There are few things more horrifying to a teenager than a massive pimple placed prominently on the face. Sometimes they go away within a few days, sometimes they stay a little longer. And what is hoped, other than the pimple remaining invisible to all who might look in the direction of the victim, is that the pimple will disappear as gracefully as it reared its ugly little white head. However, there are times when these pimples bring friends. A case of acne is much worse than a single pimple. What’s more, there is a good chance that the acne may scar. No amount of antibiotics, Retin-A, or Accutane can undo the scarring once it’s there. It used to be that there were about two choices: cover up the scarring with things like make-up, or simply accept that it’s there and get on with life.
Welcome the wonders of microdermabrasion, one of the best ways to get rid of acne scars once and for all. Microdermabrasion was one of the top cosmetic procedures performed on teens between 13- and 19-years-old in 2007. There should be little wonder as to why it reached so high on the list.
Procedure
Microdermabrasion is a method of resurfacing the top layers of skin through controlled surgical scraping with a handheld device. This device emits tiny crystals that, when sprayed onto the face “polish” the skin. Both the crystals and the dead skin cells are vacuumed up by the machine. As the skin is exfoliated of dead and damaged skin, the exposed collagen is stimulated to create new skin cells. When the layers of scarred skin have been removed, what comes back is smooth and scar-free. This can be performed in as little as half an hour, and might take only once to get to the type of complexion teens can live with. However, there are cases that might take as many as five or so treatments.
Candidates, Dos and Don’ts
While people of all ages, from the young to the old, are candidates, the best candidates are those who have minor skin imperfections or conditions, or don’t have the deepest kind of acne scars (pock marks). While microdermabrasion may help those with deep scarring, the best thing is for those to get a chemical peel in addition to microdermabrasion. Those who do not make good candidates include active acne, have had a recent outbreak of herpes, facial warts, mysterious legions on the face, or active keloids. Things to avoid leading up to a microdermabrasion treatment that is a few weeks out include waxing and tanning.
While this treatment helps remove acne scarring, it is also useful for fine wrinkles, crow’s feet, and age spots. If you’re a teenager, you don’t have to worry much about this now. Unless you’re one of those sad emo kids who age faster than the rest of us.
If you are interested in learning more about how microdermabrasion can reduce acne scarring, please contact a cosmetic surgeon in your area.
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