Can A Toronto Facelift Minimize Acne Scars?

Cosmetic Surgery Procedure: Facelift

Acne is a common problem that many people grapple with and, by extension, so are acne scars. Acne scars form when a pore swells and breaks the wall of the hair follicle and the body either overcompensates or under compensates when repairing the damage. The best way to treat acne scars is through cosmetic procedures, so it’s natural for people to consider a Toronto facelift as one way to restore their appearance. A facelift is capable of tightening up the skin and reversing the effects of aging, but its impact on acne scars requires a bit of elaboration to properly understand.

Types Of Acne Scars

Acne scars come in two categories, keloid and atrophic. A keloid scar is a raised mound that forms when the body produces excess collagen when repairing itself. An atrophic scar is when the opposite occurs and you end up with noticeably depressed areas that resemble chicken pox scars or smaller ‘icepick’ holes.

Facelifts & Acne Scar

If you stretch the skin around an atrophic scar, the area will smooth out and the scar will have a reduced appearance. Facelifts are known for smoothing out the skin, so it’s not much of a leap to assume that a facelift will minimize this type of scarring.

The one thing to keep in mind about facelifts is that most procedures do not target the surface of the skin (where acne scars form) but work on the underlying tissue, muscle, and fat pads. Although a facelift will tighten the skin and smooth out wrinkles, it does not stretch the skin past its normal boundaries in the same way as when you do it with your fingers.

Having said that, a facelift will end up making your skin tighter and more smoothed than it was before the procedure, which can have an affect on an atrophic scar’s appearance.

In other words, a facelift will help reduce the appearance of atrophic acne scars but the effect will be strongest when combined with more acne-targeted techniques like laser resurfacing or dermabrasion.

Keloid scars are another matter. Keloid scars are essentially mounds of tissue and removing excess skin is common in Toronto facelift procedures. A facelift that adds scar revision techniques will be able to help reduce the appearance of keloid scarring. The catch is that, like with atrophic scars, the effect will be strongest if combined with techniques targeted towards treating acne scars.

The bottom line is that, if you wish to reverse signs of facial aging and happen to have acne scars, a facelift will address the former while also helping out with the latter. If your concern is acne scars alone, then you will be best served by using dermatological procedures that target the surface of the skin.

The good news is that most surgeons who offer facelifts in Toronto are also skilled in combining laser peels, dermal fillers, and laser resurfacing, with the transforming power of a facelift. Share your goals and expectations with Dr. Solomon during your personal consultation and he will be happy to advise you.