Probably the biggest concern of acne patients must be the sight of the scars on their face. Depending on the type of scars, several treatment methods can be utilized.

It must be remembered that scar removal is an extremely difficult and long process with non-ablative methods. Ablative methods can give excellent results but they are associated with too much pain, discomfort and post-procedure down time to be of any relevance to most patients in this day and age.

Many patients focus all their energies on planning and preparing for their in-clinic treatments but neglect the importance of home care.

This is not ideal.

Home care – do not ignore its importance!
A good home care range that is potent enough to complement the efforts of a medical procedure in stimulating scar lightening, collagen regeneration and textural improvement of skin surface is the key to successful scar improvement.

We have noticed that by using minimally invasive treatments eg. VPL, Silk Peel and a collagen-stimulating home care regime to improve scarring, a 30-40% improvement can be achieved.

Needless to say, combining a laser rejuvenation treatment procedure with the same collagen-stimulating home care will further augment the degree of improvement seen.

Improvement of more than 50% is not always possible and results will vary from patient to patient. Most patients however, will see some definite improvement in their scars in terms of overall look and texture.

Laser skin rejuvenation
We currently use the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064nm for laser skin rejuvenation. (A different handpiece from the one used for treating pigmentation is sometimes used). Compared to a fractional laser, more sessions are possibly needed and the degree of improvement may shade a little. However if you do not like lengthy downtimes, this is a good alternative. There is however, little argument that a fractional laser is possibly the treatment of choice for acne scarring in general.

Generally speaking, we prefer to do non-ablative laser resurfacing or laser rejuvenation when acne is “quiet” as there is a potential to worsen simmering acne if laser treatments are done. However, there are methods to ameloriate any acne “outbreaks” during laser treatment and we will be happy to share with you during your consultation session with us.

Fractional CO2 Laser
The fractional CO2 laser is arguably the most exciting thing for non-ablative/minimally-ablative skin rejuvenation at the present moment. The power of the fractional CO2 laser lies in its ability to deliver excellent results but with relatively shorter (or at times minimal) downtime and much better patient comfort.

Its role in the improvement of acne scarring is well documented and we use one of the most precise and top quality fractional lasers around.

Chemical Peels
In order to reach a further depth of skin wounding and hence stimulation of the deep lying collagen fibres (via fibroblasts), we utilize PCA’s Ultra Peel. (Lactic acid 10%, buffered TCA 20%, kojic acid 2%, azelaic acid).

Azelaic acid functions as both a bleaching agent that can help lighten the PIH associated with scars, as well as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory / comedolytic activity that helps control acne.

When chemical peels are combined with lasers, results can be better enhanced.

Which areas of the body can scarring be treated?
Apart from affecting the face, acne can also trouble our skin on the chest and back. These areas can also be treated by a combination of the above methods with some variations.