Post-acne scars can be disfiguring and require a creative treatment approach in patients with skin of color, according to Dr. Michelle Henry, clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College. Next Steps in Derm, in partnership with Skin of Color Update, interviewed Dr. Henry, who shared what energy-based devices she uses in her practice and how she chooses a device based on a patient’s characteristics. Learn why she recommends a low, slow, and long treatment plan using combination therapy for effective, safe care. And hear how to address hyperpigmentation at the same time as acne scars.
Further Reading
If you want to read more about energy-based treatments for acne scarring, check out the following articles published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology:
Laser and Energy Treatments for Acne Scarring: A Review of Clinical Trials
ABSTRACT
Background: Acne scarring can have a detrimental impact on quality of life, making early and effective treatment essential. Lasers and energy-based treatment are the preferred treatment modality, yet a clear consensus on the ideal laser selection is lacking in the literature.
Aims: This review article aims to describe the therapeutic potential of lasers for acne scarring with a focus on clinical trials involving atrophic facial acne scars.
Methods: A search was conducted in PubMed with keywords such as “acne scars”, “laser resurfacing”, “fractional laser”, “nonfractional laser”, “ablative laser”, “nonablative laser”, with attention to clinical trials completed between 2018 to 2022; results were summarized in narrative format.
Results: Improvement in acne scarring is seen from a variety of lasers, with ablative lasers offering the most significant improvement combined with a longer downtime as compared to nonablative lasers. Laser treatment can be combined with a variety of other therapies, including platelet-rich plasma, to increase efficacy. The choice of laser is highly individualized and relies on shared decision-making between the patient and physician.
Conclusion: This study presents an overview of clinical trials in laser treatment for acne scarring between 2018 through 2022. Overall, ablative lasers offered the most significant improvement in acne scars. Laser selection is a patient-centered process that requires attention to the type of scarring present, the patient’s goals, and the advantages and disadvantages unique to each laser.
ABSTRACT
Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure for treating acne scars which has already been well-established, but it has been reborn in recent years because of innovative findings. It presents many advantages in comparison with other techniques more frequently used such as laser resurfacing and deep chemical peelings; in particular, it consents to achieve good or excellent results with a minimal time (2-3 days) of recovery and rare complications, even in dark phototypes.1,2 It is possible to improve the cosmetic results of severe scarring further with the transdermal delivery of drugs such as vitamins, hyaluronic acid, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Additionally, combining these with other aesthetic procedures such as peelings, lasers, and fillers, following an appropriate “wash out” period from microneedling, dermatologists can further optimize results.3
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