Acne scars, a painful result of acne, cause not just physical pain, but emotional damage as well. Many people living with acne scars feel embarrassed about their appearance and may experience lowered self-esteem and depression as a result of living with acne scars. Acne scars can become worse with age as your skin loses collagen and its natural volume. For many years, the only treatments available for treating acne scars were invasive and minimally effective. There was not much hope for people who suffered from acne scars.
Quick Facts About Acne Scar Treatment
- Minimally invasive or non-invasive options
- Restore self-confidence
- Glowing, smooth skin
- Prevent future breakouts
Today’s Best Options for Acne Scar Removal
Lasers, RF microneedling, subcision (acne scar surgery), and other light-based technologies like IPL all treat different types of acne scar symptoms, including pigmentation, texture, and tone concerns. Most patients experience a variety of these symptoms, and their best results come from combining a few different effective acne scar treatments. Reflections offers all of the most advanced acne scar removal technologies and specializes in selecting the right course of treatment for the individual’s skin.
RF Microneedling
Radiofrequency microneedling (RF microneedling), also known s collagen induction therapy, is a breakthrough technology that delivers energy below the skin’s surface, protecting the top layer of skin from the risk of pigment changes, while repairing and restoring the collagen layer below. It’s a highly effective way to treat acne scars. Renewed collagen will fill in gaps and repair irregular scar tissues in the skin’s structural support layers as the skin heals. This precise delivery of energy below the skin’s surface allows us to reduce the risk of pigmentation, even in tan, olive, and dark skin tones, which may be more prone to developing hyperpigmentation (dark or red spots) and hypopigmentation (white spots) with other treatments.
Learn MoreFraxel Re:Store
The Fraxel Re: Store Dual laser produces thousands of tiny columns of microscopic treatment zones deep in your skin. The laser is so precise that its energy penetrates the non-living protective barrier of the skin, called the stratum corneum, as if it were a window, and leaves it completely intact. For every micro-thermal zone the laser targets and treats intensively, it leaves the surrounding tissue unaffected and intact. This fractional treatment approach allows the skin to heal much faster than if all the skin was treated at once. Following each treatment, the body’s natural healing process creates new healthy tissue to improve acne scars and skin imperfections.
Fraxel Re: Store produces a gentle remodeling of collagen under your skin’s surface for a period of six months or more. The range of treatments is three to six, normally spaced two to four weeks apart. Results become apparent after the second treatment and continue for a period of six months after the last treatment.
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Fraxel Re: Pair
Fraxel Re: Pair is a fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser skin resurfacing system that treats the underlying tissues for a smoother appearance. It vaporizes microscopic amounts of tissue deep in the skin without harming the healthy surrounding tissue. This stimulates your body to produce new collagen, which tightens and smooths the skin and diminishes even deeper scars for a younger, healthier appearance.
Fraxel Re: Pair usually requires only one to two treatments and is a more aggressive approach to resurfacing the skin. The laser vaporizes tissue, removing old, damaged skin and allowing for new collagen formation. The downtime of the Fraxel Re: Pair is longer than Fraxel Re: Store, varying from four to seven days. Improvement is noted right away, though ultimate results can be expected within three to six months. Your physician will decide which Fraxel approach is right for you based on the type of scars you have.
Learn MoreeTwo
eTwo (formerly eMatrix) uses radiofrequency (RF) waves to treat your skin from the inside out, targeting mild acne scarring at its root. The energy goes deep beneath the skin’s surface to stimulate the development of new collagen, adding volume to the skin and making it smoother and more resilient. The energy penetrates your skin’s top layer without overheating it. This technology, known as sublative rejuvenation, requires no downtime so you will be back to your daily activities right away.
Learn MoreVBeam Perfecta
Vbeam Perfecta is a pulsed dye laser that targets the redness associated with acne scars. Redness from acne scars is caused by tiny broken capillaries that develop at the site of a healed acne lesion. More common to newer acne scars, the red color can be very hard to conceal. Vbeam targets these broken capillaries and makes the small vessels coagulate, which are then reabsorbed by the body, effectively removing the redness. Vbeam is often used in combination with other lasers that smooth out depressed scars, such as the Fraxel or Smoothbeam laser.
