Severe Acne Scar Removal Laser Treatment And Procedures All Your Questions Answered

Acne scars, once formed, do not easily disappear, making them a common skin concern for many. Severe acne scars, in particular, can affect interpersonal relationships and daily life. However, with advancements in modern medicine, various acne scar treatments have been developed, and significant improvement can be achieved through consistent treatment. Let's address your questions about acne scars.

Acne scars can be broadly divided into depressed scars and raised scars. Keloid scars, a type of raised scar, often appear along the jawline and on the chest. Small, white, dotted scars also fall under acne keloid scars. Chickenpox scars are often round and broadly depressed, making them relatively easier to treat. In contrast, narrow and deeply depressed scars, like ice pick scars, can be challenging to treat.

• Noscarna Gel: It may offer some help for early acne scars with redness, but significant effects are difficult to expect for old scars that have already turned white. It is known to show similar effects to other scar ointments.
• Cleanser: Acne-prone skin tends to have excess sebum, so it's advisable to use a cleanser that effectively removes oil. Wash your face morning and evening, and if oiliness is severe, washing once more in between can be helpful. It's difficult to say that any specific cleanser is overwhelmingly superior.

Various laser procedures are utilized for acne scar treatment.

• Laser Dermabrasion: This procedure evens out uneven scars by shaving them down, and it is particularly effective for raised keloid scars or deeply depressed scars. After the procedure, you may experience a sunburn-like burning sensation for about a day and oozing for 2-3 days. Despite the discomfort, scars can improve over 6 months or more, and the effects can last for over 2 years. However, it requires high-spec equipment, and it is important to receive treatment from a medical professional with extensive experience.
• Pearl Laser: While not as strong a treatment as laser dermabrasion, it partially ablates and stimulates the skin to induce regeneration. It has the advantage of not causing much oozing, and effects can be expected after about a month.
• Fractional Laser (Fraxel, etc.): This method stimulates only about 5-20% of the skin surface at a time to induce regeneration. Immediately after the procedure, the skin may appear swollen, making the effect seem good, but a disadvantage is that the effect may be less than initially expected once the swelling subsides after about a month. Multiple sessions may be necessary.
• Lutronic eCO2 Laser: This is a very excellent domestic CO2 laser device. It is widely used for spot removal and acne scar treatment in a fractional manner, but it is not an Ultrapulse-grade device for laser dermabrasion.
• Vascular Laser (V-beam Laser): It is effective in treating acne erythema or redness that occurs after laser dermabrasion. However, it can interfere with skin regeneration in the early stages, so if redness is not a major concern, it is better to wait for it to subside naturally.
• Pigment Laser (Laser Toning, etc.): It is effective for scars that have darkened after acne. Since Koreans are prone to hyperpigmentation, significant improvement can be expected through pigment lasers. If you have active acne, it is advisable to combine it with acne treatment to prevent it from leading to scars.

• Juvelook/Lenisna: When injected into the skin, they induce new collagen production, similar to lasers that use heat to generate collagen. Initially, the skin plumps up, but some components may be absorbed, causing a slight subsidence. However, it does not return to its original state, and semi-permanent effects can be expected. Juvelook is a type of skin booster and filler containing hyaluronic acid and collagen-regenerating ingredients (PLLA), widely used for acne scar treatment.
• Filler: Soft, depressed scars can be filled with fillers. However, for hard, fibrotic scars, fillers may not inject well, limiting their effectiveness.

• Pain Management: For laser dermabrasion, an anesthetic cream is applied before the procedure. On the day of the procedure, you may experience a severe sunburn-like burning sensation and heat, and oozing may occur for 2-3 days. If the pain is severe, you can take painkillers like Tylenol.
• Isotretinoin (Isotretinoin) Use: In the past, it was recommended to stop taking it for about 6 months before surgery, but recently, some opinions suggest that low-dose use does not pose a significant problem for simple procedures. However, for complete safety, it is advisable to be cautious for about 6 months before and after the procedure. For adolescents in their growth phase, there are reports that it can affect growth plates, so it is important to consult sufficiently with a medical professional before deciding.
• Body Acne Scars: They show different patterns than facial scars. Hyperpigmentation, unevenness, white scars, and keloids are common, and they can be treated with injections, topical medications, and lasers.

• Food and Acne: The correlation between food and acne has not yet been 100% scientifically proven. However, there are reports that dairy products or sweet foods can worsen acne. Since there is significant individual variation, if you notice acne appearing after eating certain foods, it is best to avoid them.
• Is Acne Genetic? Acne is not a genetic disease, but skin characteristics such as parental sebaceous gland development can be inherited by children. If your parents suffered from acne, it is important to actively treat acne in your children early on when it appears.

However, scar treatment has advanced dramatically compared to the past. Scars that were untreatable in the past can now show good results through lasers and other methods. Currently, acne scars can be improved to the extent that they do not pose a major problem in interpersonal relationships or, for women, can be covered with light makeup. Scar treatment is a process of gradually refining, like sanding, so long-term, consistent effort is required.

There are several reasons why various clinics recommend combination treatment packages:

• Limitations of Fractional Lasers: Fractional lasers treat only a portion of the skin surface at a time, so multiple sessions are needed for overall improvement.
• Diverse Scar Types: Acne scars appear in various forms, including different depths, shapes, and the presence of hyperpigmentation. Therefore, applying a combination of various procedures (laser dermabrasion, punch procedures, fillers, pigment lasers, etc.) tailored to the characteristics of each scar can be more effective.
• Risk of Side Effects: Performing too many procedures simultaneously or too aggressively can increase the risk of side effects. It is important to receive treatment with appropriate intensity and combinations based on the judgment of an experienced medical professional.