When looking at how to get rid of spots it can pay to have a full and deep understanding of what pimple causes there are. Once you understand how pimples are caused you should then start thinking about how you can get your pimples treated and our acne cures guide will help you distill down your options.

If you are looking for a professional pimple treatment then a plastic surgeon or acne dermatologist may be a good option. They will be able to talk to you about such options as a chemical peel, microdermabrasion treatment and even laser skin resurfacing.

The links above to each of the pimple treatment procedures offer step-by-step guides on how to get rid of spots.

The acne cure options don't just end there though. For the worst pitted acne scars a plastic surgeon may wish to cut out the affected area and graft skin over the area before stitching it up again. This may sound like a drastic acne cure but for the worst affected it can offer a way of removing the worst acne scars. This is similar to fat grafting, where fat is taken from other areas of the body and injected to fill out the worst areas.

It's also possible to get rid of spots with a technique called soft-tissue augmentation, which sees a plastic surgeon or dermatologist injecting the shallower acne scars or pits with a collagen filler such as Restylane to plump up the area.

Risks:

The risks involved in your acne cure treatment vary from cure to cure. In the case of laser skin resurfacing the technique is still to be thoroughly proven, while with skin grafting there are risks associated with further scarring and infection of the grafted area.

Other, less invasive, acne cures, which we cover below have less risk attached to them, although you should ALWAYS make your plastic surgeon, dermatologist or pharmacist aware of any other medication you may be taking as this can complicate things.

Pain and healing:

As with any surgery any of the invasive acne cures will create some swelling, mild bruising and minimal pain. Your plastic surgeon gives you prescription medications to control any pain, however, so this shouldn't prove to be too much of a problem.

With soft tissue augmentation you can expect to be almost pain free and apart from a very small prick as the needle breaks your skin you should be fine as the fillers often contain a mild anaesthetic.

With dermabrasion you will be required, as our dermabrasion guide explains, to go under anaesthetic and your face will be sore for as much as two weeks due to the amount of skin layer removal. The skin will heal itself however, providing it is kept clean.

Laser resurfacing acne cures work instantly and with minimal bleeding, although you may hear it zapping and smell smoke. It is usually done with a local aesthetic, depending on the sites to be treated. Afterwards, the treated skin feels like it has mild sunburn and healing can takes as much as a week while the redness created on your face continues to fade for several months.

With either light or chemical skin peels you will find that your face puffs up and this will take a few days to calm down. Redness of the area will then continue for a few weeks as your skin repairs itself. During this time dryness and flaking should also be expected, although prescribed creams will help with this.

Costs:

Based on figures from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons the average cost of the above pimple treatments are as follows (although you may need to add on the cost of residential care and anaesthetic):

Chemical peel: $600
Laser skin resurfacing $2,500
Dermabrasion: $1,000
Soft tissue augmentation: $370

Questions to Ask:

As you are now fully clued up on acne and pimples you need a list of questions to ask your plastic surgeon or dermatologist to ensure you get the acne cure you want and they should include such questions as those below.

During the consultation you should also talk about where the procedure will be performed, the costs, and your medical history, while a physical examination should also be carried out...

1. What affect will the acne cure have on my acne?
2. Where will you perform the procedure and how long will it take?
3. Is this acne sure the best one for me?
4. What kind of anaesthesia will the surgeon use during the surgery?
5. What, if any, other costs will be added to the cost of my acne cure?
6. Has the plastic surgeon got lots of experience with this procedure?
7. Are there any complications?
8. What happens if it doesn't go to plan? Do I have it performed again?
9. What should I prepare for with regards to recovery?

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