I have severe acne scarring and tried some “miracle” creams but they dont work. I saw an advertiesement for acne scar removal by surgery, but I don’t understand the descriptions of the procedures. What are my options and how much will it cost??

Dr. Joshua’s Answer:

In short, your options include:
-Chemical peels for mild scarring, cost $500-$1,000 per treatment
-Collagen augmentation for deep, soft scars, about $500 per cc of collagen, cost depends of extent of scarring
-Dermabrasion for both superficial and deep scarring, not optimal for “ice-pick” scarring, about $1,500 per treatment
-Laser Treatment (Resurfacing), especially for shallow scars, about $2,000-$3,000 per treatment
-Punch Techniques for “ice-pick” scars, one individual scar at a time, skin is punched with an instrument and a small skin graft is inserted, about $50 per punch
-Microdermabrasion for superficial scarring, may not be as effective as dermabrasion
-In extreme cases, where tracts (tunnels) are revealed under the superficial layer of the skin, skin grafting is needed

There is a wealth of highly reliable unbiased information on acne scar removal on the National Library of Medicine website, check it out.