By Zara
What is Excision?
Excision is a surgical method of removing acne scars. A dermatologist, or cosmetic surgeon, uses a small scalpel or needle to cut out the acne scar. Once removed the area where the acne scar was is sewn back together, and new skin is allowed to heal to a flat surface. Excision is recommended for people with deep pitted acne scars that are far below the skin’s surface.
How Does Excision work?
Scar Excision will be performed in a local dermatologist office by a licensed dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon. The Excision can be performed under local anesthesia or by using a numbing cream in the area around the acne scar to reduce the likelihood of discomfort.
Once the anesthesia has been applied, the dermatologist will use a small tool much like a scalpel and cut out the area around the acne scar. This will remove the scar entirely. After the acne scar has been removed the dermatologist will suture the newly exposed area of skin back together.
The sutures will work to help the skin form a new even layer on top of the skins surface.
Is Excision painful?
The process of Excision is a surgical procedure as such some discomfort or mild pain may be noticeable. Patients have reported very mild discomfort while receiving anesthesia. As well as, mild to moderate discomfort immediately after the surgery has been performed and during the healing time.
Will Excision heal my acne scars?
Excision will not heal your acne scars entirely, but the process will make the acne scar 99% less noticeable. Often, when the original scar is removed a new much smaller linear scar is formed in place of the old acne scar. This is due to the surgical process of removing the old acne scar and looks similar to a very small wrinkle of the skin. In most cases, however, the new linear scar will be unnoticeable to the naked eye.
How long does Excision take?
The surgical process of Excision will take less then a day to perform depending on the severity of your acne scars. Since local anesthesia is used, you may be out of work for one to two days during and immediately following the procedure.
After the main procedure on the acne scar is complete you will be able to return to work or school, however the new scar will have some healing time. Typically, the sutures will be removed 3-7 days after surgery and the skin around the previous acne scar will be much improved. Full healing time may take several weeks.
To learn more about Excision, click here.
By Zara
Can touching your face cause an acne breakout? In Part 3 of our Skin Care Myths: Fact or Fiction series we will figure out if putting your hands on your face is really the culprit behind our skincare problems.
As we noted in the post, What Are You Doing To Cause Acne? touching your face can lead to an increase in acne for some people. While it is not the most common cause of acne, and probably not the result of all of your break outs, repeatedly touching your face can lead to an increase in pimples over time.
This is due to two reasons. One, when you touch your face more then necessary you are releasing all of the oils and dirt on your hands onto your face. While oil is not the major factor in your acne, it is a contributing factor.
The second reason, touching your face can irritate the current acne breakout on your skin, which can cause an increase in acne. When you touch an already acne infected area, the acne can rupture and spread on to your skin, resulting in more acne. Alternatively, if the acne does not rupture, it can become irritated which can lead to swelling. This may make the acne appear worse on your skin.
The best way to cut the risk of getting increased acne from touching your face is to stop touching your face all together. However, this may be difficult if not impossible for some. Especially in the case of women who apply make up during the day. You can reduce the likelihood of getting additional acne while touching your face by ensuring your hands are clean before applying them to your face. When you do apply your hands to your face, in the case of makeup for example, use a light touch at all times, especially in the areas that already have an acne breakout.
So, unfortunately, this is one acne myth that does hold some weight. This is bad news for those of us who have a habit of placing their hands on their face several times throughout the day. However, with a few simple steps you can significantly reduce the impact this has on your acne.
By Zara
What is Restylane?
Restylane is a common filler that is inserted by a dermatologist into an acne scar in order to raise the scar to the level of the rest of your skin. There are several types of fillers available, but Restylane is the most popular due to it’s natural composition and ability to bond with water. Restylane has a low allergy risk, and involves little down time. Restylane is good for acne scars that are deeply indented, such as pitted and ice pick scars.
How Does Restylane work?
Restylane is sold by a dermatologist on a per syringe basis. The amount of Restylane you need will be determined by the depth and number of your acne scars. Once the syringe has been purchased, the dermatologist will apply a local numbing cream to the acne scar infected area to reduce any discomfort the patient may feel. The dermatologist will then inject the Restylane filler into each individual pitted or ice pick acne scar.
