Chicken pox scar- gone in 10 seconds- Part 2.

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Chicken pox scar- gone in 10 seconds- part 2

Chicken pox scars are extremely common- in fact one in three people will have visible chicken pox scars on their face. This woman had a huge depressed Chicken pox scar in the middle of her forehead for the past decade. My solution, simple subcision with Juvederm Volbella. !0 seconds, and 10 years of chicken pox scarring has been erased from her memory. Fillers such as Juvederm will last up to 2 years, and in Australia, this treatment is partially subsidised by Medicare under the Specialist Scar Revision rebate. In the United States you have a filler called BELLAFILL, IMO better than Juvederm in the correct hands.

This looks easy, but like acne scarring in this area is very technically challenging. Why? Because there are arteries that run in this area, and the injection for acne scars- chickenpox scar needs to be very superficial- hence you can see me raising a bled of filler, then pressing down. Go deeper and you have a chance of going blind due to arterial occlusion. This should only be done by a Board Certified Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon. I make it look easy because I perform 3-4 of these procedures daily.

What are other methods to treat chickenpox scars?

Dermal fillers, in my opinion, is the preferred option. Why? Because this procedure has the least amount of downtime, and has instant results. Dermal fillers have come a long way over the past few years. Cross linking of Hyaluronic Acid (HA Fillers) such as Juvederm Volift and Juvederm Volbella has extended the longevity of dermal fillers from 3-6 months (Restylane), to 12-24 months.. Performed by a Specialist, this procedure has minimal risks, with excellent results. The downside? Fillers need to be repeated every one to two years. Bellafill is an exception as it last longer.

Surgery can be useful – especially treating isolated chicken pox and acne scars. A simple procedure known as a punch excision can remove the scar, and the wound is closed with one or two fine sutures. Healing takes place over 4 days. . Another surgical method is called punch elevation, this involves, as the name suggest, elevating the chicken pox scar, without suturing. I usually resurface with a laser following this treatment.

Laser treatment can be used after surgery or fillers as a final ‘touch up’. Fractional lasers such as Fraxel, ProFractional Sciton, CO2 Fractional can also be used to help elevate the scars and remodel collagen. In fractional mode, patients will benefit from 3-5 sessions, spaced 3-4 weeks apart. This can improve chicken pox scars by up to 50%. The results are permanent. I also use a device called INFINI to treat scars, however this is early in the development and I will keep subscribers up to date as more studies are done.

Lasers can also be used in fully ablative mode- this can markedly diminish scar lines following surgery, and also ‘buffer the edges’ following filler. Laser resurfacing should not be used on deep chicken pox scars as this can extend the width of the scar. For scars that are narrow, and shallow, resurfacing is an option.

In summary, a combined approach is best. This entails filling, surgery and lasers, over 2-6 sessions, depending on the severity of chicken pox scars. Not all scars can be treated, but a combination of treatments can yield a good outcome and make chicken pox scars less prominent. In this case a 10 second procedure has changed this patient’s perception on her chicken pox scars. Stay tuned for more videos on scar revision. Stay frosty.

BTW- chicken pox scars are partially subsidised by Medicare in Australia- providing the procedure is performed by Plastic or Procedural Dermatologist, and not a ‘cosmetic GP’.

Dr Davin Lim
Lasers and Lifts
Laser, surgical and aesthetic dermatologist
Brisbane, Australia

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