How are acne scars treated with lasers?

We often receive this question in our e-mail box after users on our website browse though before and after pictures of acne scars. Although it may seem like a simple question, there are actually many treatment options based on a patient’s condition and lifestyle.

Celibre is able to treat red and brown colored acne scars as well and textured acne scars. Some treatment plans allow for both the long term prevention of acne and the treatment of acne scars simultaneously. Generally, it is very difficult if not impossible to determine what kind of treatments we would suggest for a potential patient until we see them up close. We need to understand their goals and then design a program that fits their situation and this is done during the initial consultation.

More About Laser Acne Scar Removal Treatments

Laser Acne Scar Removal Before and After Pictures

Textured Acne Scars. Textured acne scars have two different treatment programs available. One of these solutions (ablative resurfacing) comes with what we call “social downtime” which is approximately 5-7 days of redness swelling and peeling and the other comes with no downtime (non-ablative resurfacing). No downtime laser resurfacing is very effective at developing new collagen for shallow surface scars, especially in situations where the patient still has active acne. Ablative (downtime) laser resurfacing is a more aggressive acne scar laser treatment program This program is ideally suited for deeper pockmarked or ice-pick scars, and results are generally more dramatic than no downtime laser resurfacing. The ablative laser resurfacing is a program that requires the patient to be home for several days after the treatment for recovery.

Brown Acne Scars. Pigmented (or dark spots) acne scar removal is entirely different than textured acne scar removal treatments. Removing dark acne scars may involve laser procedures and/or topical skin care products. Our first laser option involves q-switched lasers, which we use to treat brown acne scars. Q-switched lasers work by heating up the pigment in the skin to the point where it fragments. It can then be removed by the body’s lymphatic system leaving a patient with a more even skin tone. Celibre Medical also uses two separate depigmentation programs for brown acne scars. These products prevent the body from making the pigment that causes brown acne scars.

Red Acne Scars. Lasers can also be used to treat red acne scars. A pulsed dye laser is used to remove all kinds of redness associated with vascular conditions including acne and Rosacea . It is used to remove small red acne scars by closing the microscopic capillaries associated with the redness.

At Celibre, we focus on patient education. We want our patients to understand and participate in the decisions that make up their care plan. To this end, our knowledgeable medical staff are here to help you understand the benefits and risks of our laser acne scar removal treatments.

Our team would be pleased to offer a complimentary consultation to address your skin care goals. A good starting place is to gather information and view before and after photos of Celibre patients in our photo gallery.

At Celibre, we stay at the forefront of research and best practices so that we may offer the most appropriate and effective treatment plans for our valued patients. Please give us a call to learn more about laser acne scar removal treatments.

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