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Scars no longer need to be a burden. There are many options if you want to eliminate scar and scar tissue. If you are looking for non-surgical options, laser therapy and other resurfacing techniques can be the answer for you.

Laser Therapy for Scar Removal

Laser therapy is an excellent option for scar reduction. There are different types of lasers that can treat different skin problems. In fact, there is a type of laser for every type of scar.

For example, pulsed dye lasers are often used to treat hypertrophic and keloid scars. If the PDL is to be used on sensitive areas (lips, fingers, etc), the doctor may suggest intralesional anesthesia.

Generally, side effects include redness and rashes. These problems will usually clear up in a short period of time. Any lingering problems should be studied by your doctor.

In order to treat normal hypertrophic scars effectively, you may require 2 or 4 sessions. However, if you're trying to treat keloid scars, you may need to undergo more than 4 sessions.

Stretch marks can be treated with lower energy PDLs. This treatment should not produce as many side effects as a higher energy PDL. One or two treatments should be enough to achieve desired results.

Unfortunately, atrophic scars require ablative lasers to get results as non ablative scar treatment does not work well with these types of scars. The only real problem with this type of treatment is that ablative lasers are more damaging than their non-ablative counterparts, however, the proper medical supervision should keep this damage to a minimum.

Treatment Options: Chemical Peels, Dermabrasion & Scar Creams

Chemicals peels have been used for centuries to help remove blemishes and scars. This type of treatment consists in the use of different chemicals to remove different layers of the skin. For example, deep chemical peels help remove the epidermis as well as part of the dermis, while a light chemical peel will only remove the epidermis.

This type of treatment requires at least two weeks of recovery time. The skin will crust over. Then it will scab, and once the scab has fallen off, you will see the smoother and younger looking the skin that was hidden below.

Dermabrasion uses an abrasive wand or micro-crystals to "sand-off" the epidermis. This procedure can lead to noticeable scar removal, but it will also require the use of anesthesia, painkillers, and careful wound care.

Scar creams are different than the previous procedures as the not only promote scar removal cream, but also promote scar healing. Therefore, it is a good option to use once the wound has closed to help prevent the formation of scar tissue. If they contain the right ingredients (i.e. rose hip oil or snail serum), scar creams can be just as effective as laser therapy and other resurfacing techniques.