Scars

Scars can be caused by acne, skin conditions, injuries or surgery, leaving unsightly marks on your face and body that can hurt your self-esteem. Whether it’s acne scarring, skin cancer surgery scars, a scar from an accident or a surgical scar on your face or body, Dr. Isaac and Dr. Yanes can help improve the appearance of your scars to minimize their appearance and help you look and feel your best. They offer a variety of treatments to help improve the appearance of scars on the face and body.

At the MI Skin Dermatology Center in Washington DC, Dr. Melda Isaac and Dr. Daniel Yanes offer many solutions for facial and body scarring, from gentle to more aggressive. Before committing to a scar treatment plan, your provider will have a thorough consultation with you to determine which would best suit your individual needs.

Acne Scars

Acne scars can be a prominent and unwanted part of your facial topography. Scars can be unsightly and embarrassing and cause self-consciousness when out in public. Acne scars are especially common among both men and women. Acne is an extremely common condition both as a teenager and as an adult, and if severe outbreaks are left untreated, scars are formed on the skin.
There are two types of scars that can result from acne outbreaks. The first type occurs when the skin produces too much collagen when trying to heal the inflamed lesion left behind by the acne, resulting in a raised mass. The second occurs when there is a loss of tissue following the acne, leading to depressed areas in the skin. There are different types of these depressed scars: ice pick scars, which are small but deep holes in the skin, boxcar scars, which are round or oval with steeply angled sides and more shallow rolling scars that have less defined borders.

Acne scars can become worse if exposed to the sun or if picked at. Sun exposure causes darkening of the scars due to melanin production in response to UV rays, while picking at scars can cause bacteria to form additional cysts, leading to a larger scar. Irritation from excessive face washing or exfoliation can also cause acne scars to worsen.

Luckily for everyone who has had acne that led to scars, there are treatments available which can dramatically reduce the appearance of and even eliminate acne scars.

Other Scars

In addition to treating acne scars, Dr. Isaac and Dr. Yanes treat all other types of scars on the face and body. No matter whether the scar is caused by a skin condition, surgery, C-section, or an injury, we offer several scar treatment options to help improve the appearance of scars.

Whether you have a scar on your face, neck, chest, or body, your provider can help improve their appearance and restore smooth, healthy-looking skin. She treats scars from all types of injuries as well as surgical scars to improve and reduce their appearance, restoring your confidence.

Scar Treatment

There are a myriad of devices and treatments available to treat scars of all sizes, shapes and depth on the face and body. Whether your scars were caused by an accident, surgery or medical skin condition, MI Skin Dermatology has a variety of treatment options to help improve the appearance of your scar(s).

Laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels, and photodynamic therapy are some of the most popular and effective methods to achieve smooth, scar-free skin. Dermal fillers are often used during scar treatment to improve the appearance of depressions or sunken areas within the scar. Dr. Isaac and Dr. Yanes recommend using biocorneum scar treatment cream for small scars and to compliment laser scar treatments to help flatten scars, reduce redness and aid healing.

Dr. Isaac will prescribe the best treatment for your needs and will often use a combination of laser treatments with other skin treatments to achieve the best possible results.

Laser Treatments for Scars

Radio Frequecy Microneedling

Dr. Isaac and Dr. Yanes recommend the Lutronic Genius, the state-of-the-art RF microneedling device, for treating depressed acne scars. Genius RF Microneedling is a safe and effective treatment for acne scars. Combining the effects of microneedling with radiofrequency (RF) to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, Genius RF Microneedling has adjustable depth settings to penetrate the layers of the skin below the scar tissue and deliver radiofrequency energy directly to the dermis where new skin is generated. This improves the appearance of redness and uneven texture from acne scarring by promoting the growth of healthy, new skin and stimulates collagen production deep within the skin. Our providers considers Genius RF Microneedling their go-to treatment for most patients with acne scarring.

CO2 Fractional & UltraClear® Laser Skin Resurfacing

CO2 fractional laser skin resurfacing through Fraxel re:pair, Active/Deep FX, or UltraClear® is an aggressive option that produces dramatic results in one or two sessions. By creating tiny injuries in carefully targeted areas of the skin, the skin is induced to produce fresh new skin. These acne scar treatments create smooth, even skin after just one treatment, but five to seven days of downtime is required as the skin works to repair itself.

