TREATMENTS

Punch Excision For Ance Scars

Punch excision is a specialised excision method to treat a specific type of acne scarring called ice pick scars. Acne scarring can present in different forms that we dermatologists classify as a subtype. These include rolling, boxcar, and ice pick subtypes. Ice pick scars are a variant that present with very narrow but deep openings and can affect any part of the face but often found in the cheeks and temples. These types of acne scars are often difficult to treat but punch excision is a very effective method for many of these scars.

Punch excision is a technique using a specific tool that is often used for taking a sample of the skin which is a procedure called biopsy. The tool is called a punch biopsy tool and is a circular sharp apple core-like tool which excises (meaning cut out) the deep ice pick scar under local anaesthetic injection. The subsequent very small wound (usually 2 to 3 mm in diameter) will then be closed with very fine suturing. These sutures will then be removed after a week. The whole purpose of punch excision is to change the type of acne scar from a narrow deep one to a very fine superficial surgical scar which is much easier to improve using subsequent laser treatments.

Professor Firas Al-Niaimi is a highly trained dermatologic surgeon who has performed hundreds of complex surgical procedures on the face and is very experienced in punch excision method for ice pick acne scars.