Acne, if there was one thing that I dreaded in getting, it is acne. A lot of us have had our own bouts with acne at one point in our lives. The height of getting acne usually comes during the puberty age. There are a few who are able to dodge getting their face peppered with pimples during this time only to get them years down the line. Yes, people. There is such a thing as adult acne.
Asian skin is more prone to acne due to its composition. Asian faces have very active pores that produce too much oil and sebum. Overcoming acne is easier nowadays, given all the beauty treatments and facials available in the market.
One of the disheartening aftermaths brought about by breakouts are the marks they leave on the face—ACNE SCARS!
Acne scars come in different forms, shapes, and depth on the skin. I have not yet heard of a specific facial procedure that targets all scars in one sitting. In fact, if your scars vary greatly you might have to try several treatments to address each kind. So, in an effort to make your life easier (and to avoid getting stress-induced acne!) here are some blog reviews covering a variety of acne scar treatments in Singapore!
Infini Fractional Radiofrequency for Depressed Acne Scars in Singapore by Cindity
Blogger Cindy of Cindity shares her terrible experience with acne during her teenage years. Her acne left scars on her face after not being able to take proper care of her skin during her breakouts. Her collection of acne scars is comprised of boxcar and icepick scars.
For her treatment, Cindy chose the Infini microneedle Fractional Radiofrequency system. According to her, this treatment is recommended for Asian skin as it lessens the risk of getting hyperpigmentation from inflammations that may result from the procedure after. To note, Asian skin is more prone to discolouration as compared to others.
I won’t go into details as to how the Infini Fractional Radiofrequency works, so we are jumping indirectly to Cindy’s acne scar removal procedure!
(You may read a detailed explanation on Infini RF on Cindy’s blog.)
To begin Cindy’s treatment, two coatings of numbing cream were applied to her face. She mentions that on top of this her cheeks were injected with local anaesthesia on both sides. After which the doctor proceeds with 4 repetitions of Infini microneedling on the areas wherein the scars are prominent. The needles used were of different lengths to ensure that it penetrates the depths of the scars. Cindy’s treatment lasted only for 15 minutes. She likens microneedling to a stapler but does not remark on any pain or discomfort during the treatment.
Recovery time took only 2 days and the only discomfort that Cindy encountered was redness on her cheeks. An antibiotic and serum were prescribed for her to use following the treatment. In addition, Cindy instructs to use SPF25 sunscreen to protect the skin from the sun.
Cindy shares that her box scars have improved. The edges appeared to be softer and dents have elevated. Optimum results are achieved after 4-6 months from the initial treatment.
Ematrix Treatment by Yvonne
Yvonne’s acne scars were caused by her skin’s sensitivity to dust, clogged pores, and oily skin that resulted in breakouts. Years after her skin healed from acne, her scars never found the time to move on.
So goes Yvonne’s story and her hunt to find the right treatment to banish the memories of the past from her face. In her search, Yvonne settled for Ematrix Treatment.
Starting of her treatment, Yvonne shares that her face was cleansed thoroughly from makeup. Next, a generous amount of numbing cream was applied to her face. Once the sensation from her face dissipated her face was subjected to another round of thorough cleansing.
Damp cotton was placed over the eyes of Yvonne prior to the administration of the procedure. As the treatment progressed, Yvonne mentions feeling slight pain as tiny needles jabbed on her skin. Redness was observed on her skin after the first round of treatment. Yvonne discloses that another round of the treatment was done on her skin to address the deeper acne scars and to promote collagen production.
To ease the flushing of her face, a soothing balm was spread on the areas where the machine passed through. The final phase of her acne scar removal process was the application of a seaweed mask to cool her skin and lessen its discolouration and swelling. Before leaving the clinic, a layer of moisturizer and BB cream was applied to her face.
Yvonne discloses that her skin’s pores appeared to be larger due to the treatment. The redness did not subside and was even more visible 2 days following the acne scar removal session. Her face felt stinging even when she used the most delicate facial wash on her skin. The discolouration started to subside on the 3rd day after the treatment and scabs began to form as well.
A month and a half after her Ematrix treatment, Yvonne discloses that her skin did not receive many results as her acne scars and pores were still noticeable.
To read more about the treatment is done on Yvonne’s acne scar removal, click on this link.
My Scar Treatment With Fractional CO2 Laser by Yvonne
Yvonne’s determination to free her skin from acne scars did not end with the Ematrix Treatment. In this blog, she reviews another acne scar removal procedure that uses Fractional CO2 Laser.
Yvonne’s doctor recommended this laser treatment after assessing her skin’s condition. During the publication of this post, she mentions that she has undergone 3 rounds of Fractional CO2 Laser.
