For most people, acne is a temporary condition. But it can leave behind traces of its presence for years after your last breakout. Acne scars are created when severe acne penetrates and damages tissues beneath the skin. Although scars can naturally fade over time, they won’t completely go away on their own without help from a doctor.
To effectively treat acne scars, it’s important for both you and your provider to correctly identify what type of scars you have. Typically, acne scars can manifest themselves in 2 ways:
A depressed scar may look like a small puncture or crater in your skin. These are caused by the body not making enough collagen as the wound heals and leaving behind an empty place.
A raised scar, on the other hand, occurs when the body creates too much collagen during the healing process. These types of scars are most common on the chest and back.
If you want to say goodbye to your acne scars, you have a few good options, and the right 1 will depend on the type of scars you have.
Dermabrasion is a form of “heavy duty” exfoliation that removes the outermost layers of skin, stimulating the dermis to heal itself and create more plentiful collagen. It’s a good option for shallow, depressed scars.
For deeper depressed scars, we like chemical peels. These treatments use chemical exfoliators to go deeper than physical ones, replenishing collagen exactly where it’s needed to reduce the appearance of these scars. Peels come in a variety of strengths and formulas, and our professionals carefully evaluate your skin to ensure we use the type of peel that’s most likely to give you the results you want.
Laser skin resurfacing here near Orlando, FL, is considered the “gold standard” by many for treating all kind of acne scars. It’s important to know that laser devices can be adjusted and calibrated based on the specific condition that’s being treated, so you’ll receive the treatment most effective for your situation. Laser skin resurfacing also boasts a relatively brief healing time. However, it’s not a good match for people who still regularly break out or for those with darker skin tones. That’s because the laser energy can permanently discolor dark skin and leave behind light spots.
Microneedling is a great option for depressed scars. This treatment, which is often used for overall skin improvement, uses very short, thin, sterile needles to make “micro-punctures” in the skin and stimulate its natural healing capabilities. It can reduce the depth of depressed scars by stimulating skin to produce more collagen, improving its condition and smoothness.
I hope this blog post gives you a better idea of the type of treatment that might be best for your acne scars. If you want to get started—or if you simply have more questions—reach out to us online to request your consultation.
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