Cosmetic Fillers for Acne

Our face is our business card and the way we attract other people’s attention. One of the most frustrating and deforming conditions of the face is caused by the common pimple. When a pimple heals, the body produces special connective fibrous molecules called collagen and a race begins to introduce repair cells to the area in order to fill the gap created by the ‘lava explosion’ and emptying of the acne vulcanic crater.  If the body does not produce enough collagen, a depression/pit or crater will form in its place. Its floor is a rigid scar. Makeup will cake into the crater and crack, an easy tell to the observer.

Use of Fillers for acne scars

Acne scars have been very frustrating to treat until the introduction of cosmetic fillers to the market. Cosmetic fillers are injectable products that are introduced underneath the skin surface to volumize areas that have lost collagen and caved in. Just as their initial indication was to fill in the wrinkles or folds in the face, cosmetic fillers may be used to prop up craters so that they can be removed as easily as a blemish removal tool can do so on photoshop.

We may use a variety of available products on the market including Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse or Bellafil. Note that some fillers are used off label from their FDA approved indication although the safety of injection is high.

Acne Scar injection Technique

We use a special feathering and skin spreading technique with silicone paddles and cotton applicators to smooth out the contour of acne scars and make them barely perceptible to the naked eye. Any remaining color mismatch that may occur with acne scars can then  easily be covered with foundation or a light layer of makeup. The treatment is usually preceeded by the application of a topical anesthetic to the affected skin for approximately 45 minutes to an hour prior to the procedure. This helps to ease the discomfort of the needles used to inject fillers underneath the surface to a a mild prick.

How long does Acne scar treatment take?

The treatment may take anywhere from 5 minutes for a small area to a half an hour if several acne marks are injected in the same seating.

How many treatments will I need?

It all depends on the type of filler will be using to correct your acne scar. Our most common fillers are Juvederm and Bellafil for acne scars. Juvederm is a hyaluronic acid filler. Juvederm will commonly last up to a year although it may last for longer in some. The advantage of Juvederm is that what you see is what you get. The effect is immediate and you walk out of the office seeing the effect. Usually no touch up treatments are necessary until the effect slowly fades.

Bellafil is our long lasting filler and the only filler currently to be FDA approved specifically for acne scars. It usually requires one to two treatments over a 2 month period.

How long will my acne scar treatment last?

It all depends on the type of cosmetic filler used. We commonly use more temporizing fillers like Juvederm because of the ease in reversing the effect. If you would like a long lasting result, we recommend Bellafil that has a specific approval by the FDA to treat acne. Injections can last for many years and require very little maintenance. The pros of Bellafil include its longevity and immediate results. Cons include a higher price tag and a chance for touch up treatment 6 weeks later. The effect of Bellafil is of course not reversible like hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm.

How do the fillers work to correct my acne scars?

Fillers are gels that contain tiny little microspheres that integrate underneath the skin to promote the growth of new tissue resulting in more volume under the skin. In addition to the effect of the actual filler molecules, repair cells are attracted to the area triggering more collagen production by the body adding to the robust process of volumization.