Laser treatment can do many things, including improving the appearance of scars. Laser treatment for acne scars is an outpatient procedure where a doctor repeatedly moves a laser wand over the skin to remove damaged skin cells and diminish scars.
What is laser treatment?
Laser Treatment makes use of focused beams of light to treat the damaged areas on our bodies. It has the capability of treating tumors and other such growths, improvise your vision, treat hair loss and also some cases of pain too. Along with all these, laser therapy can also treat scars.
In the case of laser treatment for scars, your doctor repeatedly moves a laser wand on your affected skin. This removes the dead skin cells and also reduces the scars visibly.
Which type of laser treatment is best and advanced
Pimples are pretty bad to deal with and once a scar has formed from them, you know it won’t go away easily. Acne scars are nasty scars that are hard to conceal and will ruin your beautiful face. The Fractional CO2 Laser treatment is best for acne scars. This treatment will poke tiny holes into the deepest layer of skin to regenerate collagen growth and fill in the tissue loss areas. The best fractional CO2 laser treatments are Fraxel Repair, miXto laser, TotalFX, and Matrix CO2.
Safety precautions of laser treatment?
- The treatment needs a topical anesthetic to numb the skin and sometimes sedation is needed.
- Laser treatment for scars should only be performed by a certified dermatologist.
- Mild side effects of the procedure include pain, redness, swelling, and temporary oozing. These effects usually go away within a couple of days.
Is laser treatment convenient?
There isn’t any long downtime with this procedure. Healing is expected within 3 to 10 days.
Efficacy of laser treatment
Scars cannot be completely removed but studies have revealed that laser therapy can minimize a scar’s appearance and thickness.
Laser treatment for acne scars
Laser therapy makes use of focused beams of light to treat the damaged areas on your body. It will remove tumors and other growths, improve vision, stop hair loss and treat pain. It can also improve the appearance of scars.
This procedure involves heat and light and thus, the doctor may not recommend it if you happen to have light sensitivity issues. Some medications can also cause this type of sensitivity. Your doctor will also discourage the treatment if you take blood-thinning medications because that would involve the risk of bleeding. If you have the following conditions, then you should not consider undergoing laser treatments.
- Active acne
- Skin sores
- Darker skin
Is laser treatment the only method to remove acne scars?
There are several methods available for treating acne scars. These include home remedies, drugs and laser treatment.
Home remedies:
- Salicyclic acid
- Lactic acid
- Retinoids
- Alpha hydroxy acids
Natural Remedies:
- Lemon juice
- Coconut oil
- Shea butter
- Aloe Vera Gel
- Raw honey
- Baking soda
Medical treatments:
- Chemical peels
- Injections
- Dermal filler
- Microneedling
- Laser treatment
How much does laser treatment for Acne Scar cost?
Your insurance might not cover the expenses involved in laser treatment for scars since these are cosmetic and elective procedures. Cost of laser treatment depends on the following factors:
- Size of the scars
- Number of scars
- Number of laser treatments needed
The out-of-pocket cost for this treatment varies, so it is very important that you consult more than one doctor to get an idea of prices before proceeding. Some offices also need a consultation fee in addition to what you are paying for the actual treatment. In India, the cost varies from INR 3000 to INR 25000 per session.
Note: You could require more than one laser treatment to get the results you desire. Every time you see your doctor for the treatment, you will have to pay for the treatment.
Why use laser treatments for acne scars?
Laser scar treatments do not make scars disappear. Instead, they make a scar less noticeable to the human eye.
After a skin injury, the body begins the process of repairing the wound. A scab develops on the injury to protect it from infections. Eventually, this scab is supposed to fall off. The skin underneath the scab is of the same color as the rest of your body. But, depending on the depth of your injury, the scar often remains after the scab falls off.
These scars could fade off or become lighter over time. When it becomes permanent, laser treatments can be applied to remove the outer layer of the damaged skin. These smoothen out your skin to improve your tone appearance.
Lasers are even used to target blood vessels in your scar tissue to reduce the redness and can penetrate your skin surface to stimulate the regeneration of skin cells.
Laser Treatment Procedures
When you consult with a doctor, he will decide upon the best procedure to improve a scar. The options included are as follows:
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Ablative or Laser Resurfacing
Resurfacing gets rid of the outer layer of skin and eliminates the skin cells which have been damaged at the surface. A carbon dioxide laser could be used for deeper scars or an erbium laser could be used for surface scars. This treatment is used for treating scars, warts, and wrinkles.
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Fractioned Laser Resurfacing
This procedure involves a laser penetrating a deep layer of the skin to remove dark pigmented skin cells. The procedure will also stimulate collagen production and renewal of skin cells, to make your acne scars less noticeable.
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Non-Ablative Laser Resurfacing
In this procedure, infrared heat lasers will penetrate the inner layer of your skin. This, in turn, will stimulate collagen production and cell renewal to replace the dead skin cells.
How do Laser Treatments Work?
Laser treatments for acne scars work in 2 broad ways.
