Finding a physician

When you turn your attention to the treatment of acne scars, it’s
especially important that you find a doctor who is trained and
experienced in the procedures that I describe in this chapter, for a
number of reasons:
 Many of the treatments have sometimes been offered by inad-
equately trained practitioners, sometimes with devastating,
disfiguring results.
 Some of the treatments may result in more scarring if you
have a propensity to develop hypertrophic scars or keloids.
You need a reputable, experienced physician to help you
weigh the pros and cons with this type of scarring.
With the exception of microdermabrasion and most chemical
peels, which can be performed by a physician, nurse, or licensed
aesthetician, the procedures described in this chapter are per-
formed by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon in her office.If your doctor or dermatologist doesn’t treat acne scars, check out
Chapter 8 where I tell you how to find a dermatologist who does.
You can also go to the Web sites of The American Academy of
Dermatology (www.aad.org) and The American Society for
Dermatologic Surgeons (www.asds-net.org). These sites can
help you locate a dermatologist who has specialized training in
cosmetic and other types of skin surgery.
To find a plastic surgeon who performs these procedures, visit the
online referral service of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
(ASPS) at www.plasticsurgery.org. This is the largest plastic
surgery organization in the world and the foremost authority on
cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. (Check out Chapter
21 for more online resources.)