Whether you are a working professional or an adolescent, stubborn scars on the face can be daunting, indeed. While creams and makeup fixes may offer immediate cover-up solutions, it is always a better idea to settle for a long lasting, non superficial alternative and that’s where punch grafting, a surgical procedure, seems like an option worth considering.
Pegged as a revolutionary treatment for ‘ice-pick’ scars, the technique to go about is as follows: The punch is done using a disposable tool that looks like cookie cutter. The size of the scar is measured and it is matched to the toll size. A local anesthetic is given to the scar and it is removed with a small punch. Most times the skin is left alone to heal, after the punch on its own as it's a very small hole. If larger, then a suture might be required. Simply put, Punch grafting is a punch biopsy technique that has been used by dermatologists for many years to take a biopsy of the skin for studies and testing.
In this procedure, the depth and diameter can be controlled from 1.5 - 4 mm, which makes it ideal for deep scars like ‘ice-pick’ scars which are normally at a depth of 2 to 3.5 mm
The whole process takes less than 15 minutes and is very affordable for patients who can't afford lasers.
Since the procedure requires the precision and expertise of an experienced hand; it is suggested to consult and get this done by a seasoned skin expert. It roughly takes about a week to heal, and one must follow a skin care regimen to maintain one’s skin. It is of optimum importance to consult your dermatologist before going in for the procedure. There might be a case of excessive bleeding or infection, if done without proper background checks or a detailed study of your skin type and it’s triggers are overlooked. The advantages are smoother skin with minimal downtime and affordability. Simply put, it is the poor man's scar therapy today.
The writer is a cosmetic dermatologist, Kosmoderma