Is Restylane painful?
Restylane can be performed by a dermatologist using a numbing cream to dull any pain in the area of your face that suffers from the acne scars before starting the treatment. This makes the during treatment discomfort very minimal.
After the treatment has been performed some patients have mild to moderate pain in the area that received the Restylane. Patients describe this pain as a small stink or prick. Any discomfort will not be so severe that a patient would need to miss work or take bed rest.
Will Restylane heal my acne scars?
Dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons have had great success with Restylane and other fillers in the treatment of acne scars.
Restylane may not be a permenate treatment for all patients as such such should be discussed with your dermatologist to determine if Restylane is the best treatment for your acne scars.
How long does Restylane take?
The in house treatment for Restylane can be performed by a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon in one sitting depending on the level of your acne scars. If you have heavy acne scarring multiple sessions may be necessary to completely fill all acne scars.
There is minimal to no recovery time from a Restylane treatment. Patients are able to return to work or school immediately following the treatment to their acne scars. However, some patients do experience mild swelling around the insertion area, or small bumps over their former acne scars. Typically this lasts for a few days to a few weeks depending on the severity, and is not painful.
To learn more about Restylane , click here.
By Zara
TCA Cross is a highly effective procedure of removing acne scars. Several people have had great success with the TCA Cross method, and it comes highly recommend. TCA Cross works best with mild to moderate acne scars, and treatments can vary.
How Does TCA Cross work?
The dermatologist, or cosmetic surgeon, will inject a fluid into the acne scar known as trichloracetic acid using a small needle. The acid works to increase the collagen production in your skin. Since the acid was released directly into the acne scar, the collagen increase will cause the scar to lift to the surface of your skin. There is an at-home method available for TCA Cross. However, it is highly recommended that you allow a qualified dermatologist to perform the procedure. TCA Cross does have the possibility to produce further scarring if it is not professionally applied.
Is TCA Cross painful?
TCA Cross is relatively painless. A person may feel slight discomfort during the initial procedure as a needle is used to inject the acid. If you are sensitive or have a fear of needles, this process may be especially uncomfortable. After the procedure the healing time has minimal to no pain.
Will TCA Cross heal my acne scars?
TCA Cross is a highly effective method for removing mild to moderate acne scarring. Most patients see results with the first treatment, and some patietns are completely healed of acne scars after as little as three treatments. TCA Cross works with all skin types and is best suited for light ice pick acne scars, or other mild acne scar types.
How long does TCA Cross take?
TCA Cross can take one to several treatments depending on the severity of your acne scar case. There is usually a two to five week downtime between treatments to allow your skin to heal. During the healing process your skin will rejuvenate itself, and peel (typical to a sunburn) revealing new skin.
TCA Cross is a highly recommended method of acne scar removal. It is virtually painless, has typical down times, and patients see results very quickly. TCA Cross has worked on several patients acne scars, and may be the method to use if you have mild acne scars.
To learn more about TCA Cross , click here.
By Zara
Subcision is a procedure used to remove acne scars performed by a dermatologist. Subcision is used to treat acne scars that are deeply indented, such as ice pick scars. The treatment is relatively painless and very effective if you have this type of acne scars.
How Does Subcision work?
The dermatologist, or cosmetic surgeon, will place a small tool such as a needle or scalpel underneath your skin in the area that is depressed by the scar. The tool is moved underneath the skin in a repetitive motion in order to break up the fiber tissue below the indention and free the skin. After the skin has been released it will swell and then start to heal into a smoother area of skin. It may take several treatments to see full results on your acne scars.
Is Subcision painfull?
Subcision is preformed under local anesthesia, and as such should be a relatively pain free way to repair acne scars. Their might be slight discomfort while the dermatologist is performing the anesthesia, and their may be some moderately painful swelling after the treatment.
Will Subcision heal my acne scars?
Subcision will not work for all types of acne scars. The process works best for indented acne scars that give the face a rolling and shallow appearance, sort of like small craters in the skin. If your face has these type of acne scars, it can be a very effective treatment method.
How long does Subcision take?
To learn more about Subcision, click here.
What is Excision?
