Laser Acne Treatment

Laser treatment is something that more and more people are looking into to help deal with acne, as well as its long-term affects (primarily scarring). There are a few different types of laser acne treatment available.

Before you consider any sort of laser therapy, though, it’s good to first try controlling your symptoms on your own. Start out with general over the counter products (such as a face wash and moisturizer that contain salicylic acid). If that doesn’t work, you can try using a more intensive acne treatment regimen such as Proactiv, Acnezine , and others.

If these don’t work, see a dermatologist, a professional skin doctor who can help you weigh your options and determine what course of treatment will be most effective for you. If your acne (or acne scarring) is severe enough, your dermatologist may recommend laser acne treatment.

What is laser acne treatment?

There are several types of lasers that serve different purposes for skin treatment. In general, a laser applies a specific form of light directly to your skin. The intensity of the light (as well as the type and configuration of the light administered) interacts with your skin’s surface, as well as below the surface, to help treat specific aspects of your acne.

Laser Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing is one form of laser acne treatment. With this type of laser therapy, a laser ‘pen’ device is held just above the skin directly over a particular blemish or scar. By moving the light gently from side to side, the laser helps break down some of the scar tissue and tissue buildup, thus reducing the acne, smoothing the skin, and setting the way for new cells to grow back in a smoother, more healthy way.

This type of treatment can help with scarring, extreme blemishes, and ‘pock-mark’ scarring types of appearance.

Who needs laser acne treatment?

As mentioned above, try to control your acne with whatever means you have. You need to see a special dermatologist (often even an “aesthetic dermatologist”) to determine if laser therapy is right for you. Laser therapy is expensive and is something you want to research before you decide it’s right for you.

Note also that people with darker skin tone sometimes experienced lightened spots where the laser is used, but the technology is constantly evolving, and newer procedures are much safer. Make sure you see a doctor you trust.

How to avoid laser acne treatment

Laser therapy is expensive. To avoid needing laser treatment for scars, take good care of your skin. Keep it clean (but do not over wash) and use a quality moisturizer. To make sure your skin can heal and is less likely to scar, protect your skin from the sun, and do not pick at blemishes. See a dermatologist if you have questions.