Learn MoreSmoothbeam
Smoothbeam is a popular diode laser used for treating acne that also has a positive impact on acne scars. Smoothbeam sends energy deep below the skin stimulating collagen and smoothing the skin’s surface. A cooling spray prepares the treatment area, making the procedure very comfortable. Smoothbeam is extremely gentle and does not remove any of the skin’s surface during the treatment. After a series of Smoothbeam treatments, acne and acne scars improve and the skin’s surface becomes noticeably smoother. No downtime is required.
Learn MoreBellafill
Other exciting developments in the treatment of acne scars include utilizing the dermal filler Bellafill to stretch or fill out scars or to replace volume loss under your skin to improve the overall appearance of a scar. Dermal fillers require no downtime and yield excellent, consistent results that we only dreamed of years ago. For some patients, we will combine the laser treatment with dermal fillers to help fill in and restore scarred skin. Sometimes, dermal fillers are combined with subcision or the process of freeing up scar depressions using instruments under local anesthesia.
Learn MoreMicroneedling
Microneedling has a set of adjustable microneedles that penetrate to a controlled depth in the dermis (skin), stimulating the creation of new collagen and elastin under the skin. Dermapen also promotes the growth of new capillaries, improving the blood supply to the area and creating healthier skin. The treatment is comfortable, quick, and requires little to no downtime. A typical Dermapen treatment regimen consists of four to six sessions spaced one month apart.
Learn MoreTCA Cross
TCA CROSS (trichloroacetic acid chemical reconstruction of skin scars) is used to treat icepick acne scars. A specially designed applicator is used to apply a small amount of TCA into the base of each scar, stimulating collagen renewal and decreasing the depth of these problematic depressions. TCA CROSS is provided in a series of treatments, spaced a few weeks apart and requires little to no downtime.
Learn MoreSurgical Procedures
Surgical procedures for acne scars are less common due to innovations in laser and dermal filler treatments. However, some ice-pick scars may need to be removed by punch excision, where the scar is excised down to the lower layer of subcutaneous fat, a procedure that leaves a small hole in the skin. These holes are then repaired with sutures or with a small skin graft, where the skin is harvested from another part of the body.
Learn MoreTreatment | Cost | Invasiveness/discomfort | Downtime | How it Works |
---|---|---|---|---|
TCA Cross | $200 - $400 per Treatment, Multiple Sessions Recommended reduced Package Pricing Available | Topcial Application of a Solution Directly Into the Icepick Scar. Some Mild Stinging Is Expected. No Numbing Needed | Immediate White Frost, Followed by Redness for a Few Days That Can Be Covered by Makeup | Improves and Remodels Ice Pick (and Some Box Car) Scars Using a Carefully Applied Strong Chemical Solution Directly Into the Scar |
Microneedling | $450 - $600 per Treatment, Multiple Sessions Recommended reduced Package Pricing Available | Numbing Cream | Amount of Redness/swelling Depends on Nature of Scars and Depth of Microneedling | Micro-needling Performed by Physicians Is Deep Enough to Remodel Scar Tissue from Acne Scars at up to 4mm Deep - Unlike Microneedling Performed by Nurses or Aestheticians; Skin Texture Is Smoothed by Breaking up Scar Tissue and Initiating Self-healing Processes in Skin |
Fraxel Dual Restore | $600 - $1,000 per Treatment, Multiple Sessions Recommended reduced Package Pricing Available | Medium-intensity Laser; Topical Numbing Used | Initial Redness and Then Flaking for Around 3-7 Days. Makeup Can Be Applied the Day Following Treatment | Fractional Laser Treatment Improves Acne Scars Through Skin Resurfacing. Energy Delivered Initiates a Healting Response That Generates New Collagen and Elastin. Can Apply Prp, Biostimulators or Exosomes for Enhanced Results. |
