Acne Scar Treatment NYC | JUVA Skin & Laser Center

Who can get acne scars?

Some people think that acne only occurs during puberty. The truth is that this cosmetic condition can affect men and women well into their 30s, 40s, and even 50s. Not only can adult acne be difficult to treat, but it can leave patients with noticeable scarring after the blemishes have finally cleared up.

At JUVA Skin & Laser Center, we know that acne and acne scars can be incredibly frustrating, which is why we offer a variety of acne and acne scar treatments in NYC to help you enjoy the healthy, clear skin you deserve. If you’ve been struggling with acne or acne scars, please call (212) 688-5882 today to schedule a consultation with our experienced dermatologists.

Learn More About Acne Scar Treatments

Where Can I Get Acne?
What Type of Acne Do I Have?
What Causes Acne?
How Does Acne Become a Scar?
Types of Acne Scars
Some Ways to Manage Acne at Home
JUVA’s Groundbreaking Acne Research using Fractora
Photodynamic Therapy
Laser Acne Treatments
Fillers for Atrophic Acne Scars
Chemical Peels
Acne and Emotional Health
Schedule Your Manhattan or Woodside Acne Treatment

Where Can I Get Acne?

Keep in mind that active acne (which is characterized by inflamed or infected pores) is different from hyperpigmentation or scarring, which can appear when your blemishes fade.

Active acne can occur on the:

Face
Back
Chest
Neck
Shoulders
Other areas of the body

Woman with long light brown hair looking in the mirror

What Type of Acne Do I Have?

It’s possible to have multiple types of active acne at once, which is why it's important to work with our dermatologists to determine your acne type. From there, they can match you with the appropriate treatments. A treatment that banishes blackheads, for example, may not be suitable for tackling deep, cystic acne.

The most common types of acne include:

Whiteheads: These are small blemishes with a white appearance.
Blackheads: These marks are characterized by the appearance of tiny black dots.
Papules: This term describes the stage after a whitehead, where there is likely inflammation, but no visible white area on the blemish.
Pustules: This form of acne may be painful to the touch and tempting to pop, but you should avoid any squeezing action that could leave you with a scar. Many people refer to this type of acne as pimples.
Nodules and Cysts: These are more severe forms of acne and have the potential to damage your skin. Nodules and cysts are often deep and painful.

Before & After Acne Scar Treatment at JUVA Skin & Laser Center

Acne scar treatment results in NYC at JUVA Skin & Laser Center

What Causes Acne?

Acne occurs when a pore in your skin becomes clogged. Typically, this clog starts with dead skin cells. Instead of rising to the surface of the skin and falling away, some cells come in contact with a natural facial oil known as sebum. These oily skin cells may stick together and become trapped in the pore, leading to the formation of acne.

Acne can become redder and more inflamed when bacteria are involved. Certain bacteria on the surface of your skin can get trapped inside a clogged pore and multiply rapidly. Eventually, the bacteria can create a deep, painful acne cyst. Unfortunately, antibiotics and over the counter medicines may not always be effective when it comes to treating stubborn acne.

How Does Acne Become A Scar?

Not all acne breakouts lead to scarring. However, when a breakout is particularly deep or inflamed, it can damage the surrounding skin. As the blemish fades, your body attempts to fix the damage. Unfortunately, your body may not repair the damage perfectly. A scar will form if too much or too little collagen is produced during the healing process.

The longer that you have inflamed, red, and irritated blemishes, the more likely you are to experience scarring. You can help prevent acne scars by pursuing an effective professional acne scar treatment in NYC as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it’s possible to scar in spite of your best efforts to protect your skin.

You may be prone to scarring if you:

Have inflammatory acne
Postpone acne treatments
Pick or squeeze your blemishes
Have a genetic predisposition

Some Ways To Manage Acne At Home

There are several habits and products that you can incorporate into your at-home acne routine. Sometimes, changing a few things is enough to improve your acne. However, if you aren’t seeing results or if you pimples are turning into scars, it’s time to see our dermatologists in NYC.

Try the following skin care tips to help manage acne at home:

Don’t over-wash your skin: It’s tempting to wash your skin frequently when you’re dealing with acne. However, washing more than twice a day can do more harm than good. Over-washing can lead to irritation and new breakouts. Though you may think striping all the oil from your face is the answer, you need some sebum on your face to prevent dryness and protect your skin barrier.
Stick to a treatment: Have you fallen into the trap of switching to a new cleanser or spot treatment, using it for a few days without seeing results, and then ditching it for a different product? Changing up your skin care routine so frequently fails to give any product enough time to work. Plus, using so many different products on your skin can cause irritation.
Use non-comedogenic products: Some makeup, skin, and hair products can cause breakouts. Try looking for products that are labeled “non-comedogenic,” which means they won’t clog your pores.

Click here to shop our carefully curated products exclusively for acneic skin.

Types Of Acne Scars

There are many different types of acne scars. Among the most common are:

Rolling Scars

These marks form rolling depressions across the skin that sometimes resemble waves. A kind of pitted acne scar, rolling scars become more apparent with age, as collagen diminishes and the skin loses its elasticity and fullness.

Boxcar Scars

Like rolling scars, boxcar scars are depressions in the skin. However, this type of atrophic acne scar has steep, clearly defined edges.

Icepick Scars

Another type of pitted acne scar, icepick scars are narrow and deep. They typically resemble a large, empty pore.

