Treatment, Removal, Best, and More

Scars are formed when a breakout penetrates the skin deeply and damages the tissues beneath it.

Before you try to treat your scars, it’s important to know what type they are. Each type responds to treatment differently, and some treatments are better for particular types than others.

Additionally, your skin tone can also be a factor. For example, for darker skin types, deeper skin laser treatments will not be recommended due to higher chances of scarring and pigmentation.

Most darker skin tones will be pretreated with 4 percent hydroquinone (bleaching cream) prior to treatments like microneedling, peels, and lasers.

Atrophic scars are most common on the face. A depressed scar sits below the surrounding skin. They’re formed when not enough collagen is made while the wound is healing. There are three types of atrophic scars:

Boxcar

These are wide, U-shaped scars that have sharp edges. They can be shallow or deep. The shallower they are, the better they respond to skin resurfacing treatments. Microdermabrasion and gentle peels are great for almost all skin types.

But laser resurfacing has to be done cautiously because more scarring and pigmentary changes in darker skin tones, like post-inflammatory pigmentation. It’s best to pretreat darker skin types with a 4 percent hydroquinone for at least 4-6 weeks prior to starting these treatments.

Ice pick

Ice pick scars are narrow, V-shaped scars that can go deep into the skin. They can look like small round or oval holes, like a chickenpox scar. These are the most difficult scars to treat because they can extend far under the surface of the skin.

Rolling

These are wide depressions that typically have rounded edges and an irregular, rolling appearance.

These scars are most common with chest and back acne. They stand above the surface of the surrounding skin and are caused by too much collagen during healing.

Discoloration left behind after a zit has cleared isn’t a scar. The purple, red, or brown marks will fade over a few months on their own.

Before you start any treatment for acne scars, it’s important to be seen by a dermatologist or a healthcare professional. They can help you determine the best method to reduce the appearance of your scars and also make sure that the marks on your skin are actually scars and not another condition.

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are often found in products made to treat acne since they help to remove dead skin and prevent clogged pores. Even better, AHAs can also help make acne scars appear less noticeable.

The mild acid exfoliates the outer layer of the skin to help remove discoloration and rough skin.

Best for: all types of acne scars

Lactic acid

A small 2010 study found that dermatologist-performed lactic acid peels done once every 2 weeks for 3 months improved the texture, appearance, and pigmentation of the skin and lightened acne scars.

There are countless peels, serums, and ointments with lactic acid, but you can also use diluted apple cider vinegar as a toner or spot treatment thanks to its natural lactic acid. But apple cider, as well as other at-home treatments, are potentially harsh on sensitive skin. They should always be tested to a small area of the skin before starting treatment with the product.

If the skin is sensitive and the product is applied, there’s potential for inflammation and irritation, which can lead to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Best for: all types of acne scars

Retinoids

Topical retinoids are another acne treatment with scar-smoothing benefits. In addition to speeding up your cell regeneration and improving your skin’s texture, retinoids can also help reduce discoloration and make scars less noticeable, according to a 2017 review.

But they can also make your skin especially sensitive to the sun. Always wear sunscreen daily when using anything that contains retinoids.

You can find creams and serums with retinoids over the counter, but a healthcare professional can also prescribe you higher concentrations. Look for products that list retinol as one of the active ingredients.

Best for: atrophic or depressed scars

Salicylic acid

Chances are high that you’ve already used salicylic acid to treat your acne in the past. From pads to spot treatments and lotions to face cleansers, it’s in just about every kind of acne treatment these days.

Salicylic acid clears pores, reduces swelling and redness, and exfoliates the skin when applied topically. It’s considered to be one of the best treatments for acne scars.

You can add products with salicylic acid into your daily routine, or your skin care specialist may use it for less frequent chemical peels.

It might take a few weeks to see a difference when using salicylic acid. It can also cause dryness or irritation. You may need to use the product less often or try spot treating if you have sensitive skin.

Best for: all acne scars

Sunscreen

Yes, really. It’s vital to wear sunscreen every day over scars. Sun exposure can darken scars making them more noticeable.

If at-home treatments don’t seem to be making a difference, a skin care specialist or healthcare professional can help with your treatments.