RF Microneedling | $600 - $1,500 per Treatment, Multiple Sessions Recommended reduced Package Pricing Available | Medium-to-high Intensity Microneedling With Radiofrequency; Topical And/or Injection Numbing Used | Mild Redness and Swelling, Typically 1-4 Days. If Prp Is Injected During Same Visit, Higher Potential for Bruising. | Fractional RF Microneedling Improves Appearance of Acne Scars Through Healing Response Initiated by Repeated Microneedle Punctures to Skin. Safe for Use on All Skin Types. Can Add Prp, Biostimulators or Exosomes for Enhanced Results. |
CO2 Laser (eco2 or Fraxel Re:pair) | $400 - $5,000 per Treatment reduced Package Pricing Available | High Intensity Laser Resurfacing - Topical And/or Injection Numbing | Redness, Crusting, and Swelling Expected for 7 - 10 Days, Which Will Be Difficult to Cover With Makeup | Intense Lasers for Skin Resurfacing, Improve Texture and Elasticity of Skin. Can Be Performed in Isolated Areas of Face. Not Safe for Darker Skin. |
Concentrated Platelet Therapy | $400 - 900 as an Add-on to Other Procedures | Blood Drawn for Concentration; Injection or Topical Application of Platelets; Numbing Cream or Injections Used | Reduces Downtime of Main Procedure | Added on to Laser or Microneedling Treatments to Speed Recovery and Boost Results |
Vbeam Laser | $450 - $650 Per Treatment, May Require Multiple Sessions | Medium Intensity Laser Treatment With Cold Numbing Spray (No Additional Numbing Required) | Some Transient Redness and Swelling, Occasionally Some Isolated Bruising | Targets Dilated Blood Vessels Causing Redness in Scars. |
Subcision |
$400 - $1,500 per Treatment, Multiple Sessions may be Recommended | Mechanical Surgical Break-up of Scars; Injection or Topical Numbing | Redness, Swelling, and Bruising May Last 1 Week and Can Be Covered Paritally With Makeup | Mechanical, Surgical Breaking up of Individual Scars Using a Needle or Surgical Instrument. Can Do to Individual Scars or Regionally |
Filler Injections | $650 - $1050 per Sryinge | Numbing Injections | Minor Swelling and Bruising Possible, but Generally Very Mild and May Not Noticeable After 24-48 Hours | Fillers Placed Behind Indented Scars to Lift Skin and Create Smooth Complexion |
HA Rejuve™ Micro-Injections | $1250 - $1750 per Treatment | Numbing Cream | Pinpoint Bleeding During Procedure; Redness and Swelling Can Last up to 5-7 Days | Micro-injected Antioxidant Mix Used to Resurface the Skin |
Cellular Messenger Directives |
$300 - $600 as an Add-on to Other Procedures | Topical Application During Resurfacing Procedure | Reduces Downtime of Main Procedure | Added on to Laser or Microneedling Treatments to Speed Recovery and Boost Results |
Biostimulation With Radiesse and Sculptra | $850 - $1,050 per Treatment, Multiple Sessions are usually Recommended | Injection And/or Topical Application of Biostimulating Fillers | Potential for Mild Bruising and Swelling for Few Days | Injections With These Fillers Stimulate the Body to Grow New Collagen, Repairing and Remodeling the Skin |
View More Acne Scars Treatment Before & Afters
More Before & AftersWhy Choose Reflections Center For Acne Scar Treatment
No matter what type of acne scars you have and no matter how long you have had them, the doctors at Reflections will customize a treatment plan to address your current acne scars and prevent future scarring. If you are fed up with your acne scars, contact us today to make an appointment to speak with one of our doctors and find out which of the great innovations in acne treatment available at Reflections might be right for you.
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Dr. Mitchell Chasin
Dr. Mitchell Chasin is a Cosmetic & Laser Physician at Reflections Center. Dr. Chasin believes strongly that the best cosmetic physicians are those who are dedicated to mastering their craft through continuing education and collaboration with the industry’s top doctors.