Acne is a common skin condition, especially among adolescents. Acne is generally caused by an oversecretion of sebum or oil by the sebaceous glands, which in turn, is stimulated by excess production of testosterone. This excess oil produced by the glands builds up in the skin pores, leading to the development of acne or pimples. Sometimes, this condition can create a favorable environment for bacterial growth, which eventually causes inflammation and pain. The common treatment for this condition includes laser treatment to remove the acne and its scars, among other options.

Laser is actually an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Therefore, laser surgery involves the use of laser beams to dig the very core of the acne, in order to clear the clogged pores. It can effectively destroy the bacteria and the specific glands secreting excess sebum. However, the effectiveness of this process, to a great extent, depends on several factors, including the skill of the surgeon or the dermatologist. Sometimes, this surgery may require several sessions, as it may not be able to deal with all the glands and bacteria at one time.

Acne can be problematic even after its disappearance, as often, ugly scars are left behind, which are actually a result of the natural process of healing. Laser treatment or resurfacing is considered to be one of the most effective ways to get rid of these scars, mainly due to its precision and accuracy. There are two types of laser treatment; ablative and non-ablative.

There is no permanent cure for acne, and hence, most of the treatment options are directed towards the alleviation of the symptoms like swelling, redness, and pain. For mild to moderate acne, the most commonly used over-the-counter medication is benzoyl peroxide, which is an antibacterial agent. Azelaic acid, retinoids like adapalene, and antibiotic lotions such as clindamycin (e.g. Dalacin T) or erythromycin (e.g. Stiemycin) are other medications for topical application. However, for treating inflammatory acne, oral antibiotics like tetracycline may be required.

In females, hormonal acne treatment has shown promising results in acne control or its prevention. Generally, these hormonal treatment methods aim at suppressing the level of the male hormone — androgen, which is responsible for stimulating the sebaceous glands to secrete excess sebum or oil. Sometimes, cortisone injections are used to treat stubborn and acute acne, especially when all the other treatment options fail to give the desired results. However, in recent times, one of the most talked about treatment option are the above-mentioned laser surgeries, which can be used for both acne and acne scar removal.

✗ Tanning
✗ Over exfoliation
✗ Teasing the acne
✗ Dryness of the skin (use a moisturizer)
✗ Overenthusiastic use of skin products

Like all types of surgical treatment, laser surgery also involves some common surgical risks, like burning and an uneven appearance of skin due to inconsistent application of lasers. Its cost can also be quite significant. Moreover, this treatment may not be able to address the underlying causes required for acne prevention. Besides these, all individuals may not be suitable for this treatment. Therefore, all these issues should be properly discussed with an experienced dermatologist to evaluate all the aspects, before opting for such a surgery.

Acne Laser Treatment

Diode laser treatment is the most popular form of acne scar laser treatment. In this method, a diode laser is used to send pulses of laser beam inside the skin. The laser effectively destroys the sebaceous glands in the skin, which are mainly responsible for producing acne. Sebaceous glands are active in the dermis or thick middle layer of the skin. It also kills the bacteria P.Acnes that are responsible for acne infection. Laser directly strikes the dermis without affecting the outer layer or epidermis. At a time, only a small area with acne is targeted in this treatment. The treatment involves fair amount of pain. However, analgesic creams are applied to numb the area, so that the treatment becomes virtually painless. You may require multiple sessions for the effects of the treatment to become evident. Usually, the acne reduces by about 5% after the first session itself. By the end of the third or last session, there is as high as 85% reduction in acne. Apart from clearing the acne, this treatment also improves the texture of the skin.

Acne Laser Treatment Cost

Similar to any other cosmetic procedure, cost of acne laser treatment is also dependent upon several external factors. Geographical location, locality of the clinic, expertise of the doctor, are some of the factors that influence the cost of laser treatment for acne. Besides, the facilities provided by the clinic also contribute towards the total cost of this treatment. The exact cost of this treatment is determined by number of sessions required and the cost per session. On an average, people need about 3 to 4 sessions of this treatment. In the US, the cost per session is about USD 300 to USD 500, which comes to about USD 900 to USD 2000 for the total treatment. Again a lot would depend upon your individual case and the fees of your doctor. People with severe acne infection and heavy scarring may have to shell around USD 5000 or more.

Risks

Compared to other cosmetic procedures, laser surgery for acne involves minimum risks. Redness, swelling is common after the session. However, it should subside within 3 to 4 hours of treatment. It is unusual for the redness to last longer than a couple of days. If it does, you should immediately see your doctor. The results of acne laser treatment can be expected only after 48 hours. People with darker complexions may see hyper pigmentation in the laser treated area. Again, this side effect is not of permanent consequence. People with lighter skin tones take more time to recover than those with dark skin tone. All in all, the side effects are worth taking a chance, given the promising results of the treatment.

This treatment is recommended only for people with moderate to severe acne break outs. People with mild acne should look out for other safer methods of acne removal.

