procedures like laser skin resurfacing or subcision with dermal fillers that are considered medically necessary, while procedures like dermabrasion and chemical peels might not.