How to Get Rid of Acne Scars

Acne, a common skin disorder that people spend millions of dollars trying to heal, generally affects 80% of our youth and 5% of our adult population. Scarring is the unfortunate result of some cases of acne. For those who suffer with acne scarring, the effects can be more traumatic than the initial acne. Billions of dollars have been spent researching acne, acne scarring, and scar solutions.

Scars are indications that the body has repaired itself in one way or another, either due to injury or infection. Once these events occur, white blood cells from the body accumulate at the site to fight further infection and repair the damage that has taken place. Once that process is complete, scars often form. This process can be compared to a seam being sewn into a piece of torn fabric. The skin (or seam) will never be quite as smooth as it was before the damage.

There are different types of acne scars and different degrees of each type. Some people may develop worse scars than others, depending on their individual tendencies.

There are two different types of scars caused by acne. The first type, depressed scarring, is caused by tissue loss and the second type, keloids, is caused by tissue formation:

 1. Depressed Scarring

This type of scar is caused by the dermis being attacked by toxins escaping the skin. Once a cyst ruptures, it expels pus, oil, bacteria, and other poisons into the surrounding areas. White blood cells rush to the site of infection to repair the skin and, in the process, valuable collagen is lost, causing skin recesses or depressions. The skin above the injury will then develop scars most commonly called ice pick scars . Other scar types are soft, mascular, and fibrotic like rolling scars , or boxcar scars .

 2. Keloid Scarring

This type of scarring results from fibroblasts being triggered by the body during the repair process. Once collagen starts decreasing, the fibroblasts produce excessive collagen, resulting in tissues called keloids . They usually form on the male body and are sometimes called hypertrophic scars .

Ice Pick Scars are scars that look like you skin was pierced by a needle or pin. The scar resembles a hole and the larger ones look like open pores. Ice Pick Scars are deep and narrow and usually extend to the dermis. These scars are left behind by cystic acne and deep blemishes.

Boxcar Scars are wider than the Ice Pick scars. They appear as round or oval in the skin with steep vertical sides. They form small pits and are commonly called pox marks. This is because they resemble the scars left behind from chicken pox. This type of scar is a result of lost tissue in inflammatory breakouts.

Rolling Scars resemble a wave in the skin but smooth on the surface. This is a result of fibrous tissue bands that develop between the skin. The bands pull on the epidermis and bind it to the deeper skin structures.

Hypertrophic or Keloid Scars are firm raised tissue masses. These scars are larger than the original wounds. These type of scars are not due to loss of tissue but because of the over production of collagen. Keloid scars are best treated with the help of steroid injections, tapes, or creams. All of these help shrink and flatten this type of scar.

As you can see, not all acne scarring is the same. Different treatments, or a combination of treatments may be more suitable for particular individuals over others. The top 3 Acne Scar Treatments are Microneedling, Laser Genesis and Chemical Peels.

Microneedling is a treatment that can help resurface acne scarring by creating micro-channels in the skin to help break up scar tissue and signals the body to rebuild new collagen.Microneedling utilizes your skin's natural healing process to increase collagen and elastin production, thus minimizing the appearance of scarring and uneven texture.

Microneedling, also known as collagen Induction therapy, uses a pen with a tip that is covered with 12 ultra-fine needles that is used on the targeted areas to create small channels in the skin.As the device glides along the skin, these needles penetrate the upper layers of skin, producing thousands of tiny micron channels. The creation of these tiny channels encourages the dermis to produce new collagen and elastin, which generates new skin cells. The result is skin that is thicker, plumper, smoother and more youthful.

Laser Genesis is a YAG laser treatment that delivers pulses of energy to gently heat the dermis, well below the skin's surface, stimulates collagen regrowth to smooth skin texture, and minimize the appearance of scarring.

The Laser Genesis procedure utilizes non-invasive laser technology to safely, painlessly and effectively treat acne and acne scarring, as well as calms inflammation and breakouts from stubborn acne, reduces pore size, shrinks sebaceous glands, heals the skin and smooths skin texture. The treatment activates collagen and elastin production to rebuild the skin's surface and provides an overall glow to the skin.

Chemical peels can refine and improve skin texture, and help correct hyperpigmentation.Chemical peels are the application of specific chemicals, acids or enzymes to exfoliate the dead layers of the skin. The dead, outer layers of skin slough off to reveal healthier, brighter, more even-toned skin.

Acne can leave behind post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which are those pesky dark spots that linger way after blemishes have healed that. Sometimes these dark spots can look worse than the initial acne! Chemical peels can help lift dark spots and even out your skin tone.

Getting rid of acne scars is a process, it takes time and patience. Do not be discouraged by how many treatments you may need, or how long it takes. The treatments listed above help your skin rebuild itself over a series of treatments, and how many treatments needed will depend on the severity of the acne scarring. We offer customizable packages for maximum results and maximum cost-effectiveness.

At MaxAesthetics, we find a combination of microneedling, Laser Genesis and chemical peels provides the most dramatic results. If you suffer from Acne or Acne Scarring, call MaxAesthetics at 267-528-3859 or email us at maxaesthetics@maxaesthetics.com for a free consultation, and a treatment plan recommendation. You can have beautiful, clear skin. You deserve it.