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Not all acne results in the
formation of scar tissue. Most acne patients who show
evidence scarring have had either moderately severe or
severe acne. Often these people resort to a somewhat new
form of treatment, a process called laser acne treatment.
What are acne scars and acne
scarring?
A patient with moderately severe acne has either red,
inflamed pimples (called papules) or red pimples with
a white center (called pustules). As with all pimples,
these pimples are the reuslt of bacteria growing in clogged
skin pores. A patient with severe acne can also have pus
filled lumps called nodules.
There are many treatments for acne scars that are being
researched. If, however, a patient has a large amount
of old scars, the doctor usually recommends laser treatment
for acne scar removal. There are several different types
of laser treatments.
During laser resurfacing, a laser beam hits the cells
in the upper layer of skin and burns-off the scar tissue.
The heat from the laser also tightens the underlying layer
of skin.
During this type of laser acne treatment, the cells in
the tightened underlayer of skin recognize the disappearance
of the top layer of skin and initiate the process of skin
regeneration. The cells start to divide, forming new cells
that rise up to the surface of the skin, forming a new
top layer. The cells in the underlying skin also produce
important proteins that facilitate the development of
a healthy top layer.
A second type of laser acne treatment is called fractional
laser therapy. Unlike laser resurfacing, fractional laser
therapy does not damage the top layer of skin cells, but
rather penetrates the deep skin cells.
What is the point of hitting those deeper skin cells with
a laser? How does this laser treatment help with the removal
of acne scars? When the laser beam hits the deeper cells,
then that acts much like the removal of the upper skin
cells. It initiates the process of skin cell regeneration.
The reason many patients prefer this method is that the
healing process is quicker and the results are, for the
most part, more satisfactory.
Why then, would anyone choose to have laser resurfacing
instead of acne laser therapy? The cost of laser resurfacing
is much less than the cost of fractional laser therapy.
Moreover, medical insurance does not cover all types of
laser acne treatments. More specifically, medical insurance
does not always cover fractional laser therapy. It should
be said that laser resurfacing is not necessarily the
best form of acne
scar reduction.
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