As with any facial procedure, these basic steps are done at the very beginning: skin cleansing, numbing cream application, and removal of numbing cream after the recommended time of application have lapsed (usually 30 minutes). After all, those are cleared, the laser treatment starts.
Yvonne shares that her doctor determined the strength of the laser beam used on her face. As the laser touched her skin, no pain was felt thanks to the help of the numbing cream. However, Yvonne started to feel flushing on her face as soon as the laser treatment ended. To ease the prickling pain, Yvonne suggests staying in a cool place or applying a cold mask over the face.
There was a lot of micro peeling involved after her first procedure. This treatment made Yvonne’s skin look healthier. She says that her skin was brighter, her pores more refined and her scars less depressed.
During the succeeding treatments, Yvonne shares that her doctor amplified the power of the laser used on her skin. Right after her second treatment, her skin’s redness was more evident but it only lasted temporarily. Yvonne notes that her face got dehydrated easily. Because of this, her pores became more obvious. She combated this with the use of hydration masks.
On her third treatment, scabs formed on her face after the procedure. Her skin tone was obviously imbalanced and looked like she has hyperpigmentation. Not to worry though, as Yvonne assures that things will get back to normal as the skin heals and scabs start to fall off the face.
There was no mention of the cost of this treatment. For downtime, Yvonne discloses in the comment section of her blog that it normally takes 4-5 days for the skin to recover. She also includes the products that she was prescribed with as aftercare for her skin. Yvonne shares that, although her skin is far from perfection, she is much happier with its outcome after this treatment.
Read more of this acne removal experience here.
CO2 Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing & Infini Scar Treatment by Seth Lui
If you think that it’s only women who suffer from skin impurities, think again! In Seth Lui’s blog, he shares about how he experienced acne breakouts when he was still a teen. As a remembrance, acne scars are visible on his face now that he is an adult. Seth Lui decided to look into treatments to remove his acne scars due to the media exposure he needs to do for his work. His acne removal experience is broken down into two separate articles.
For his acne removal treatment, Seth Lui shares that his doctor recommended a combination of Fractional CO2 laser and Infini Scar Treatment during the consultation. The initial laser is used to treat the scarring on the skin’s surface while the latter targets the deeper scars.
Seth Lui shares that the procedure is pretty basic for Fractional CO2 laser. It consists of 3 steps: facial cleansing, numbing cream administration, laser treatment. The laser treatment itself takes a quick 20 minutes to finish.
As the laser is used to treat Seth Lui’s skin, he mentions that it was mostly painless. For men, however, Seth Lui says that pain can be felt when the laser passes through the skin where they can grow a moustache or beard. Apparently, areas that grow hair follicles are more sensitive to laser beams. I have not encountered any complaints on this on women’s blogs, so I guess this applies generally to men. Seth Lui says that the feeling of pain will depend on a patient’s threshold. Also, the stronger the intensity of the beam used, the pain will be greater but the results will be more effective.
Expect that your skin will look sunburned every after the session. This is why a downtime of 5 days or more is needed, as there will also be scabbing that will happen as a result of the treatment. If skin discolouration or discomfort does not bother you at all, then I guess you can get back to your usual work—just be sure to take all precautions your doctor recommends regarding aftercare.
Costs for Fractional CO2 laser varies according to the number of sessions you need to undergo. For 1 session the charge is $650, for five sessions $490 per session, and $390 per session for 10 rounds of treatment.
As mentioned, Seth Lui also underwent the Infini Scar Treatment system. This is more effective for targeting deeper scars. Unlike laser, this treatment uses microneedles for acne scar removal.
Preparations done before the procedure proper is almost the same: cleansing, numbing cream application (do note that for this treatment the numbing cream was left for 40 minutes instead of the usual 30), and a local anaesthetic injection, which is optional.
The Infini machine works similar to a stapler. The microneedles are pressed onto the target areas repetitively. Seth Lui confesses that this procedure is much more painful as compared to the laser treatment. His agony, which only lasted for 10-15 minutes, felt like a lifetime of torture!
As compared to the laser treatment, Seth Lui commends Infini more because the results were more evident right after finishing the treatment. Downtime is also not a problem as there is no scabbing involved.
To set expectations straight, Seth Lui reveals that there is a need for succeeding treatments in order to achieve optimum results. The treatments have to be spaced one month from each other to allow the skin to heal.
Infini costs $2,550 for one session and $2,000 for two.
Seth Lui’s blog offers a much more extensive explanation of each procedure done, so if you have more time to spare you may read them here.
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That sums up our list on acne scar removal! If you want to know more you can read the article: How to get rid of acne scars. These are just a few of the treatments available in Singapore, but hopefully, the details shared here are able to make your life easier as you search for the perfect treatment to eradicate those pesky acne scars! Good luck!
