Acne Scars

What Are Acne Scars?

As if acne isn’t enough of a beauty dilemma to dampen your confidence, you’ll also have to deal with heartbreaking scars afterwards. It is a pervasive skin concern for many patients of all ages.

Acne scars are commonly seen in anyone who is struggling with serious bouts of severe and inflammatory types of acne, such as nodulocystic acne or cystic acne, acne conglobata, acne fulminans. It may also be a side effect of a long-term episode of infantile acne. Milder types of acne may also leave residual scarring, although they tend to be lighter.

There are several types of acne scars:

1. Ice Pick – Deep, narrow, and pitted scars
2. Rolling – Less defined with a wavy appearance
3. Boxcar – Pitted scars with defined edges, creating a crater-like appearance
4. Hypertrophic – Elevated scar tissue, creating a bumpy appearance

Although technically not scarring, many people battling acne are bothered by post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), which refers to red or brown marks after an acne breakout.

In theory, scarring isn’t all that bad since it’s the first sign that the skin is healing naturally.
Still, many people seek acne scar treatments because, beyond its aesthetic effects, acne scarring can have a devastating impact on a person’s psychological, social and emotional well-being.

How to Treat Acne Scars

Thanks to the rapid advancements in the world of aesthetics, acne cannot scar you for life anymore. APT Medical Aesthetics offers the best acne scar treatments, including:

Medical-Grade Skincare Products

This acne scar treatment route works best for superficial scars. It may also be implemented as a supplementary treatment to complement or maintain the results of laser-based therapies or chemical peels. They contain potent salicylic acid, retinol, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), and lactic acid.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels, otherwise known as clinical peels, are another viable option for acne scar treatment. The process involves applying an exfoliating solution to peel off the old layer of the skin and expose a fresh new layer that’s clearer and lighter. There are various kinds of peels. For light to moderate scarring, salicylic acid (SA), glycolic acid (GA), Jessner’s solution (JS), resorcinol, and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) chemical peels are the top choices. This acne scar treatment can fade Deeper acne scars may call for stronger chemical peels.

Dermal Filler Injections

Dermal fillers can be injected under the skin to help plump depressed scars, making them less noticeable. It’s a minimally invasive acne scar treatment option that can give you instant gratification because of the dramatic results. For long-term correction of acne scars, your doctor may prescribe Bellafill, Juvederm, Belotereo, Restylane, Radiesse, or Sculptra.

Microneedling

Microneedling is a remarkable scar treatment, whether it’s caused by trauma, surgery, or acne. It involves the use of microscopic, sterile needles that pricks the skin to stimulate the body to heal and produce more collagen. It can reduce the appearance of acne scars by smoothening the skin and brightening the complexion. As microneedling involves creating tiny “wounds” in the treatment area, it is only recommended for patients whose acne problem has entirely been resolved.

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Laser skin resurfacing is a more advanced acne scar treatment that has shown efficacy in minimizing the appearance and lightening the colour of darker and deeper acne scars. They can either be ablative or non-ablative and usually work by breaking down the scar tissue through the repetitive exposure of the laser beam with a handheld device. Laser-based therapies for acne scars include fractional lasers, CO2 lasers, Erbium laser, and pulsed dye lasers.

What Areas Can Be Treated for Acne Scars?

Acne breakouts usually occur in areas where there’s a high concentration of sebaceous glands. These include the face, chest, neck, upper back, and shoulders. The angry, red pimples or pus-filled cysts leave unpleasant acne scars in these regions, too. APT has a wide range of effective acne scar treatments that apply to different parts of the body.

Results You Can Expect from Acne Scar Treatments

Results vary depending on the type of acne scar treatment recommended by your doctor. Using medical-grade skincare products and chemical peels are excellent examples of a slowly-but-surely approach to addressing acne scars. It may take weeks or months to see notable improvements. It’s a gradual process of peeling old skin and revealing new skin with lightened acne scars.

More aggressive acne scar treatments and multiple sessions are required to see noticeable and lasting improvements for severe scarring. Deeper peels are commonly used for more problematic acne scarring. Your aesthetician may also suggest a combination of acne scar treatments to speed up the process and see significant enhancements.

For instance, when dermal fillers are used as an acne scar treatment for ice pick scars, the results are almost always immediate, with more dramatic improvements becoming prominent months post-treatment due to the boosted collagen production at work. The beneficial effect of dermal fillers on acne scars can last anywhere from six months to a year.

How Long Do Acne Scar Treatment Results Last?

Your doctor will recommend an effective acne scar treatment that’s perfectly suitable for your skin type and specific condition. Multiple treatment sessions may be necessary until we’ve achieved the final results where there’s no trace of acne scarring left.

Dermal fillers can serve as an almost permanent acne treatment solution for indented scarring with its longlasting effect and the added benefits of collagen. The shelf life of dermal fillers varies based on the product injected. Your doctor may still prescribe getting injections at a regular interval to maintain your acne scar treatment’s visible results.

The results of in-clinic chemical peels may last for up to three months. Your doctor may suggest that you move on to lighter peels as acne scars begin to fade.

Book Your Free Consultation

APT Medical Aesthetics offers several acne scar treatment solutions suitable for different skin types and acne scars. Our dedicated team of experts will be more than happy to find the best acne scar treatment for you.
Book your free consultation today!