Microdermabrasion Acne Scar Treatment

Let's face it (if you'll pardon the pun), nobody likes to suffer through an outbreak of acne. While most people think of acne as something that only affects adolescents, the truth is that virtually anybody can get it; regardless of age or gender. As if unsightly acne wasn't bad enough, severe cases can leave permanent scars. However, there is some good news in the fact that there are a number of treatments that can reduce the visibility of this scarring. Microdermabrasion acne scar treatment is one such example. Here are some things you should know about it.

As a word of caution, none of the following should take the place of qualified medical advice. If you have a problem with acne, or acne scars, then you should talk to your doctor about it. That being said, by learning about various treatment methods, you will be better informed which will allow you to have a better conversation with your doctor. Okay, on to the good stuff.

Microdermabrasion acne scar treatment actually covers a few related procedures. They all basically use devices which use fine particles of some kind to remove a good amount of the outermost layer of skin through abrasion. However, some microdermabrasion will involve the rubbing on of creams that contain small particles. These particles will help slough off dead skin cells, and other skin cells on the top layer of the dermis. What then happens is the body then produces healthy, new skin cells to take their place. In many cases, people will see near-immediate results, and the skin will look smoother and the acne scars will be less visible.

Now, microdermabrasion can be used for acne scars, but it also has other uses. For example, it does a fairly good job of reducing age spots, brown spots and fine lines. It has also been shown to help with blackheads, and enlarged and oily pores. You can think of the process as basically sanding down the skin. By using microscopic particles, it tends to cause fewer side effects than regular dermabrasion.

While microdermabrasion is an effective treatment for some acne scars, it doesn't work all that well for deeper, more severe scars. This is because the procedure only has an effect on the outer layer of skin, and can't penetrate deep enough for more severe scarring. However, regular dermabrasion, subcision, punch grafting and laser resurfacing may be viable alternatives if you have deeper scars.

However, if you have mild, more shallow scarring, then microdermabrasion is a good choice. The procedure usually takes no more than 30 minutes, and facial redness lasts approximately 24 hours. (This is much better than the several days of redness, and months of recovery typically associated with regular dermabrasion). Also, microdermabrasion isn't all that expensive with the average range being $75 to $350 per treatment. It's a generally safe procedure, though there is always a chance of side effects with any medical procedure. That being said microdermabrasion acne scar treatment is a good option for a lot of people.