Acne Scar Treatment

Acne scars

Acne scarring can be worse and more embarrassing than acne itself affecting ones’ social life for years to come. If acne scars bother you, safe and effective treatment is available. Treatment can diminish acne scars that cause depressions and discolorations in the skin. Treatments include lasers, minor skin surgeries, chemical peels, microneedling and fillers. As we age, acne scars often become more obvious, and our skin loses collagen. Before treating acne scars, it is very important to clear your acne first. New acne breakouts can lead to new acne scars.

What causes acne scarring?

Scarring is part of the normal healing process after an injury or wound. When a pore becomes clogged with dead skin cells and excess oil, and overrun with bacteria, it causes inflammation and results in acne. Inflammation disrupts the lining of the pore, and allows the bacteria to escape into the surrounding healthy tissue, causing significant inflammation and tissue destruction. Damage to the epidermis, the top layer of skin, can result in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and shallow scars. When the damage penetrates more deeply to the dermis, the deeper skin layer that contains collagen and elastin, hair follicles and sweat glands, the resulting scars can be much deeper and more obvious. The more severe the inflammation, the more severe the scar. Acne scars come in different types based on the conditions that caused the scar.

What are the types of acne scars?

Acne scars come in many colors, forms, shapes and sizes. Discoloration of the scar may appear as pink, red, purple or brown spots. And acne scars also have different architectures. Atrophic scars sit below the rest of the skin, and result from too little collagen deposition during healing.

Atrophic scars include: narrow, V-shaped ice pick scars that go deep into the skin; U shaped boxcar scars have sharp edges and are punched out in the middle; and rolling scars, which are wide depressions with irregular borders.

Then there are hypertrophic scars that sit above the surrounding skin and result from too much collagen deposition during healing.

Treatment of acne scars is a process that requires patience and drive, but medical dermatologist, Dr. Jenna Queller, is the best at listening to your concerns and creating a treatment protocol specifically for you.

What is the first step in treating acne scars?

Before addressing acne scars, the first step is to make sure that your acne is under control. This may require prescription medications, diet modifications, and stress reduction. An effective set of medications and/or treatments will help clear your skin, prevent new breakouts, and lessen the risk of additional scarring. This will help you will feel in control and better about yourself.

Once your acne is under good control, depending on the type of acne scarring you have, we will help devise a specific treatment plan to address either your discolorations and/or texture problems.

What are the acne scarring treatment options?

There are many treatment options for acne scaring, including the use of lasers, microneedling with and without radiofrequency, chemical peels, dermal fillers, and subcision. For optimal results we typically recommend a combination of treatments and procedures.

Treating acne scars takes patience, and often requires a series of treatments over time. Reduced scarring enhances your self-esteem and confidence. Call us today to schedule a consultation with our board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Jenna Queller, and learn how she can help you reduce your acne scars and feel better about yourself.