Dr Karen Soh, medical director at Prive Aesthetics, shares what you can do to remove scars, and why your skincare routine may have stopped working for you.
I read that ablative and non-ablative lasers can minimise the look of enlarged pores in the T-zone. Can they treat pimple scars? – Kimmy Neo Both types of lasers can remove damaged skin such as scar tissue, as well as improve skin texture, so yes, they can be used to treat pimple scars.
Ablative laser resurfacing treatments, such as CO2 and Er:YAG lasers, utilise an intense beam of light energy to remove the outer layers of aged or sun-damaged skin, or scar tissue. They’re associated with a longer recovery period, but produce faster and more effective results compared to non-ablative laser treatments.
However, they also come with a higher risk of infection and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, in which case topical creams such as retinols and arbutin can be used to lighten the pigmentation and scars.
While the non-ablative laser treatments don’t have the potential side effects of ablative ones, more sessions are needed to get similar results. Because they’re less invasive, they are less effective on acne scars, and are more suitable for eliminating skin redness caused by rosacea and broken capillaries, reducing the look of fine lines, removing brown spots and stimulating collagen production to minimise the appearance of pores for firmer, clearer-looking skin.
