The Best Acne Scar Treatment and Removal in Cleveland!
What Causes Acne Scars?
Acne scarring is a result of cysts that have ruptured through the skin which destroy the surface of the skin and supporting structures.. Many times the removal of an acne cyst actually destroys the surrounding and supporting structures of the skin. This results in scarring not only on the surface but the disruption of the deeper layers and leads to depressed "craters" and "ice pick" scars. Note: ALL ACTIVE ACNE MUST BE TREATED AND STOPPED BEFORE CONSIDERING SCAR TREATMENTS.
Remedies for Acne Scars
There really is no "treatment" for an acne scar other than modification of the surface of the skin. Before modern lasers, this "planing" of the scars was done with a wire wheel in a surgical procedure called dermabrasion. This was done under general anesthesia. With the advent of lasers, the surface of the skin can be safely modified and in many cases smoothed and regenerated with just topical anesthetic cream and cold air blown on the surface. There are many scars that are too deep and severe to be improved with laser treatment alone. In this case, a biopsy punch (similar to a paper punch) is used to core out a round piece of skin with the deep scar. The resulting defect is closed with sutures which are removed in 5-7 days. This results in a small, linear scar which is less noticeable than the original, depressed scar.
In lieu of using a biopsy punch to cut the scar out, "sub-cision" or cutting the upper skin from the lower layers can be done and the depressed scar is filled with a facial filler such as Restylane®. Filling acne scars with filler is NOT permanent and touch-ups are common every 6 months to a year since fillers are not permanent and the body slowly removes them.
Laser Skin Resurfacing
Laser skin resurfacing and ProFractional® treatment are the most effective means for acne scar treatment. (See the pictures above and the video at the bottom of this screen.) Skin resurfacing involves the use of a laser which removes the upper layers of dead skin, the epidermis, and in many cases removes part of the dermis by vaporizing the tissue. The Yag Laser heats the water molecules in the skin and flash-vaporizes a layer of skin to a very precise and accurate depth.
The removal of 100 µm of skin, which is the thickness of a "Post-It Note," or more is necessary at times to treat acne scars. This is the best acne scar treatment for light to medium scars. Heavier scarring requires the use of a much deeper laser treatment and the addition of a process called ProFractional®. ProFractional® laser treatment creates a series of small holes in the skin. (Please view the video at the bottom of this page. The video can be viewed "full screen" by clicking on the small icon in the lower right corner of the video.) The body heals these micro-holes and brings in new collagen which remodels the skin thereby repairing irregularities in the texture and smoothness of the skin.
Acne Treatment to Prevent Scarring
The Fountain Clinic™ has Broad Band Light (BBL, also known as IPL) treatments designed to go deep into the skin and kill the bacteria that produce acne lesions. Proper treatment early on can significantly reduce scarring and the need for treatment later in life. We will teach you several techniques to use at home with special products to stop acne in its tracks. This bares repeating: ALL ACTIVE ACNE MUST BE TREATED AND STOPPED BEFORE CONSIDERING SCAR TREATMENTS
Acne Scars and Laser Treatment
Any acne-scar treatment is not without downtime. Downtime refers to the amount of time the skin appears red and possibly bloody. Acne-scar treatments therefore should NOT be considered for anything less than three months BEFORE: a weeding, family reunion, big life event or photo-shoot. The fact that the surface of the skin has to be deeply modified requires downtime. ProFractional® laser treatment will modify the structure of the skin in both the surface and deeper layers. BBL Acne prevention treatments have no downtime. Downtime also depends on age, general health, being a non-smoker, good diet, avoiding alcohol, sunlight and the use of supplemental Zinc and Vitamin C.
Cost of Acne Scar Treatment
Since every case is different we cannot give a general rule as to the cost of what an acne scar treatment will be. Only a skin consultation with Dr. Birchall will give you an accurate estimate of the final treatment cost. Many times, multiple treatments are necessary because of the depth of the acne scars. This is not a fault of the laser or physician, this is just the way skin heals and the amount of work needed to repair the skin. Think of the skin as a road with potholes… multiple fillings and smoothing may be required to make the road smooth again.
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