5 insights into scars and how to treat them with the power of laser light

At Clear Skin Dermatology, we have a powerful suite of lasers to restore and elevate your natural radiance and beauty. These lasers are highly customisable to your needs, preferences, and goals. Advanced laser services, such as our CO2 laser skin resurfacing, can effectively improve the appearance of often highly noticeable facial scarring with little to no downtime and without the risks associated with older systems. Dr. Sanjay Siddha and our teams in Toronto and Newmarket, Ontario, welcome the opportunity to share five key insights into understanding scars and how to treat this challenging condition. 

1 – The origin of a scar

Scars develop as a result of an injury. Any time your skin is damaged due to acne, sickness, accidents, wounds, surgeries, and more, a scar may form as a healing response. Your body attempts to repair itself by producing collagen. When too much collagen is made, the scar may appear hypertrophic or raised above the skin’s surface. When too little collagen is produced, the scar may look atrophic or depressed and lower than the surrounding tissues.

2 – Laser treatments

Lasers have been employed in dermatology and other medical fields for many years. They generally work by directing a handheld device (laser) toward damaged or diseased tissues. The beam of light from the laser generates energy. This energy heats the targeted tissues and encourages a wound healing process and the renewal of damaged tissues. Some lasers also remove tissues. 

3 – Resurfacing techniques 

Resurfacing refers to mechanical, chemical, and laser methods for removing damaged skin cells and replacing them with fresh, healthy ones. The rate of cell turnover decreases with age. When this happens, old and dead skin cells build up on the surface. Our skin, in turn, may begin to look dull and blotchy and may feel dry and leathery. Resurfacing techniques speed up cell turnover to bring new cells to the surface. Your skin looks (and feels) healthier and more radiant. 

4 – CO2 laser resurfacing treatment 

Carbon dioxide lasers are among the laser technologies that are used. These lasers use short and concentrated beams of light to penetrate the skin, where collagen is renewed. Additionally, depending on the settings, these lasers may be ablative and remove surface cells. Non-ablative approaches largely penetrate and heal damaged skin from the inside out, leaving the outermost tissue intact. Fractional CO2 lasers also target and treat a fraction of the skin at a time, only removing a portion of the tissue. These latter approaches are generally less aggressive than fully ablative technologies. 

5 – CO2 lasers for scars

Dr. Siddha will evaluate your scar to determine the most appropriate treatment recommendation. If he recommends the CO2 laser and you decide to proceed with treatment, the scarred areas are targeted. When it comes to the scars, the key here is this treatment’s collagen remodeling/production capacity. By reaching the deep dermal layers of the skin, the CO2 laser stimulates the production of this firming protein, a building block for our skin. You’ll remember that depressed scars form as the result of a lack of collagen during the healing process. When our treatment triggers more collagen, the depression may be “filled in,” and the scar looks smoother over time. After all, collagen renewal is a process. Collagen is built gradually and with repeated treatments. 

Clear Skin Dermatology looks forward to helping you move past these traumatic reminders of past surgeries, acne breakouts, and injuries. During a consultation, Dr. Siddha will evaluate your needs and discuss what to expect at every step in the treatment process (if CO2 laser resurfacing is right for you). We also have a range of other therapies and products available, which may be better suited to your needs. Contact our teams in Toronto, ON (437) 524-0489 or Newmarket (905) 508-2710 today to schedule your visit. 

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