Acne and Acne Scarring in Honolulu, HI

Acne does not discriminate. Regardless of skin color, skin type, age, or area of your body, acne can hit anyone. Many of the areas are ones that you show to the world every day:

•    Face
•    Neck
•    Shoulders
•    Chest
•    Back

And with the different types of acne that can form – pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, papules, cysts, and nodules – is it any wonder why acne can be so disruptive? However, it’s the potential long-term effects of acne that are even more troublesome – scarring.

Although acne scars develop from any type of acne, the most serious scars form from nodules and cysts because they inflict the most damage to the skin around the affected area. Another common factor in the development of acne scarring is constantly picking at your pimples. If your acne is mostly superficial, it will often heal itself without scar treatment and won’t leave a noticeable mark. Blemishes that go deeper under your skin, on the other hand, usually don’t heal cleanly by themselves, resulting in flawed skin.

Atrophic and Hypertrophic – They’re Not All the Same

Not all acne scars are the same, mostly taking form in two distinct types, atrophic and hypertrophic.

Atrophic scars are ones that form shallow depressions on your skin because of tissue loss from the acne breakout. Atrophic scars show themselves in two different forms: icepick scars and boxcar scars. The former are small noticeable holes or indentations in your skin, as if from being poked with an icepick. Boxcar scars, on the other hand, are deeper round or oval depressions with steep, sharply angled sides. If you’ve had chickenpox, you might recognize the similarities in the scarring.

Hypertrophic, or keloid, scarring is characterized differently. Instead of causing depressions in your skin, the opposite occurs – the scar is a raised collection of tissue that has accrued due to your body’s over-production of collagen to repair the wound your acne has left. Learn more about acne scar removal at WebMD.com.

Acne Scar Removal Treatment

Unfortunately, many people in Honolulu think that acne scars will fade as time passes, and, while it may happen, it’s not something you should expect. The best method of dealing with acne scars is undergoing cosmetic services for treatment designed for acne scar removal.

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Laser skin treatments for acne scars involve beaming a laser light into your skin to remove the scarred upper layers, allowing deeper layers of your skin to come to the surface. This refreshes your skin and rejuvenates your appearance. It’s also a catalyst for your skin’s self-repairing mechanism by stimulating collagen production to restore your vibrant, youthful radiance!

Other Light Therapies

Aside from lasers, other types of light therapy for acne scar treatment are effective because they gently zap your scars with intense beams of light that don’t damage your skin beyond the targeted scar. Light therapy is often used in conjunction with other acne treatments to even better effect.

Soft Tissue Fillers

If you’re like many of our patients, you might be surprised to learn that soft tissue dermal fillers can help fade acne scars. Restylane is an effective family of dermal fillers that can be injected into your scar to temporarily smooth and plump the scarred area.

Excision and Punch Graft

This procedure takes a delicate touch. Your dermatologist will gently excise your acne scars and then stitch them up for healing. After that, a skin graft is taken from a different part of your body, such as your ear, and applied to the excised area so that the natural healing process can take place. This is another treatment often used together with other treatments, such as laser resurfacing, to produce amazing results.

Chemical Peel

A chemical solution is applied to your skin to remove the top layer, allowing the fresh, new layer underneath to come to the surface.