Treatments to Remove Acne Scars
If your acne caused scarring on your face or other parts of the body, you may eventually decide that you want your skin returned to its former texture, or as close as feasible. Your scars are either the result of tissue formation or a loss in tissue that occurred when the tissue reacted to acne inflammation. Some scars fade over time, while others persist, particularly in the case of cystic or nodular acne. A number of treatments effectively remove acne scars, some more effectively than others.
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Types of Scars
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What kinds of scars might you look at after your acne resolves? There are keloids (also known as hypertrophic scars) that result when tissue builds up around an area that was formerly infected. But there far more types of scars that occur when the tissue is lost. These include "ice pick" scars, which present as deep or shallow scars that may have been made by a sharp object; large, firm areas called depressed fibrotic scars; soft sloping scars with rolled edges; atrophic macules that appear slightly wrinkled and bluish or red in hue; and follicular macular atrophy, which typically occurs on the chest or back and resemble small, raised lesions.
Dermabrasion & Microdermabrasion
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Dermabrasion is considered the most effective type of scar-removal treatment for most acne scars, with the exception of ice pick scars. A patient is given a local anesthetic, after which the scars are abraded with a rapidly-rotating wire brush. Dermabrasion can reduce superficial scarring entirely and can greatly reduce the depth of deeper scars. Microdermabrasion is a similar process, only aluminum oxide crystals directed at the surface of the skin. Many microdermabrasion sessions are required to see improved results, and most scars will remain present.
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Laser Treatment
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Laser therapy is a newer way to reduce acne scarring, as well as redness around lesions that have already healed. While milder pulsed laser treatments don't harm the epidermis, stronger lasers can actually remove scar tissue--many times, only a single session is enough to obtain optimal results. However, this type of laser therapy can cause redness in the treated area that can last up to months.
Injections
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Individual scars can be injected with collagen or fat from another part of the person's body (autologous fat transfer). While these can give good results, they are only temporary. Collagen injections last from three to six months, and autologous fat transfer last a little longer, from six to 18 months, after which the scar must be injected again.
Surgery
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To remove ice-pick scars, a surgical procedure called "punch excision" is used. This involves excising the scar down to the skin's subcutaneous fat and suturing the hole together or applying a skin graft.
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