In revising old acne scars, a proper evaluation must be made to ascertain the type of scars the patient has. Aside from this, one should also take into consideration the patient’s skin type and lifestyle.
Remember that each patient and unique… and so is their treatment. There are many combinations of procedures that can be done but everything should always be customized to the patient’s needs and lifestyle.
Let’s go over what we did for our patient 🙂
Cystic acne is the main culprit of acne scars, because it creates a bag of pus within the skin. When the pus resolves, the hollow space it leaves behind forms a crater on the skin. When one has cystic acne flares, acne scarring ensues.
There are numerous modalities that can improve acne scars and large pore size. As dermatologists, we follow guidelines as to what modality to use to treat a certain type of scar. But we must also remember that the results of same treatment may vary from person to person. 🧐
Newer hypertrophic scars are easier to treat!
She developed a hypertrophic acne scar on her nose 1 week before she came to the clinic. I did a combination of steroid injection to flatten the scar and IPL to reduce the redness. After 2 treatments, I think we’ve made a lot of progress 😇
For mild acne vulgaris, fractional radiofrequency with or without needling is a good option. The heat contracts the sebaceous glands underneath the skin which prevents pimple formation. 🥰 Plus, if you have recent post-inflammatory erythema and very shallow acne scarring, this treatment may help improve the condition. 🤔 If you have older and deeper acne scarring, fractional RF needling is a better option for you. As this will also address the textural issues of your skin. 👌🏼
