Can you answer Hung D’s question about Acne?:

i was thinking about having a laser treatment for my acne and i wantta know does the treatment takes place in the dermatologist office or at some kind of hospital?

Acne Scars Laser Resurfacing

Can you answer nuni’s question about Acne?:

In 1st trimester, and I have it worst on my chest and back. Does anyone have experience dealing with acne during pregnancy? What did your dermatologist recommend?

How To Get Rid Of Back Acne

 

It is still unknown how acne forms into the different acne types. What science can tell us right now is that when the sebaceous glands produce excess sebum (oil), it can mix with the dead skin cells and dirt in the skin. This mixture becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. The dead skin cells, dirt and sebum clog up the skin pores. They the manifest themselves as reddish blemish on the skin surface, and this is what we know as acne.

 

Acne that is close to skin surface are what we know as whiteheads and blackhead, non-inflammatory type of acne. Acne that is painful to the touch and swell up, on the other hand, is the inflammatory type of acne. These are the pimples or zits and they can leave scars since they go beyond the top layer of the skin.

 

Acne scars vary from person to person. This is because people have different facial topology. Thus, one person with acne scars can have just shallow imperfections (acne scars that are not so deep), another person may have “ice pick” scars (acne scars that look like chickenpox scars), and another person may have deep acne scars.

 

To date, there is still not a lot of information and research done on acne scars and how they form. Thus, acne scar treatments are not surprisingly limited. Acne scars and their treatment then needs to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. There is not a single acne scar treatment that works for everyone. If you have acne scars, you’ll need to talk to your dermatologist or a cosmetic surgeon to find out what procedure or treatment is most appropriate for you.

 

A number of treatments for removing acne scar are available, and the treatment type depends on the type of acne scarring. Again, it’s best to talk to your dermatologist and find out which acne scar removal treatment (or even a combination of treatments) is the best for you.

 

Below are a few of the acne scar removal treatments available today:

 

* Dermabrasion

With this treatment, the skin is numbed or frozen. A machine removes damaged skin to make way for new skin growth. Dermabrasion is not the same as microdermabrasion. The latter wont remove acne scars.

 

* Laser resurfacing

This acne scar removal treatment uses laser to remove old skin that has been damaged to allow new skin to grow. Laser resurfacing is becoming very popular, and is promising to surpass dermabrasion as the treatment of choice when it comes to acne scar removal.

 

 

* Chemical peel

Chemical peeling is an acne scar removal method wherein the top layer of the skin is removed by applying acid or chemical. The procedure allows for a new smoother skin layer to grow.

 

* Punch

This acne scar removal method is recommended for people who have deep, pitted scars. The procedure involves removing the scar and the wound closed so that it can heal. This method has three techniques: punch excision, punch replacement and punch elevation.

 

* Subcision

This acne scar removal method involves detaching the acne scar from the deeper tissues. This lets a pool of blood to form under the acne scar and clot. The blood basically helps in the formation of connective tissues under the scar so that the acne scar area comes up level with the skin surface.

 

* Augmentation

In this acne scar removal method, the acne scar is injected with a material, either collagen or one’s own fat, with the goal of bringing the scarred skin to surface level.



Thanks to Lisa Mendel for contributing this article to our Acne blog:

Back Acne Scars

Can you answer kid_complex’s question about Acne?:

I’ve been having acne for a couple of years now and i tried everything from proactiv to skin id but none work plus i’m using medicine my dermatologist reccomends. i heard that there is acne laser treatments that remove acne scars [dark spots] and can make acne dissappear for good. Is that true? Is it safe? Is it expensive? How old do you have to be?
How much does it cost?

Back Acne Home Remedies

Acne laser rosacea treatment is being offered by many cosmetic outfits and many people have opted for such treatments. Acne rosacea occurs in people within 30-50 years of age. The cheeks and the nose are most common areas affected by this inflammatory disease. The chin, forehead, chest, scalp and ears may also get affected. First a few pimples may occur some of which may have pus followed by tiny blood vessels that appear on the face giving it a flushed or reddish appearance. The disease may progress into a condition called Rhinophyma.

Acne laser rosacea treatment has indeed made a drastic change as people are symptom free. Such treatment gives them a chance to look youthful, have a more even color, free from the flushing/redness associated with rosacea. VBeam Pulsed Dye laser and Intense Pulsed Light (laser like light treatment) have both been successful in treating patients suffering from rosacea. The VBeam laser has been used in treating patients with vascular problems since the last two decades. Many are treated using a combination of the pulsed dye laser as well as the IPL technology. A non coherent, broad spectrum light is emitted by the IPL device which is used to treat rosacea. The light is absorbed by the skin and it successfully destroys the abnormal vessels reducing the redness.

Acne laser rosacea treatment is done using the VBeam dye pulsed laser. An intense burst of laser is directed at the affected area. This is safe on the skin as the skin is cooled seconds prior to the laser treatment by a dynamic cooling device. The small blood vessels in the area absorb the light which greatly reduces the redness.

It is recommended that patients seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare practitioner before they decide to opt for treatment. This consultation is crucial as it helps the dermatologist to determine if it is safe for you to get treated based on your health, skin condition and family history. The Acne laser rosacea treatment is best done after a patch test has been performed. Be sure to find out how many treatments may be required. The procedure may cost $100 - $450 or more per session for a laser treatment where as an IPL treatment may cost as much as $3000 for the entire treatment process. The treatment is done with gaps of 3-4 weeks between each sitting.

The patch test is required and you need to wait and see if any redness, swellings, sores and/or hypo/hyper pigmentation occurs. If there are no adverse reactions to your patch Acne laser rosacea treatment you may be advised on what you can and cannot do two weeks prior to the treatment. It is better not to consider going in for a treatment if you are planning a pregnancy or are pregnant.

The skin may appear to be reddish and swollen for 1-2 days after treatment. In some cases hypo/hyper pigmentation may occur which may be permanent, scarring is possible too. It is best that you consult a physician who is reputable and has successfully treated many other people using the Acne laser rosacea treatment technology.



Thanks to Stephanie Young for contributing this article to our Acne blog:

Back Acne Scars