Best for: all acne scars

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion is one of the most effective and common treatments for facial scars. While it uses the same general principle as the microdermabrasion kits you can do at home, healthcare professionals use tools to more deeply exfoliate the top layer of the skin.

Best for: scars close to the surface like shallow boxcar or rolling scars. But deeper scars may also become less noticeable

Chemical peels

These aren’t the kind of face masks that you wear during a Netflix marathon. A chemical peel is a strong acid that’s used to remove the top layer of the skin to reduce deeper scars.

Some chemical peels are mild enough to be used at home, but a healthcare professional can provide a stronger solution with more dramatic results.

There are many different types of chemical peels, so it’s best to talk with a healthcare professional about which one is right for you.

Best for: all types of acne scars, often used for deeper scars

Laser resurfacing

Much like a chemical peel and dermabrasion, laser resurfacing removes the top layer of the skin. This treatment typically has a faster healing time than other resurfacing treatments.

But you have to keep the area covered with a bandage until it’s completely healed. This treatment is also not a good option for anyone who’s still getting breakouts, and it’s not as effective on darker skin tones.

Best for: all acne scars and lighter skin tones

Fillers

Healthcare professionals use fillers to fill in acne scars and help even out the skin. The fillers can be made with collagen, your own fat, or a commercial filler. They’re injected under the surface of the skin to help plump up and smooth out depressed scars.

Most fillers last between 6 and 18 months before they need to be redone, but some are permanent.

Best for: someone with a small number of boxcar or rolling scars

Microneedling

This newer treatment uses a small, handheld, needle-studded roller or a handheld “pen” on the surface of the scars. The needles puncture the numbed skin — but don’t go through it like a shot! As the skin heals, it makes collagen.

There’s evidence to suggest that microneedling helps reduce the depth of acne scars. Still, this treatment can take up to 9 months to see changes, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Outside of the slight fear factor, it’s a safe treatment that works for all skin tones.

Best for: depressed acne scars

Injections

There are a few different medications that can be injected into raised scars to help soften and flatten them, including corticosteroids and chemotherapy drugs fluorouracil (5-FU) and interferons. The injections are usually performed as a series, with one every few weeks.

Best for: raised scars

At first brush, it might seem crazy to remove a scar and potentially replace it with a new one, but dermatologists or plastic surgeons can remove a very noticeable scar and leave behind a small scar that will fade with time.

A healthcare professional can also lift the scar by loosening the fibers beneath it to help bring it closer to the surface, so it’s less noticeable. This procedure is called subcision.

Best for: deep, depressed scars and raised scars

Acne scars can be frustrating, but there are many treatments that can make them less noticeable. Most scars are permanent, but a healthcare professional can help you find the right treatment to help reduce the appearance of your scars.

The best way to treat an acne scar is to prevent it in the first place.

You’re less likely to develop acne scars if you break out less. Avoid picking, popping, or squeezing any breakout, no matter how tempting, to prevent irritating the skin and damaging the underlying tissue, which can lead to scars.

Read this article in Spanish.

Acne scars: Diagnosis and treatment

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How to remove acne marks on the face \ Beauty Season

About 80% of people, especially young people, face acne to one degree or another.

Despite the fact that this problem brings a lot of inconvenience and greatly affects self-esteem, it can be eliminated with the help of complex treatment. However, acne is a rather insidious disease, which even after treatment can bring inconvenience. In the event that the skin around acne is injured or the disease reaches the last stages, then post-acne inevitably appears on the skin.

Post-acne is post-inflammatory, cicatricial and pigmented changes on the skin.

Post-acne can stand out on the face not only because of its darker color, but also manifest itself in the form of dimples and bumps that make the skin uneven.

There are 3 main forms of post-acne:

• dimples, which are also called atrophic scars;

• tubercles, which are called hypertrophic scars;

• areas of dyschromia – this form of post-acne is expressed by skin pigmentation.

The most common manifestation of post-acne rates is the atrophic appearance of scars. They can be round, square or chipped. Round scars are less deep and therefore the easiest to get rid of. Square scars are located deeper than round scars, but they also respond well to treatment with modern drugs and hardware techniques. The most problematic are chipped scars, since their bottom is located deep in the dermis.

