Q: I am having on-going active acne breakouts. What can I do to better control my acne?

A: In our office, we take a multifaceted approach to the treatment of acne. Our approach is designed to bring existing active acne under control, prevent future flare-ups of acne, treat acne scars, and leave our patients with healthy glowing skin. Depending on each patient™s unique needs, these four goals are accomplished by using a combination of medications, lights, lasers, facials, and peels. These treatments work best when they are used in combination. Treatment plans are always customized and are developed based on what each individual patient needs to most effectively treat their particular case of acne. Severe acne is treated more aggressively than mild acne.

Potential treatments for acne include topical medications which are applied to the skin, mild lasers and lights, photodynamic acne treatment, skin peels, facials, and occasionally oral medications.

Various lights and lasers are effective for acne. Blue light treats acne by reducing the number of bacteria living within the sebaceous glands. Red light enhances the blue light treatment by minimizing the redness and inflammation associated with active acne. Treatment with the Vbeam Perfecta laser reduces both active acne and the redness associated with acne. At times, we will combine either the blue light or Vbeam Perfecta laser with levulan. This procedure, which is called photodynamic acne treatment, treats active acne more intensely. Photodynamic acne treatment is indicated when more conservative treatments have not worked.

We also use facials and light skin peels as a component of our acne care programs. An acne facial will clean the pores and lighten dark blemishes. An acne skin peel will help clear acne blemishes, lighten the brown spots that can result from acne, smooth the skin, and brighten the skin. Acne facials and peels are part of an excellent acne care program and they help us give our patients healthy glowing skin!

Today, dermatologists have many options available to treat acne. No one should have to suffer from uncontrolled acne. We welcome all patients to our office who wish to have their acne better controlled.

Q: When I was younger I had serious acne, which caused acne scars on my face. What can I do to improve my acne scars?

A: We recommend two lasers to our acne scarring patients. The first option is the Fraxel Restore laser. The Fraxel Restore treats the acne scars by stimulating new collagen production. Optimum results are generally achieved by a series of 4 or 5 treatment sessions spaced three to four weeks apart. There is no downtime following the laser procedures and patients can resume all of their normal activities immediately after leaving the office. After completing a series of treatments with the Fraxel Restore laser, patients can reliably expect their acne scarring to be significantly improved and their skin to be much smoother.

The second laser that we recommend for acne scarring is called the Fraxel Repair laser. This laser also improves acne scarring by stimulating new collagen production. The Fraxel Repair laser has the advantage that it improves the acne scarring in only one treatment session. Because the Fraxel Repair laser is more intense than the Fraxel Restore, there is approximately five days of downtime after a Fraxel Repair laser treatment during which time the skin heals.

The Fraxel Restore and the Fraxel Repair lasers give similar improvement in acne scarring. Patients can choose which of the two lasers they prefer based on what suits their lifestyles better. The improvement in acne scarring that occurs after treatment with either of the two Fraxel lasers should last for years.

Our office has been performing Fraxel laser skin resurfacing since 2004, when the Fraxel laser was first introduced. As a result, we have extensive experience with Fraxel laser skin treatment. Dr. Anterasian has performed nearly 2000 Fraxel laser procedures with consistently excellent results. We personally welcome all patients to our office who wish to improve their acne scarring. Today, no one should have to live with acne scars.

Although acne is traditionally thought of as a disorder of the teenage years, long after those years have passed and the acne condition has faded, many adults are left with facial scarring from acne they had years earlier. Thanks to modern medical advancements, there are very effective treatments available today to treat acne scarring.

Acne is a disease that often leaves scars behind. There are several different kinds of acne scars. Pitting scars are commonly known as "ice pick scars." The more crater-like scars are known as "depressed scars." In addition, changes in the color of the skin can also occur at the site of previous acne lesions. The skin can end up darker than normal, lighter than normal, or redder than normal.

For a single ice pick scar, the most effective treatment is simple excision. However, when the scarring is more widespread, other methods must be used to treat the scars. Dermabrasion was one of the first methods developed for treating acne scars, and it is still used today. With dermabrasion, a rotating wire brush or a spinning diamond burr is used to smooth down the surface of the skin. As the skin heals, a new layer of skin replaces the abraded skin, resulting in an improved appearance in the treated area. However, dermabrasion can require 10-20 days to heal, and may result in redness that can persist for several months. For these reasons, other methods were developed that have quicker recoveries and fewer side effects.

We are now using the Fraxel laser for acne scarring. We believe that the Fraxel laser is the best modality available today for treating more generalized acne scarring. With the Fraxel, the facial skin is resurfaced over a series of 4 or 5 treatments. Because the Fraxel laser preserves normal healthy skin between the areas of skin that the laser has treated, healing and recovery occur more quickly after each laser treatment.

We have been extremely impressed by the improvement in acne scarring after Fraxel laser treatment. The Fraxel laser is a "home run" when it comes to the treatment of acne scarring.

Our patients who have acne scarring are invited to call our office and make an appointment to have their scarring evaluated. In addition to scar excision, dermabrasion, and Fraxel laser resurfacing, other treatments for acne scarring are also available. Thanks to the development of a number of different techniques, acne scars can be treated with a variety of safe and effective procedures that improve the appearance of a patient's skin. With all of the modalities available today for treating acne scarring, no one should ever have to live with their acne scars.