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Health

What to Know about Laser Treatments for Acne Scar Removal

Acne is a skin condition that some people experience. Unfortunately, acne scars can be left behind, damaging the skin and affecting a person’s confidence. However, there is no need to freak out as acne scars can be successfully removed through laser treatment.

How is Acne Formed?

Acne takes place when the dead skin cells and sebum, together with bacteria, accumulate in the skin pores, leading to lesions and inflammation. The human body can naturally fix the damage by forming more collagen. This causes the texture of the skin to change through indentations formation or development of raised areas on the skin. Cicatrice d’acnée can also develop once the skin begins to heal. Depending on the amount of excess collagen the skin formed or lost, the scars can be classified into atrophic and hypertrophic scars.

How Laser Treatment for Acne Scars Works

Lasers are intense monochromatic lights limited within a band of wavelengths. Such lights are mean to stimulate the dermal fibroblasts of the skin which remodel the collagen and elastin lost because of scarring.  Lasers used to remove acne scars are ablative and non-ablative. Ablative lasers can effectively improve acne scars and provide promising results. It works by eliminating the damaged tissue by vaporisation or melting it. Erbium YAG and Carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers are the most commonly used ablative lasers that tend to have a longer recovery time.

Meanwhile, non-ablative lasers have a shorter recovery time; however, they provide less impressive results than that of ablative lasers. Non-ablative lasers don’t eliminate any skin tissue but boost the development of collagen and make the skin tight. Diode and NdYAG lasers are the most commonly used non-ablative lasers.

Different Laser Treatments for Acne Scar Removal

Below is an overview of the kinds of laser treatment used to remove acne scars:

  • Fractional laser treatment. This treatment uses a variety of microbeam sizes and densities to suit the patient’s needs. It can help eradicate existing acne scars and prevent the formation of new scars.
  • Intense Pulse Light (IPL). This laser treatment works on the principle of selective thermal damage in the target area. The device emits polychromatic, noncoherent, high-intensity pulsed light with a broad wavelength spectrum. It is used to treat rosacea, sun damage, telangiectasias, and other conditions.
  • Pulsed dye laser. This treatment is used to improve scar associated erythema. It is also found to improve atrophic, deep boxcar, and icepick scars.

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