How to Remove a Pit Scar
Whether your acne is temporary or chronic, it can leave you with unsightly pit scars. Unfortunately, pit scars are permanent, but they can be treated to practically render them invisible. The type of treatment you choose together with your doctor will take into consideration your overall health and medical history, your age, the types and severity of your scars and how well you deal with certain medications, procedures or therapies (see References 1). Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Motorized brush
- Diamond cylinder
- Anesthesia
- Silicone carbide sandpaper
- Punch
- Skin graft
- Trichloroacetic acid (TCA),
- Salicylic acid
- Jessner's solution
- Phenol
- Oil-free makeup
Instructions
-
Instructions
-
1
Try laser resurfacing. In this process, programmed lasers remove all of the epidermis (outer layer) and the superficial part of the dermis (inner layer) of your skin, making the scars less visible. Once the procedure is done, collagen continues to rebuild under the skin, causing its appearance to improve for months afterward.
-
2
Consider deep dermabrasion (see Reference 2). This treatment involves using abrasive instruments to remove, like with laser resurfacing, the epidermis and part of the dermis of the skin. There are two forms of deep dermabrasion. Motorized deep dermabrasion uses a motorized brush or diamond cylinder to remove the layers of the skin. Local anesthesia is also used during the process. Manual dermabrasion (referred to as dermasanding) involves rubbing the skin with silicone carbide sandpaper.
-
-
3
Look into punch excision and possibly grafting if your pit scars are extremely deep. This procedure completely removes the scar with the use of a punch, a small device that functions like a cookie-cutter, on your skin. The punch cuts out the scar and the edges of the wound are then sewn together. You will still have a scar after this procedure, but it will be tiny in comparison to the previous scar and can be treated later to blend in with the rest of the skin. If your scars are large enough, they can be removed with the punch and then filled with a skin graft that is often taken from behind your ear. Dermabrasion can then be used to blend the graft's contours in with the rest of the skin.
-
4
Get derma filler injections into the scar. These can be done in just a few minutes and there is little or no recovery time necessary. However, the results of this procedure are not permanent and the injections will have to be repeated regularly. The frequency of how often you must get derma fillers depends on the filler material and the condition of your skin.
-
5
Undergo chemical resurfacing (chemical peels). (See reference 3) This treatment actually injures your skin with a carefully tested mix that may include one or more of the following chemicals trichloroacetic acid (TCA), salicylic acid, "Jessner's" solution (containing salicylic, lactic, and resorcinol acids) and phenol. The skin reacts to the injury by creating new, less-scarred looking skin.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Once the the treated areas have healed after laser resurfacing, it is recommended to use oil free makeup to hide the red color that typically appears after the procedure. The redness can last up to six months.
All the above procedures must be discussed first with your doctor.
It may take up to six months for the desired results of laser resurfacing to appear. The effects of laser resurfacing are long-term but not permanent. When and if the treatment needs to be repeated depends on how well you take care of your skin.
After laser resurfacing, the treated areas heal in 10-21 days.
Rare complications of laser resurfacing and dermabrasion include infection, prolonged healing, darkening of the skin, and scarring.
Do not choose dermabrasion treatment if you have existing acne, infections or other skin conditions. The healing time of this treatment can take up to several weeks.
