Everyone who has suffered or still suffers from acne knows that it is very difficult to remove acne scars. There are effective treatments available, however, and one should do a little research to learn more about acne, its causes and treatment.

Treat Acne First Before Treating Scars

Before removing acne scars, acne itself must be treated and placed under control. Contrary to what many believe, acne is not limited to teenagers any more. It is a skin condition also found in adults, especially women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s. Acne manifests itself as pimples in its mild form. More severe cases are pus-filled pimples or cysts as a result of clogged skin pores by skin oil and dead skin cells as well as inflammation. Inflammation reaches deep and creates an acne cyst which is the most severe form of acne.

Over-the-counter Products Treat Mostly Mild Acne Scars

Mild acne can be treated with many products on the market today without a prescription and careful consistent cleaning of the skin. Severe forms of acne leave scars even when the cysts have healed. Multiple sessions and treatments may be required to remove acne scars. Once acne is under control so that additional scars are not formed, treatment can begin.

Many products can help improve appearance but may not remove acne scars. These are creams and gels available on the market today. They usually reduce scars that are not very deep, flatten raised scars and improve discolored skin. Mild scars can be treated with products containing glycolic acid, retinol and Vitamin C. These products help to produce collagen to improve the skin’s appearance. A skin lightening cream may be used to remove skin discoloration after the acne has been cleared. Silicone bandages may help flatten raised scars.

Overview of Acne Scar Treatments

Additional treatments that help remove acne scars are chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and laser skin resurfacing. These are mostly recommended for mild scarring. A dermatologist can recommend the best treatment for you as acne scars vary. Although there are chemical peel and microdermabrasion products that you can use at home, these products may not be as powerful as those that dermatologists use. In addition, under the care of a doctor, you can prevent possible allergic or skin reactions as a result of certain products. You do not want to make your acne scars worse and since this is a very personal issue with impact on physical appearance and self-esteem, it is best not to experiment.

Chemical peels are procedures of cosmetic surgery. They help remove acne scars that are not severe. They can also help treat other skin conditions such as facial wrinkles that are very fine, skin discoloration and oily, red, scaly skin. There are different types of chemical peels: superficial and medium-depth. Both peels remove old skin using an acidic solution. New healthy skin forms several weeks later.

Another way to remove acne scars is to have dermabrasion. This treatment is recommended for severe scarring. The top layer of skin is removed with a rapidly rotating wire brush or spinning diamond instrument. This is very effective for surface scars. Deeper scars are not as noticeable after treatment. The skin heals in 10 days to 3 weeks.

Microdermabrasion is a newer type of treatment to remove acne scars where a device blows crystals onto the skin. A vacuum tube removes the crystals and surface skin cells. This procedure is milder than dermabrasion and less painful but is not as effective and requires many sessions.

Laser, light source and radio-frequency treatments are also used to remove acne scars. The outer skin layer is destroyed with a laser beam and new skin forms as the wound heals. This procedure is also called laser resurfacing. It requires mild anesthesia and lasts less than an hour. The skin heals after 3-10 days. Other less intense lasers, pulsed light sources and radio-frequency devices such as fractional laser therapy do not injure the skin but only heat the skin and initiate the formation of new skin. As a result, healing takes a much shorter time.

Another procedure is to use soft tissue fillers to remove acne scars. Collagen or fat is injected under the skin and into scars to fill out or stretch the skin. Scars become less obvious. This treatment offers temporary results and needs to be repeated periodically.

Lastly, perhaps the most invasive way to remove acne scars is to have skin surgery. Individual acne scars are cut and stitches or skin grafts repair the cut skin location. This procedure will need some recovery time as well.

Conclusion

There are multiple ways to remove acne scars. Depending on the severity of your scars and their location, certain treatments may be better for your situation. It is best to talk to a dermatologist especially if your acne scars are severe. It is important to also keep in mind that health insurance plans may not cover the cost of procedures that remove acne scars as they are considered cosmetic procedures.