3 Permanent Ways to Diminish Acne Scars

As we exit our tumultuous teenage years, there’s a lot we want to leave behind, including acne. Unfortunately, acne can follow us into adulthood, thanks to the scarring this skin condition can leave behind.

To help put the past firmly in the past, we offer several exciting techniques here at Balcones Dermatology & Aesthetics that permanently reduce or eliminate the pock marks and bumpy skin that acne left in its wake. To explore how our clients in Austin, Texas, are restoring their skin to a blank canvas, devoid of the reminders of years gone by, read on to learn more about laser resurfacing, chemical peels, and microneedling.

A smooth road ahead: Laser resurfacing

If you’ve ever had a neighborhood street resurfaced, you know what a difference it can make. As they peel up the old asphalt full of potholes and cracks and lay down a new surface, you get to enjoy a smooth ride on a flat and even road.

This is essentially what we’re doing when we resurface your skin. If your skin is mottled by acne scarring, creating a surface that looks more like the landscape of the moon, the best way to tackle the problem is to remove it in order to allow fresh new skin to resurface the area.

With our Cutera Excel V™ laser, we accomplish just that. The laser has dual wavelengths and 20 different indications, allowing Dr. David A. Bushore to tailor a procedure to your particular skin in order to get the best results possible.

Using a handheld device, the doctor sends laser energy deep below the surface of your skin to heat up and destroy old and damaged skin cells. This action also prompts a healing response in your skin, which comes in the form of new production of collagen and elastin, the building blocks for toned, firm skin.

This second process is especially important for acne scarring. With the renewed collagen production, your body fills in and smooths out old acne scarring with fresh new skin.

Peeling it back: Chemical peels

Another great way to tackle acne scarring is through one of our chemical peel procedures. We use three different chemical peels from PCA SkinⓇ, which all work to exfoliate your skin to promote healthy new skin growth underneath.

There are three levels of peels:

• trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peels, which are strong, nontoxic chemical peels
• salicylic peels with beta-hydroxy acid
• a glycolic peel, which gently removes damaged skin cells from the surface

To determine which chemical peel is best for your acne scarring, you can sit down with Dr. Bushore to review your skin and your goals. Depending upon the strength of the peel, you may experience some redness and flaking of your skin, but rest assured that the fresh new skin underneath will delight you.

Needling in: Microneedling

The final approach to acne scarring is our innovative microneedling procedure. Using the Eclipse MicroPenⓇ Elite, which is equipped with 12 sterile microtips, we create microchannels along the surface of your skin. Rest assured, these injuries are tiny and are only designed to induce a collagen response.

Once your collagen receives the signal, it swoops in and begins to go to work on the “injuries.” This means that your body ramps up collagen production in order to rebuild and repair your skin. The end result is that the technique works to smooth over old acne scarring with a fresh new surface.

If you’d like for your acne to only be evident in your old yearbooks, give us a call to find out more about our innovative techniques to reduce or eliminate acne scarring. Or you can use the online booking tool on this website to schedule an appointment.