Is a Chemical Peel or Microneedling Better for Acne Scars?

As if acne itself isn’t bad enough, some former acne sufferers have to relive that trauma every time they look in the mirror due to acne scarring. Acne scarring is caused by the inflammation of pores during an acne outbreak and the subsequent breakdown of the pore walls. The severity of acne scarring depends on many factors, such as the frequency of breakouts, damage to the pore walls, and effects on surrounding tissues.

Once your days of acne breakouts are behind you, you may be wondering if there’s anything you can do to reduce the appearance of those acne scars. Luckily, there are several treatment options now available to improve the appearance of acne scarring. Two of the most popular of these treatments are chemical peels and microneedling.

What is a Chemical Peel?

A chemical peel is an exfoliating treatment that involves applying varying mixtures of skin-safe chemicals to the patient’s face for a certain length of time. These chemicals dig in deep to remove layers of skin, revealing fresh, healthy skin underneath (hopefully without evidence of acne scarring, although it depends on how deep the scars go into the skin’s layers). Some chemical peels are designed only to exfoliate the most superficial layers of skin, while others blast through several layers for deep exfoliation and maximum results.

What is Microneedling?

Microneedling involves puncturing the skin with thousands of razor-thin needles and then applying curative products. This method helps in two different ways: first, the puncture holes create a network of canals that allow serums, creams, and other products to penetrate more deeply into the skin, amplifying the results; second, the body recognizes these tiny punctures as wounds and deploys its skin-healing forces to fix the damage. This boosts the body’s production of collagen, elastin, cytokine, and other reparative substances in the treatment area, healing and improving the skin from the inside out.

Which is Better for Acne Scarring?

With two treatments that are both proven effective at reducing the appearance of acne scarring…why choose just one? We recommend a double-duty approach with both chemical peels and microneedling to give you the best results possible. This powerhouse combination can be highly customized to focus on just the areas where you need it most, leaving you with glowing, radiant, and smooth skin all over.

Acne Scarring Treatments in Tampa Bay

Ready to tell those acne scars goodbye? We’ll help you send them packing with just a few visits to Ultimate Image Cosmetic Medical Center in Clearwater and Tampa. Just give us a call at (727) 799-7000 or contact us online to set up your acne scarring consultation today!