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In the past decade a technique known as skin resurfacing has quickly become a popular way of treating the signs of aging and sun damage. It has even proven helpful by helping some people rid acne scars from their face. There are several different options that you can choose from. To make the right choice, you'll need to know what they entail.

The most common resurfacing techniques include chemical peels, laser therapy, and microdermabrasion. Each one of these procedures has its own benefits and contraindications. Here is a general overview of each of them.

Acne Scarring &Laser Therapy

Recently, acne scars have been treated using laser therapy. This procedure uses a carbon dioxide laser to "burn off" certain layers of the skin. The amount of visible damage depends on which type of therapy is used: ablative or non ablative.

Ablative laser therapy removes the epidermis. Therefore, it does leave visible signs of treatment and requires more down time. Non-ablative treatment deals with the underlying layers, so damage is less visible and recovery time is quite a bit less.

Acne Scarring & Chemical Peels

A popular way of resurfacing acne scars has been with the use of chemicals peels. This procedure helps remove or peel off dead skin by using different chemicals. The removal of these skin cells will help promote the growth of new, healthier layers of skin.

Retinoic acid peels are the best type of treatment for treating acne scars. This type of peel not only helps with acne scars, but also helps improve the signs of aging such as wrinkles and age spots. If your acne scars are deep, then you will require the use of stronger acids.

Downtime will depend on the depth of the chemical peel so if you have a light chemical peel you probably won't require anesthesia or a recovery period. However, if you undergo medium and deep chemical peels you will require anesthesia, pain medication, and even a few weeks to recover.

Microdermabrasion for Acne Scars and Acne Scarring

If you want a gentler scar treatment option then microdermabrasion is a good option. If you suffer from minor scars, then you can also undergo microdermabrasion in order to treat them. Keep in mind, however, that this type of treatment will also take more time to produce any noticeable effects.

This procedure does not require medical assistance, but it should be done in a sterile environment in order to minimize any risk of infection. In fact, you can undergo a microdermabrasion treatment in a doctor's office, salon, or even a spa.

Lately, microdermabrasion systems have become so popular that they are now available for at home treatment. These systems usually include a portable machine with sponge or brush attachments. These treatments are usually used in connection with a microdermabrasion cream.

One of the benefits of having at-home treatments is that they can be done more frequently than traditional microdermabrasion.