Is Microneedling Better Than Laser For Acne Scars ? Scars from acne are typically red or brown because they result from skin inflammation. The depth of the acne and whether or not the bacteria penetrated the skin to infect deeper layers of tissue determines the severity of the scarring. Acne scars, while unsightly, are treatable. Those who have severe scarring but no symptoms of current acne may benefit from laser resurfacing. Wrinkles, pigmented lesions like freckles, and loose skin following weight reduction can all be treated with a laser procedure.
Another study found that both nonablative fractional lasers and microneedling were comparable and effective in treating acne scars, with microneedling having less downtime and fewer side-effects.
Microneedling is one of my favorite treatments for acne. It’s fast, inexpensive, and has little to no downtime. It can also be used to treat pockmarks, loose skin, stretch marks, wrinkles, and sun damage. But just how good is microneedling compared to laser for acne scars . Read on to learn more Microneedling Vs Laser For Scars and Microneedling Vs Laser For Hair Growth.
Is Microneedling Better Than Laser For Acne Scars
There’s a big difference between laser resurfacing and microneedling and it all comes down to how the two treatments work. By design, lasers use light as energy. This allows lasers to have a specific target to treat in the skin, such as broken red veins or brown spots, without damaging surrounding unaffected tissue. It’s a very selective treatment.
Microneedling is the mechanical method of creating thousands of tiny channels of injury all over a treatment area that force the skin to heal. The results are not selective to a specific problem, but you can see improvement in many issues by nature of causing collagen regeneration and skin turnover. Both treatments are used to heal certain types of concerns, such as acne scarring and rejuvenation.
Dr. Sabharwal has answered common questions that patients ask about microneedling and laser skin resurfacing at Beautiful Orlando Medical Spa & Cosmetic in Kissimmee, FL
Pros and cons of microneedling treatments?
Pros of microneedling include a relatively quick recovery time (about a day or two of a light sunburn appearance) and less potential side effects. It’s also safe to use on all skin types.
The cons of microneedling are that the results are often subtle. It can take numerous microneedling treatment sessions to achieve the results you desire, and still, some conditions are best treated with a laser.
Pros and cons of laser resurfacing?
Laser treatments can often provide quicker, more dramatic and long lasting results than microneedling treatments.
Because lasers deliver heat to the skin we see more side effects (such as temporary darkening or bruising) and longer downtime due to post-treatment swelling and redness. Lasers can also flare certain medical conditions so it’s important to have a thorough consultation with Dr. Sabharwal before diving in.
Do you suggest trying one before the other?
If you’re looking to be more proactive about taking care of your skin, microneedling is a quick and easy way to do so without much risk. On the other hand, if you have a specific problem you would like to address, it may be the case that you are better suited for a laser treatment to meet your goals.
Can they be used effectively together?
Absolutely! We can target specific issues with our Laser by Sciton and then perform microneedling for all over skin rejuvenation on the same day. Or, you can alternate treatments on a monthly basis or so. It all depends on what you are trying to address.
Who is an ideal candidate to try it?
Am ideal candidate will prepare for the procedure and commit to doing their part during recovery. More generally, patients need to be free of active infections, rashes, or acne in the treatment areas. We advise our Kissimmee and Orlando patients to avoid sun exposure pre and post procedure as this increases side effects.
Microneedling Vs Laser For Scars
There has been a lot of hype in certain circles about microneedling, but it hasn’t always stood up to scrutiny – there can be over-the-top claims made, without the evidence required to back it up (yet). Microneedling is a very effective treatment for promoting skin healing and repair, and collagen production. There isn’t really any specific treatment guidelines for practitioners, however, who may all be using different techniques to each other.
Most practitioners are using an automated pen, with no definitive guidelines on how often to go over the same area and at what depths for the various areas of the face and body.
Many patients with darker skin types can develop post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after laser treatments, because lasers use heat to exert their effect. Microneedling, however, uses mechanical manipulation of the skin, which reduces the risks of hyperpigmentation significantly. Heat stimulates melanocyte-stimulating hormone that occurs during the healing response.
One study found that after 12 weeks, microneedling increased epidermal thickness and promoted collagen remodelling in scars, making microneedling a viable option to make a dent in acne scarring.
Another study found that both nonablative fractional lasers and microneedling were comparable and effective in treating acne scars, with microneedling having less downtime and fewer side-effects. In this study, the participants had three dermaroller microneedling treatments a month apart. After six months, there was no difference observed between the outcomes of laser treatments and microneedling, indicating they are as effective as each other.
The major difference between the two treatments was that with laser treatments, the participants’ faces remained red for two or three days, compared with just one day for microneedling. There were also no instances of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from microneedling.
Before you perform your laser hair treatment we recommend for you to:
- Always go for a consultation with your Alite Laser service provider (dermatologist) before you perform the laser hair treatment: the service provider will be able to examine you properly and make an estimation of the treatment that you will require.
- You should endeavor to discuss the kinds of medication you are currently taking during the consultation with the service provider because some prescriptions have the potential of causing photosensitivity that can lead to burns.
- Avoid using skin care product with strong ingredients such as retinoid or alpha hydroxyl acid.
- Avoid plucking, waxing, or bleaching your hair for 6 weeks prior to your hair removal treatment because when you pluck out your hair by the root, it will reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
- You should shave a day prior to your hair removal treatment because it encourages the hair follicles to go into its active growing stage which is the great stage for laser targeting.
- You should always have a shower before your appointment and properly clean the area to be treated to ensure that dirt and oil are removed from the skin.
Microneedling Vs Laser For Hair Growth
Another study did laser treatments on one side of the face and microneedling on the other. At three months post-treatment, the laser treated side averaged a 70 per cent improvement over 30 per cent for microneedling, however the laser treatment patients had more side-effects like swelling, redness and downtime.
As part of the laser hair treatment, you should practice the following actions after the laser treatment:
- You should imbibe the habit of attending the scheduled follow-up maintenance treatment as directed by the service provider as at when due.
- Avoid exposure to the sun and wear a high-quality sunscreen because exposure to ultra-violet rays can result in skin irritation and can lead to the complication of laser hair treatment.
- Always make use of sunless tanning options like self-tanning products between treatment sessions. However, you should stop 2 weeks prior to the next treatment.
- You should continue shaving instead of plucking your hair in case you need to remove your hair in-between the treatment.
- You should carefully exfoliate the treated skin 2-3 times a week with a washcloth to reduce the risk of developing ingrown hairs.
- Always take tepid showers throughout the first week after the treatment.
- Never use perfumes or deodorants for 2 days after your laser hair treatment.