Is your appearance affected by the long struggle against acne? You may have acne scars that are leftover on your face from previous breakouts. Having acne scars can often hamper your self-confidence. And guess what, these marks can become more noticeable with age. Sun exposures and losing collagen in your skin can push you on the losing side while battling against acne scars. However, you can minimize acne scars and boost your self-esteem by considering microdermabrasion treatment.
But before going into details of “How does microdermabrasion help minimize acne scars?” let’s discuss “how do acne scars form?”
How Acne Scars Form
Once acne disappears and the body tries to heal from its damage, your body produces collagen. These protein fibers give skin support. But the problem occurs when your body develops too much or too little collagen while healing. Thus, you see scars appearing on your skin. The most common type of acne scar is atrophic scarring, which is developed when your body isn’t producing enough collagen.
On the other hand, if your body is producing too much collagen during the wound’s healing, you may develop raised acne scars (also known as a hypertrophic scar). Not only scars, but you can also experience skin discoloration because of acne breakouts. This often leaves brown, red, or purple acne scars on your skin. These marks can likely disappear on their own. If not, your dermatologist can easily treat it for you.
With the help of microdermabrasion, you can minimize raised, atrophic, or discolored acne scarring as long as the scars are in the outer layer of your skin (called the epidermis). Read on to learn more about the basics, versatility, and aftercare of microdermabrasion.
The Basics of Microdermabrasion
How does microdermabrasion work for acne scars? Microdermabrasion is an exfoliation procedure that involves gently removing the outer layer of your skin. And so, your acne scars reduce –along with other skin marks– giving you softer, healthier skin.
In this treatment, your doctor will apply exfoliating crystals directly to your skin. This will eliminate the dead skin cells on the surface. For this purpose, your doctor will use a unique sanding instrument to massage the crystals on your face and neck without any injections or incisions. In the end, you will get rid of those troublesome acne scars that you were battling against for so long. As a result, you will have smoother, fresh-looking skin that glows inside out in no time.
The Versatility of Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a minimally invasive procedure, safe for all skin types, colors, and textures. Whether your appearance is affected by sun damage, acne scarring, wrinkles, melasma, age spots, or other skin-related conditions, microdermabrasion got it all covered. Moreover, the crystals do their work without damaging nearby healthy skin cells.
Besides treating skin-related conditions, this treatment is useful to reduce scars leftover from surgeries, injuries, and childhood chickenpox.
Microdermabrasion After-Care
As you’ll have a newly fresh layer of skin, it’s essential to follow your doctor’s instructions during your recovery period. The number of treatments required to achieve your desired results depends on how severe your scarring is. Your dermatologist or anesthetist will create a personalized plan after assessing your skin condition and skin needs. You should follow these two microdermabrasion aftercare tips as your skin heals. This will not only help you achieve optimum results but also encourage a quick and healthy healing process.
Aftercare Tip#1: What to do after microdermabrasion for acne scars
Once you’re done with a microdermabrasion treatment, you should follow your doctor’s advice about your skincare routine. Daily moisturize your skin to avoid it being dry and flaky during the healing process. You should also apply a reliable sunscreen on the exposed skin to protect it from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light. Be gentle with your skin and keep it cool and relax, especially for the first few days.
Aftercare Tip#2: What to avoid after microdermabrasion for acne scars
After microdermabrasion, you should follow a proper skincare routine to help maintain your softer, fresh skin. Moisturize your skin and avoid doing activities, such as exercise, sauna, hot shower, etc., that can make you sweat for the first 24 hours.
Keep your skin hydrated and cut down on coffee, tea, and alcohol for 48 hours. It’s common to experience some peeling of the skin after microdermabrasion. But don’t touch or peel your skin. You should also avoid using other exfoliating products for three days following your treatment. Also, touching or rubbing your skin can slow your skin’s healing process. Lastly, avoid using collagen boosting cream for pitted scars, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, retinol, or topical acne treatments for two days.
Call our Care Dermatologist in Florida today to determine if microdermabrasion is right for you.