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A New Way To Treat Acne Scars & Fine Wrinkles
                                         By  Nelizza T. Viray-Jiao MD, FPDS

You breathe a sigh of relief when your pimple breakouts have lessened. You thank your lucky stars that the hormonal surge has died down and your oil glands have ceased being hyper.  Yet, to your consternation, another problem besieges you. No, they’re not the temporary red or brown marks left by the pimples but the pits, crevices, holes and tunnels that do not seem to go away.  No amount of creams, lotions nor massaging technique seem to iron them out. So what are you to do?
Approaching a competent dermatologist (board-certified with three years residency) is one major step in the right direction. S/he will ascertain the depth of the scars and institute measures to lessen or totally remove them. S/he would most likely avail of proven techniques to treat scars such as:
1) Dermabrasion. Shallow, broad and soft depressions can be smoothened out by dermabrasion. It involves  fanning gently across the scars a diamond encrusted fraise (this is like the dental burr used  to drill our teeth). The process lessens the contour difference between the normal and the depressed portions of the skin. As the skin heals in two to three weeks, collagen is deposited and the scars become less shallow. Unlike the much talked-about diamond peel (causes minimal removal of the top cells of the skin  to improve  skin  texture  but not scars), Dermabrasion procedure works on the scars.
2) Scar Revision. For very deep, box-like scars and tunnels  which  have edges  that  dip  almost  perpendicular  to the skin surface, more aggressive measures are  taken. The scars may be totally excised or cut out then closed with sutures. This process is called Scar Revision. Here, the box-like scar is converted to a straight line  mark. The scar then is less noticeable.  Later on the scar may be Dermabraded to be less obvious.
3) Subcision. Deep, box-like scars are floated  through subcision.  A gauge 19 Nokor needle (looks like a tiny spear) will be introduced at an angle beside and beneath the scar to release the tight
fibrotic bands which hold the scar down. The process of wounding beneath the scar can incite new collagen to form and float the scar.
4)  Biopsy Puncher. The Biopsy Puncher (originally used to take
Skin specimens for diagnosis of skin problems) can also be useful to float the scar or  remove it.
All the above mentioned techniques need local anesthesia or nerve blocks. Downtime will be about 1 to 3 weeks depending on the extent of the procedure. Patients need dressings on their faces for at least two to three days putting their social life on hold.
Still, there is another option. Thanks to the fast-paced technological developments in skin therapeutics, certain lasers can address the problem. Specifically, the 2940nm erbium-YAG laser (Pixel) deliver minute tunnels of laser energy at a controlled rate and depth to the skin. It stimulates new collagen formation. As the hand piece is moved across the face, only a fraction of the skin mosaic is targeted leaving spaces in between to allow quick recovery. This system can correct fine wrinkles, acne scars and vaporize skin tags. It takes about 10 to 20 minutes to treat the whole face. It can likewise be used on the neck, chest, back, hands and other body scars. The patient will experience redness and a sunburned-feeling for a couple of hours or up to two days, if aggressive settings are used. Sun exposure is avoided before and after treatment. Pale (conservative) to dark-brown (aggressive) pixel patterns (like the lines of a cross-section paper but markedly scaled down) and a leathery feeling on the skin for 3 to 5 days are observed. Flaking or peeling occurs on the 3rd to the 5th day. There could be minimal swelling in aggressively treated areas through day five.  Full recovery comes in a week. Subsequent sessions, spaced three to 4 weeks apart, will have shorter recovery periods. The controlled wounding technique delivered by the Pixel laser works on the same principle as the other techniques above. However, it is unique because of the lesser downtime. The patient doesn’t look hideous for 3 to 5 days but will be just a little tan or pinkish. Likewise, the deposition of collagen to plump up the skin will still continue for even up to 6 months. Patients with deeper scars may need three aggressive treatments or 5 conservative treatments spaced 2 to 4 weeks apart.
The Capitol Medical Center Skin Center is equipped with these innovative skin care systems and is staffed with boarded and fully certified dermatologists with the competence to optimally use these systems for client satisfaction. Waste no time to achieve a smoother skin. Visit the CMC Skin Center.