Treating adult acne can feel like one big science experiment—until now. This is the guy’s guide to adult acne. Read the rest of the stories here.
THE scars it can leave behind suck even more. These dermatologist-approved* treatments can get your skin smooth again, reduce hyperpigmentation, and may even make you look a little younger. These are known as atrophic scars and are caused when inflammation breaks down skin’s collagen that’s responsible for smoothness and elasticity.
There are three main forms of atrophic scars, and some people will develop a mix of all of them. Meet the icepick scar, so named because it looks as if your skin was pierced with something thin and pointed. Derms will typically combine topical trichloroacetic acid (TCA) with a CO2 laser to supercharge the production of new collagen and resurface skin.
Often, up to three sessions are needed and typically range in cost from $300 to $5,000 per session, depending on the size of the scar(s) and whether treatments are combined. Commonly referred to as boxcar scars, this type of scar doesn’t run as deep as their icepick brethren and may respond to less invasive treatments. The Treatment: Fraxel FTX or Microneedling Your doctor may use a slightly more superficial fractionated laser (like the new nonablative Fraxel FTX).
This procedure is around $1,000 per session. Another option is a microneedling treatment (tiny needles penetrate the skin to kick-start collagen), which can be paired with heat-like radiofrequency for better results. Multiple sessions at $600 to $1,500 a pop are typically necessary.
These rolling scars are slightly different, caused, yes, by collagen loss, but also when acne inflammation tethers areas of skin to the tissue below. One option is a technique called subcision (which ranges anywhere from $300 to $1,500)—your doc will cut away the tethers pulling the skin downward to release the scar. Another option is Bellafill (roughly $800 per syringe), a type of filler that adds volume to depressed areas, or hyaluronic acid fillers (roughly $650 per syringe), which also lifts depressed areas to the same level as the surrounding skin.
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