August 25, 2007

Is Acne Scar Surgery Harmful To Us?

For those of you with scars due to acne, there’s hope in the form of acne scar surgery. Luckily, you do not have to live with acne scars for the rest of your lives. If you have minor scars then it is best to let them be, but for major scars that really look ugly, acne scar surgery could be the right answer for you. Many of us get scared by the term “surgery”, so it is better to first find out all we can about the procedures before we go ahead with it. The best person to contact with all your questions is your dermatologist.

Different Types Of Acne Scar Surgery

The first thing you should be aware of are the different types of surgery to remove acne scars. Once you know what your options are, you can decide what you want to go with. Your dermatologist can give you all the necessary details, but in the meantime, let me give you a basic description of all the types.

One kind of surgery is dermabrasion. In this method, the layers of skin on top are removed with the use of a machine thus revealing smoother skin. This may be helpful for minor scars.
Another method is the chemical peel. As the name suggests, the layers of skin on top are removed by using certain chemicals. After this procedure, the skin gets regenerated and looks much clearer.
A punch graft may be used when you have deep acne scars. Unscarred skin from some other part of your body is used to replace the skin that is scarred. This method may take a little longer to heal but covers up your scars effectively.
Another option of acne scar surgery could be plastic surgery, especially if your scars really disfigure your face. Many people use it to remove scars and blemishes on their skin, but should be considered as a last resort, if nothing else works.
Laser acne scar surgery has become a very popular way to remove scars. It is non-invasive and uses a laser beam to cut and seal the skin. It is a painless method and can treat each acne scar according to its severity. There are two types of laser surgery. One is the ablative laser that burns your skin to remove the scars. The other method is the non-ablative laser, which is a quick method and leaves no painful side effects.

Once you have a basic idea of all the types of acne scar surgery, you can go to your dermatologist with any additional queries. One thing you should remember is that getting surgery done to remove acne scars can be an expensive option. You should consider it only if you feel the scars disfigure your face or hinder your normal functioning in any way. There are some home remedies you can use to treat scars caused by acne which may be effective. But if you have deep scars left behind, then your only option would be surgery.

Before you go ahead with your surgery, your doctor will need to check a few things. Your age, medical history and allergies to any medication will need to be noted. Your doctor will also take into account the extent of scarring so you can both decide which acne scar surgery would be most suitable for you.