Microdermabrasion is the least invasive of these treatments, and can help improve skin tone and the appearance of mild acne scarring. In this procedure, fine crystals are used to abrade the skin gently, damaging the skin in a controlled manner. This promotes new collagen growth which improves skin texture and quality, and reduces the appearance of the scars. This procedure has little recovery time, but multiple treatments are often required to have the desired effect.
Advantages:
Little pain and discomfort
Little recovery time
Safe with very little side-effects
Low cost compared to many other procedures
Disadvantages:
Multiple treatments may be required for it to take full effect
The procedure is only effective for relatively minor scarring
IPL Photorejuvenation
IPL (Intense pulsed light) rejuvenation can be used to treat minor acne scars. The mechanism of the treatment is similar to chemical peels and microdermabrasion. The skin is damaged in a controlled manner using IPL, and is repeated every few weeks.
Advantages:
Little recovery time
Safe with few side-effects
Disadvantages:
Some minor pain during procedure
Multiple treatments may be required
Cost may be comparatively high
Laser Skin Resurfacing
Laser resurfacing is a procedure that combines CO2 laser and Erbium: YAG laser to remove the skin by layers. This removes the uppermost layer of the scarred skin. It also has a smoothing effect on the skin similar to that of dermabrasion and chemical peels from the production of collagen in response to the damage.
Advantages:
Significant improvement in acne scars
Ability to treat moderate to severe scarring
Can be used in conjunction with other therapies for better results
Disadvantages:
Longer recovery time
Cost may be comparatively high
Scar Revision Surgery
Ice pick scars and boxcar scars cannot be treated with traditional methods of dermabrasion. Surgery can excise these unwanted scars by means of a punch. Sometimes subcision is used instead.
Advantages:
Treats icepick and boxcar scars
A single treatment is sufficient most of the time
This can be combined with laser resurfacing to smooth the skin out and appear natural
Disadvantages:
The procedure can be costly
Excision will require sutures, which will need to be removed after about a week