Cosmetic Surgery Los Angeles

Question:
I’m in my late 20s and have severe acne scarring from when I was a teen. Which one of your procedures would you recommend to reduce the appearance of my scars?

Answer:
Well your options vary depending on your skin type, the type of scarring you have, as well as how invasive you are willing to go.  In order to reduce the appearance of textural scarring one option would be a series of 3-6 Microdermabrasions, or a light to deep chemical peel to smooth out the surface of the skin, and stimulate new collagen growth.  Microdermabrasion is non-invasive and has little down time.  Peel depths and downtimes vary from light to deep depending on the combination of  acids used.  

Another option would be a series of 4-6 Fractional laser treatments.  These can be very effective for textural scarring as well as treating post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation form acne.  Columns of laser light extend down deep into the tissue therefore stimulating a reaction in the skin to remodel itself.  The Fractional procedure does have downtime of about a week or so, consisting of redness and irritation, as well as mild swelling.   An even more effective yet more invasive procedure would be Co2 Fractional resurfacing.  This laser combines traditional Co2 resurfacing with the newer Fractional laser technique.  Since the epidermis is totally resurfaced during this procedure, the skin may take one to two weeks to heal.  With these three options in mind, I would highly recommend a consultation to better assess your skin’s needs, as well finding a treatment option that best suits your lifestyle and budget.

Question:
Is micro-dermabrasion just a single procedure? Is a chemical used for this or a machine?

Answer:
Well everyone is a bit different and the number of procedures can vary depending on skin type, age of patient, and what problems are being addressed, as well as what the desired outcome of the patient is.  Generally speaking most people see a nice improvement in skin tone, texture, mild acne scars, and fine lines in 3 to 5 sessions about 2-4 weeks apart then patients can usually maintain their results by having a microdermabrasion every 3 to 4 months and being on a good home skincare regimen.

Usually if done in a medical office or spa a machine will be used, however some Estheticians use Micro-dermabrasion creams that claim to have equal results.  I prefer the machine method.  There are some machines which use aluminum crystals or salt crystals to “blast” the dead skin cells away then vacuum them off.  I used to use this kind however due to possible toxicity and irritation from the aluminum I now choose to use a machine that is chemical free.  With this machine tiny diamonds are attached to a wand to gently sand the top layer of skin, removing dead skin cells and vacuuming them off, revealing smooth and refreshed skin.