Acne & Acne Scars

West Vancouver Acne Treatments

Acne, and the pockmarked scars it leaves behind, are among the most frustrating skin flaws – especially when acne flare-ups follow you out of the turbulent teenage years into adulthood. If acne has been troubling you, you have probably tried every product under the sun, only to find you still experience breakouts and subsequent scarring. 

Is there any way to resolve these problems and get clear, smooth, healthy-looking skin? Indeed, there are several cosmetic treatments available for getting acne under control, minimizing the appearance of scars, and improving your self-esteem.

Your Treatment Guide for Acne and Acne Scarring

At the Advanced Laser Technology and Cosmetic Center, we offer some of the leading procedures for acne and its resulting scars. Read on for details of these innovative options.

Microdermabrasion

While you can’t wave a wand and magically improve your skin’s appearance, microdermabrasion might be the next option. Microdermabrasion relies on a specially designed tool that exfoliates the skin using a stream of tiny, rough particles. After removing the top layer of dull, dead, and damaged skin cells, you will see a brighter, naturally rejuvenated complexion with less noticeable acne scarring. 

Microdermabrasion may also be useful for people dealing with active acne breakouts because it removes dead skin cells that can clog pores while reducing excess sebum, which is a factor that causes acne to flare up. 

Microdermabrasion is appealing to many people because the procedure is painless and requires no recovery time. If you like, you can schedule a series of microdermabrasion treatments for even more dramatic results.

Fillers for Acne Scars

Soft-tissue fillers like Juvéderm® and Radiesse® help smooth pitted skin quickly and relatively painlessly, though you will need to be diligent about scheduling follow-up appointments to maintain the new texture.

Bellafill® is the only long-term filler on the market for treating acne scars. Requiring minimal downtime, this product provides a way to improve the appearance of both shallow and deep acne scarring, and the results can last up to five years or more. Injecting this dermal filler into the acne scars will minimize their appearance by causing new collagen to grow around the depressions, giving your skin a smoother and more even look. 

As an experienced provider of cosmetic injectables, Dr. Kabiri can help you choose which filler, or combination of fillers, is the right solution for addressing your concerns.

Chemical Peels

As you can deduce from the name, chemical peels rely on a blend of chemicals to remove the outer layer of skin. If you’re planning to get a chemical peel, know that you can customize the depth of your peel depending on your skin texture, the extent of your concerns, and the results you are hoping to achieve. As expert providers, we will work with you to determine which level of treatment is most suitable for you. 

  • A mild chemical peel only removes the topmost layer of skin, so it’s a better solution for patients who have less prominent scars and wrinkles. With a mild peel, the chemical solution only sits on your face for a short while before it gets washed off. After your mild peel, you can enjoy a healthy glow with minimal recovery time. 
  • Moderate chemical peels can penetrate more deeply into the skin to correct more pronounced skin inconsistencies. This level of chemical peel may leave your skin looking as if you have a mild sunburn for a few weeks after you get your treatment. 
  • Deep peels are an ideal solution for people who are worried about extensive skin damage. Because deep peels are the most aggressive level of chemical treatment, they also create the most remarkable transformation because they encourage ongoing collagen production and skin cell turnover for months after the procedure. However, deep peels also require a sedative and about two weeks of recovery time to allow swelling and scabbing to heal.

Facials for Acne Breakouts

Acne facials are a tried-and-true way to get breakout-prone skin under control and help manage frequent flare-ups. During a facial, your esthetician will extract blockages from your pores and apply an intense moisturizer, providing you with an immediate improvement in the look and feel of your skin.  

For most favorable results, you may require a series of acne facials spaced several weeks apart. Between treatments, you can maintain your skin’s healthy appearance by washing your face with a mild cleanser every morning and night, followed by a non-comedogenic moisturizer. Avoid heavy makeup that can clog your pores.

Acne Treatments with Laser Skin Resurfacing

Acne scars often become more noticeable with age once your skin starts to lose collagen, a structural protein abundant in young, healthy skin responsible for skin volume and firmness.

Laser skin resurfacing is the gold standard of skin care treatments. The laser works by removing the top layer of skin, thus creating micro-injuries that stimulate your body’s natural healing response. The result is the generation of new collagen over time. You will notice clearer, smoother, and firmer skin with fewer flaws such as wrinkles, scars, and discoloration. We recommend the Pixel CO2 fractional laser for anyone who is worried about acne scarring and is looking for a non-surgical, minimal-downtime solution. 

After your laser treatment, you will need to be diligent about keeping your skin moisturized. You will also need to avoid sun exposure as much as possible, since your laser-treated skin will be more sensitive to the sun’s damaging UV rays. You can preserve the long-lasting effects of your laser resurfacing by taking precautions such as applying a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every time you plan to go outside, even on overcast days.

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Microneedling

Puncturing a scar’s surface with tiny needles may seem like the opposite way to make it more even with the rest of your skin, yet it works. When the skin is pricked, it produces more collagen to heal the needle’s many, tiny wounds, filling the scar. New skin cell creation brings the scar’s surface closer to the surface of the skin around it.

Many celebrities have publicly sung the praises of microneedling, including Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow. The procedure takes just 15 to 30 minutes and patients notice an immediate glow. Improvements build over the following six months. While some patients need just one treatment every year, most get great results from using two to three treatments spaced four to eight weeks apart. Patients with severe acne scarring may choose to have six to eight sessions at four week intervals.

Adding platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) to your microneedling procedure further stimulates new skin cell production. Because PRP uses the healing platelets from your own blood, there’s no risk of an immune response. Using microneedling with PRP under your eyes diminishes dark circles.

Microneedling RF with Venus Viva and Scarlet SRF

Where microneedling alone works well to fill scars, it’s more of a surface-level treatment. The discoloration and broken capillaries existing deeper within the skin remain untouched with microneedling alone. 

Microneedling with radio frequency, on the other hand, sends energy deep into the skin to not only to stimulate the body’s repair processes (collagen and elastin production) more vigorously, but destroy the pigmentation and capillaries that give skin a mottled appearance. Patients using microneedling with radiofrequency get a stronger collagen support network and clearer complexion. 

Venus Viva

Our Venus Viva™ procedure is the most suitable solution for acne scars, but also skin tightening, wrinkle reduction, and sun spot treatment. Targeted, it involves no downtime or discomfort. 

Scarlet SRF

Scarlet SRF uses bipolar radiofrequency to coagulate dermal collagen and elastin, rejuvenating existing dermal fibers and tightening skin. Even more powerful than Venus Viva, Scarlet SRF creates tighter, smoother and brighter skin with no downtime or side effects. It’s effect approach those of the surgical facelift.

Effective Acne Treatments in West Vancouver

The Advanced Laser Technology and Cosmetic Center is proud to be the home of some of the most cutting-edge, minimally invasive treatments available for acne and acne scarring. Our experienced skincare experts are here to provide advice on managing acne, alongside the top acne solutions in West Vancouver. Contact us today at 604-925-1301.