Do laser treatments work for acne scars?

Acne scars have been a horrible experience for many people during their youth, especially when they become unsightly. Most scars occur when a pimple is squeezed or popped, resulting in a dark spot. Cysts and nodules can cause deep depressions in the skin and picking at acne can make the scars worse.

You might be tired of trying to conceal these scars with makeup. However, with laser treatment, acne scars don’t have to be permanent.

What laser treatment is best for acne scars?

Laser treatment can be divided into two types: non-ablative and fractional ablative. Ablative laser resurfacing involves using electromagnetic waves to destroy the upper layers and the epidermis. These produce best results in targeting the color and texture of the scars.

Initially, the CO2 ablative laser was in high demand. But while removing thin layers of the skin, it also had a downtime of more than 2 weeks. Its side effects included redness and swelling, therefore full ablative laser resurfacing is rarely done today. Fractional ablative laser resurfacing such as with Fraxel® Repair  is one of the most effective lasers for acne scarring but the downtime is on average a week and a half and is not as commonly performed as the fractional non-ablative lasers such as Fraxel® Dual and Fraxel® Restore.

Fraxel® Dual and Fraxel® Restore , HALO™ lasers and Microneedling with radiofrequency (Infini™ and Genius) are the most commonly performed and quite effective treatments for acne scarring.  Clear and Brilliant® laser is a more mild treatment but similar to Fraxel® Dual in the laser technology used but has less redness for the first week after treatment.

Unlike ablative lasers, fractional lasers break up the laser energy into thousands of tiny beams, and it treats only a fraction of the skin in the affected area. This method has less downtime and less pain. While fractional lasers can be both ablative and non-ablative, they are used to treat many scars and blemishes relating to age. Through non-ablative laser therapy, the skin is heated to stimulate the production of collagen fibers within the deep skin layers.

What are the side effects in laser treatment for acne scars?

Any surgical treatment has side effects and in laser treatment the most common side effect is a change in one’s skin color. Minor pain, redness of skin, swelling and mild oozing are the other side effects that may occur. These will vanish over a couple of days.

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