How Laser Treatment Can Remove Pitted Acne Scars

Because heat in blue light and radio waves has proven so effective in treating acne, scientists are investigating using heat in the form of lasers to develop less invasive ways to minimize pitted acne scars.

In fact, one treatment known as CO2 laser resurfacing has been in use since the late 1990s. In addition, a newer, more effective process called super-pulsed CO2 laser resurfacing has recently been developed

Both processes use an instrument that looks like a crane arm with a laser pointer attached to the end. The pointer emits an invisible carbon dioxide–based laser beam that vaporizes the outer layer of a person’s skin. Since the skin rejuvenates, damaging the top layer of a person’s skin causes healthier skin cells under the skin’s surface to grow and gradually replace the damaged skin.

The new skin fills in the depressions that form pitted scars, making them appear less obvious. Unfortunately, most acne scars affect more than one layer of skin, and the CO2 laser, which emits only one laser beam, can reach only one layer. This is why the super-pulsed laser was developed. It emits a number of laser beams of differing wave-lengths that can reach any number of skin layers.

This allows the doctor to selectively target the depth of the skin area to vaporize and to remove more skin when needed with increased accuracy and control. Although less invasive than traditional skin dermabrasion surgery, both super-pulsed and CO2 laser resurfacing take from one to three hours to administer and require that the patient be sedated.

And, because the skin is burned, it often oozes, peels, and appears red for several weeks after the procedure. In addition, since super-pulsed CO2 laser resurfacing frequently targets underlying layers of skin, it can vaporize irreplaceable skin cells that produce pigment. Without adequate pigment, the skin loses its color.

This can be a problem for dark-skinned people whose skin may be left with permanent white blotches. Moreover, this type of treatment does not work for keloid scars. Scientists say that people whose skin develops keloid scars from acne damage tend to form keloid scars for other types of skin damage as well.

YAG – The New Laser Treatment that’s Perfect for Acne Scars

Since super-pulsed and CO2 laser resurfacing damages the skin, these people are likely to form keloid scars as a response to the treatment. Therefore, super-pulsed and CO2 laser resurfacing is not for everyone.

Despite the disadvantages, people who undergo either procedure are generally happy with the results. Most report a 30 percent improvement in the appearance of their acne scars.

Because of the problems associated with super-pulsed and CO2 laser resurfacing, scientists are developing a newer laser treatment known as YAG. YAG promises to be less invasive and require less recovery time than either type of CO2 laser treatment.

YAG uses an instrument similar to that used to administer super-pulsed CO2 laser resurfacing. But with YAG, the instrument delivers a cool, numbing spray to the surface of the skin in combination with an infrared laser beam that the doctor aims directly at the patient’s acne scars.

The infrared beam does not affect the surface of the skin. Instead, it penetrates deep beneath the skin, where it shrinks skin cells. This causes the body to produce increased amounts of collagen to rebuild the shrunken skin cells.

Abundant collagen not only rebuilds the skin cells, but also cushions and plumps up the surface layer of skin, giving it a smoother appearance and raising and filling in pitted acne scars.

Research Shows Good Results for YAG Laser Treatment on Acne Scars

Scientists report good results in studies in which YAG laser treatment has been used. In a 2001 study conducted at the University of California in San Diego, fourteen subjects with pitted acne scars were treated with YAG laser for twelve weeks.

By the end of the last treatment all the subjects showed a 40 percent improvement in the appearance of their acne scars. Improvement was measured by how much each pitted acne scar was raised after treatment.

YAG treatment is reported to be relatively painless. Patients say it feels like a rubber band being snapped across their skin. More importantly, results from YAG treatment are reported to last for years, and the treatment does not create any visible wounds or redness of the skin. In addition, because it does not vaporize underlying skin cells, it does not lighten the skin.