Acne Scar

Acne Scar Cure

If you have suffered from acne scar or pimples, you probably have some scarring, or at the very least, some marks and discoloration. Getting rid of current and future acne is only half of the acne problem as you are now left with the remnants of your past acne. You likely have one or more of the following: macules (soft, flat scars that often have a bluish or violet color), post inflammatory pigmentation (discoloration of the skin), keloids (bump like raised scars), ice pick scars (narrow, sharp scars, the skin looks as if it were stabbed with an ice pick), depressed fibrotic scars (scars that look like big ice pick scars), boxcar scars (round pits that look like chicken pox scars-usually found on the temple and cheeks), and rolling scars (scars that give the skin a wave-like appearance).

There are the several types of dermatogical acne scar removal:

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion involves the mechanical removal of the top layers of the skin to improve its texture. A mechanical tool removes the skin. The result is that a new, smoother layer of skin form. After the acne scar treatment and acne skin care, skin will be red and swollen. Several days after the therapy, the swelling, redness and pain begin to subside and the outer most skin layer falls off. It will take time for the skin to heal though(approximately 10 days to 3 weeks) after a dermabrasion treatment for acne scars. However, dermabrasion is not recommended for dark skinned people. Asian or dark-skinned people may develop permanent discoloration.

Acne Scar

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is not as effective as dermabrasion because this skin resurfacing method only removes the outer top skin layers. It is similar to dermabrasion in that it uses a mechanical tool to "sand" the skin. It uses aluminum or magnesium oxide crystals over the skin. However, it is not as aggressive as dermabrasion because only a very thin layer of skin is removed. If you have deep acne scars, such as ice pick scars, this procedure would not make an improvement. However, if your acne scars are not deep, you may be pleased with the results. Another benefit of microdermabrasion over dermabrasion though is that redness normally subsides within only one hour after treatment. Microdermabrasion is also good for getting rid of discoloration and acne marks. Like dermabrasion, dark skin types should avoid microdermabrasion as it may result in discoloration.

You can now perform microdermabrasion to yourself at home. There are several microdermabrasion kits that you can get at your local drugstore or stores like Walmart or Target. A few of the microdermabrasion kits are L'Oreal Derma-Expertise ReFinish Micro-Dermabrasion Kit, Oil of Olay's Regenerist Dermabrasion home facial with lactic acid,  and RoC Renewex MicroDermabrasion Expert System.

Laser skin resurfacing

There are 2 major categories of acne scar laser used in acne scar therapy. They are the ablative and the non-ablative lasers. Ablative laser resurfacing removes the outer layers of the skin as the scar tissue is burned away and the dermal collagen is stimulated. This results then in the dermal collagen tightening and reducing the amount of scar visibility. There is usually skin redness for several months following an ablative laser therapy.

Non-ablative laser resurfacing or "Photorejuvenation" does not injure the outer layers of the skin, so unlike ablative laser treatments, the skin does not remain red for months following the procedure. Smoothbeam is the newest FDA approved laser for non-ablative resurfacing. The laser heats the sebaceous gland which stimulates collagen and like the ablative laser treatment, the result is that the dermal collagen tightens and the amount of scar visibility is reduced.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels involves literally peeling away the top layer of skin with the use of a chemical application thus the underlying skin is allowed to regenerate. Chemical peels are divided into three types: superficial, medium-depth, and deep peel.

Superficial or "light" is the mildest of the chemical peels. It includes glycolic, lactic, and fruit acid peels (AHA) or Salicylic Acid (BHA). This peel is good for superficial acne scars that are not deep. Superficial peeling usually involves scaling and redness that ends within three to seven days.

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is the main peeling agent used for medium peeling. Although, medium-depth and deep chemical peels are more aggressive, they also produce injury within the dermis and result in significant swelling over a period of 7 to 14 days.

Deep peels are produced using carbolic acid or phenol. Although deep peels are longer lasting to remove acne scar, it may take several months for skin to recover from a deep peel.

Acne Scar Laser