Microneedling for Acne Scars

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Published on May 3, 2019 By: WIFH Staff

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Treat Acne Scars With Microneedling

If you have acne scars, our microneedling treatment might be a solution for you.

When it comes to treating acne scars, chemical peels only help so much and ablative laser treatments can often carry significant risks. Microneedling, however, offers significant improvement with acne scars and even stretch marks with no downtime.

So if you’re serious about erasing the marks acne has left behind you’ll want to consider microneedling. There are several different microneedling devices on the market. At WIFH, we Use the SkinPen microneedling device.

Types of Acne Scars

Acne scars vary based on depth and severity. Depressed, or pitted, acne scars are the most common type of scarring. They can also be referred to as ‘ice-pick’ or ‘box car’ scarring. These occur when healthy tissue is unable to grow on top of scar tissue, maintaining a depression in the skin. Depressed scars usually respond really well to treatment with SkinPen, since the treatment disrupts scar tissue and allows healthy tissue to grow in its place.

Discoloration and pigmentation scars happen when redness remains permanent at the site of previous acne. Light and laser treatments that target melanin are also effective to treat this type of scarring; SkinPen does a great job in lessening discoloration and pigmentation as well.

How Microneedling Treats Acne Scars

Microneedling is collagen induction therapy. At WIFH we use the SkinPen device for our microneedling treatments. SkinPen is a powered device that uses surgical grade needles to make tiny microscopic punctures in the skin. It basically wounds the skin to initiate its natural healing process to make new skin fibers. The needles are able to pierce the scar tissue left behind by the acne allowing these areas to be softened and new skin to form. This allows the indentations to lift and the surface of the skin to smooth. It also helps to reduce pore size and tighten the skin.  Often we use a “stamping” technique to address the area where acne scars are prevalent, allowing for deeper penetration and advanced healing effects.

How Many Treatments Will You Need?

Depending on your specific skin goals and what area we are treating, the number of treatments you need will vary. However, patients with acne scarring usually require at least 6-8 treatments, depending on the severity and depth of the scars.

We recommend 4 weeks or 1 month between treatments. It is important to remember that it takes 3 months for your skin to complete the healing response, so even after the completion of your treatment package you will continue to see improvement for several months afterward.

Microneedling Aftercare Guide
Microneedling Aftercare Guide
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If You Have Active Acne

An important note: patients with active acne should not pursue SkinPen treatments. If you have current breakouts, we will need to find a skincare regimen to get rid of active acne and maintain clear skin before you can undergo microneedling. The reason for this is we do not want to spread the bacteria within the acne lesions, as this could make the breakout worse and even lead to infection. If you are still struggling with acne we can meet with you to discuss different products to help get the acne under control before proceeding with a microneedling session.

Find Out if SkinPen for Acne is Right for You

If you want to get rid of your acne scars, SkinPen might be the right procedure for you. We welcome you to visit WIFH for a free skin care consultation. Everyone’s skin is different, and we will devise treatment plan to get you the results you want.

Sarah Richardson, LME

Sarah Richardson is WIFH’s Lead Medical Aesthetician and manages the skincare side of our practice. She is also an Assistant Cosmetic Laser Practitioner licensed by the Georgia Medical Composite Board. With over 16 years of skin care experience, Sarah specializes in creating customized treatment plans to address our patients’ individualized needs. Through a combination of clinical facials and aesthetic procedures, as well as scientifically effective skin care products, Sarah helps patients achieve a healthy, radiant, and glowing complexion. She is truly passionate about what she does and loves to educate others who are looking to improve their skin’s health.