Advice and information on acne products and treatment options

Your Options for Acne Scar Removal
Options may include home treatments such as topical medications and weak to medium chemical peels, in-office treatments such as microdermabrasion, laser, Intense pulsed light, injections, dermabrasion or dermaplaning.  We will outline the available options below, however only a qualified medical professional may be able to determine if any of the described treatments are appropriate for your individual case.

• Topical Medications To Speed Skin Renewal:Topical medications may include tretinoin (the main ingredient in Retin A), hydroquinone, alpha hydroxy acids, vitamin C serums, or our BIOSKINCLEAR which focuses on the root causes of acne and the dissolution of scars by the action of enzymes and activators of skin renewal.

• Microdermabrasion or Macrodermabrasion:
  • Microdermabrasion often uses either aluminum oxide or magnesium oxide crystals with a machine which blasts the stratum corneum (upper most layer) away with positive pressure and also uses negative pressure (suction) to not only suck the crystals back up to decrease mess but also to increase circulation during the procedure.
  • Macrodermabrasion uses salt to exfoliate the top layer of skin and no negative pressure. Many macrodermabrasion machines also utilize ultrasonic energy as well.
• Home microdermabrasion creams use the same mcro-crystals as the professional systems embedded in a cream base and you pally them with your fingers regularly.
• Chemical Peels: Chemical peels may include lactic acid, salicylic acids, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and others.
• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL): IPL treatments involve undergoing exposure to very bright light on the treatment area to remove hyperpigmentations and improve skin's elastin.
• Laser Resurfacing: Lasers such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Smoothbeam, CoolTouch and others, can assist in improving active acne and acne scarring. This procedure literally involves the lasering off of the top layers of skin.  Depending upon the depth of the procedure, there will always be some amount of weeping and redness, with risks of hyper- and hypopigmentation.
• Punch Graft:  Punch graft treatments are reserved for severe acne scarring, usually not including hyperpigmentations.  Punch grafts are more appropriate for ice pick type acne scars which are very deep and experience no improvement after conventional procedures.  The process actually removes the acne scar by excision and the wound is sutured closed.
• Subcision: Subcision procedures are reserved for acne scars which are dented due to scar tissue bands pulling downwards on the skin.  This procedure involves a needle insertion and breaking up the scar from underneath to allow the release of skin.  Some scars will require the addition of an injectable filler as well (see below).
• Injectable Fillers: Injectable fillers are for scars which are dented and other procedures to not trigger improvement in collagen formation.  These fillers, which may be collagen, hyaluronic acid, or synthetic products, are injected into the acne scar both to fill out the area of the dent and to trigger collagen formation.  It is advised to go very slow with injectable fillers as your own rate of collagen formation is very different from the next patient and it is always best to under correct than over correct.
• Dermabrasion: Dermabrasion can be a harsh procedure and requires considerable down time.  Recovery methods have improved however in the form of chitosan masks or hyaluronic gels.  This procedure literally involves the sanding off of the top layers of skin.  Depending upon the depth of the procedure, there will always be some amount of weeping and redness, with risks of hyper- and hypopigmentation. 
• Dermaplaing:  Dermaplaning is the act of removing layers of skin using a sharp razor like instrument.  This can be done on its own or before chemical peels to give deeper penetration of the chemicals.
• Skin Lifting:  If the scars are shallow, yet numerous, minor face lifting and tightening procedures can assist in lessening the appearance of scarring.  If you can slightly tug at your skin to the outside of your face and you notice improvement and you don't have ice pick scarring, you may be a candidate for this if all other treatments have not produced satisfactory results.