Scar Treatment

Scar tissue is composed of the same protein (collagen) as the tissue that it replaces, but the fiber composition of the collagen is different; instead of a random basketweave formation of the collagen fibers found in normal tissue, in fibrosis the collagen cross-links and forms a pronounced alignment in a single direction.

There are many types of scars:

An atrophic scar takes the form of a sunken recess in the skin, which has a pitted appearance. This type of scarring is often associated with acne, surgery, certain insect and spider bites, or accidents

Stretch marks (striae) are also a form of scarring. These are caused when the skin is stretched rapidly (for instance during pregnancy, significant weight gain, or adolescent growth spurts), overuse of corticosteroids and certain syndromes such as Cushing’s Syndrome.

Hypertrophic scars occur when the body overproduces, which causes the scar to be raised above the surrounding skin. Keloid scars are a more serious form of excessive scarring, because they can grow indefinitely into large nodules and grow outside the original wound area.

Radiofrequency Microneedling – Treatment with radiofrequency energy plus fractional needling which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, helping to blend stretch marks with unaffected areas. A multi-session Focus Dual  fractional skin resurfacing program will provide cumulative improvements in collagen production beneath and surrounding the scars. The collagen “remodeling” will help smooth the skin surface and “lift” the scar.

Skin Needling – a gentle, lower cost treatment than radiofrequency microneedling that stimulates the body’s natural healing and collagen production processes by using ultrafine needles to create tiny wounds in the skin; effective for subtle scars and scars in the early stages of development

Chemical peels – Chemical peels remove damaged outer layers of skin to smooth texture, reduce scarring, and remove blemishes. TCA peels such as the BioRepeel and Obagi Blue Peel are the best option for smoothing scarred skin.

Dermal Fillers – Dermal fillers can be injected into the scarred area to fill in an indented scar and create a smoother surface; recommended for persistent depressed scars.

Skin boosters such as the polynucleotide skin boosters or hyaluronic acid and amino acid-based skin boosters can help the skin to heal and generate new collagen thus reducing the appearance of scars.

Prescription Topical Creams: topical prescription treatments that can improve acne scarring include retinoids (derived from vitamin A), pigment lightening cream and an exfoliant.

Topical silicone-based gels can help ease and promote healing of scars in their early stages of development.

Fractional Intense Pulsed Light can help decrease the redness and inflammation associated with early acne scarring.