Hair and Beauty Tips

As acne heals, the skin around the hair follicle gets hyper pigmented and turns red. This red area slowly darkness initially and then over about 6 months time fades and gets same as the skin color. These types of scars are usually formed during minor acne outbreaks. These scars are preferably treated with Retinol or some hydroxyl acid to aid in fast healing of the skin.

For acne scars that are deep like the ones formed by nodular or cystic acne, the treatment is very different from the above. Here treatment is decided upon the severity of the scar, condition of the skin and dermatologists recommendation. The suggestion of the dermatologist is very crucial in the treatment plan.

Chemical peels:

Chemical peel method involves applying chemical to kind of injure the skin. This will prompt the skin to develop new layer free of scars. Chemical peel is a suitable option for scars that are on the outer layer of the skin. This method is to be repeated a number of times to obtain suitable results. There should be enough time gaps between successive acne scar treatments to allow the skin in healing.

Dermabrasion and laser Resurfacing:

Light or shallow ice pick scars due to acne responds well to dermabrasion or laser resurfacing. Dermabrasion is a procedure in which skin in sanded or removed with an abrasive instrument. This method is used when there is no acne or acne infection on the face. There are two types of dermabrasion, deep and superficial. Deep method removes the epidermis and reaches the dermis. This method also takes much longer to heal, as the skin has to generate a whole new top layer.

Laser resurfacing is another kind of acne treatment used for bigger scars. In laser resurfacing, a high beam of light with CO₂ is used to burn off the top layer of skin. This layer is usually the layer which is most affected by the scars. Removing the top layer makes the body grow a new top layer, which is free from scars. This method though effective requires extreme care during the regeneration of top layer to avoid infection.

Surgical methods

Some scars are embedded deep into the skin. It is not possible to remove them via the above-mentioned methods. These scars are the deep ice pick, boxcar or rolling acne scars. There are many surgical treatments to treat these kinds of scars. A few them are discussed here in brief. Punch excision method uses a punch tool to take out the skin from within a deep scar and stitch it up to make the surface of the skin at a same level. Another treatment called subcutaneous incision is used to break fibrous tissue which cause rolling scars. This treatment after it is completed and the skin healed helps a vast improvement in the rippled skin.

Treatment of acne scares is different for different cases. Every treatment has its own positive and negative aspects. These should be weighed properly and discussed with the dermatologist before opting for any one treatment option.