Ask a Surgeon - Laser Surgery - About 4 years ago, I peeled off some big acne scabs on my face which has resulted...

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About 4 years ago, I peeled off some big acne scabs on my face which has resulted in...

Q:

About 4 years ago, I peeled off some big acne scabs on my face which has resulted in several white scars about the size of a dime. I have been considering some skin resurfacing but only find information about removing dark spots. Is there any procedure out there for darkening white spots? Some of these scars are recessed. Can dermabrasion, chemical peels or laser help even out the holes left in the face?

A:

This is an example of why it is not a good idea to “pick at” scabs on the face. What has occurred is that the wound had penetrated to the deep dermal layer of the skin, which is the layer forming scar tissue and hence the depression. The cells forming the skin’s pigmentation have also been destroyed. There are now two problems to address: 1) depressed skin and 2) hypopigmentation (loss of skin color). There is a laser at 290-320nm called the “Relume” by Lumenis (Lumenis.com) which can restore pigment in an area. A simpler approach, of course, is just to use make-up. The depression can be raised with a filler such as Restylane, or one could attempt to build up collagen in the area with a laser called the “Titan” by Cutera.