Acne scars are one of the most distressing and long-term consequences of acne vulgaris. They have a damaging effect on a person’s physical, mental, and social wellโ€being. Numerous treatment options are available. However, international treatment guidelines have not yet caught up with current knowledge and practice in many centers. There are so many treatment options for acne scars offered by physicians and non-physicians. For the first time, 24 renowned, international plastic surgeons and dermatologists from 12 different countries collaborated to provide a consensus. What works more? What works less? And how to exactly do it in different realโ€life clinical scenarios.

The review article, led by Ofir Artzi, MD, is titled, โ€œEnergy-based devices for the treatment of acne scars: 2021 international consensus recommendations.โ€ย 

This study, published inย Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM),ย the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery Inc (ASLMS), was selected as the November 2021 Editorโ€™s Choice.

The manuscript includes a comprehensive discussion and panel recommendations regarding the following topics: the role of energy-based devices (EBDs) in mitigating and treating acne scars in a patient with active acne, the use of various EBDs for the treatment of different acne scar types with a special focus on commonly used laser platform such as vascular lasers, ablative fractional lasers (AFLs) and nonโ€AFLs (NAFLs), treatment combinations, and acne scar treatments in skin of color.

โ€œThere is a paucity of highโ€quality clinical studies supporting many acne scars therapies and combinations. This study is aimed to provide clear, stepwise, consensusโ€based treatment recommendations for the different types of acne scars,โ€ Artzi says.

Dr. Ofir Artzi is an internationally renowned expert in the field of lasers and aesthetic dermatology. Dr. Artzi heads the center for Aesthetic Dermatology at the Department of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Medical Center. He has published many scientific medical articles and participates in many cosmetic clinical trials ranging from injectable cosmetic agents to lasers and topical therapies, including clinical studies and FDA trials. Dr. Artzi was voted by his peers as one of Israelโ€™s Forbes Magazine Top Doctors in 2018 -2021. He has been honored as a guest speaker at numerous national and international aesthetic and dermatologic conferences.

Editorโ€™s Choice is an exclusive article published inย LSM, the official journal of the ASLMS.ย View the complete manuscript.

[Source: American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery]