What kind of laser did they mention? Based on your description, it sounds like they want to use a non-ablative laser. I personally have had little success and improvement with these types of lasers and I've had close to 10 treatments throughout the past 5 or 6 years. You look to have mostly boxscars and ice pick scars.

I would look into one of the fractional CO2 lasers like a Fraxel Re:pair, Mixto, Total FX or something along those lines. I'm now a believer that aggressive treatments with this type of technology is the way to go. It's the only thing that has helped me at least.

What kind of laser did they mention? Based on your description, it sounds like they want to use a non-ablative laser. I personally have had little success and improvement with these types of lasers and I've had close to 10 treatments throughout the past 5 or 6 years. You look to have mostly boxscars and ice pick scars.

I would look into one of the fractional CO2 lasers like a Fraxel Re:pair, Mixto, Total FX or something along those lines. I'm now a believer that aggressive treatments with this type of technology is the way to go. It's the only thing that has helped me at least.

 

I've not had any treatment yet or seen a doctor, when i had my free consultation with the head nurse of skn clinic i was told i may need 5 treatments of laser resurfacing to see 40% results. I was also told the doctor may suggest c02 & fraxel laser but with that i remember the nurse saying because my skin is dark i may have problems with this laser, something to do with colour pigmentation ( think i need more info on this)

I have what i think are ice pick scars & i really hope my appearance-of scars are less visible. From the pics how bad do you think my acne scars are & do you think the laser treatment is worth it? I am little worried about side-affects if there are any

It's best to avoid non-ablative laser treatment of acne scars as most people don't see much, if any, improvement. It's also best to avoid medspa type places that put your care in the hands of a nurse or assistant. Based on your picture, your skin type looks like Fitzpatrick IV. Is that correct? If so, your options for laser treatment may honestly be limited. Consult with a few doctors (dermatologist/facial plastic surgeon/plastic surgeon) who specialize in scar treatment, as well as darker skin, to find out your best options for scar treatment.

I've not had any treatment yet or seen a doctor, when i had my free consultation with the head nurse of skn clinic i was told i may need 5 treatments of laser resurfacing to see 40% results. I was also told the doctor may suggest c02 & fraxel laser but with that i remember the nurse saying because my skin is dark i may have problems with this laser, something to do with colour pigmentation ( think i need more info on this)

 

I have what i think are ice pick scars & i really hope my appearance-of scars are less visible. From the pics how bad do you think my acne scars are & do you think the laser treatment is worth it? I am little worried about side-affects if there are any

 

I agree with *Inspired* about packages. I purchased a package before, too(IPL laser treatment and facial for my acne scars). The treatment did nothing to my scars, but it made my skin worse. My skin got extremely sensitive, broke out horribly, and created new scars on my cheeks...so I told the doctor I can't continue with the package(I completed 3 and I had 3 more left - it's a 6 months package). But she didn't even care at all and she refused to talk to me or call me back...of course no money back, either. I didn't complete my package, but I am glad I didn't...! The doctor was so kind and nice before I purchased the deal, but she changed her attitude after I finished paying the full amount.And I am not the only one, I also know a girl went to the same place with the same doctor and her experience was exactly the same as mine. Everyone should be careful on those package deals(usually those packages has no money-back-gaurantee under any circumstances).

Also I don't think non-ablative laser treatments work on your scars. My scars are shallower than yours and I had several Fraxel: re:store(non-ablative laser type) treatments and did nothing to my indented scars...nothing... I went to see a lot of doctors since then...and honest and EXPERIENCED doctors would tell you non-ablative laser won't work for indented acne scars. I think you should look around and find a better doctor...! Also the free consultation with a nurse sounds bad...you should always talk to the doctor and ask a lot of questions. If he is a good doctor, then he would take his time to listen, talk, answer your questions. Good luck OP.

It's best to avoid non-ablative laser treatment of acne scars as most people don't see much, if any, improvement. It's also best to avoid medspa type places that put your care in the hands of a nurse or assistant. Based on your picture, your skin type looks like Fitzpatrick IV. Is that correct? If so, your options for laser treatment may honestly be limited. Consult with a few doctors (dermatologist/facial plastic surgeon/plastic surgeon) who specialize in scar treatment, as well as darker skin, to find out your best options for scar treatment.

I've not had any treatment yet or seen a doctor, when i had my free consultation with the head nurse of skn clinic i was told i may need 5 treatments of laser resurfacing to see 40% results. I was also told the doctor may suggest c02 & fraxel laser but with that i remember the nurse saying because my skin is dark i may have problems with this laser, something to do with colour pigmentation ( think i need more info on this)

I have what i think are ice pick scars & i really hope my appearance-of scars are less visible. From the pics how bad do you think my acne scars are & do you think the laser treatment is worth it? I am little worried about side-affects if there are any

 

The nurse hasn't even consulted with a doctor on the best laser treatment for you, but she's willing to sell you a package with a possibility of 40% improvement. I would stay clear and save your money. For your type of scars, I don't think you'll see 40% improvement from a fractionally non-ablative laser. Whatever you do, don't pre-pay for a package of laser treatments. Packages are about making money. They make their money whether you complete all 5 sessions or not. I've bought packages in the past as well (not for laser but for skin treatment) and never completed them. I wish I could turn back time and get that money back for a treatment that actually works on scars.

