Acne Scars
- Acne Scars
Safe and effective treatment for acne scars begins with a consultation at AZ ESTHETICS
- Do I often wish that I could get rid of my acne scars?
- Do my scars limit my opportunities to date, get a job, advance my career, or perform well in school?
- Am I less outgoing and social now than before I had acne scars?
Know what you expect from treatment for acne scars
To get the most from your consultation, many people find it helpful to answer the following questions before they meet with their AZ consultant. Doing so helps you explain what you expect from treatment.
- How do I want to look after treatment?Some treatments can make scars look less noticeable. Others can eliminate wavy skin texture. Be sure to tell your consultant what's important to you.
- What can I afford to spend on treatment? Medical insurance does not cover the cost.
- How much downtime can I afford? Some treatments require downtime.
- How much time will I devote to getting treatment and caring for my skin?Your answer will help determine which treatments will be best for you.
What happens during an acne scar consultation at AZ?
During this consultation, we will:
- Examine your skin, paying close attention to your scars.Effectively treating scars requires knowing the types of acne scars on your skin and where they appear. For example, to get the best results, ice pick scars require different treatment than rolling scars.
- Ask you some questions. These questions help us understand how the scars affect your life, the results you expect, and more.
How do we treat acne scars?
If you and your consultant decide that treatment is right for you, your AZ consultant will create a treatment plan tailored to your needs. Before creating this plan, we will consider the type of acne scars you have, how many scars you have, your age and skin tone, your budget, and many other considerations.If you have acne breakouts, your plan will likely begin with acne treatment. Stopping acne breakouts can reduce inflammation and prevent new acne scars. Treatment for scars typically begins after you have acne under control and are applying acne medication to prevent new breakouts. When it’s time to treat the scars, your treatment plan may include one or more of the following.
Treatment for depressed scars includes the following:
If you pick, pop, or squeeze acne, you increase your risk of getting a scar.
Before getting a peel, your AZ consultant may give you instructions for pre-peel priming. Patients typically follow pre-peel priming at home for 2 to 4 weeks. It can help you get the best results and reduce possible side effects. Pre-peel priming can include taking an antiviral medication or applying a retinoid.You’ll also need to protect your skin from the sun before getting a chemical peel. Doing so helps prevent discolored skin from developing after treatment. Be sure to follow all your AZ consultant’s pre-peel priming instructions.
Fillers :
This treatment adds volume to depressed scars. Fillers can also help your body produce more collagen and elastin to fill in the scars. AZ consultants use different fillers, which last for varying amounts of time. Most fillers give temporary results, ranging from 3 months to 2 years. A filler can also be permanent. Most fillers require a series of treatments, so you may need more than one office visit for this treatment. To retain your results, you’ll also need touch-up visits. Even with a permanent filler, you may need touch-up treatment as your skin ages.
Laser treatment :
AZ consultants use lasers to resurface skin with acne scars. As your skin heals after laser resurfacing, it produces collagen and elastin, which can diminish the appearance of scars. Your AZ consultant may also use a laser to contour skin around acne scars, which can also diminish the appearance of scarring. Some lasers require more treatment sessions than others.
Medication applied to the skin:
If you have mild acne scarring, a retinoid or salicylic acid can make scarring less noticeable.
Microneedling:
During this procedure, your AZ consultant uses tiny needles to puncture the skin with acne scars. Puncturing the skin causes the body to produce new collagen and elastin. Also called “collagen induction therapy,” the new collagen helps diminish acne scars. Microneedling is safe for all skin tones. To improve the results that patients see, microneedling is often used along with another treatment like radiofrequency, chemical peeling, or platelet-rich plasma.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP):
Your AZ consultant may use this treatment to enhance the results of another treatment like microneedling. PRP involves having a small amount of your blood drawn. This blood is placed into a machine that separates the blood so that your AZ consultant can use your platelets.
Your AZ consultant will inject your platelets into the treated area. Studies show that using PRP along with another treatment like microneedling can lead to less visible scarring.
Microdermabrasion:
This non-invasive treatment gently exfoliates your skin. While it won’t treat acne scars, AZ consultants use it to even out skin tone, which can improve the results you see from another treatment for acne scars.
Radiofrequency:
This procedure uses radiofrequency waves to help your skin produce collagen and elastin. When your skin has more of these, acne scars are less noticeable.
A type of radiofrequency called radiofrequency microneedling combines radiofrequency with microneedling, a procedure that punctures your skin with tiny needles. Using both can produce less noticeable acne scars than either radiofrequency or microneedling alone.
Both radiofrequency and radiofrequency microneedling are safe for all skin tones.
Scar repair:
AZ consultants can perform minor surgery to diminish noticeable acne scars. your AZ consultant lifts the scar from the underlying tissue. Once freed, the skin rises, which diminishes the appearance of the scar. As the skin heals from the surgery, your body produces collagen and elastin that also help make the scar less noticeable. Another procedure like laser resurfacing or platelet-rich plasma may be used after acne surgery to improve results.
Dermabrasion :
Dermabrasion is a surgical procedure that AZ consultants use to deeply exfoliate the skin. This minor surgery helps your body produce new collagen and elastin. Dermabrasion can also smooth out your skin making acne scars less noticeable.
Exosomes :
Exosome therapy is an new advanced, minimally invasive regenerative treatment that can help improve acne scars by stimulating collagen, reducing inflammation, and promoting skin remodeling, with early clinical evidence showing safety and visible results
Treatment for raised acne scars:
When treating depressed scars, the goal is to get the body to produce more collagen to fill in the depressed areas. Raised scars develop when the body produces too much collagen, so they require different treatment.
| Treatment Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Chemical Peel | Starts at $200 CAD / Peel |
| Chemical Reconstruction of Scar | $450 CAD / Session |
| Fillers | $650 CAD / Syringe |
| Microneedling with Vitamin C & Hyaluronic Acid (HA) | $200 CAD / Session |
| Radiofrequency Microneedling (Acne Scar) | $380 CAD / Session |
| Scar Repair | $1,500 CAD |
| Microdermabrasion | $200 CAD / Session |
| Acne Exosomes | $600 CAD / Session |
Note: The choice of treatment and the number of sessions required depend on each individual's skin condition and treatment goals.