SCAR TREATMENTS - SINGAPORE
SCAR TREATMENTS - SINGAPORE
Do you have unsightly scars or keloids? Did your years battling with acne leave you with pock marks all over your face?
Acne scars
Acne scars are divided into several categories, including pitted, rolling and box scars. In the early stages of acne healing, pigmented and vascular scars may form. These may be flat, but have brown or purple shading, making acne look worse than it actually is. Many people have a combination of these.
Scars are unsightly and no amount of make-up can cover deep depressions or pitted scars. In order to look good, it is imperative that the skin is returned to a smooth, even surface.
Brown/ purple scars
These form as a result of inflammation during the infection stage of the pimple. First, as a result of the infection and inflammation, the body forms new blood vessels to supply nutrients to the affected area, giving it a purple tinge. Next, after the skin heals, there is an overzealous response by the skin to form pigments, leading to what we call PIH or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
To successfully treat these scars, we employ a low-downtime laser which shrinks the blood vessels and accelerates the breakdown of pigmentation formed during this stage. We also recommend creams which are effective in accelerating healing of the pigmented/ vascular scars.
To understand how to treat scars, we need to know how they form in the first place. Many depressed scars are formed due to previous inflammation and infection during healing (e.g. a big pimple with pus). Fibrous bands form below these scars in the dermis layer of the skin as a result, and thus distort the surface of the skin, resulting in a depression.
In order to successfully treat these scars, it is not enough to have surface treatments like scrubs and dermabrasion, or acid peels, although these are useful to a certain extent. To really treat these scars, we need to get below the surface of the skin and break up these fibrous scar tissue, as well as build new collagen to fill up the depressions, hence making the surface smoother and more even.
Our experience with treating acne scars has been that almost all patients see some improvement after just one session of fractional CO2 laser treatment. Multiple repeated sessions are necessary in order to achieve the optimal result depending on your expectations. Generally, rolling and box scars tend to show the most improvement, and pitted scars take longer to respond.
In some patients with stubborn scars, further treatment options could include needle subcision, or the use of dermal fillers under the scar. We are seeing very good results with dermal fillers because they do not just reduce the appearance of the scar immediately. In addition, due to the lifting effect of the filler, we manage to see that the fibrous bands holding the scars down are broken and the final result after the filler has worn off is much better than before.
We make use of the Infini FRF Fractional RadioFrequency treatment to treat severe scarring. Using a fractional approach to delivering RF energy, we are able to treat even deep and craggy scars. The best thing about this is that there is less down time than conventional treatments like dermabrasion.
Have you got a big purple/brown bumpy scar which seems to be growing out of proportion to the original injury? If so, you may be suffering from a keloid or hypertrophic scar.
We use a combination of topical creams, lasers and injections in order to reduce the thickness and colour of these scars. Success rate is pretty high, but beware, the recurrence of keloids after treatment is also quite common.
Don’t suffer in silence. The treatment for scars is available today and is a real possibility. Call today to find out more at 6221 8221 .