Ice pick and boxcar scars can be difficult to treat. You really should consult with a few doctors who have experience with your type of scarring and skin type. You probably won't find that doctor at a medspa. Looking at your scars & skin type, I think you might want to consider a surgical approach and top that off with a low density laser for smoothing, but I am not a doctor.

 

Im not familiar with Fitzpatrick IV, i am a south asian (india, bangladesh, sri lanka) dark skin. My dermatologist suggested i see a Mr. Laitung who is a plastic surgeon or go to a approved well known Laser Care aka Skn clinic. But yeah before i go into any treatments i will see a few dermatologists/plastic surgeons & get thier opinions. Any one know any plastic surgeons or dermatologists who specializes in acne scarring? Any where in the UK will do, Im from North West area of the UK near Manchester.

You might be a Fitzpatrick IV or V. I'm not sure. You can determine your Fitzpatrick skin type here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzpatrick_scale

A quick Google search also returned many links to the actual quiz. This was the first one I saw:

http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/are-you-at-risk/fitzpatrick-skin-quiz

Being in the UK, you also have the option of combining Recell with laser treatment. We don't have Recell in the USA. From what I understand, it helps accelerate healing time using your own stem cells, which can help prevent pigment issues. There are a number of threads on it on the forum.

In case you don't know, there is a difference between ablative and non-ablative fractional lasers. With ablative, they actually vaporize (ablate) tissue. Co2 laser is also considered the Gold Standard for scar treatment. For scar treatment, ablative laser treatment produces much nicer results but it also carries more risk. It sounds like the Nurse was trying to sell you a non-ablative laser package, possibly Erbium.

I don't know how medspas normally operate in the UK. In Los Angeles, there are a ton of them that are owned by a plastic surgeon, dermatologist or group of doctors. However, no one actually ever meets with the doctors for laser treatment. The doctors push the laser work off to nurses and assistants. Most laser horror stories come from these places, so you have to be careful.

I'm not from the UK, so I can't offer you much advice on a doctor. However, if you search the forum, I'm sure you can find a few doctors in your area who specialize in acne scar treatment and have experience with darker skin types.

Best of luck in your search and treatment.

I would agree with others on this forum that you really want to be going to a doctor and not a nurse. I think a lot of the success of lasers comes down to who is actually doing the procedure and i would be very wary of going to any sort of medispa or skin clinic where i don't think they'll necessarily have your best interests at heart.

I'm in the UK too and there are very few doctors who actually specialise in treating acne scarring. The most well known one is Dr Chu and he works from Hammersmith Hospital in London, although he doesn't use lasers. The other famous one is Dr Khan but there is some question over his integrity on this board. The other ones i know of are Dr Tapan Patel in London, Dr Teixeira, Dr Jeremy Rawlins, Dr Jonquille Chantrey in Cheshire and Dr Simon Lee in Bristol. I would advise doing a lot of research and looking into all the treatments available before making a decision.

It's best to avoid non-ablative laser treatment of acne scars as most people don't see much, if any, improvement. It's also best to avoid medspa type places that put your care in the hands of a nurse or assistant. Based on your picture, your skin type looks like Fitzpatrick IV. Is that correct? If so, your options for laser treatment may honestly be limited. Consult with a few doctors (dermatologist/facial plastic surgeon/plastic surgeon) who specialize in scar treatment, as well as darker skin, to find out your best options for scar treatment.

I've not had any treatment yet or seen a doctor, when i had my free consultation with the head nurse of skn clinic i was told i may need 5 treatments of laser resurfacing to see 40% results. I was also told the doctor may suggest c02 & fraxel laser but with that i remember the nurse saying because my skin is dark i may have problems with this laser, something to do with colour pigmentation ( think i need more info on this)

I have what i think are ice pick scars & i really hope my appearance-of scars are less visible. From the pics how bad do you think my acne scars are & do you think the laser treatment is worth it? I am little worried about side-affects if there are any

 

The nurse hasn't even consulted with a doctor on the best laser treatment for you, but she's willing to sell you a package with a possibility of 40% improvement. I would stay clear and save your money. For your type of scars, I don't think you'll see 40% improvement from a fractionally non-ablative laser. Whatever you do, don't pre-pay for a package of laser treatments. Packages are about making money. They make their money whether you complete all 5 sessions or not. I've bought packages in the past as well (not for laser but for skin treatment) and never completed them. I wish I could turn back time and get that money back for a treatment that actually works on scars.

Ice pick and boxcar scars can be difficult to treat. You really should consult with a few doctors who have experience with your type of scarring and skin type. You probably won't find that doctor at a medspa. Looking at your scars & skin type, I think you might want to consider a surgical approach and top that off with a low density laser for smoothing, but I am not a doctor.