Regardless of the type of post-acne, they all significantly affect the appearance and everyone who is faced with this problem dreams of getting rid of them.

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How to remove acne marks at home

To combat post-acne and solve this problem, home care alone will not be enough, but you can improve the condition of your skin by choosing the right care. In addition, in order for the skin to recover, it is necessary to eat right, as the skin needs “building blocks” for new cells. It is important to consume enough protein, as well as foods rich in vitamins and amino acids.

As for the selection of home care, it is best not to experiment, as the wrong choice of care can provoke the appearance of new acne. The best solution would be to contact a beautician who will select products that are suitable for your skin.

What procedures are performed in post-acne clinics

Home methods of dealing with post-acne can only affect the upper layers of the skin, and therefore they are not able to completely eliminate post-acne. Deep scars, pigmentation and skin irregularities can only be removed in a cosmetology clinic, where the cosmetologist will select the appropriate procedures for skin restoration.

Beauticians often recommend the following types of procedures that help to cope with various post-acne severity:

• Peels . There are many options for peels, each of which is aimed at solving a specific problem. For example, almond peeling provides gentle cleansing and helps to even out the relief, while Jessner peeling will help get rid of not only post-acne, but also small mimic wrinkles. Depending on the characteristics of your skin, the cosmetologist selects the appropriate peeling and carefully carries out the procedure, which does not cause any discomfort.

• Mesotherapy . This injection procedure gives good results and is used both to solve post-acne problems and to treat acne itself. In addition to solving these problems, mesotherapy helps to strengthen the skin’s immunity, narrow pores and even out complexion.

• Laser Peeling . The procedure activates the natural production of collagen and elastin in the skin, which makes the skin firmer and smoother. Laser peeling can be applied both on the entire face at the same time, and on its individual areas in order to solve the problem with single post-acne.

As you can see, in the arsenal of modern cosmetology there are many methods to remove acne marks, restoring a healthy appearance to the skin. In addition to the above methods, cosmetologists can recommend others that are suitable for your skin type and solve the problem you are facing.

If you suffer from post-acne or acne, be sure to contact a beautician and do not experiment with home remedies, as they can only aggravate the problem. Love yourself, and cosmetologists will help you preserve your youth and beauty for many years to come!

How to get rid of acne scars

Each human body is different, which is why some of us have perfect skin all our lives, while others suffer from rashes for many years. This unpleasant cosmetic defect has the peculiarity of transforming over time into the so-called post-acne. Post-acne is the atrophic consequences of acne in the form of congestive elements and scars that occur at the site of acne (on the cheeks, on the forehead, shoulders, back) due to the insufficient ability of the epidermis to self-regenerate and for a number of other reasons.

To better understand the nature of post-acne, let’s find out what kind of rashes lead to it.

Types of rashes on the face

Each of the types of rashes that will be discussed below is provoked by one or another factor, and, accordingly, in order to avoid the development of the disease, it is important to start treating the underlying cause in a timely manner.

Comedones are “sebaceous plugs” (open or closed) that clog a pore and can be a catalyst for serious inflammation. With proper skin care and timely, high-quality cleansing, comedones quickly disappear and do not pose a threat to the skin. If there is an infection, the comedone turns into a papule.

• Pustule – is a pustular formation that occurs in the focus of inflammation due to the active action of waste products of microorganisms. It has a white or greenish-white color, the size is from a grain to a pea.
• Papule – is a swelling, a cavityless nodule, rising above the skin, which is characterized by painful sensations during palpation. Papules can vary in color from red to bluish.
• Lightning pimple – is the most severe form of the disease, because, in addition to damage to the deep layers of tissue, it entails a change in the formula of leukocytes in the blood, an increase in body temperature, and is manifested by severe pain in the skin, muscle tissue and bones.
• Nodular cystic pimple (furuncle) – Another severe form of acne, which is a pimple surrounded by inflamed red-purple skin. These rashes are connected to each other by fistulous ducts. If the disease becomes chronic, then dark spots, scars, scars can form in their place. Possible complications include the formation of abscesses.

