Whether it sprung up during puberty or followed you into adulthood, living with acne is hard – especially on your skin. Even if they do everything to avoid it, many people with acne end up dealing with acne scarring, particularly for those who had constant moderate and severe acne for several years. Fortunately, the skin experts at Gold Skin Care Center in Nashville, TN know of a few ways to get rid of acne scars so you can start enjoying clear, even-toned, beautiful skin again.
How Can You Get Rid of Acne Scars?
The thing about acne scars is that they’re actually much harder to treat than many people might assume. A lot of acne scars happen over time or get worse over time from repeated break-outs when the skin doesn’t have enough time to heal between flare-ups – and so when it does heal, it ends up healing incorrectly. So, how can you get rid of acne scars if getting rid of these scars is such a challenge? There are actually a few things you can do, such as:
Laser and Light Treatments
Laser and light treatments may be some of the most effective means of treating moderate to severe acne scarring. Laser treatments in particular are powerful enough to break down old acne scar tissue and regenerate new collagen to smooth and refine the texture of your skin. Laser treatments like Lumenis, Alma Pixel, and Syneron Candela eMatrix are all good laser options for treating moderate and severe acne scars.
For mild acne scarring, including shallow scars and pigmentation concerns, radiofrequency treatments and other light-based systems are good options. Radiofrequency is diverse enough to resurface the top layers of skin to reveal the unblemished skin underneath and stimulate the collagen production necessary to correct textural issues caused by scarring.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels are suitable for treating all levels of acne scarring. Chemical peels can be customized to your skin type and tone to resurface your skin and reduce visible scarring, including textural acne scars. For mild or shallow acne scars, repeated light chemical peels will improve the appearance of the skin, while moderate and severe scarring can be resolved with medium peels.
Microneedling
Microneedling is another popular way to resolve acne scars, although this treatment is generally more helpful for mild acne scarring. Microneedling is an ideal choice for both pigment-related scars and shallow acne scars, as well as enlarged pores. Over time, microneedling treatments can permanently improve the appearance of some textural scars.
Is There Anything You Can Do To Prevent Acne Scars?
Of course, even if you can treat acne scars, the best treatment for acne scarring is to prevent scarring in the first place – and for that, you need to be able to control acne breakouts. Truth be told, there are a lot of treatment options for your to choose from to manage your acne to prevent acne scars, including treating your skin right by routinely washing, moisturizing, and not picking or squeezing active acne.
If you have been struggling with acne for a long time, then the chances are high that you’ve tried every over-the-counter remedy available, and probably a few homeopathic or at-home treatments, too. But the fact of the matter is that controlling acne breakouts is something that requires time, patience, and experimentation to find the treatment that works for your skin. However, while everyone has a different combination that works best, some of the most successful treatments include:
Photodynamic Treatments
Light-based treatments are ideal for controlling acne breakouts at the source because photodynamic treatments like BLU-U can kill the acne-causing bacteria in your skin. Photodynamic treatments are regular treatments that can be used to regulate the production of your oil glands, eliminate bacteria on the skin surface, and also even out your skin tone. For some people, light-based treatments are ideal for controlling acne on the face and body.
Exfoliating Treatments
Exfoliating treatments are also good options for controlling acne breakouts. Most acne is caused by bacteria being trapped under dead skin cells, so treatments that exfoliate the skin can go a long way in reducing the amount of acne you have. For example, microdermabrasion is an exfoliating treatment that removes the top layer of dead skin cells so that skincare products can be more effective.
Other exfoliating treatments take results a step further by also eliminating acne-causing bacteria. Light chemical peels are the best example of this since the peel both exfoliates the skin and uses acids that are strong enough to kill bacteria on the skin surface. However, facial treatments like a Hydrafacial can also be exfoliating and deep-cleansing enough to control mild acne.
