15 Treatments That Help Fade Even the Most Stubborn Acne Scars

Long after you have gotten rid of frustrating and embarrassing pimples, it is not uncommon for you to be left with an inconvenient reminder in the form of an acne scar. Scars form when the underlying dermis is extensively damaged to the extent that  the skin underproduces or overproduces collagen in an attempt to fix it. While acne scars may not be as physically debilitating as the initial breakout itself, there’s no denying that one’s confidence and self-esteem takes a hit when these stubborn bad boys refuse to go away.

Luckily, however, acne scar removal has come a long since the days when we never had a choice but to wait it out hoping and praying that the marks disappear by themselves. Here is a run down on the best scar remover options that are likely to fade even the most resilient of scars.

1. Dermabrasion and Lymphatic Drainage

It describes the process by which a coarse material is employed to scrape off the exterior of the scar tissue right down to the underlying dermis. This treatment procedure is used to correct a number of skin pigmentation problems which range from severe scarring to mild blemishes. However, just like acne spot treatment, it’s a localized procedure that is essentially recommended only to those fair or lighter skin tones. Besides, it’s important to make sure that the scar tissue in question has completely healed before attempting the treatment.

2. Skin Care for Men by Laser Resurfacing and Therapy

Laser therapy employs a series of procedures that are aimed at targeting the scar tissue ( which is usually the most visible ) using a beam of light propagated at a particular energy level. This focused energy has been shown to stimulate the scar tissue and, fundamentally, triggers it to self-repair itself. Over time and after several repeated procedures, the scar pigment will start to fade off progressively till it eventually resembles the surrounding skin. At best, laser resurfacing will completely fade off any acne scars. Worst case scenario, the relatively expensive treatment option will significantly improve the scar’s appearance. Similar to this are plasma pens which use plasma to stimulate skins cells to help remove scars. You can read the reviews of plasma pens to see how effective they can be.

3. Men’s Skin Care Using Dermarolling and Microneedling

This is an increasingly popular method of acne scar removal in NYC (as well as elsewhere nationwide!), the procedure typically employs the use of a rolling device that is normally attached to a number of small needles that can be carefully run across the face, consequently penetrating the underlying stubborn scar tissue. The working principle behind dermarolling is essentially similar to that of laser skin therapy described above. The use of the tiny pin-like pricks from the microneedling tool are basically meant to stimulate the area under treatment to produce a little more collagen than usual to compensate for the deficiency in depressed scars. After several procedures, it is possible that the scar tissue will fade off or at the very least appear less noticeable.

4. Radio Frequencing ( RF ) and Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Radio frequencing acne removal principally takes conventional dermarolling and simply adds radio frequencies ( an energy component ) to it. Sound waves, just like light waves, can also trigger a healing response from the skin cells. And when combined with plain ol’ microneedling, your skin starts a better chance of kickstarting its healing and rebuilding process, something that will prove to be extremely crucial in covering up acne scar pigmentation.

5. Chemical Peeling in Place of Face Moisturizers

Certain chemicals such as salicylic acid, phenol and glycolic acid are decent enough in minimizing scar tissues. A professional dermatologist can employ them to infiltrate the scar tissue and peel it off for it give way for new skin cells to regrow in its place. However, as much as these chemical peels are quite effective in masking the general appearance of marks and acne scars, they are not without their own unique set of risks. One of them is hyperpigmentation  and minimal scarring that is observed in people with dark skin tones.

6. Soft and Special Tissue Fillers for Tacking Butt Acne

Interestingly, its possible to inject fat, collagen and a host of other specially-selected substances to under scarred tissue to plump it out and level the indented/depressed scars. The goal here is to make the scars as less noticeable as possible without interfering with your face’s general skin texture or contouring. Since the results are often semi-permanent, you may need a series of repeat treatments if you want to retain the effect.

7. Treating Body Acne Through Home Skin Care

There exists a collection of different remedies that you can use to make your scars considerably less conspicuous. These range from simple sunscreens to medicated OTC ( over-the-counter ) creams, a good example is those that contain hydroxyl acids and azelaic acid as the active ingredient.

8. Men’s Skincare Routine Should Involve Microdermabrasion

Unlike dermabrasion, microdermabrasion is typically reserved for very severe types of acne scarring. Here, the dermatologist removes the exterior of the scar using a rapidly rotating device that looks like a brush. At the end of the procedure, surface scars will be entirely removed while the more deep-set one’s should appear less noticeable. The potential side effects include the likes of hyperpigmentation and additional scarring resulting in people with darker skin tones.

9. Pepper your Skincare Routine Order with Botox aka OnabotulinumtoxinA

At times the skin around one’s acne scar can pucker, swell and assume a blistered look. Injecting botox also known as OnabotulinumtoxinA relaxes the surrounding epidermis which should then improve the appearance of the acne scar. Since the results are somewhat temporary, you may need repeat treatments to keep your newly-earned looks.

10. Vitamin C Serums for Clogged Pores

When it comes to lightening dark hyperpigmentation and getting rid of temporary but stubborn scars, nothing will serve you better than vitamin C serum. What’s more, it’s impressive list of beneficial properties does not end there – it is also involved in stimulating the release of collagen while brightening and revitalising the skin. This way of breaking up collagen has also been found out to be critical in preventing sun spots and dark spots from showing up when you least expect it.

11. A Combination of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids Application for Dry Skin On Face

Just like chemical peeling, there’s a DIY version of it where you can apply a combination of mandelic, lactic and glycolic acid to dissolve the scar tissue to reveal the fresher and brighter skin beneath it. It’s a convenient way of getting rid of stubborn acne marks while promoting progressive exfoliation and fading any discolauration that you may have picked from other acne spot treatment methods.

12. Retinization

Retinol is important for getting rid of hyperpigmentation by continually stimulating a positive cell turnover. While a stint of prescription-strength retinol may require a quick trip to the dermatologist, there are now several relatively efficient OTC ( over-the-counter ) brands that are laden with potent vitamin A derivatives. That being said, remember to follow all instructions as meticulously as possible to avert the risk of accidental scarring or worsening of your symptoms.

13. LED light therapy for Papule Acne Scars

Plenty of anecdotal evidence has proved that light therapy is very effective at addressing a multitude of skin concerns that may be precipitated by acne scarring. What’s more, recent research shows that red LED, in particular, can lessen inflammation, trigger cellular repair and effectively get rid of inflammation. In short, it can help the skin recover from an acne scar breakout more effectively compared to the alternative, which is doing nothing. You can also visit Vital Red Light for more information.

14. Punch Grafts for Stubborn Whitehead Scars

As the name suggests, punch grafts are small and carefully-selected skin grafts that are used to replace the badly scarred tissue. A hole is usually punched in the skin just next to the scar to remove it. The removed scar is later replaced with a piece of unscarred skin to cover it up before healing commences. The punch graft, in question, is mostly removed from the back of the earlobe before being used to treat deeply-formed acne scars.

15. Subcutaneous Incision and Nodular Acne Scars

The procedure involves using a surgical probe to separate the scar tissue and the skin. The idea  here is to raise the skin temporarily to improve the appearance of depressed scars which then translates to a smoother overall texture when the new scars eventually heal.

In Closing

If you are going to take away anything from this relatively lengthy writeup then it is the fact that acne scars are no longer a permanent affair as it was previously imagined. As much as multiple treatments may be needed in some procedures that are listed here, a good chunk of these solutions for getting rid of stubborn pimple marks are relatively permanent.

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