First, the heat from the laser will work to get rid of the top layer of your skin where the scar is located. As this layer peels off, your skin will appear smoother and the scar will become much less noticeable. As the tissue breaks apart, heat and light from the laser encourage new, healthy skin cells to grow. Blood flow is drawn to that area by the heat of the laser and the inflammation gets reduced as blood vessels in the scar get targeted. All these things combine and make scars look less swollen and red, giving them a reduced appearance. These also promote skin healing.
Target Areas:
Generally, the lasers for acne treatment tend to target your face but the treatment could also be applied to other areas where acne tends to appear. Such areas include:
- Face
- Arms
- Back
- Upper torso
- Neck
Risks and side effects of laser treatment
The procedure makes use of light and heat to treat dead skin cells, so you may experience side effects, like:
- Scarring
- Swelling
- Itching
- Redness
- Bleeding
- Pain
Such mild side effects should improve within a few days. In case you develop signs of an infection, like severe pain or enhanced redness, see your doctor. Other signs include developing a pocket of pus at the site of the treatment.
What is Downtime in laser Treatment?
Laser treatments for acne scars are considered to be non-surgical but are not always downtime-free. The laser resurfacing recovery time depends on the type of laser used and also the person’s health and rate of healing.
The non-ablative lasers do not need any downtime at all but ablative lasers can need 2 to 3 week to fully heal, depending on the depth of treatment. But this does not indicate that you will have to stay at home for a month or so. It means that your skin will be raw, red and will scab over as it heals. You might not feel comfortable in certain social situations. You would also require modifying your activities to avoid all situations where contracting infections is possible (swimming, gym, workouts and so on).
What to expect from Laser Treatment
Recovery times could vary but it could take 3 to 10 days for the skin to heal. Your doctor will give you aftercare instructions for the treatment. These include the following:
- You should avoid direct sunlight for about 4 to 6 weeks.
- Apply a cold pack or moist cloth on the affected area to lessen swelling.
- Take over-the-counter pain medications as and when needed.
- Wash the area and apply moisturizer on it daily.
- Avoid applying makeup for a few days.
The results might not be instant in every case. 
It could take up to weeks or months before you start noticing a difference.
Laser treatments for acne scars are often long-lasting but the results might not be permanent. You could need repeated treatments in the future.
Other benefits of laser treatment
Laser treatment can also be used to treat
- Fine wrinkles
- Age spots
- Uneven skin tone or texture
- Sun-damaged skin
How to Prepare for Laser treatment for Acne Scars
If you decide to get laser treatment for acne scars, your doctor will give you all the information needed for preparing for the procedure. You might need to make the following adjustments:
- Stop smoking at least 2 weeks before the treatment.
- Avoid consuming aspirin, supplements or other medications that can slow down the healing procedure.
- Do not use any kind of skin care products containing retinol or glycolic acid 2 or 4 weeks before the treatment.
- Wear sunscreen. Restrain from prolonged exposure to the sun.
- If you have a tendency of getting a cold sore on your lips, then your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic to prevent the outbreak after the treatment.
Top 10 laser treatment dermatologists in Delhi NCR
- Delhi Laser Clinic: INR 3000- INR 5000
Address: Vikas Surya Plaza, Shop No. 5 & 6, 2nd Floor, Plot No. 2, Nearby KFC, Sector 4, Dwarka, New Delhi, Delhi 110075
- The National Skin Centre: INR 2000
Address: Delhi, H-30, Har Gyan Singh Arya Marg, South Extension I, Delhi 110049
- Nangia Skin Care Clinic:
Address: Near Aryan Hospital, Old Railway Rd, More, Shivpuri, Gurugram, Haryana 122001
- Skin Radiance Clinic
Address: Shop No. 3-B, Mor Chowk, Civil Line, adjacent to Park Inn Hotel, Gurugram, Haryana 122001
- Skinfully yours:
Address: #23, Vipul Trade Center, Sector 122002, 48, Sohna – Gurgaon Rd, Dhani, Sector 72, Gurugram, Haryana 122004
- Garekars M.D. Dermatology Clinic
Address: 29, Arjun Marg, Block E, DLF Phase 1, Sector 26A, Gurugram, Haryana 122022
- Skyn Stories l Dr. Meenu Sethi
Address: #227, Second Floor DLF Phase 1, Qutub Plaza Market Opposite DLF Plaza Tower, Sector 26A, Gurugram, Haryana 122002
- Dermapoint
Address: Dermapoint- Skin Hair & Laser Clinic 944, Sector 15 (Part 2 Opposite Alpine Hospital & Mother Dairy Near Huda Sector Market, Gurugram, Haryana 122001
- Bincy Varghese, Skin and Hair Clinic
Address: UGF 207, Suncity Road, Suncity Market, Sector 54, Gurugram, Haryana 122001
- Skin n Smiles
Address: A 238 – 240, Supermart I, DLF Phase IV, Gurugram, Haryana 122001
Does Insurance cover the laser treatment for acne scar cost?
Insurance providers consider laser treatments as cosmetic and elective treatments. So, your health insurance won’t cover the cost of laser treatment or any other cosmetic treatment.