The procedure is a safe process and does not conduce to further open wounds. In this treatment beams of lasers are targeted on the scarred tissues of the skin, which get burnt of by the powerful laser beams. The new tissue formed is unlike the scarred tissue and the blemishes are reduced to a great extent. Laser scar removal heals quickly and the reduction of visibility of scars helps hoist the person’s self-confidence and self-esteem.

The entire procedure takes only 1-3 hours, however, this procedure has to be repeated several times before the objective is achieved. The amount of actual time taken for the procedure depends mainly on the type of scar being dealt with. The laser procedure can either be carried out in a surgeon’s office, hospital or outpatient surgery center.

Determination of Scar Type
On consulting a surgeon regarding laser scar removal, the surgeon will first check for the type of scar indenting one’s face or body. Moreover, he or she will also check for the depth of the scar. Large and deep scars will take longer to treat, with several rounds of the laser treatment being required. Minor scars will take hardly any time to erase. The dermatologist will check if the scar is a keloid scar (caused by injury), contracture scar (caused by burns), hypertrophic scars (caused by surgeries) and acne scars (severe acne causing ice picks).

Selection of Laser Treatment Type
There are four types of laser popularly used to treat scars. The carbon dioxide laser treatment, involving the use of ultra-pulsed beams on the scarred tissue works well for reducing scars. Then there’s the YAG laser treatment, involving the use of short pulsed laser beams for treating acne scars. Intense pulsed light (IPL) is used to treat scars caused by sun damage, wherein intense pulsed light is used. In the pulsed dye laser treatment, a flash lamp is used to flash beams of specific wavelengths to vaporize scarred tissue.

Anesthesia
For minor scars, anesthesia is often not given. The person will only feel a prickly sensation or slight burning sensation while the laser works into the scar. However, for larger scars, local anesthesia will be given. Even desensitizing ointments are available which will help numb the part in question.

Vaporizing the Skin
Once the anesthesia is given, the laser beam is targeted exactly at the scarred tissue and is moved along the scar’s length. The initial layer of scarred tissue get vaporized, revealing a fresh layer of skin from beneath. When this underlying layer of skin heals, it will have a minimized version of the scar. Larger scars will have to be vaporized several times before the final reduced appearance outcome is achieved. The skin appears smoother, lighter with 50% of the scar erased out.

The laser treatment cost will depend on the number of hours undertaken for the laser treatment. Moreover, the more the repetitions required, the higher the cost goes. The cost also depends on the type of laser used and the facility where the treatment is being carried out. The price ranges from $500 to $5,000 or more. One important point to be noted is that not everybody is eligible for laser scar removal. Your dermatologist will guide you in this matter. It is also essential to know that these procedures do not magically erase the scar completely. They can reduce its appearance but may not be able to erase large scars completely.

Laser therapy is the most effective approach to treat acne scars. Of course, you have other options too, like skin creams, fillers, dermabrasion, and many more. But, the end result is not very impressive, as it is in case of laser treatment. Provided that the laser therapy is performed by an experienced physician and the required number of sessions are conducted, more than 60 percent skin improvement is expected. Some of the treatment methods are discussed below:

Laser Resurfacing

Under this ablative procedure, the doctor uses carbon dioxide laser or Er:YAG laser to remove the affected epidermis layer, so as to promote new growth of skin cells. As this involves creating visible wounds, the healing period is longer (about 2-3 weeks), and the risk factors (e.g., skin redness, infection, irritation) are high. If required, a follow-up session may be recommended 6 months after the first session.

Cost: The total cost for this treatment is approximately USD 3,000 – 5,000. Though this method is associated with skin complications, it helps treat scars located in deeper skin layers.

Fractional Laser Treatment

In terms of less side effects, the fractional method is ideal. What happens in this therapy is that, small wounds are created in the deeper layers of the affected skin. The surrounding healthy skin tissues then help in treating the wounds, as well as the scars. In case of severe scarring, 4-5 sessions are recommended. For better results, the dermatologist may consider this non-ablative method with additional therapeutic procedures.

Cost: On an average, a session of fractional laser treatment costs about USD 1,000. A plus point with this method is lesser skin complications. However, the efficacy is lesser than laser skin resurfacing.

Blue-Light Laser Therapy

This procedure seems most affordable to prospective candidates. A safe laser beam is directed to the affected area to treat scar tissues. Approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), this laser scar removal method calls for 6-8 therapy sessions, each of which lasts for not more than 20 minutes, based on the scar type and individual skin condition.

Cost: It costs less than USD 200 per session. It is not only cheap, but also effective for treating scars. At present, it is the most popular laser treatment.

An important issue associated with laser treatments is the total expense, which usually comes to a few thousand dollars. On a concluding note, do not take this cosmetic procedure very lightly. Take time to outweigh the pros and cons, cost and treatment time, etc. before you finally go for the removal. Also, search for reliable clinics that provide financial solution to customers.