Keloid Scars

Raised acne scars that are firm and often appear rubbery. Less common and, resulting from severe acne, genetics, or secondary infection.

Post-Inflammatory Hypo- and Hyper-Pigmentation

Spotting or blotching of the skin may seem unrelated to acne, but pigmentation irregularities can be caused by blemishes both early and later in life. These marks may appear lighter or darker than the surrounding skin as a result of melanin production during healing.

Post-Inflammatory Erythema

A condition marked by persistent redness, erythema occurs when capillaries near the skin’s surface become permanently damaged or enlarged.

Each type of acne scar responds better to specific treatments. During your visit with our dermatologists, we will carefully assess your scarring and help you choose the option or combination of options that will produce the smooth and attractive skin you desire.

Photodynamic Therapy for Acne Scars

Photodynamic therapy can improve a wide range of acne concerns. The first step is to coat the skin with a medication called Levulan® (aminolevulinic acid HCl) that is absorbed by your oil glands and skin bacteria. The drug is then activated using a gentle laser, to effectively kill acne-causing bacteria and shrink the size of your oil glands.

The treatment is painless and the results are long-lasting. To experience the best results, the treatment should be performed five to six times, at two-week intervals. Your skin will temporarily be more sensitive to the sun after a session, so you will need to wear a sunscreen for several days after a photodynamic therapy session.

JUVA’s Groundbreaking Acne Research Using Fractora

Microneedling is an effective treatment on its own. But Fractora takes microneedling further by combining it with fractionated radiofrequency energy. The result is an effective double-duty treatment, with zero downtime. Fractora improves acne and acne scars through the production of collagen, elastin, and new skin cells.

Dr. Katz recently conducted a clinical research study in which 69% of subjects showed significant improvement in acne flare-ups and scarring. Our patients saw an overall improvement in their skin with three treatments every three to four weeks within a six month period. Dr. Katz is proud to announce the success of this clinical study and this acne scar treatment is now available at JUVA Skin and Laser Center in NYC.

Dr. Katz on Adult Acne

Watch stories of two patients who have dealt with adult acne. Dr. Katz uses photodynamic therapy to provide long-lasting results for these patients.

Laser Acne Treatments

Laser acne scar treatments in NYC can offer a safe, effective, and painless way to reduce acne and acne scars. At JUVA, we offer state-of-the-art options:

PicoSure Laser

The PicoSure laser is FDA-approved, and works by aiming short bursts of laser energy into your inner and outer tissues. This revolutionary treatment helps to eliminate red spots, dark spots, and scarring. PicoSure treatments are safe and painless. Plus, they help cleanse the pores and encourage healthy skin through the production of collagen and elastin.

LightPodNeo by Aerolase

This laser penetrates both the outer and inner layers of your skin to destroy the bacteria and other dermal infections that can cause acne. The heat of the laser is specifically targeted to the glands where acne bacteria thrive in order to destroy the bacteria before acne forms. The laser light is targeted and gentle enough to leave the surrounding skin tissue unharmed.

Fractional CO2 Laser

Fractional CO2 lasers excel at resurfacing the skin. This treatment removes damaged and dull layers of skin tissue, leaving the surrounding skin intact to aid in the healing process. After a treatment, your skin will begin to produce healthy new cells. This process can dramatically improve the appearance of acne scars.

Fillers For Atrophic Acne Scars

Injectable dermal fillers can help minimize the appearance of depressed acne scars. These products work by adding beneficial volume below the surface of the skin. When carefully placed under an atrophic acne scar, fillers can lift the divot and help it appear more even with the surrounding skin. At JUVA, we tend to use Bellafill to improve acne scars. This revolutionary filler provides immediate results that can last up to five years without repeat treatments!

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are a powerful form of chemical exfoliation that can treat acne and acne scars. This popular medispa service involves applying a special solution to the skin that sloughs away dead skin cells. Superficial, or “light-duty,” chemical peels are often ideal for acne. Despite the name, many chemical peels don’t actually cause the skin to peel, meaning there is little to no downtime.

In addition to mild peels, other options can be tailored to meet your unique needs. For example, spot peels can significantly improve acne scars. These peels use a special, deeply-penetrating formula. In some cases, a stronger peel may also be appropriate.

The Ultimate Acne Scar Treatment

Acne and Emotional Health

Acne doesn’t just affect your appearance; it can take a toll on your emotional wellbeing. Many patients with acne or acne scars report feeling self-conscious, unattractive, or embarrassed. If you suffer from acne, you may feel like you can’t leave the house or see your friends without applying makeup or covering up. If you suffer from stubborn acne and acne scars that don’t respond to your skin care routine or antibiotics, contact our team. The longer you have to deal with acne and scarring, the more likely it is that these concerns will cause you emotional distress. Our world-class dermatologists would love to meet with you and explain the ideal treatment or treatments for your situation. Studies have found that people with acne tend to suffer from:

Depression
Poor self-image
Anxiety
Feelings of isolation
A decreased quality of life

Schedule Your Acne Treatment in NYC

Are you ready to put acne and acne scarring behind you? There’s no better time to start your journey to clear skin with acne treatments in NYC at JUVA Skin & Laser Center today. Schedule a skin consultation with our sought-after dermatologists by calling (212) 688-5882 or filling out our contact form.

Acne & Acne Scar Treatment NYC