If acne scars bother you, a laser may be one of the options you have heard about.
What a laser might do for acne scars
No one can promise that a laser will remove your scars, so be wary of a provider who does. Ask how the type of scar, your skin and the device would shape what a laser can do for you. A licensed provider who looks at your skin in person is the right person to set expectations.
Weighing cost, recovery and number of visits
While you are still deciding, ask what a laser plan would cost, how much recovery time it needs and how many visits it involves. Then compare it with gentler starting points.
Questions for a consultation:
- What type of scars do I have, and which treatments suit that type?
- How many visits do you expect, and what does the full plan cost?
- How many days of recovery should I plan for?
- Can you show before and after photos of patients with skin like mine?
- What are the alternatives that cost less or need less downtime?
If a plan sounds certain about results, ask what that certainty is based on.
Photographing your skin as a starting point
Take a photo of your skin a few days early. Later on, it lets you see any change for yourself. Give yourself a few days after the visit before you agree to a plan.
To prepare, a dermatology association offers a ten-point checklist for anyone considering laser treatment for a scar, and a professional society of dermatologic surgeons has a page on laser resurfacing. Bring questions from both.
A dermatologic surgery practice also publishes answers to common questions about microneedling for acne scars. That covers a different treatment for the same concern, so read it as a point of comparison and an example of the plain answers you can ask for.
Expectations worth setting early
Whether laser treatment suits your scars should be decided by a licensed provider after seeing your skin.