Acne Scars
Deep acne scars are usually caused by an inflamed acne cyst deep within the dermis of the skin. Once the inflammation subsides, there is usually some level of injury to the dermis that causes an indented acne scar to form. Dermatologists characterize acne scars based on their appearance and depth-to-width ratio.
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian at Kare Plastic Surgery + Skin Health Center specializes in the treatment of deep acne scars using at least two different types of treatments. By combining acne scar therapies, a faster and more effective response is obtained. Kare Plastic Surgery offers both laser skin resurfacing with fractional CO2 laser and dermal sublative therapy with fractional RF.
Ablative fractional CO2 laser is the gold-standard for deep acne scars because it can stimulate collagen renewal and improve skin surface texture. In our Santa Monica plastic surgery and cosmetic dermatology center, we treat facial acne scars with fractional CO2 laser in a series in order to regenerate lost dermal tissue and flatten out indented atrophic acne scars.
If a patient cannot tolerate the downtime associated with deep fractional CO2 laser, we also offer sublative therapy with fractional RF in order to tighten skin and level deeply pitted acne scars. The sublative RF treatment has the advantage of minimal downtime when compared with fractional CO2.
Indeed, the fractional CO2 laser and sublative fractional RF treatments also have the added benefit of being regenerative procedures to improve your complexion and tighten your skin. Our cosmetic treatments utilize fractional CO2 and sublative RF to improve the results of cosmetic plastic surgery and minimize scars.
TCA Cross Treatment for Acne Scars in Santa Monica
Acne scars are far more than a surface imperfection. The visible pitting left behind by severe inflammatory acne reflects genuine structural damage deep within the skin's dermal layer — damage that topical creams and superficial treatments cannot adequately address. TCA CROSS offers a targeted solution by working precisely where the problem originates.
The dermis sits beneath the epidermis and is composed largely of collagen and elastin fibers arranged within a hydrated matrix of proteoglycans. Fibroblasts — the dermis's primary cellular workforce — continuously synthesize and remodel this extracellular matrix. During a severe acne lesion, prolonged inflammation releases destructive matrix metalloproteinases that degrade collagen faster than fibroblasts can replace it. The result is a permanent volume deficit, pulling the skin surface downward into the characteristic pits of ice pick and boxcar scars.
TCA CROSS addresses this deficit directly. A precisely placed droplet of high-concentration trichloroacetic acid penetrates the narrow scar opening and reaches the damaged reticular dermis below. The resulting controlled chemical injury denatures local proteins and initiates an acute inflammatory response, recruiting fibroblasts to the treatment zone. These activated fibroblasts lay down fresh collagen, gradually filling the dermal void from the base upward. With repeat treatments spaced four to six weeks apart, progressive neocollagenesis visibly elevates scar depth and restores a smoother skin surface.
Treatment of acne scars in our Santa Monica plastic surgery office begins with a comprehensive consultation followed by a regimented protocol-driven treatment plan. Please call our plastic surgery patient care coordinators to schedule an appointment for acne scar treatment.