Monday, March 19, 2012

Rid Your Teen of Acne Scars!

On Call with… special guest contributor and friend of Pedimedica William K. Boss, MD, FACS

Rid Your Teen of Acne Scars!


Adolescent acne, while not a threat to the health of young people, has always been a source of stress and psychological discomfort to teenagers in their formative years. Acne hits kids when they are most vulnerable to concerns over appearance and attractiveness. And both boys and girls are susceptible to these stresses. In some cases teens can suffer from significant acne scaring but fortunately, there are many options to treat scaring and Dr. Bill Boss has a takes a very unique approach…simple and easily available treatments for acne and other skin ailments.


A Unique and Highly Successful Approach to Acne Therapy


As a board certified reconstructive and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Boss focuses his efforts in treating acne scars with a very unique and individualized approach that yields excellent results in his patients. Dr. Boss works closely with many dermatologists in different geographical regions, so the treatment is an available option for many prospective patients.
 At the first visit, Dr, Boss needs to determine if the patient is a good candidate for reconstruction. The most important determinant is if the active acne has been under control for the past 6-12 months.  There is no point to treat scarring in patients with active acne because new scars will continually form and the patient will have wasted time, effort, and money.
 The treatment begins with a careful medical history and examination to determine the most effective and least invasive procedures possible.  As a plastic surgeon Dr. Boss can employ the largest variety of techniques possible to treat the scarring. For example, ice pick, deep contracted scars require excision and as a micro surgeon Dr. Boss uses magnification to excise the scars and build up the skin layers to minimize the scar.
Other scars require subcision followed by fractionated lasers or simply lasers alone.  There are also lasers that can treat discolorations and tiny blood vessels around the scars.
In some cases Dr. Boss will utilize long acting fillers when indicated, such as Restalyne, Perlane, Juvaderm, Sculptra and Radiesse.  There is also a new and exciting development in cell therapy that is currently undergoing FDA trials for treatment of acne scars and was recently approved by the FDA for correction of smile lines.  This treatment was invented by Dr. Boss and involves growing the patient’s own collagen producing skin cells known as fibroblasts in a certified laboratory. These cells are then re-injected into the dermis of the skin to help correct the problem.
Often times, the skin that has been ravaged by acne is loose and the face has lost volume; that is when more invasive treatments such as stem cell fat transfers and mini facelifts might be helpful. Fortunately there are many treatment options that are available and can produce tremendous results. However, it is important for the patient to make an appointment for a consult and go over the options with the doctor to determine which treatment is best for the individual.

William K. Boss, MD, FACS is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is distinguished among his colleagues, patients and hospital staff for his professional skills, extensive experience and excellent results in cosmetic plastic surgery. Dr. Boss was the former Chief of Plastic Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center and Assistant Clinical Professor at New Jersey School of Medicine and Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Boss maintains memberships with various medical societies such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Cosmetic Surgery & Rejuvenation Center
385 Prospect Ave., Hackensack, NJ 07601
Tel. 201.488.1035 Fax 201.488.2264
info@drbossmd.com