Acne Scars

Acne scars are textural unevenness or pits in the skin left behind by acne due to non-ideal healing conditions, leading to “messy” scar tissue formation that tethers the skin down unevenly. While acne scars can be distressing for the sufferer, as it is no longer an acute injury, the body is no longer actively repairing the scar. The concept behind the treatment of acne scars is therefore delivering controlled damage to the area to break apart the “messy” scars under the skin in order to release the skin, as well as to restart the healing process in the area which stimulates the formation of new collagen that helps to resurface the scars. This can be done mechanically (needle subcision), chemically (chemical peels), energy devices (microneedling radiofrequency devices), fractional ablative lasers (CO2 lasers), and in recent times, picosecond lasers such as the Picosure. Unlike fractional ablative lasers which cause damage from the surface of the skin inwards, picosecond lasers can deliver damage in the form of LIOBs (laser induced optical breakdown) or little “bubbles” under the skin, which similarly restarts the healing process and stimulates the formation of new collagen, but sparing the protective outer layer of the skin which translates to much lesser pain and downtime, as well as lower risks of complications such as marks (PIH), burns and scarring.