Acne scars are usually caused by inflamed lesions and enlarged pores that leave cuts in the walls of the hair follicles. When the body tries to heal itself by forming new collagen fibers to replace the destroyed and lost tissue, it is usually not as smooth and perfect as it used to be. As the wound heals, the body may produce too much or too little collagen, creating raised tissues and pits on the surface of the skin.
Some treatments are more effective for certain types of acne scars. Appropriate treatment options may vary slightly depending on the type of scar caused by acne.
Learn more about the best treatment options for acne scars in Toronto below.
Types of Acne Scars
There are three types of acne scars:
- Atrophic scars are small depressions in the skin. They occur when the skin does not produce enough fibroblasts during the healing process. After all, fibroblasts are cells that play a crucial role in wound healing and collagen synthesis. Atrophic scars usually occur after acne, chickenpox, and jagged scars. A dent can form one of three types of scarring: icepick, boxcar, and rolling.
- Raised / hypertrophic scars occur when the skin produces many fibroblasts as the acne heals, causing a raised scar.
- Keloid scars are similar to hypertrophic scars, but thicker than the original acne spot. Keloid scars are usually red or brown in color and can also cause symptoms such as itching or pain.
Treat Acne Scars
Scars often occur after acne. This is an unnecessary reminder of painful and troublesome conditions. However, acne scars are not necessarily permanent, because the latest advances in laser and radiofrequency ablation technology enable us to provide effective treatments that minimize the unsightly scar damage caused by acne.
There are several types of treatments that can help reduce acne scars and improve overall skin quality.
Treatment Options
Microneedling
Microneedling is a skin rejuvenating treatment that is highly effective in smoothing out the appearance of acne scars. It can also help to treat wrinkles, stretch marks as well as uneven skin tone and texture.
Also known as collagen induction therapy (CIT), this procedure uses fine needles to create tiny invisible puncture wounds in the top layer of skin and stimulate your body’s own natural collagen production.
RF Sublative™ Skin Rejuvenation & Resurfacing
Sublative™ is an effective treatment for those who suffer from skin texture irregularities caused by acne scarring, wrinkles, fine lines, large pores or stretch marks. It is also effective in eliminating hyperpigmentation such as sunspots or age spots.
Sublative™ treatments work to resurface the skin from the inside out by utilizing the power of fractionated bipolar radio frequency (RF). Compared to other resurfacing treatments, which commonly use harsh laser light technologies to penetrate skin. Sublative™ is able to reach deep into the dermal layers of skin to stimulate collagen production, without disrupting the epidermis. The application head is comprised of many multi-electrode pins, which administer the bi-polar RF energy to the skin.
Each time these pins come into contact with skin, it creates a grid like pattern on the surface. The dots of this grid are where the RF energy has punctured the skin, and the surrounding tissue is what stimulates the collagen. Essentially, the skin is tricked into healing wounds that were intentionally delivered. Results can appear immediately after treatment, however they become more noticeable in the coming weeks. Since the skin that had been stimulated was deep within the dermis, it takes time for that layer to come to the surface. This allows you to reap the benefits of your Sublative™ treatment for months after each session. As the weeks pass, skin becomes more smooth and rejuvenated, with less visible texture.
Skin problems that can be effectively solved: acne scars, wrinkles, fine lines, large pores, growth lines, stretch marks, depigmentation (such as dark spots or age spots).
Venus Viva™ Skin Resurfacing
Get smoother skin without the downtime! Venus Viva™ is a non-surgical solution for skin resurfacing that corrects signs of skin damage.
It improves the appearance of acne scars, other scars, stretch marks, rosacea, enlarged pores, deep wrinkles, and uneven skin texture and pigmentation.
La Vitalité Med Spa is a leading provider of Venus Viva™ skin resurfacing treatment in Toronto.
Book your appointment or free consultation with us today!