When permanent skin damage occurs, people look out for treatment of acne scars by using methods that range from various acne medications to laser treatments.
When tiny pores present on your skin get clogged with dead skin cells, oil and bacteria acne comes into being. These lesions or pimples which have a more targeted effect on your face, neck, chest and back, eventually become inflamed and rupture. Rupturing of the lesions occur at deep inside your skin wherein all infected filth spreads within and reaches the deeper tissues. This results into even bigger lesions. In order to repair the damage, your body creates collagen which ends up altering the smoothness and the texture of your skin. This may result into formation of depressions and indentations on your skin or excess skin.
Any acne that you opt for aims only towards clearing spots and prevent scarring as much as possible. There are different types of treatments which operate differently. One of the acne treatments is high-tech laser treatment. It is a safe, simple and pain-free procedure for acne treatment.
Also Read: Signs You Need to See a Dermatologist
The Pluses and Minuses of Acne Laser Treatments:
Acne laser treatments have tremendous advantages over earlier techniques (such as dermabrasion) of scar removal. Laser acne treatment is painless as it works through the skin without bleeding and very low risk of infection. On the other hand, dermabrasion which involves mechanical removal of just the top 25 layers of skin cells which are nothing but the skin layers constituting dead skin cells. Underneath these cell layers are present regenerative skin cells which could be risen up to fill in the scar as they replace the skin. As, it is a surgical procedure it leaves a bloody wound that could easily infest microbes.
The downside of laser treatments for acne has always been that you require more than one sitting to benefit from it. And it is not certain that all skin types will respond well to laser treatment. Laser treatment is based upon treating the dark skin with high energy beams. This means darker the skin, more is the amount of light energy required to destroy melanin (the pigment which gives skin its dark color). This may result into charring of the skin above the level of the blood vessels and opening of a wound. When the skin grows back, it may be lighter than surrounding skin. Darker the skin, greater is the problem with loss of pigmentation after treatment. Another disheartening truth about laser treatment of black and dark brown skin is that darker skin tends to form tough scars known as keloids. These blemishes require more focused and longer treatment than ordinary acne scars, running greater risk of damage to the skin.
Should You Have Laser Treatment for Acne?
Even if you have fair skin, there are reasons you may not want to have laser acne treatment.
• Acne laser treatment is quite expensive, and is generally not covered by insurance. Scars do not go in just one visit and you need to spend that heavy amount quite a many times to improve your condition.
• If you have contact dermatitis, eczema, or psoriasis chances are that they may get worsened by laser treatments.
• Laser treatments are very precise. There may be a noticeable difference between treated and untreated areas of skin, almost as if a line had been drawn across your face.
• Laser treatment is not the final answer for acne. Laser acne treatments improve the skin, but they never perfect it.
Important Tips to Help Prevent Acne Scarring:
The best thing to do is to avoid scarring all together. If you have acne and are worried about possible scars, there are two simple things to keep in mind that will help.
Don’t Pick – This is probably the hardest thing to do but when you ‘pop’ a whitehead, you’re doing more damage. Inflammation increases and more collagen is lost, which means your skin can’t heal as well as it should. It can also lead to bacteria spreading even deeper.
Also Read: 5 skincare mistakes that damage your skin
Sun Exposure – Too much direct sun exposure can make acne worse and make it last even longer. Always use sunscreen and protect yourself from sunlight, especially in the middle of the day when sunlight is at its strongest.
Conclusion:
Acne can be treated with acne medications as well as laser treatment. Laser treatment for acne is safe. However, it has its own pros and cons and hence, the decision of choosing laser treatment to get rid of acne and its scars should be taken after taking all the points into consideration.