Fraxel Restore

Fraxel Restore is another popular laser treatments performed in MI Skin Dermatology. Fraxel is effective in treating discoloration in addition to scarring. A series of 3-5 sessions, each with weekend recovery, is required for optimal results. When discoloration is present along with acne scars, Fraxel laser is Dr Isaac’s and Dr. Yanes’ preferred laser therapy for acne scarring.

Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a gentle treatment that uses pulsed blue or laser light to target irregularities on the surface of the skin. It has been found effective in treating acne scars as well as active acne, plus precancerous lesions and other dermatologic concerns. PDT requires multiple sessions, but the downtime is minimal and minor results can be seen after just one treatment.

V-Beam Pulsed Dye Laser

The V-Beam Pulsed Dye Laser delivers pulses of light to the skin to help improve pliability of skin and scar tissue as well as reduce the appearance of redness in some scars. This laser targets the veins within the skin, causing the blood to coagulate then be absorbed by the body, leaving behind softer, smoother skin.

ForeverClear BBL

ForeverClear BBL (broadband light) laser uses the power of light to clear acne without the need for medications or creams. BBL uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to deliver light energy to the deeper layers of your skin, generating new, healthy skin growth resulting in clearer skin. Skin is first treated with blue light to eliminate acne-causing bacteria in the skin. Second, skin is treated with yellow light to reduce inflammation and redness. Third, skin is treated with red light to kick-start the body’s natural healing process, resulting in healthy acne-free skin.

Other Scar Treatments

Collagen PIN Microneedling

Whether used in addition to Dermasweep or combined with other laser modalities such as Fraxel, Collagen PIN microneedling is an effective treatment for scars, striae, texture changes, and wrinkles. This instrument is a hand-held rotary device made up of tiny needles which penetrate the skin making micro-breaks in the collagen. These breaks release platelets and their growth factors, and induce injury, stimulating collagen formation. Collagen PIN is one of the latest safe and effective procedures with minimal downtime performed by expert dermatologists Dr. Melda Isaac, Dr. Daniel Yanes, and their staff in Washington DC.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels can be used to treat superficial scars including acne scars. These peels work by eliminating dead surface skin cells, allowing new skin to form. Dr. Isaac and Dr. Yanes in Washington DC perform mild to deep chemical peels depending on the condition of your skin and what would achieve the most satisfactory results. Chemical peels are safe and widely performed, and Dr. Isaac and Dr. Yanes are experts in determining the best peel for you.

Dermal Fillers

For scars with sunken areas or depressions, Dr. Isaac and Dr. Yanes will often utilize dermal fillers to smooth out the scar, allowing the skin to appear even. Dermal fillers are often combined with laser and microneedling treatments to improve the appearance of scars.

Skin tightening devices like Ultherapy and Exilis Ultra aid in reducing the appearance of acne scarring by stimulating collagen to tighten the skin. Particularly as one ages, the appearance of acne scarring worsens as skin laxity occurs.

Subcision

Subcision is a surgical procedure that breaks the deep adhesions of deeper, depressed acne scars. After a local anesthetic is injected into the skin, Dr. Isaac or Dr. Yanes inserts an instrument into the skin that breaks the fibrous bands that link the depressed scars to the deeper portions of the skin. Once the bands are broken, the depression is often lifted allowing for smoother skin. Subcision is often added to laser treatments like Fraxel and Genius.

Tixel®

Tixel uses heat energy to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin which stimulates the generation of collagen in the deep layers of skin. Tixel is a fractional energy device that creates microchannels in the skin to stimulate regrowth of healthy skin, improving the appearance of acne scars and scarring from other injuries.

Schedule your skin care consultation today!

If you have one scar or many, don’t worry – you don’t have to simply live with it! Contact the MI Skin Dermatology Center in Washington DC to find out more information about scar treatments options and to schedule your consultation by calling (202) 393-7546 today!