Laser Acne Treatment

The last ten years or so have seen major improvements in laser technology and therefore laser acne treatment has improved significantly.

Laser Acne Treatment for Keloid and Hypertrophic Scarring

Technology has made laser acne treatment a popular treatment option for keloid and hypertrophic acne scars. There are a number of different types of laser acne treatment available.

Pulsed Dye Laser Acne Treatment

PDL (Pulsed Dye Laser acne treatment) uses a light beam at a specific wavelength to help with acne scar removal. It is a type of laser acne treatment that can be used in the cases of all ages and skin types. In terms of the pain of the procedure causes, some people feel a stinging sensation but most do not require any anesthetic cream prior to this particular brand of laser acne treatment. The side effects of PDL can be bruising which can last up to two weeks after a session. PDL is carried out over the course of a number of short sessions depending on the severity of the scarring. In general, significant improvement in hypertrophic scars has been noted through Pulsed Dye Laser acne treatment, but acne itself may not benefit from its use.

CO2 Laser Acne Treatment

CO2 laser acne treatment is the use of a light beam pulses to accurately vaporize acne damaged tissue in order to expose the new skin beneath. The laser light beam is absorbed by water in skin cells which dries them out. These dried out dead cells can then be wiped from the affected targetted area thus minimizing acne scarring as the new skin revealed is smoother. CO2 laser acne treatment for acne scars is generally considered safer than techniques such as dermabrasion and chemical peels. A CO2 laser acne treatment session usually takes between half and hour and an hour and a half and will leave the treated acne scarred area red (which takes a few weeks to fade back to normal) and a little irritated (irritation normally improves after a few days). It does require that the patient take some time off work to recover but most return to work after around a week.

Er:YAG Laser Acne Treatment

Er:YAG laser acne treatment is used mainly for cosmetic reasons. Like CO2 laser acne treatment, Er:YAG laser beams are also absorbed by water in skin cells which dries them out effectively killing them. However, Er:YAG laser acne treatment causesless heat damage to the treated scar tissue. The CO2 laser therefore causes more inflammation, increased redness and longer healing time. Er:YAG laser acne treatment usually lasts about an hour producing minimal heat damage and new skin tends to regenerate after around a week with the redness taking around 4 weeks to dissipate.

N.B. In uncommon cases, both CO2 and Er:YAG laser acne treatment have caused serious complications after treatment. These complications have included infection, scarring and loss of skin colour.

Nd:YAG Laser Acne Treatment

As CO2 and Er:YAG laser acne treatment have potential post-procedure risks associated with them, interest in treatment such as Nd:YAG lasers for acne scarring is increasing. Nd:YAG laser acne treatment selectively targets tissue in the scarred area combining skin surface cooling in the process. Treatment usually takes place over 1 seession per month over three consecutive months. Acne scarred areas have been shown to improve by up to fifty per cent some 6 months after the final Nd:YAG laser acne treatment session. In general the side effects are milder than CO2 and Er:YAG laser acne treatment but the improvement results much less dramatic.