Acne scarring: How fillers could be the solution to pitted scars, Non Surgical Clinic owner Dr Renée Hoenderkamp exclusively explains
Acne can be a confidence-shattering condition, at any age [Getty]
Acne can strike at any age – it can arrive in the teen years, or materialise in mid to late twenties; but one thing that doesn’t change is how it can make an individual feel, and want to do anything to be rid of the condition once and for all.
Celebrities such as Joe Sugg and Kendall Jenner have all opened up on suffering with the distressing condition. But even when the acne is clear, another battle many face is that of scarring – something which is much less spoken about but equally as heartbreaking.
While this era of dermatology offers a string of treatments for scarring – such as laser resurfacing, micro-needling and chemical peels – many have found these often expensive treatments which need a lengthy recovery time help the issue only minimally, and are often desperate to find something, or anything, that could work for them.
BEFORE: This person used filler before their wedding day to achieve a smoother visage [NC]
While everyone’s skin is different, one treatment that isn’t often spoken about his using filler to fix the issue – which involves injecting the pitted scar in question to lift them out.
Dr Renée Hoenderkamp, who set up the Non Surgical Clinic in London, offers such a treatment – and has exclusively explained to OK! online exactly what the process is, and why it could be the right answer for those who feel like they’ve exhausted every other option.
Explaining the procedure, Dr Renée reveals: “I use Restylane Refyne, a normal filler, which I carefully place underneath a scar and lift it out. This works particularly well with deep scars and individual scars that can be picked out. For example, this works well on chickenpox type scars, deep acne scars and trauma. Usually one treatment is enough."
AFTER: The skin appears much less textured following the quick treatment [NC]
But as with an procedure, everyone’s skin journey is completely different.
“Sometimes scars are too superficial and/or not individual enough for this method to work,” she adds. “Then I use Restylane Vital Skinboosters. These are still a filler but they are cross linked differently to normal fillers that are used to plump lips, build cheeks etc. They are much lighter and used in a different way.
“They are placed just under the skin all over the area with the scarring and they attract water and rehydrate the area so lifting out the scarring. They often work really well for superficial scarring – you need to have a few treatments, so once a month for three months, then one after six months and then one a year to maintain the effect.”
Kendall Jenner has previously opened up about her battle with acne [Proactiv/Twitter]
Dr Renée has had much success in using fillers on her patients, altering each treatment to fit the specific needs of each case. She continues: “The good thing is that I usually have a solution between these two methods. I then combine this with some subcision as I insert the filler. So if, when the needle goes in, there is a lot of scar tissue, I use the needle to gently break some of that tissue down before inserting the filler.”
While injecting a pitted scar with filler seems like a simple solution, it’s not often spoke of as the first port of call when it comes to fixing the issue.
Dr Renée, who has been doing the treatment for five years, admits: “Not many practitioners do it. I think this is because it is an advanced procedure not taught on the normal training schemes, and it is hard.
Acne can strike at any age, and can be completely confidence-shattering for many [Getty]
“You need to assess the patient carefully for suitability and decide what filler to use for the best result. The results are never predictable because you don't know how much scar tissue you will find and this can prevent the filler from going in the right place if severe.”
She adds: “The patient also often looks worse when they leave you because of multiple needle marks but it’s really worth it in the majority of cases. I always warn patients about all of these issues and never attempt to treat unless I feel I can get some improvement; but once I treat a patient, I tend to see them again because they are happy.”
Dr Renée offers two clinics in Harley Street and Crouch End. For more information, visit www.nonsurgicalclinic.co.uk.