 

Im not familiar with Fitzpatrick IV, i am a south asian (india, bangladesh, sri lanka) dark skin. My dermatologist suggested i see a Mr. Laitung who is a plastic surgeon or go to a approved well known Laser Care aka Skn clinic. But yeah before i go into any treatments i will see a few dermatologists/plastic surgeons & get thier opinions. Any one know any plastic surgeons or dermatologists who specializes in acne scarring? Any where in the UK will do, Im from North West area of the UK near Manchester.

 

I would recommend a no obligation consult with Dr Patel in London, he specialises in scarring and he is adamant that any discolouration from lasers he may use he will remove. Said he has had some amazing results with Deep FX.

I found him to be non pushy and had a good attitude towards patient requirements

It's best to avoid non-ablative laser treatment of acne scars as most people don't see much, if any, improvement. It's also best to avoid medspa type places that put your care in the hands of a nurse or assistant. Based on your picture, your skin type looks like Fitzpatrick IV. Is that correct? If so, your options for laser treatment may honestly be limited. Consult with a few doctors (dermatologist/facial plastic surgeon/plastic surgeon) who specialize in scar treatment, as well as darker skin, to find out your best options for scar treatment.

I've not had any treatment yet or seen a doctor, when i had my free consultation with the head nurse of skn clinic i was told i may need 5 treatments of laser resurfacing to see 40% results. I was also told the doctor may suggest c02 & fraxel laser but with that i remember the nurse saying because my skin is dark i may have problems with this laser, something to do with colour pigmentation ( think i need more info on this)

I have what i think are ice pick scars & i really hope my appearance-of scars are less visible. From the pics how bad do you think my acne scars are & do you think the laser treatment is worth it? I am little worried about side-affects if there are any

 

The nurse hasn't even consulted with a doctor on the best laser treatment for you, but she's willing to sell you a package with a possibility of 40% improvement. I would stay clear and save your money. For your type of scars, I don't think you'll see 40% improvement from a fractionally non-ablative laser. Whatever you do, don't pre-pay for a package of laser treatments. Packages are about making money. They make their money whether you complete all 5 sessions or not. I've bought packages in the past as well (not for laser but for skin treatment) and never completed them. I wish I could turn back time and get that money back for a treatment that actually works on scars.

Ice pick and boxcar scars can be difficult to treat. You really should consult with a few doctors who have experience with your type of scarring and skin type. You probably won't find that doctor at a medspa. Looking at your scars & skin type, I think you might want to consider a surgical approach and top that off with a low density laser for smoothing, but I am not a doctor.

 

Im not familiar with Fitzpatrick IV, i am a south asian (india, bangladesh, sri lanka) dark skin. My dermatologist suggested i see a Mr. Laitung who is a plastic surgeon or go to a approved well known Laser Care aka Skn clinic. But yeah before i go into any treatments i will see a few dermatologists/plastic surgeons & get thier opinions. Any one know any plastic surgeons or dermatologists who specializes in acne scarring? Any where in the UK will do, Im from North West area of the UK near Manchester.

 

I would recommend a no obligation consult with Dr Patel in London, he specialises in scarring and he is adamant that any discolouration from lasers he may use he will remove. Said he has had some amazing results with Deep FX.

I found him to be non pushy and had a good attitude towards patient requirements

 

@ everyone who replied back: thanks for the replies & advice you given me, much appreciated. I now plan to see my GP then see my dermatologists or the doctors you have suggested for me for more information/advice on which treatment is best to reduce acne scarring on dark skin Asians...I am putting the sk:n clinics on hold (probably last option)

Good luck with your scar treatment journey. It will be a journey. Make sure you do lots of research and explore all your options before jumping in.

The best way to remove pimple is through home remedies they are as follows:-

LEMON -The acidic property of lemon is very useful in treating acne at home. Lemon cleans dirt on the pores and will harden the sebum. For this a take a slice of lemon and rub it on the affected area and leave it for few hours before rinsing the face with clean water.

TOOTH-PASTE- Take small amount of toothpaste and apply it on acne before going to bed. The toothpaste reduces the swelling and dry out the acne. Within a day or two there will be no acne at all. This is in fact one of the easiest home remedies for acne.

TEA TREE OIL- Another popular natural cure for treating acne is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil acts like an antiseptic and this can help in removing damaged skin cells. When applied on the affected skin, it produces bacteria-fighting cells which help in treating the acne.

FENUGREECK-Fresh fenugreek leaves mixed with water to make a smooth paste. Apply the herbal paste on the affected areas and leave it for about ten to fifteen minutes and then finally wash your face with warm water applies it twice or thrice.

ALOE-VERA JUICE- Aloe Vera juice is helpful in healing the scars caused by acne. Just use the fresh juice from a plant by cutting a leaf from the aloe vera plant and squeezing the gel from the middle.

HONEY-Honey has both antiseptic as well as moisturizing properties and thus when honey is applied on the affected skin for half an hour it makes the acne disappear within a few days. You can also make a face mask by mixing honey and powdered nutmeg in same amount. Apply this mixture on the acne and leave it for half an hour and then wash your face. Use this mask regularly to stop the problem of acne completely.