If you have suffered from acne in your teenage years and thought that the scars will eventually fade as you grow older, the fact that you are reading this article only proves that you thought wrong. Acne scars, especially those that go deep into the skin, do not only remind you of the time when you have had to endure the embarrassment of having hormonally charged pimples, but they also look unsightly and make you lose self-confidence of your appearance. Good thing there are various treatments available to remove acne scar in Singapore!
What is the best treatment for my acne scars?
You may be wondering why there are several treatments offered to remove acne scars. The reason for this is there are actually different kind of acne scars and each is treated with a procedure that would best address it.
If you look at your skin closely and examine the acne scars present, you will notice that the scars differ based on their shape, size, and depth. To easily determine what kind of scars these are, they are categorized according to four types:
- Boxcar Scars
- Ice Pick Scars
- Hypertrophic Scars
- Rolling Scars
Boxcar scars are characterized by the square-like dent in the skin. Ice pick scars have a tiny opening, but goes deep into the skin. Instead of creating holes into the skin, hypertrophic scars are those that appear as thick raised bumps on the skin’s surface. Rolling scars appear as sloping indentations in the skin.
Will having more than one kind of acne scar present mean that there is not one procedure available to treat all types of acne scars in my skin?
Using only one type of acne scar removal procedure for different types of acne scars present will, unfortunately, not guarantee that everything will be removed at once. Despite the advancements in medical technology, a single procedure to wipe out all four types of acne scars in one go is yet to be developed.
The presence of some, if not all, of the types of acne scars on your face should not worry you. As mentioned, each type can be treated by a certain procedure. The available treatments for acne scar removal in Singapore can be combined together to achieve effective results. It is just a matter of finding the right fit of doctor who can customize an efficient treatment for you.
Acne scar removal in Singapore
These are the most common acne scar removal treatments in Singapore:
- Chemical peels
- Dermal fillers
- Laser treatments
- Radiofrequency microneedling
- Subcision
Chemical peel, specifically TCA CROSS, is a treatment used for boxcar scars, ice pick scars, and rolling scars. This treatment uses Trichloroacetic acid, a strong chemical that is placed onto the surface of scars. Its objective is to cause inflammation in order to trigger the production of fresh collagen in the skin, thereby reducing the appearance of the scar as new skin develops after its healing.
Dermal fillers are effective for boxcar and rolling scars. The fillers are injected beneath the skin indentation and fill up the holes with a gel-like substance that acts as collagen. As a result, the depression in the skin vanishes as it becomes evenly levelled at the surface.
Laser treatments are minimally invasive and require shorter recovery time. The most popular procedure for acne removal in Singapore uses PICO lasers. Unlike other treatments that may cause damage to surrounding healthy skin, PICO lasers only focus on the target area. Patients with very sensitive skin can worry less about having pigmentation problems as a side effect of this laser treatment. For mild to moderate boxcar and rolling scars, Pico laser has shown to give the most promising and effective results. Because this treatment uses powerful equipment, the cost may be heftier as compared to other procedures. You can expect to pay anywhere between $350 to more than $500 per session.
Radiofrequency microneedling, specifically Secret RF, utilises a handheld device with gold-plated needles attached that are heated with radiofrequency and administered into the skin to treat scars. This procedure is best for ice pick scars.
Subcision is done by breaking the bands of fibrous skin that hold down the skin, forming an acne scar. Subcision uses a fine needle that is inserted into the skin to cut the roots that pull the skin down, releasing the scar tissue and allowing the skin to appear less sunken.
Having your treatment customized is one sure way of getting rid of all kinds of acne scars you may have, so do not hesitate to discuss your options with your doctor!
Finding the right treatment for your acne scar removal
Being presented with several choices of treatments to remove acne scar can be overwhelming, but if you are able to go find a clinic that can customize your treatment according to your needs, then your journey is off to a good start. As you begin your search for a clinic that will handle your acne scar removal, remember these tips:
- Ask around – Your family and friends may recommend a treatment that worked wonders for them or they may have an aesthetic clinic that they regularly go to.
- Read online reviews – Patients nowadays leave reviews for clinics. Your best source for this can be Facebook and Google reviews. Some celebrities and social media influencers often endorse their favourite clinics and treatments, so keep an eye out for those as well.
- Check out a clinic’s webpage – The Internet readily provides us with information at just the click of our fingers. Thanks to this kind of technology, we no longer have to go door-to-door to inquire about the services being offered by different aesthetic clinics all across Singapore. Visit a clinic’s webpage and read about the different services they offer for acne scar removal. Plus points if they offer more than one treatment and provide customised treatment options.
Ozhean Zoey is a medical and aesthetic clinic that offers proprietary and customised treatments based on their patient’s unique condition and specific needs. Their clinic offers laser, radiofrequency microneedling, subcision and filler treatments that can be used in combination to adequately treat acne scars and help patients achieve their best skin.
Ozhean Zoey Medical & Aesthetic Clinic
111 Somerset Road
#04-10 Triple One Somerset
Singapore 238164
+65 6235 4534