Acne Scar Treatment and Injectables

I have horrible acne scars, and a friend suggested that injections of collagen could help? How expensive it this? Will it work and does it last?

- Rikki, 23, from Los Angeles, CA




hi rikki,

collagen injections may help diminish the appearance of acne scars, but they are certainly not worth the expense, especially for someone with moderate to severe scarring. the duration of effect is about 3 months. other fillers are better, but they are also temporary and fairly expensive. that being said, there is some long term collagen stimulation effect that we are seeing with restylane / juvederm as well as with radiesse. the problem with fillers is that they do not work for everyone. some people have acne scars that are tethered down to the deeper tissues with scar bands and are therefore resistant to being lifted up via filler injection. your doctor will be able to tell you about your specific case.

i have had the most success with laser procedures like fraxel and active fx / deep fx. progress is gradual and improvements are subtle at first, but over time results are very good and, most importantly - permanent. modern lasers do not cause the kind of several week downtime we are all concerned about. the active fx, for example, involves about four days of downtime, and then you look like you've had a sunburn for a week or so.

the most important thing is to find a good doctor that you trust. get several opinions and go with the person that you feel will be the most skilled, attentive and available to you should problems develop. treating acne scars is a process and you are entering into a relationship with your doctor. choose your partner well.