Q: I have deep acne scars on both sides of my face. Although I have tried many methods - such as the dermaroller, intense pulsed light, laser and peeling - my skin hasn't improved much. Do serious scars like mine require surgical excision? And is this method costly?

A: Deep acne scars unfortunately do not improve much with the methods you have listed. They are generally more helpful for shallow acne scars.

Surgical excisions can be performed on small, well-defined, deep acne scars and can give fairly satisfactory results.

It is carried out using a small punch biopsy tool which has a circular blade of varying widths. Local anaesthesia is applied to the area.

The skin edges of the defect are then sutured together and the subsequent scar produced from treatment is linear and slit-like rather than round and indented and is typically less noticeable than the original scar.

The cost of such a treatment would be from $200 upwards depending on the number of scars excised.

I would advise you to consult a dermatologist for a proper assessment to determine if you are a suitable candidate for this form of treatment.

Dr Chris Foo