12 Sep How to Treat Your Scars
Many people believe that once you obtain a scar on your body, there is no getting rid of it. However, scars are often inflicted on areas of the body that cause significant cosmetic concerns. Acne is just one example of how scarring can impact your appearance and cause you to feel self-conscious about the way you look. Other scars, like hypertrophic scars and keloids can surface anywhere on the body due to injury or surgery and don’t look aesthetically pleasing.
At The DOC Clinic, our goal is to provide treatment that allows you to embrace the natural beauty of your skin. In order to reduce the appearance of scarring, we provide a number of different scar treatment options.
Fraxel Laser Treatment
If you suffer from acne scarring, Fraxel laser treatment can improve the appearance of mild to moderate dark marks. The non-ablative resurfacing laser treats acne scars by targeting layers of the dermis (the layer below the skin’s surface) and causing collagenesis to occur. Collagenesis resurfaces the epidermis (the topmost layer of skin), which reduces acne scarring. Since the laser treats only a fraction of tissue at a time, it leaves the surrounding tissue intact, which promotes very rapid healing. Several treatments are required at 4 week* intervals usually. Factor 4 can be used with acne scar treatments with fraxel or subcision to augment the results (more collagensis and remodelling of skin with more growth factors and healing cells harvested from the patient’s blood in advance (prior to first fraxel or skin needling treatment) Among the numerous scar treatment options, this was widely regarded as the first fractional laser designed for the treatment of many different types of scarring and skin pigmentation issues.
Laser Genesis
Laser Genesis uses an Nd: YAG laser to penetrate deeply below the skin and induce collagen production (collagenesis). An influx of collagen regenerates the skin and therefore reduces the appearance of scarring. Laser Genesis is a gentle treatment with mild discomfort and little to no downtime. Mild redness and swelling of facial areas occurs only for few hours
Skin needling
Another of the many scar treatment options available, particularly for acne scarring, skin needling uses very fine needles to puncture the skin and create a small skin injury. The injury causes the skin to produce collagen and activate healing properties that reduce the appearance of scars. We use Dermapen and also the MDerma skin needling pens, that oscillate up and down thousands of times per minute at controllable depths -depending on the type of scar to be treated and its depth. This treatment can be performed with or without topical ansesthetic. Most people require a
series of treatments every 3-4 week*s apart for optimal results.
Subcision
Subcision uses a needle to penetrate the skin underneath an embedded scar in order to create an additional layer of tissue. Once the tissue forms, the scar can rise above the skin, causing it to break apart and look less prominent on the skin’s surface.
Active Medical Management
For those who suffer from acne continually but don’t want to consider scar treatment options that involve lasers or needles, active medical management can reduce acne that affects the skin. These medications are administered by prescription only and work to reduce oil production, kill acne-causing bacteria, and constrict enlarged pores and more. Many active medical products are available to treat acne and the patient will have to consult with Dr Omarjee to find the best treatment for their skin.
Cosmeceutical Skin Care
Cosmeceuticals combine both cosmetic products and pharmaceuticals to work with the body’s natural biological process and reduce scarring. Cosmeceuticals come in the form of lotions, serums and creams and are applied topically to the skin. The products target deep layers of the skin and initiate elastic, collagen and cellular activity.
Keloid Scar Management
Keloids are often compared to benign tumours in their appearance, but are simply tissues that have built up in excess and protrude from the skin. To treat keloids, patients can visit The DOC Clinic every four week*s and receive a combination of anti-inflammatory drugs and injectables. The goal is to shrink the keloid and help it look more flush with the skin’s surface.
The scar treatment options presented to you will depend on the type of scar present on your body as well as its severity. It is recommended that you schedule a consultation with Dr Omarjee or one of his skin care professionals for a skin evaluation, which will help determine the best treatment option for your needs. If you would like more information about the scar treatment options that we offer, call The DOC Clinic on (03) 9021 6022.