Acne can be the most stubborn scar on your face and other areas. For some, these scars work like a painful reminder of a bothersome condition, and for others, they sometimes go away. But in most cases, these acne scars can leave you shocked, affect your inner confidence, and make you uncomfortable at public gatherings.
However, the good news is that you can get rid of these acne scars and regain your confidence to clear your skin with the help of home remedies and medical treatments. Here, we will discuss in detail, how you can treat acne scars and their types. To draft this blog we have taken deep insights from Dr. Anika Goel, the founder of Soul Derma Clinic and the top-notch skin specialist for Acne Scar Treatment in South Delhi, So, let’s start by shedding light on acne scars.
Acne Scars: Get An Overview
When a deep pimple or other acne breakout clears, there is a slight chance that a scar can develop. Acne scars refer to the marks that form after acne has cleared. However, not every acne breakout causes a scar.
If you are thinking, are acne scars permanent? While acne scars can fade, there is only a minor chance they completely go on their own. Hence, consulting with a dermatologist can help you get rid of the acne scars. Dermatologists can aid people in getting a smoother and clearer skin tone while removing these acne scars.
The treatment, or any home remedies to get rid of these acne scars, depends highly on the scar type, your skin type, and the severity of the skin. Read on to know more in-depth.
Types of Acne Scars: Treatment And Home Remedies
- Atrophic Scars
Atrophic scars appear to be flat, shallow depressions that heal below the skin’s top layer. These scars are usually caused by severe cystic acne. However, there is a possibility that these types of scars can also result from other types of acne.
The atrophic acne scar appearance can significantly vary depending on a person’s history with acne. There are three types of atrophic scars, and they are:
- Boxcar Scars: These scars are broad, giving box-like depressions with sharply defined edges. These boxcar scars are usually caused by widespread acne, chicken pox, or varicella (a virus causing red and itchy rashes with blisters). These scars often develop on the jaw and lower cheeks, where skin tends to be thicker.
- Ice Pick Scars: Ice pick scars appear smaller, with more narrow indentations that point down into the skin’s surface. These scars are found to be common on the cheeks. These scars can be very tough to treat and usually require persistent and aggressive treatment.
- Rolling Scars: Rolling scars give an impression of a varying depth with sloping edges that make your skin wavy and uneven.
Treatment For Atrophic Scars
Home Remedies
At first instance, you can treat atrophic acne scars at home with topical over-the-counter (OTC) retinoids, like Differin. The OTC retinoids promote collagen formation and even out pigment.
Though looking at various advertisements, you might be more tempted to use an at-home chemical peel, dermatologists usually won’t recommend this. It is because there is an increased chance to cause you more damage. It is always best to consult your doctor on what to do with your skin before looking for home remedies.
Medical Treatments
- Chemical Peels: Salicylic or glycolic acid chemical peels remove the skin’s outer layer. This treatment is not ideal for deep scarring.
- Dermal Fillers: This treatment involves injecting a substance called hyaluronic acid or hydroxylapatite to enhance the appearance.
- Dermabrasion: A tool to “sand down” the skin’s top layer is used, eventually making a boxcar even more shallow. This treatment requires multiple visits to your dermatologist. So, it’s best to take follow-ups every time.
- Laser Therapy: In ablative laser therapy, high-energy light removes the outer layers of skin and stimulates collagen production in the inner layers of the skin. This therapy uses heat to spark collagen production in the skin’s inner layers.
- Microneedling: In this, tiny injuries with needles across the scars are created to form pockets of healing with collagen production to reduce the scar’s depth.
- Punch Excision: This treatment involves cutting a scar out of your skin to pull the skin together and stitching it up.
- Punch Grafting: This treatment involves removing the scar from your skin and replacing it with the skin taken from another body part.
Hypertrophic and Keloid Scars
Hypertrophic and keloid scars form as raised lumps of scar tissue where the acne was before. It occurs when the scar tissue builds, sometimes from old acne spots.
