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PZ547
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Daisy, in one of the topic-headers it asks; 'How can I banish my acne '. So I wrote the above post. Then, in a lower topic-header, it says: 'How can I banish my acne scars?'
which are two separate topics. One's about active acne and the other is about the resultant acne scars. Having only seen the first header when I responded, I spoke more about acne. Seems I should have addressed acne scarring
In regard to acne scarring, you have a few options -- mechanical dermabrasion, chemical dermabrasion and laser treatment
Mechanical dermabrasion, according to a dermatologist I spoke with, is a bloody affair. It consists of basically using a sanding machine in the form of a stiff brush, to sand off the top layers of the skin. It requires a lot of down-time because first the blood has to scab. Then the scabs have to come away by themselves -- no picking or you'll get more scarring. When the scabs are gone, the skin will be very tender and highly susceptible to sun damage. And it will be red, same as under any reasonably deep scab. So not for the faint of heart and I don't think it's performed very often any more in the West
Chemical dermabrasion or chemical-peel is much the same, except the damage to the scarred tissue is caused by strong chemicals -- pretty much on a par with controlled drain cleaner. Same thing -- scabs, weeping, swelling, itching followed by scabs having to come away on their own, then redness and strict avoidance of direct sunlight. An added and considerable danger in the hands of the wrong or uninformed practitioner is that the chemicals can be absorbed through the skin. I've read of at least two people who died as a result of kidney damage. And again, not for the faint of heart and requires considerable time off work
The third option is laser treatment which will also require the individual to take time from work. My son had three laser treatments roughly a year apart. Swelling and redness and of course, strict instructions to avoid direct sunlight. Things have most likely improved further as regards the laser treatments, but you must do your homework and make sure to go to someone reputable, recommended by specialists. A laser in the hands of the wrong person could spell disaster
The results from all the above options is pretty much the same. A reduction in scarring of about 50-70% improvement on the first run. Next time, a further 50-70% improvement on what's left. And if you go for a third, a similar improvement. As you can see, the treatments reduce what is left each time, so cumulatively, you do get a great reduction in the scarring. None of the options are cheap, but most say it's worth it despite the sacrifice, to be rid of the worst of the scarring
With my son, after three treatments, there's definitely an improvement compared to how the cystic acne left him looking. And each laser treatment reduced the scarring even more. But in certain lights, you can see the scarring is all there in the same way as when you try to sand out a deep mark in a piece of furniture or flooring. He was tossing up as to whether or not to have another laser dermabrasion, but that was a few years ago and he seems to be resigned to the fact he will never regain the unmarked skin he had before the acne hit
A doctor will show you that scars in the skin are laid way down in the skin's layers. You most likely have a scar or two from childhood and know that those scars remain through into adulthood, even though some may grow fainter with time. It's the same with acne scarring. Some of the cystic acne scars are laid deep down in the dermis and become a permanent scar. Just like valleys and mountains in the natural landscape. Only dermabrasion that can go down quite deep has a hope of wiping away the original scar-blueprint. Which is why any sort of dermabrasion, be it mechanical, chemical or laser, leaves a mess of the skin initially
Don't fall for the toy dermabrasion tools you can buy online which promise to 'remove' scars. Waste of time and money. It's like rubbing furniture polish on a deep mark on a table -- it might polish the surface but it won't remove the mark. Same with dermabrasion -- it has to get down to a certain (safe) level if it has a hope of evening-out the deeper layers of the skin. And that's why mechanical or chemical dermabrasion is severe -- basically, they have to scrub off the top skin to get to the scar-blueprint. And if your skin's been scrubbed off at the top, it's going to bleed etc. Laser is far less invasive and less traumatic. And it's not something that can be carried out in a beauty parlor or 'clinic' -- in fact, in the wrong hands, that can lead to even more and worse scarring. So be advised by a fully qualified dermatologist and take his advice regarding which laser place you should attend. And again, best of luck. Oh ... and if you get a gut feeling about the laser clinician, listen to that gut feeling. If it tells you to get out, do that .. make whatever excuse you have to, even if they've been recommended by your doctor. Lasers aren't toys and can do a lot of damage. Someone who was reliable two months ago and has been recommended by specialists might not be reliable today, for whatever reasons. People use drugs, they have breakdowns or they're just having a bad day. So it pays to listen to your instincts, always. You can always find someone else but you only get one face
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how I banish my acne scars? (Read 2649 times)