Causes of scarring after acne

Acne is prone to both owners of oily skin, and combination or even dry. Rashes have a different character. In general, acne is a local, chronic inflammatory process caused by a number of factors: hormonal disorders, infectious conditions, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and the endocrine system, as well as incorrect skin care.

When inflammation intensifies and spreads to the deeper layers of the skin, acne marks (acne scars) form in place of acne. Since the human body, during inflammation, begins to produce white blood cells faster than usual, as a result, post-acne occurs in the form of pigmentation, scars of various types, congestion.

Causes of scarring after acne are:

• Long-term, unresolved problems with the skin of the face.
• Incorrect selection of cosmetic and care products.
• Deep inflammatory process.
• Untimely acne treatment or treatment by a low profile doctor.
• Self extrusion of pimples.
• Injury to small capillaries.
• Attachment of infection.

Is it possible to get rid of acne scars at home?

When dealing with post-acne, it is important to understand that this pathological process also occurs in the deep layers of the dermis and entails serious changes in the skin. For this reason, self-treatment (without qualified medical care) can be fraught with beauty and health. Therapy for acne scars should be complex, which means stopping inflammation, improving blood circulation, deep skin hydration, and regeneration.

A wide range of home peels, serums, creams, pharmaceutical ointments can also be used in home treatment, but only after consultation with a specialist.

It is important not to self-medicate as there is a high risk of irreparable damage to the skin.

How to deal with acne scars in cosmetology

Is it possible to remove acne scars? Of course, modern medicine has several effective methods, each of which has proven effectiveness and is successfully used in our clinic.

• Peeling. Peeling is a chemical exfoliation of the upper, damaged skin layer due to the action of active acids. Peelings are distinguished by the depth of exposure (superficial, median, superficial-median and deep), as well as by the type of acid. Exfoliation reduces inflammation due to the bactericidal action of acids, eliminates keratinized, defective cells, removes stagnant elements, lightens pigmentation and starts the process of natural skin restoration at the level of the epidermis and dermis.

• Mesotherapy. This is an injection procedure that involves the subcutaneous administration of formulations of several medicinal substances or mono-preparations based on hyaluronic acid, vitamins, micro- and macroelements, peptides, collagen, etc. Mesotherapy with broad-spectrum preparations stimulates skin regeneration processes, due to which scar tissue is replaced by new healthy cells. It also has an antiviral antiseptic effect, as a result of which the bacteria that cause the disease die. Mesotherapy generally improves the quality and immunity of the skin, rejuvenates and nourishes it from the inside.
• Plasma therapy. It is also an injectable procedure that helps to solve the problem of congestive spots by injecting the patient’s own blood plasma, which is enriched with growth factors, subcutaneously. Growth factors stimulate skin cells to regenerate, increase skin immunity, strengthen the lipid barrier. The procedure reduces the appearance of post-acne scars.
• Laser resurfacing. This is the most effective treatment for acne scars. Due to the point evaporation of defective skin cells with laser energy, it becomes possible to remove the top layer of the skin and at the same time start the process of neocollagenesis in deeper layers. Thanks to this, the skin relief is leveled, post-acne traces disappear, pigmentation disappears, the skin becomes healthier, more elastic. Laser resurfacing can be carried out with varying degrees of intensity and depth, which allows you to remove even the oldest and deepest acne scars.

Which method is indicated in each specific case will be determined by the dermatologist at the Diamond Laser clinic based on the results of an in-person consultation. Also, these methods can be combined to achieve the best post-acne treatment result.

Is it possible to quickly get rid of acne scars?

Asking the question “how to get rid of acne scars?” It is important when the treatment was started. The sooner you resort to qualified dermatological care, the sooner and more pronounced the effect will be. The best time for therapy is considered to be up to six months from the moment of scar formation. Such a scar is “fresh”, the cells are less atrophied, respectively, the treatment will be more effective than with old post-acne scars.

In other words, treat acne scars on the face as soon as they are discovered. This will achieve the maximum effect, in which the skin of the face will be smooth and even without traces of pathology.

You can make an appointment with a dermatologist regarding the treatment of post-acne traces by calling the phone numbers listed in the “Contacts” section of our website!

The information published in the article is for informational purposes only, is not a call to action and should not be considered as expert advice.