Summertime in Hawaii means hiking, surfing, swimming, sailing, and all things outdoors. If you’re not careful, it could also mean sun damage. Find out how to keep your skin safe while enjoying the best of your Hawaiian summer.
Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting an estimated 40 million to 50 million people at any one time. Despite your being in good company, it’s easy to feel alone when acne strikes, particularly when it occurs in highly visible areas like your face, neck, and chest.
An acne breakout itself can be difficult to deal with, but knowing that even when it clears up, your skin can remain blemished by the previous pimples and cysts can cause long-term insecurity.
Many people believe this scarring is permanent, but modern technology offers ways to improve the texture and appearance of your skin. At Refresh Rx Hawaii, Dr. Eugene M.C. Lee turns to lasers to help his patients achieve a fresh, smooth complexion once more.
Uneven, pockmarked, and discolored skin tone results from three types of inflammatory processes that can work together all at once to contribute to the appearance of acne scars. The three types of scars are:
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, in which the skin produces excess melanin. Melanin is the product that gives skin its color — the more melanin you have, the darker the color of your skin. This scarring looks like areas of skin that are darker than your natural skin tone, in varying shades of brown.
Post-inflammatory erythema, the dark spots left behind in the wake of an acne breakout. They also are the result of inflammation, but they appear red or purple due to the expansion of the blood vessels close to the skin.
Atrophic scars, the pockmarks left behind that are caused by the acne destroying the skin cells. This type of scarring is responsible for the uneven texture of your skin as a result of moderate to severe acne.
A wide range of treatments on the market make wild claims about their ability to eradicate acne scars, but the results don’t compare to the FDA-approved laser treatment offered at Refresh Rx Hawaii. The laser penetrates the deepest layers of your skin to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, the components that give skin a youthful glow and smooth complexion.
Acne scars develop when your body responds to acne damage aggressively, trying to work quickly by producing excess collagen; however, this traumatic response results in the formation of scar tissue. Laser treatments encourage blood flow to the skin and also prompt the skin to repair itself by producing collagen, but the process is more gentle because the noninvasive laser therapy causes minimal damage and is nontraumatic.
Laser skin treatments take as little as 30 minutes. You can undergo the procedure during your lunch break and then head straight back to work, as there is no downtime required.
A little redness or swelling following the procedure is normal and should subside within a few days. The only consideration to make is that Dr. Lee recommends that his patients in sunny Hawaii avoid UV exposure for two weeks after the treatment.
Individual results vary, but the team at Refresh Rx Hawaii walks you through what you can expect based on the extent of your scarring and your skin type and can give you an indication of the number of treatments you need to maximize your results.
If your acne scarring bothers you, don’t wait to discover the fresher, smoother complexion that lies beneath. Make an appointment at our Honolulu, Hawaii, office to discuss how laser treatment can be the solution to your acne scars.
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