Acne is a skin condition which occurs when oil
secretions and dead cells block the skin’s pores. In
severe cases, hundreds of pimples or larger,
painful, red lumps may cover the face, neck, chest,
and back.
Acne is most common in the young, and it is said
that this disease afflicts 80% of all teenagers.
Unfortunately, even as hormone levels stabilize and
patients pass into their 20’s and 30’s and beyond,
acne breakouts still occur. This happens more often
in women, usually just before menstruation. The
treatment of adult patients experiencing active acne
breakouts is diverse; but it is crucially important
to try to prevent the breakouts in order to reduce
the chances for developing acne scars, the dreaded
complication of this disease.
Acne scars may be described as ice pick, boxcar
(larger but shallower), and rolling, and many
patients with acne have a combination of all three.
But no matter which type is present, the scars are
often deep, and may be a cause of great
embarrassment and even depression for those who have
it.
The good news is that there are now great treatments
for this problem. But unlike what you may read
elsewhere, there is no magic cure. The optimal
treatment of acne scars requires selecting a
physician who is willing to apply a multi-modality
approach specifically designed to address your
individual needs. The treatment of acne scars is
never as easy as made out to be by some laser
companies and some less than scrupulous
practitioners. Specifically, we at the Kass Center
for Cosmetic Facial & Eye Plastic Surgery emphasize that
there is no simple “cookie-cutter” approach and the
right treatment is the treatment specifically
designed for you. Dr. Kass believes that the
question is not what laser should be used but
instead it is what combination of different
treatments is the best possible for you.The treatments he uses for acne scar surgery include
punch excision of deep ice pick scars, deep but
graded facial resurfacing with various lasers and
chemical peels, our very own, unique, Hetter Facial
Resurfacing Procedure, subcision for rolling scars
to break up the tethering to the subcutaneous
tissues, and introduction of permanent fillers to
raise the scars to the level of the surrounding
skin. For many of these treatments, the goal is to
raise the scar before resurfacing, like filling in a
pothole on the road prior to resurfacing that road. |
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