Scars after picking or acne the skin on the face, neck and chest
My heart goes out to you on this. And it sounds like you’ve done an amazing job with a difficult health issue. Kudos! I love that you’re eating healthily.
We sometimes tell our patients at the clinic that everyone picks something, so it’s really more a matter of degree. Some people pick just a little……and some people pick a lot more than the average. This is more like your case. Many psychologists consider picking to the point of scarring as a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), because it IS very hard to stop. You have a lot of company. And…..please consider seeing a psychologist if you need support or help.
So on the scars, what are your options.
First, and most important (you’ve already done this):
- Stop picking. It’s very difficult to make progress with the scars while still picking. Makes sense doesn’t it.
- Get help if you need it. Many need to see a psychologist to get to the root of the anxiety that drives this. Many of these issues stem from childhood or trauma.
- See a doctor to make sure your skin isn’t infected. Often we transfer bacteria from our hands to our face.
- See a doctor to get help with any acne or other skin diseases that may be contributing.
Second phase, treating the scars:
- Fractional lasers ARE the best for the scarring. Most of these are either fractional erbium (is that what you mean by fractional laser?) or fractional CO2. It sounds like your doctors are thoughtful and good, so go with the one you feel most confident in.
- The fractional erbium (like the Fraxel) is generally better for more superficial scars and scars with pigment problems. The fractional CO2 laser is generally better for scars that are deeper and where some skin tightening or wrinkle relief would be beneficial.
- Fractional CO2 on the neck and chest is riskier… than on the face because it can CAUSE more scarring, if the doctor goes too deep or is too aggressive. Make sure your doctor is very experienced.
- These lasers won’t always even up color and you may need a different laser to do that.
Good luck to you! And I hope this helps.