Hey guys, so I had serious acne for about 5 years before I was finally prescribed accutane. I came off it about two months ago and since then I've been really happy with the results as I haven't had a new pimple since coming off it. However, due to have acne for such a long time I've accumulated quite a lot of scars where my acne was concentrated. I am quite lucky in that not many of the scars are indentation and most of them are just really bad discolouration. The picture is really badly taken so the scars appear a lot more faded and less red than they do irl. I've been using bio-oil since coming off accutane and there's been absolutely no effect. Can anyone recommend something I could use/do to get rid of or at least help fade my scars please!
Laser is most effective for this excel v, vbeam, ipl, and 1064nm (this is PIE or wounding after acne, it's not a scar, it takes a very long time to go away). For other DIY and at home treatments goto the top of the sub this post is located at, click on the faq (top post) and goto the skin section with PIE and PIH.
Accutane is an excellent treatment for acne, and without a doubt, the most effective. Accutane does not cause scarring unless an invasive procedure such as laser resurfacing or dermabrasion is done in the post-accutane period. It is much more likely that you have scarring resulting from the disappearance of the acne with accutane treatment. It is possible that this was not noted until the overlying acne resolved.
You can do laser resurfacing, or even dermabrasion, 12 months after you have finished your last month of accutane. This caution is primarily due to the risk of poor healing and scarring that may immediately follow after a course of accutane treatment.
Fraxel Repair (or a similar ablative fractional laser) is great for rolling scars, but its only suitable for fair skin types...if you're skin is able to tab, you might have too much melanin in your skin which means you run the risk of hyperpigmentation with laser, unless you set it to a light setting, which defeats the purpose. If thats the case, dermal needling can achieve similar results without the risk of hyperpigmentation (but you'd need to go to a professional, because to be effective your need the needles to go deep). Or you could get a dermatologist to pute you on hydroquinone (which supresses melanin) for a few weeks before treatment, but do your research if you opt for this...I've had great results on it, but some people dont.
If you do your research and find a good laser practitioner, combined with the right topical skin care to fade the marks (I'd suggest hydroquinone, but as advised above proceed with care and get a doctor to supervise) you should see big improvements!
Good luck