Topical Treatments
Naturally, some of the most effective treatments for controlling acne are topical treatments. Finding the right combination of topical products can help control your oil production, exfoliate your skin, and kill acne-causing bacteria. Common topical treatments include products that contain lactic acid, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid for exfoliating the skin and benzoyl peroxide for controlling acne bacteria.
The strength and time of use for each of these products are important. If you aren’t sure how to combine topical treatments with other preventative treatments, please let one of our skin experts know.
What Causes Acne Scars?
Acne scars have a few causes. For example, some dermatologists believe that there is a genetic component in developing acne scars that have to be considered; you are more likely to have acne and scar from acne if one or both of your parents did. Acne scars can be caused by sensitive skin or skin that is easily prone to scarring, and different types of scars may be more common for some complexions than others.
But as for the science of how those scars are formed, it all has to do with inflammation. In general, the bacteria in acne causes inflammation of the skin, and when this inflammation is great enough it puts pressure on infected pores, which often leads to the wall of the pore breaking. Once this happens, your body’s natural healing properties kick in and try to heal the broken pore while the pore is still inflamed, which causes the new tissue to heal unevenly.
What Are the Different Types of Acne Scars?
Acne scars come in all different shapes, sizes, and types. In fact, there are several different classifications of acne scars and there’s a good chance you have at least one or two different types of scars on your skin. It’s important to know the type of scar you have so you can make a better decision on how to treat them. Some different acne scars include:
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is probably the most common type of acne scar there is. Unlike other types of scars, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation does not have a texture; this type of scar does, however, change the pigment in your skin on areas where acne has been. Usually, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation will appear to be a pink, red, or brown patch of skin that may or may not go away by itself. Sometimes, this type of scar can linger for several weeks and several months if left untreated.
Keloid Scars
Keloid and hypertrophic scars are a type of textural scar that creates a bump of scar tissue on an area of skin that was once affected by acne. Keloid scars are usually about the same size, or slightly bigger, than the original acne there. Keloids are caused by skin tissue growing over inflammation prematurely and are generally permanent.
Boxcar Scars
Boxcar scars are a type of atrophic scar, which means that this is a scar that causes a depression on the surface of the skin. Boxcar scars are usually wide, shallow, and often square-ish in appearance. Boxcar scars are often caused by repeated and widespread acne breakouts, particularly on the cheeks, jawline, and chin.
Rolling Scars
Rolling scars are another type of atrophic scar that is characterized by sloping, shallow edges that give the skin a wavy appearance. Rolling scars are also caused by repeated acne breakouts and are most commonly found on the cheeks. They are, however, more subtle than boxcar scars and generally have a longer appearance.
Icepick Scars
Icepick scars are the final type of atrophic scar. Although icepick scars are the smallest type of atrophic scar, they are also very deep and difficult to treat. Icepick scars are narrow indents in the pores that appear as if an icepick has made an impression on your skin; sometimes, these scars are as small as the head of a pin, but because they tend to be deep, they can not always be treated in the same way as other atrophic scars.
How Soon Can You See Results From Acne Scar Treatments?
When you’re treating acne scarring, it’s important to stay patient. Proper treatment of acne scarring means that you are breaking down uneven scar tissue and building up new skin tissue to even out your skin texture. For some treatments, you may not see treatments for four to six weeks, while other treatments may take longer than eight to twelve weeks to produce results.
Which Acne Scar Treatment Is Right for You?
The type of acne scar treatment that is appropriate for your skin truly depends on the type of acne scar you are trying to treat. For best results, ideal candidates for acne scar treatments should not have active acne or should be managing their acne to prevent future breakouts. Some acne scar treatments may not be appropriate for your skin tone and type due to the increased risk of pigmentation side effects. A consultation will determine the treatment most appropriate for you.
Get Rid of Acne Scars Today
If you want to get rid of acne scars, then you need to find a treatment that works for your skin type and your scarring concerns. If you’re ready to restore the even tone and texture to your skin, contact Gold Skin Care Center in Nashville, TN to schedule your consultation appointment today.
