Acne laser treatments have become a very popular way to deal with both acne blemishes and scars.  The more traditional ways of dealing with acne, such as antibiotics, have become more and more ineffective because of overuse.  Because of this, acne laser skin treatments are one of the most effective methods of dealing with acne today.  Unfortunately, it’s also the most expensive by a long shot.

When you undergo a laser treatment for acne, the doctor holds a laser, most times no bigger than a pen, right above the blemish or scar tissue and moves a laser beam, a concentrated beam of light, to and fro.  This destroys the scar unwanted skin and makes a new surface for skin cells to grow on.  The procedure encourages the growth of collagen, a protein that gives skin its youthful texture.  There are many different lasers and doctors to perform the procedures, so make sure to do your research before you go in for a procedure.

Laser Treatment and Acne

There are two main types of acne laser on the market today, ablative and non-ablative lasers.  Ablative lasers burn the top layer of your skin by burning it off with a direct blast of a laser.  This stops the growth of bacteria, shrinks the sebaceous gland that produces the oil that the bacteria feeds on, and destroys scar tissue.  This method has a longer recovery time and is more invasive, but tends to be more effective than non-ablative lasers because it directly resurfaces your skin.

Non-ablative laser treatments cause damage deeper in your skin, in the middle layer of the dermis.  This is done with the goal of producing more collagen that can minimize both scar tissue and diminish blemishes.  Non-ablative lasers are less invasive, require a shorter recovery time, and have less side effects, but they can also be less effective and require more treatments to achieve full results.

Side Effects of Acne Scar Laser Treatment

While there aren’t many, there are several side effects to acne blemish laser treatment.  For most people the procedure is entirely safe a painless, but some bruising and swelling does occur after the procedure and is entirely normal.  These effects can last for seven to ten days with an ablative procedure or possibly only a few hours with a non-ablative procedure.

However, there are no requirements on who can currently perform laser treatments.  This mean you have to do research, and talk to friends and your dermatologist to get recommendations on where to go to have to procedure done.  This is especially true for people with dark skin.  Any laser procedure has the potential to change the color of darker skin unpredictably and, in some cases, dramatically.  Many technicians will refuse certain clients with dark skin because of this, but more talented doctors will still be able to remove acne scars effectively even on people with dark skin.

Two of the more popular non-ablative lasers today are smoothbeam and IPL lasers.  Smoothbeam lasers use alternating blasts of hot and cold to heat up the dermis, or middle layer of the skin.  By targeting this area of your skin it reduces the appearance of acne scars, wrinkles, and other skin problems with a lower risk of side effects than traditional ablative lasers.

IPL laser treatments also heat up the middle layer of your skin, but they do this by using a wide spectrum of light waves.  These light waves kill bacteria and help to control the oil secretions from the sebaceous glands in the problem area.  These procedures can improve skin texture, reduce the appearance of scars, reduce breakouts, and cause new collagen to be produced.

Acne Laser treatment is by far one of the most effective ways to rid  your face to acne scars and blemishes.  But, its expense and the amount of different lasers to choose from requires you do to research to find an experienced doctor who can perform the procedure will best help you obtain the clean, glowing, confident, complexion you desire.