As we know, teen and adult acne can have a big impact on your self-esteem – especially when the condition is serious enough to leave scarring. If you’re affected by acne scars, either from your teenage years or more recent breakouts, you’ll want to bookmark this page. It’s a handy guide to the different types of acne scars and the best acne scar removal treatments available now at Sozo Aesthetic Clinic in Singapore. From fillers to subcision treatments and advanced laser we look at the options, and how – including a video to help.
What’s an acne scar?
Often caused by painful cystic acne or inflamed pustular acne, acne scars are permanent depressions or elevations on the skin. Unlike acne marks (also known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH), acne scars do not disappear on their own.
There are three main types of acne scar: an ice-pick scar (deep with a narrow opening), a boxcar scar (broad with defined edges) and a rolling scar (broad with rounded edges). Acne scars can also be elevated in the form of hypertrophic scars and keloid acne scars.
Laser acne scar removal treatments
Edge One Fractional CO2 Laser
Best for boxcar scars, rolling scars, milia and moles, this laser treatment uses fractional CO2 laser to target the scarred areas and boost collagen production. The laser produces thousands of tiny micro-thermal zones in the treated areas, which rejuvenates old collagen with minimal redness and downtime. The actual treatment only takes around 10 minutes, excluding an optional application of numbing cream (2o minutes). To enhance your recovery, a serum, face mask or LED phototherapy is recommended as an add-on. Any visible redness or warmth felt usually subsides after two to three days.
Depending on the type and severity of the scars, a series of three to five sessions are typically needed for full results. Psst… This multi-purpose laser is also used as an anti-ageing treatment to smoothen out fine lines!
Price: From $450
Recovery time: Two days of redness
Pain level: Mild to moderate
Number of sessions needed: Three to five
INFINI Fractional RF Laser
This microneedling radiofrequency (RF) skin resurfacing treatment addresses acne scars, wrinkles and sagging skin. Compared to many other light and laser treatments, Fractional RF is safe even for those with darker and sensitive skin. Especially useful for atrophic scars, the technology uses micro-needles to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and deliver heat to the dermis. This promotes collagen production, which in turn repairs scar tissue and improves skin texture, while reducing the depth of the scars.
Before the procedure begins, a topical anaesthetic is first applied on the skin. As acne scars have different depths, the level of RF energy will be tailored to the severity and condition of each scar.
Price: From $850
Recovery time: One day of redness
Pain level: Mild to moderate
Number of sessions needed: Three to five
Pico laser treatment
Lutronic Fractional PicoPlus laser treats post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation (brown marks) and atrophic acne scars. The machine uses FDA-approved picosecond laser to deliver fractional energy to three variable depths of the skin, for a comprehensive treatment of acne scars and uneven skin texture. Using the principle of Laser Induced Optical Breakdown (LIOB), ultra-short picosecond pulses of laser light reach deep into the sub-layers of the skin, creating micro-cavities in the epidermis and dermis. This stimulates collagen production and elastic fibres without causing damage to the superficial layers of the skin.
Price: From $150
Recovery time: Minimal downtime
Pain level: Minimal
Number of sessions needed: Five to 10
Subcision acne scar removal treatment
Pitted scars have superficial indentations caused by the fibrotic strands that pull the skin downwards. This treatment aims to break these strands, allowing the depression to rise up and be level with the skin surface. While it’s most ideal for rolling acne scars, which show up like a wave-like depression on the skin, the procedure is also suitable for ice-pick scars and boxcar scars.
After a numbing gel and topical anaesthesia are applied, a tiny needle is inserted into the skin. The needle will then be moved back and forth in a fanning pattern while the sharp edges of the needle cut the fibrotic scar tissues. The scar is released from the underlying tissue, elevating the previously depressed skin, and it continues to heal over seven to 10 days. Following subcision, skin-boosting fillers like Rejuran S can be injected into the base of the acne scar to improve recovery and speed up collagen production.
Price: From $400
Recovery time: Two to three days of redness and swelling
Pain level: Mild to moderate
Number of sessions needed: Three to five
Rejuran acne scar treatment
A more concentrated version of Rejuran Healer, Rejuran S is made of polynucleotides (PN) chains, which are DNA fragments derived from salmon DNA. Ideal for depressed acne scars, this injectable repairs damaged skin cells and promotes tissue restoration and regeneration by boosting collagen production.
Price: From $500
Recovery time: Two days of redness
Pain level: Mild to moderate
Number of sessions needed: Three to five
TCA cross chemical peel
This specialised technique involves meticulously using a toothpick or needle to place trichloro-acetic acid (TCA) solution into deep acne scars, one at a time. The solution is a medium-to-deep chemical peel that helps to stimulate collagen synthesis, which levels out depressed acne scars, especially ice-pick scars.
Price: From $300
Recovery time: Three to five days of redness
Pain level: Mild to moderate
Number of sessions needed: Three to five
What’s the downtime?
For the treatments listed above, there may be three to four days of redness over the treated areas. Visible results can be seen after two to three sessions, but the appearance of the acne scars will continue to improve for several months after.
Where to go?
Dr Justin Boey, Medical Director of Sozo Aesthetic Clinic, focuses on acne scar removal treatments. Having trained in a range of different cities, including Seoul, London and New York, Dr Boey is also a physician trainer to doctors and dentists in Southeast Asia on filler injections, lasers and micro-cannulas.
Your consultation
Before each consultation, the nurses will remove any makeup or sun block for a thorough skin examination. Dr Boey will discuss the suitable treatments for your condition, as well as the process and downtime needed for each procedure. He may also bring up case studies of patients who’ve had their acne scars successfully treated, so you can better understand how your scars will improve along the course of treatment.
The treatment process
You may need a combination of treatments to achieve your desired results. This depends on the type of scars that you have, the severity of the condition and your skin recovery time. Before each session, the nurses will apply a numbing cream for 15 to 30 minutes. You’ll then undergo the treatments, which take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
Afterwards, an antibiotic cream is applied to help you with your skin recovery. Sun block and moisturiser are also applied. You’ll be given an antibiotic cream to bring home for using during the first three to five days after your treatment, to speed up recovery.
The recovery process
The recovery time after acne scar treatments can range from two to seven days. You may experience redness, swelling and dryness of skin during the recovery. Depending on your skin’s ability to recover, the downtime may be minimal.
Getting the best results
A combination of treatments is generally required to treat each type of scar effectively. For example, if you have boxcar scars, you might need subcision to lift the depressed scars and lasers like Fractional CO2 and INFINI to resurface your skin. It is best to consult a doctor who is experienced in acne scar treatments to determine a suitable treatment plan for you.
Written in collaboration with:
Sozo Aesthetic Clinic
1 Raffles Place #05-12/13
One Raffles Place (Shopping Mall)
69351811 | 9610 5102 (WhatsApp only)
sozoclinic.sg
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Anthia Chng
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