Can acne scar treatments be combined in the same session?

Doctor's Answers 3

You must be very bothered by your scars, and it is great that you are actively thinking about improving them. I am sure a lot of readers have similar problems and they are also wondering if combination treatment can be done in 1 session, so thank you for posting this important question.

Treatment of acne scars depends on the type: macular, atrophic (boxcar, rolling or ice pick scars) or hypertrophic scars so it would be best if an experienced dermatologist can assess the nature of your scars in order to advise the most appropriate treatment.

Focusing on TCA Cross, Subcision and Intracel RF that you mentioned, it is possible to combine Subcision for deep fibrosed scars and TCA Cross in the same visit. It is also possible to combine Subcision and Intracel RF in 1 visit. However I will not recommend a combination of all 3 treatments on the same area in 1 visit. TCA Cross treatment can be harsh and produce redness and soreness on the treated area, so performing RF on the same area right after TCA may increase the risk of complications.

The above treatments you mentioned aim to increase collagen production and improve scar appearance. There are also other effective scar treatments for your consideration, such as targeted filler injections, fractional carbon dioxide laser treatment and picosecond fractional laser.

Visiting an experienced dermatologist for a proper assessment is important. All the best!

Warm Regards,

Dr Ker Khor Jia

Acne Scar treatments can be combined in the same session- provided they do not treat the same area/scars or interfere with the actions of another treatment.

For example, Fractional CO2 can be used to resurface your skin superficially (for rolling scars and box-scar acne scars) followed by Subcision and Fillers to break down the underlying deep tethered scars. This is safe because different layers of your skin are being treated.

In fact, you will get faster results by combining treatments.

However, do note that the down-time/recovery time will be slightly longer if a combination of treatments are being used.

If you are keen for the most amount of improvement in the shortest time, a combination of treatments would be required to meet your expectations.

Combining scar treatments in the same session is possible - provided that the treatments are suitable for your skin.

Please speak to a doctor who is experienced in acne scar treatments to find out the most effective and safe combination of acne scar treatments.

For more information on Acne Scar treatments, you can check out this Guide to Acne scar treatments in Singapore.

Hope that this helps.

Warmest regards,

Dr Justin Boey

Subcision can be combined safely with any of the more superficial treatments, be it Co2 fractional laser, Intracel/microneedling rF and TCA Cross. However I would be concerned if you do too many treatments on the surface (TCA + Intracel) as healing may potentially be impaired.

Further more, TCA Cross downtime (socially) can be as long as 2 weeks or more.. you may find that unacceptable as well. So do take care to discuss with your doctor first

Winston

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