Acne scar treatment with Dermapen (microneedling)

More than 90% of teenagers have acne and 1% of the population have acne scars.

Why do they happen? Acne scars are created by the wound healing process that occurs after the acute process of inflammation, follicular rupture, and periphollicular abscess formation.

There are different types of acne scars, 80% of them being atrophic, that is, associated with a net loss of collagen during the remodeling process of the matrix. The rest of the scars are hypertrophic or have keloid formation (see our article “keloids and microneedling”).

According to the degree of healing, the following are distinguished:

–Maculae: erythematous hyper or hypopigmented flat spots. They do not have a contour defect but a color problem.

–Mild: scars that are not obvious at social distances of> 50 cm and may be covered by makeup or facial hair.

–Moderate: Moderate scars that are obvious at social distances of> 50 cm and are not covered by makeup or facial hair. The scar can be flattened by manual stretching of the skin.

–Severe: severe scars that are obvious at social distances of> 50 cm and are not covered by makeup or facial hair. The scar does not flatten out with manual skin tightening.

To try to erase or reduce these scars, there are many treatments with their respective adverse effects, the main one being post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This is usually more pronounced in darker skin types.

Treatment options:

At our clinic, we suggest treating them with microneedling because it leaves the epidermis largely intact. Microneedles are passed through the epidermis and stimulate endogenous collagen production and scar remodeling in the dermis. Of all the treatments, it is the one that presents the lowest risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and allows you to continue with your normal daily life without problems (you will only suffer some redness in the treated area for a maximum of 48 hours).

However, you should know that they can also be treated with:

1. Chemical peel: they are the ones that give the best results with macular scars. It has variable results with ice picks and rolling scars. Its side effects: hyperpigmentation or temporary irritation.

( This treatment is also available in our clinic )

2. Dermabrasion: Completely removes the epidermis up to the papillary or reticular dermis. It is used to treat ice pick and rolling scars. It presents risks of infection and requires general anesthesia. The recovery time and post-treatment inactivity of the patient is significant. Darker skin can discolor and blotchy.

(Treatment NOT available in our clinic)

3. Microdermabrasion: Eliminates the outer layer of the epidermis. It does not treat deep scars and has the advantage of presenting only rare complications.

(Treatment NOT available in our clinic)

4. Fractional laser treatment: The ablative is more effective than the non-ablative. This treatment provides a measurable improvement of 40-80% in the depth of the scar. To do this, the patient must stop taking isoretinoin. In dark skin there is a risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, being up to 36% with conventional CO2 laser.

(Treatment NOT available in our clinic )

Prices:

They will depend on the size of the area to be treated

Bérénice Ibarra Ottino