Acne scars are a common skin condition that, although not hazardous to one’s health, can cause significant damage to their self-esteem. This concern has resulted in several methods for treating acne scars, but the efficiency of a treatment procedure depends on the type of acne scars. The different acne scar types are classified into deep bound acne scars and overlaying acne scars.
Deep bound acne scars are scar types attached to the underlying layers of the skin, while overlaying acne scars are not. Laser therapy, skin needling, and derma rollers are effective methods of treating overlaying acne scars because these procedures work on the vertical axis of acne scars. But they are not very effective when treating deep bound acne scars because these scars are deeply rooted in the skin’s underlying layers and need to be approached horizontally.
A method of treating deep bound acne scars is through a surgical procedure known as subcision. This article will highlight the subcision procedure and the different techniques involved in this treatment method.
What is Subcision Treatment?
This procedure was first introduced in 1995. Subcision means subcutaneous incision-less surgery for skin scarring, and it is an invasive treatment method.
How to Identify Deep-bound Acne Scars?
To effectively treat acne scars, it is crucial to match and identify the scar type. Identifying scar types can be quickly done through self-examination. In most cases, deep-bound acne scars are found on the face around the cheeks, chin, and temple areas. They can be easily identified by facial animation. A pro-tip is to try smiling before a mirror; if you notice depressions on the acne scars, they are deep-bound and should be treated through a subcision procedure.
Subcision Techniques for Treating Acne Scars
There are diverse subcision techniques used in treating acne scars, and these are some of the techniques:
- Subcision using tri-beveled hypodermic needles: this procedure involves using the needles to break down the bond between the scars and the skin’s underlying layers. This procedure is the first original technique and consists of two sub-techniques, the windscreen wiper and liposuction techniques.
- Subcision with autologous blood: this procedure involves creating incisions on the acne scars and using blood as spacers to prevent the scars from reforming. This technique produces better scar results, with the disadvantage being the presence of lumps in areas of scar revision.
- Subcision followed by dermal grafting involves creating incisions on the acne scars to free up any bound. The dermis is then extracted from behind the ear using a CO2 laser and placed in the depressed scars. It is then allowed to heal, which can take between 4-6 days.
- Subcision with platelet-rich plasma (PRP): this procedure is similar to subcision with autologous blood but has minimal disadvantages. PRP is used over blood as the spacer on acne scars incisions. Since PRP is less-viscous than blood, they produce better scar results, leaving no lumps in the scar revised areas.
- Subcision and fillers technique: in this procedure, the acne scars are freed up using subcision, and fillers are used as spacers where incisions were created. The spacer prevents the scars from reforming. However, a minuscule amount of filler is used as the spacer to fill the created incisions on the acne scars.
Conclusion
Subcision treatment for acne scars is very effective for over 80% of scar types. This article has highlighted what you need to know about subcision treatment for acne scars.
