You’re looking at acne scars – the frustrating reminders of acne that once plagued your skin. You’ve done all there is that you can think of to get rid of acne, but it’s still there in all its glory. Acne is stubborn and difficult to remove, so what do you do when acne doesn’t go away?
Well, many people have sought professional aid to get rid of their acne and acne scars completely. If you consider yourself one of the many people who are curious about these acne scar removal treatments, visit Sozo Aesthetics and consult with one of Singapore’s top dermatologists!
This article will discuss acne scar removal treatments, medical treatments, and home remedies for pesky pimples and scars!
What is Acne Scarring?
Acne scars are skin imperfections that result from acne. When pimples develop, the acne lesion does not always heal completely and leaves an acne scar. Acne scars can be dark or light patches on your face (or body), indentations in your skin where acne lesions used to be, or an increased roughness of the surface of your skin due to an uneven healing response.
A lot of people (teenagers and adults) have acne. It is important to know how acne scars can be treated, so you do not avoid visiting a doctor for fear of being judged by their appearance. Remember that acne scar removal treatments are all about restoring your confidence and self-esteem with little or no downtime!
What Causes Acne to Scar?
Acne scars are the result of your acne lesions not healing properly. If you have acne, there is a high chance that you will also experience acne scarring. However, acne scars can be caused by many different factors, and in some cases, acne may not leave any noticeable mark on your skin at all.
Here’s what causes acne scars:
Acne lesions not healing properly
The first acne scars are acne lesions that have not healed properly. Any acne lesion can cause a scar, but the most common acne scars are those caused by inflammatory acne – papules and pustules – which go through stages of healing (redness, swelling, tenderness).
If you leave your acne untreated for too long, it is possible to develop an acne cyst as well as keloid or hypertrophic scars. Acne cysts also take time to heal and need proper treatment in order to prevent scarring. The longer the acne condition remains active without interruption from antibiotics or natural remedies like tea tree oil, benzoyl peroxide cream, salicylic acid, and other over-the-counter treatments, the more likely it will scar.
Acne lesions caused by different factors (picking)
If you are fond of picking your acne or pimple, you are also at risk of developing acne scars. Picking acne lesions is not safe and only leaves your skin in a worse condition than it was before the picking started.
Inflammation and infection
Inflammation from acne triggers or even allergic reactions is all responsible for causing acne scars. However, it is important to know the difference between an actual allergy and an intolerance. An allergy occurs when you have histamine-releasing cells in your body, which release large amounts of histamines whenever they detect allergens (for example, pollen).
But people with sensitive skin do not necessarily have allergies; rather, their immune system has become overworked because it tries too hard to protect the skin against different irritants like harsh soaps, chemicals found in makeup products, and acne medications. The immune system reacts to these irritants by overproducing cells, which leads to acne-related inflammation.
Treatments for Acne Scars
Acne scars can be treated in many ways. Depending on the acne scar type and severity, acne scars can be removed with medical treatments such as:
Chemical Peels
A chemical peel is a medical treatment in which an acid solution (glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids) is applied to the acne-scarred area on your face or body. The application of these chemicals helps remove dead skin cells from the acne scars; it also stimulates collagen production and skin cell turnover resulting in improved appearance of acne scars.
Laser Treatments
This procedure uses a laser to remove acne lesions from your skin’s surface so new layers can grow back over them more evenly than before. Laser treatment also reduces redness associated with inflammatory acne lesions that have healed already but left some residual brown spots behind (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation).
However, it is an important factor to remember that this process does not treat the acne itself; rather treats the post-acne marks, which will fade away after several acne scar treatments.
Surgical Procedures
A surgical acne scar treatment is used to remove acne lesions completely. It can also be ideal in treating acne scars that are too deep to respond well to laser treatments and chemical peels.
Home Remedies to Prevent Acne from Scarring
There are tons of remedies you can use at home to prevent your pimple or acne from leaving marks and scars:
- Tea Tree Oil – Tea tree oil, or melaleuca oil contains antimicrobial properties which help reduce inflammation from acne lesions; this makes it effective against inflammatory acne (papules and pustules).
- Benzoyl peroxide method – is an antibacterial agent that helps kill acne-causing bacteria (propionibacteria acnes) within pores. It also removes dead cells stuck on top of pimples open wounds without irritating sensitive skin tissues.
- Salicylic Acid – Although acne scars cannot be removed entirely by salicylic acid, it is helpful in removing dead cells from acne lesions and keeping pores clean, so they do not get clogged.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This natural acne scar treatment helps reduce acne lesions as well as fade post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation caused by deep acne scars.
- Lemon Juice – Lemon juice contains citric acid, which kills bacteria found on the skin’s surface to prevent them from triggering acne breakouts. It also reduces inflammation and fades away dark spots (post-acne pigmentation) left behind after an acne lesion heals completely.
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