If you have ice-pick scars caused by acne, your not alone. Acne is often chronic in all ages. Severe acne can be worse during adolescence due to hormonal changes, then clear up. The scars caused by severe acne though, can leave a person’s face very disfigured .There are many good methods for removing acne scars.

Chemicals like Alpha Hydroxy Acid and Beta Hydroxy Acid are used in a treatment called Chemical Peels. The outer skin surface is stripped away after direct application of the strong chemicals. For deep icepick scars multiple treatments of TCA are sometimes used to lift and fill the scar.

Punch grafting is a procedure that uses a small tool to dig out the scar. A piece of skin is normally taken from behind the ear and placed into the puncture made by the punch biopsy tool. The skin graft is held in place with skin glue or butterfly strips. This technique may leave a slight scar but usually much less noticeable than the original acne scar. They are one of the best treatments for fixing deep acne scars.

Collagen injections are used to replace the lost collagen in the dermis of the skin. It’s often actually a form of collagen taken from cows or pigs because their collagen make up is very similar to humans. A needle is used to inject the collagen into the dermis to fill the void left by the scar. Collagen injections do not last very long for ice pick scars and may require subcision for best results.

Autologous Fat Transfer can be used as a filler for acne scars. Liposuction or a large bore syringe is used to take fat cells from the patients own body. Usually from the buttocks or thighs and other areas which have an excess of fat. All dermal fillers are absorbed by the body so these treatment don’t usually last forever. Fat transfer do tend to last longer than other fillers though. Doctors often use up to 30% more fat than is initially required to help counter the effects of absorption. Fat cells are actually very delicate and great care has to be taken when doing this process.

Dermabrasion is a good treatment for mild acne scars. Removal of the top layers of skin using a tool that abrades (sands) the skin. The small tool is very similar looking to a hi-speed rotary tool with interchangeable sandpaper tips. The surgeon can control the speed of the tool which is very important as he works to not go to deep into the dermis of the skin. Great skill is required for this procedure.

There are a lot of people that have suffered severe acne that caused an orange peel look to their face. Laser surgery is a great method for certain types of acne scars. One very neat approach is an inside out method of re sculpting acne scars. This special laser is called a smooth beam. The skin surface is cooled with a quick spray of cryogen, than an immediate blast of light energy from the laser. This protects the epidermis of the skin while the laser heats the dermis. It allows new collagen to form and fills the scar pit from the inside out.

Some scar depressions can be lifted by a technique called subcision which is often necessary before a filling agent can be injected. A probe is inserted to break up the bands of tissue that are pulling down on the skin causing the depression. Once the fibres are cut using a special needle instument, the surface of the skin can be lifted up so the acne scar is less visible.

Tags: Skin Care and Acne