Is there a minimum age for getting perlane (dermal fillers)? my daughter has some pitted facial scarring that is making her very self-conscious. i'd like to get her perlane (dermal fillers) to plump up the area, but i'm not sure if it's safe. she is 15.

The : The treatment of acne scarring has many dimensions. At your daughter's age you would first want to make sure her acne is under good control. The treatment of acne scarring depends on the type of scar(s) she has. Ice pick scarring are often best treated with a direct excision followed by resurfacing. The more common broad, flat scars are often treated with resurfacing (dermabrasion, chemical peel, laser resurfacing) without excision. In some cases filler can be placed under a scar to help fill in the area. This isn't as durable a treatment as the other methods discussed though.

This : This is a great question and one i get often concerning the pitting associated with severe acne. A couple of questions need to be answered. What caused the scarring and is the cause under control? Her age is a concern if the scarring is due to acne as she is likely still undergoing hormonal changes. In this case she has to have adequate dermatologic treatment prior to correction. If the scarring is due to issues other than active skin disease than she could undergo some form of treatment. Perlane (dermal fillers) is a very safe product and can be used to increase volume to areas of the face that is deficient. Regarding scarring Perlane (dermal fillers) would be an adjunct to other treatment. In situations where patients have facial scars we can do something called "subcision" where we undermine the skin depression with needles to create a void which can be filled with Perlane (dermal fillers) (or other hyaluronic dermal filler). When acne scarring or pitting is the problem we will usually use other methods to smooth the surface of the skin such as; microdermabrasion, chemical peels, intense pulse light therapy, fractional laser therapy and photodynamic therapy (to name a few). There are many great temporary and more permanent treatments but you first have to have a dermatologist evaluate your daughters skin and make sure the cause of the pitting scars is under control. Best regards to you and your daughter. Dr. Smith.

Acne scars: It is really up to you and your daughter. There are several treatments available. Have her face evaluated by a board certified facial plastic surgeon to see what the options are.