Even though the worst of your acne may be over, it’s hard to break up with it. Even though pimples go away, they often leave behind scars that aren’t pleasant reminders of their stay.
Acne scars make your skin look bad overall, which makes many adults feel bad about how they look. Acne scars are hard to get rid of, and over-the-counter bleaching agents and other home remedies won’t work. The good news is that you can now get rid of acne scars.
We know how frustrating acne scars can be at Dontage Premier Aesthetic Anti-Aging Specialists in Falls Church, Virginia. Waseem Garbia, PA-C, is an expert in skin care. He and his medical team give warm, personalized care that is tailored to your skin care needs.
If you’re like most people with acne scars, you’ve done your research and know that chemical peels and microneedling are two of the best ways to get rid of scars on the face. But it’s hard to tell which is better for acne scars.
Read on to learn how chemical peels and microneedling are different and to decide which one is better for your acne scars.
How does a chemical peel work?
Your skin’s surface is smoothed out with a chemical peel. This is done by putting a chemical solution on your skin. As the chemicals react with your skin, they peel off the top layer, making room for new, smoother skin to grow.
There are three main types of chemical peels, and each one has a different effect and takes a different amount of time to heal. The type of peel you choose depends on the results you want.
A milder acid is used in superficial peels, and they usually work best on light spots. Medium-level peels get into the top and middle layers of skin to make flaws like age spots and wrinkles less noticeable. Deep chemical peels go deep into the middle layers of the skin and remove damaged skin cells. This makes the results more noticeable.
Waseem and the rest of the team at Dontage will look at your skin to make sure you get the right peel for you.
How does microneedling work?
In microneedling, tiny needles are used to make tiny holes in the skin. This non-surgical procedure works by causing the areas that were punctured to make more collagen.
Collagen is a protein that your body makes on its own. It is the main thing that keeps your skin looking young, firm, and smooth. As we get older, our bodies naturally make less collagen. Also, collagen production can be slowed down too soon if the skin is hurt and then scars, such as with acne scars.
Microneedling is a safe and effective way to treat scars and other skin flaws like wrinkles, sun spots, large pores, and more. It can be used on all skin types. Most people don’t feel any pain and see big changes as a result.
Microneedling is not a one-time fix, though. Most of the time, you need more than one treatment to get the best results. Waseem will look at your skin and tell you how many treatments you need. Most people get between four and six treatments, but each person has different needs.
Which Is Better For Acne Scars?
Chemical peels and microneedling will both make your skin look better. Chemical peels usually work best on small flaws that are close to the surface, while microneedling goes deeper to fix bigger problems.
Many people with acne scars find that the best results come from a mix of microneedling and chemical peels. Scars will heal faster when microneedling goes deeper under the skin. After your microneedling treatments are done, a chemical peel can give you even clearer, younger-looking skin.
No one treatment works for everyone. You should talk to skin care experts like Waseem and the team at Dontage to figure out which is best for you.
Glycolic acid peel vs. microneedling
During the Rutgers acne study, researchers compared microneedling to a 35% glycolic acid chemical peel to see which helped acne scars the most.
On the Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype scale, 60 people with darker skin types IV, V, or VI were chosen by the researchers. They were between 15 and 50 years old, and all of them had “clinically diagnosed scars” from acne.
People with active acne, diabetes, or HIV were not allowed to take part in the study.
The people were put into either Group A (the microneedling group) or Group B by chance (the chemical peel group). Over the course of 12 weeks, both groups got treatments every two weeks.
After the 12-week treatment plan was over, the scientists waited two weeks and then checked in with the people who took part to see how well the treatments worked.
Treating scarring on darker skin tones
Dr. Geeta Yadav, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of FACET Dermatology, talked to Medical News Today about the study’s results.
“People with darker skin tones are more likely to get hyperpigmentation after skin trauma, which makes acne scars stand out more,” Dr. Yadav said.
Dr. Yadav said, “Professional microneedling is one of the few in-office procedures that works well for scars on darker skin tones, so it makes sense that the microneedling patients in this study showed more improvement.”
Dr. Yadav said that the 35% glycolic acid peel was “superficial,” and she wasn’t surprised that the results weren’t as strong as in the microneedling group.