Acne breakouts can be a nightmare for a teenager and sometimes still frustrate adults. Unfortunately, acne scars are the unwanted reminder of this painful and bothersome condition. The good news is that acne scars on the face and other areas of the body do not have to be permanent!

Here are the various ways Dr. Monique S. Cohn recommends to help reduce the appearance of acne scars and promote healthy skin.

Chemical peels

The easiest treatment and least expensive is an application of a chemical solution to the skin. This causes the skin to react to the chemically controlled damage and peel to heal itself. Chemical peels create new, regenerated skin that is smoother and tighter than before application. Chemical peels require 4 or 5 sessions and can cause minor redness, and sometimes swelling, but only for a few hours.

Microneedling

Known as collagen induction therapy, medical grade microneedling uses a FDA approved motorized device to create surgically small perforations in the skin. The procedure stimulates a healing process that produces significant new collagen well below the surface. Redness occurs afterwards and can last one or two days. Three or four treatments generate enough new collagen to improve the appearance of scars, fine lines and overall skin texture.

Laser Resurfacing treatments

Serious laser treatments target deeper levels of skin and cause a much greater amount of healing. This is the most expensive treatment and will result in a few days of down time if done with a full CO2 laser. Lasers that are fractionated or claim little downtime are not doing much more than strong chemical peels or deep microneedling.  They are often referred to as “lunchtime” laser peel treatments.

Laser treatments are not just for acne. Dr. Cohn uses lasers to treat other types of scarring like burns and extensive sun exposure damage. Also, Dr. Cohn may use more than one type of treatment for scars, depending on your needs. For instance, she may treat some scars with a laser and others on the same patient with microneedling.  She can additionally soften hard bumpy scars with injections of steroids before doing other treatments.

Natural remedies

The medical treatments for acne scars work well and most patients are happy with the results but there are also things you can do yourself to treat them. Here are a few natural self-remedies:

  • Quit smoking or don’t start smoking
  • Keep your hands off your face. Resist the urge to pick or squeeze your pimples.
  • Treat your acne as soon as possible to reduce the chance of scaring.
  • Try using natural home remedies but be careful to not use oily or pore clogging topicals. These can often just make your acne worse and set you up for potentially more scarring.

Come in and talk to Dr. Cohn about what you can expect from these treatments. You and she can discuss the options. It is important to have a professional realistically communicate what you can expect from a wide range of possibilities. Call Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery Center today at 330-425-7600 to set up an appointment.