Will Laser Surgery Remove My Acne Scars?

Posting Date: 11/04/1999

Rachel: I'm 29 and in the last few years I began having skin problems for the first time. I got cystic acne.

Now that I've finally stopped breaking out, I made some calls about having the scars removed. One office referred me somewhere else because I have too many red marks for them to handle.

I settled on an appointment at a laser surgery center, but I'm nervous about it. What do you think?

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Dr. Dean: You have good reason to be cautious. In general, acne scars do not respond well to lasers. Acne scars vary in type and in depth. Lasers, which are mostly used to smooth skin and to remove wrinkles, may be effective on shallow scars, but not on those that are steeply-edged.

I suggest you visit the surgery center so they can evaluate you and you can evaluate them. Take a look at some before and after pictures of people with scarring similar to yours. Also, ask about side effects and for some numbers on success rates.

It's always possible that if you were standing in front of me, I'd tell you, "Rachel, you look great. Your scars aren't noticeable, and you shouldn't do a thing." Maybe you need to hear that. On the other hand, maybe the scars are bad enough to warrant some attention.

Be very careful of these factory assembly line outfits using lasers. This is your face. I want you to get a few opinions before you decide.