Treatment for Acne Scars

There are four general types of acne scars which may appear on person’s face:

Shallow Depressions

These can be treated with collagen filler or resurfaced with the laser.

Cobblestone Scarring

These are white or whitish elevated bumps in the area of healed acne.

Cliffhanger Scars

These area scars which have drop offs at the edges of each scar and depressions at the base.

Pitted Acne Scars

These are individual deep pits where acne cysts are pustules scarred the skin in the past.

Ultrapulse CO2 Laser

The Ultrapulse CO2 (carbon dioxide) Laser was engineered specifically to help treat acne scarring from which physical and emotional injury has been experienced by those who previously suffered from moderate and severe forms of acne. The Ultrapulse CO2 Laser treats the scars by transmitting pulses of colorless, infrared light into one layer of skin at a time, thereby allowing the surgeon to peel and resurface the facial skin. Certain emissions can treat circular scars with donut-shaped beam patterns, which actually turn away the edges of cliffhanger and pit-type scars. Laserabrasion, as this procedure is sometime known, gently smoothes acne scarring while contouring the skin. The laser not only allows the body to resurface the upper layers of skin, it helps tighten the elastin fibers underneath the skin, resulting in a smoother, clearer complexion.

Deciding What’s Right For You

As with any elective surgery, the patient needs to take into consideration the risks involved with laser surgery. These risks may include the possibility of infection, increased pigmentation or scarring. It should be noted, however, that these side effects are rarely seen. Before any surgical procedures are performed, the risks and expected benefits are thoroughly discussed and agreed upon by doctor and patient.

Among the benefits patients realize is convenience. The Ultrapulse CO2 treatments are performed here at the Peoria Ambulatory Surgery Center located at Soderstrom Dermatology Center, S.C. Here patients obtain the privacy, confidentiality, and convenience of a physician’s office. Because this is an outpatient surgery center, patients also benefit from lower costs for services. But most importantly, the patient gains confidence, self-esteem and peace of mind after minimizing the acne scarring.