Acne Scars Treatment with Dermapen Microneedling and TCA Cross Tecnique

Acne Scars was always  one of the most stubborn area in our practice to treat. Not till we discovered Dermapen Microneedling and TCA Cross method. They can be used separately or combined depending on the nature of scars. 

In the past we relied on lasers and variety of chemical peels, which were helpful for minor and superficial scars. The downside was recovery time, laser treatment cost and limitations.

“Scars are areas of fibrous tissue (fibrosis) that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound (e.g. after accident, disease, surgery) results in some degree of scarring. Scar tissue is the same protein (collagen) as the tissue that it replaces, but the fiber composition of the protein is different. Instead of a nice “basket weave” formation of fibers, the collagen in scar tissue is aligned in a single direction resulting in a pronounced and thicker appearance. 

Acne treatments for most are long term and can result in scarring. There are multiple causes of acne including hormone dysfunction, allergies, environmental factors and nutrition deficiencies. Acne scars result after skin follicles become blocked by excessive oils and the physiology of keratin and old skin cells trigger an inflammatory response reaction. The skin will attempt to heal and the scar tissue results as the collagen becomes deformed and thickens. Acne scars are categorized as being “ice- pick”, “rolling” or “boxcar.”

The Dermapen® treatment can provide drastic results improving the appearances of the scars. The micro needles of the Dermapen® create new collagen and elastin to be generated and deposited called collagenesis, however the added benefit of new capillary growth is also a result which can improve blood supply to the area which helps create healthier existing skin as well as provide a healthy foundation for the new skin. The physical nature of “skin-needling” breaks up this fibrous and uneven scar tissue and stimulates the growth of new tissue. Currently there are ablative and non-ablative treatments offered which can damage the epidermis and evaporate the skin leading to thinner epidermis problems. The Dermapen® keeps the epidermis integrity full intact while treating the area which quickens healing time and causes less pain.” Source: http://www.dermapen.com.

In addition to the new Microneedling technique we employ TCA Cross Method with TCA 80% that applied directly to the bottom of the “Ice-Pick” scar with a toothpick, re-traumatizing the tissue and forcing it to re-heal. That results in more shallow less deep looking scars.
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More information on microneedling with dermapen: www.ballantyneskincare.com.

Here are also my favorites to treat and prevent acne: Clarisonic Brush, Blue Light LED Device and Probiotics to boost your skin immunity from New Chapter: