Whether your acne scars are minor or severe, they can affect how others see you. For this reason, they often require treatment. The good news is that many treatments can make a difference in the appearance of the skin. The goal of any acne scarring treatment is to normalize the texture and appearance of the skin so that it looks less conspicuous.
A dermatologist can help you determine what type of acne scarring you have and recommend a treatment that best addresses it. Some home remedies can also be helpful, but only for superficial or minor scarring and in some cases may worsen the condition if used incorrectly.
The most common types of acne scars include icepick, rolling, boxcar and hypertrophic scars. Icepick scars are small indentations that look like pinpricks and develop when there’s a loss of tissue in the skin. Rolling scars have a wave-like appearance and are wider and shallower in depth than icepick scars. Boxcar scars have angular, well-defined edges and are deeper than rolling scars. Hypertrophic scars are raised bumps that occur when the skin produces too much collagen as it heals an inflammatory acne lesion.
Acne scars can be reduced by topical creams, dermabrasion and laser resurfacing. Your dermatologist can use a dermabrasion device or a tool that looks like a sewing machine to create superficial wounds in the skin. This helps the skin regenerate and reduces the appearance of scarring. Medications can also be injected into scars to soften or flatten them. acne scar treatment
