Innovative therapies in the treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars. Click Here. Here are three things you need to know about how long acne scarring can last: While some scars will fade on their own eventually, others are more stubborn. Some acne scars are simply dark marks that will fade on their own, while deeper tissue scars may require laser treatments. Getting your acne under control is key to preventing future acne scars. Acne Scar or Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation?
Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation PIH is a common pigmentation disorder which is often preceded by other diseases or injuries that affect the skin, such as acne or eczema. Types of Acne Scars and Treatments Unlike post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, acne scars are more than just discoloration of the skin.
However, knowing which type of acne scar you have can help you choose the right treatment option: Atrophic Scars Atrophic scars are caused by a loss of skin tissue, resulting in a depression in the skin. Boxcar Scars The best treatment for atrophic scars depends on the type of scar you have. Take the skin care quiz Keloids Keloids are another type of raised scar that occurs when the body goes overboard trying to repair itself after inflammation caused by an acne cyst.
References Davis E. Acne scar subcision. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. Tags: Acne Cream , Moisturizers , Scrub. Best for: Depressed acne scars that are not deep.
Useful for contouring scar edges to make scars less noticeable. Deep scars often require skin surgery and resurfacing. Fillers Dermatologists use fillers to safely and effectively plump depressed acne scars. Many fillers give us temporary results, which last between 6 and 18 months. Some fillers are permanent. Both temporary and permanent fillers have unique pros and cons. If this is a treatment option for you, be sure to ask your dermatologist about the pros and cons of the recommended filler.
Skin tightening This is a newer treatment and tends to be more affordable. This treatment is safe for all skin colors. Dermatologists often use a technology called radiofrequency to tighten the skin. As the skin tightens, depressed acne scars become less noticeable. Radiofrequency requires repeat appointments.
Most patients return once a month for four months. After a radiofrequency treatment, many patients say they feel a burning sensation for about one hour and their skin has a pinkish color for two to three days.
Radiofrequency treatments require some at-home care. For at least one week after each treatment, you will need to apply sunscreen every morning and a moisturizing cream at night. Best for: Depressed acne scars. Sometimes, skin tightening effectively treats deep icepick and boxcar scars. To perform this procedure, a dermatologist moves a sterile, handheld needle-studded roller across the depressed acne scars.
This punctures your skin. As your skin heals, it produces collagen. Most people, however, notice gradual changes before nine months. Many patients require between three and six treatments and return every two to six weeks for a treatment. After each treatment, you may have some swelling and possibly bruising. These side effects usually clear within four to five days. Best for: Widespread depressed acne scars. Not a treatment for raised acne scars, which form when the body produces too much collagen.
Electrodesiccation This treatment uses electric probes to heat the tissue, which causes the tissue to die. This treatment may be part of a treatment plan for boxcar acne scars. Electrodesiccation by itself is not an effective treatment for acne scars.
Injections Your dermatologist may recommend injecting medicine directly into the scars. This can soften and flatten raised, thick scars.
Getting the best results often requires repeat visits. Finally, in some cases, a doctor may recommend surgery to remove deeply indented scars. One thing you shouldn't do to deal with acne scars is load up your face with masks or fancy lotions — these won't help and may irritate your skin further, making the scars red and even more noticeable.
If you have a red or brownish mark on your face that you got from a bad zit, it should eventually fade. However, it may take 12 months or longer. If you're upset about acne marks, talk to your doctor, who might have advice on what you can do. Reviewed by: Patrice Hyde, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Different Types of Acne Scars from acne can seem like double punishment — first you had to deal with the pimples, now you have marks as a reminder.
Acne comes in different forms: mild acne: this causes the whiteheads or blackheads that most of us get at some point moderate acne: this can cause red, inflamed pimples called papules and red pimples with white centers called pustules severe acne: this causes painful, pus-filled cysts or lumps called nodules under the skin Most serious scarring is caused by the more severe forms of acne, with nodules more likely to leave permanent scars than other types of acne.
These scars also left broad depressions in the skin, but the edges of the scar are sharply defined. These deep, narrow scars often look like an open, enlarged pore, or an ice-pick wound. Depressed scars respond best to more aggressive treatments. However, the depth of the scar and steepness of the edges often determine how effective the treatment will be.
If you have a raised scar, you likely had a cyst there before. As the cystic acne healed, too much scar tissue formed in its place. Raised scars respond well to treatment. Laser resurfacing is especially effective in smoothing raised acne scars. Often, the discoloration fades with time. But sometimes, the change in color becomes permanent. The acne damaged the skin cells, and the cells that produce melanin melanocytes either multiplied or overproduced melanin in an effort to recover.
There are several options for treating dark spots. We use laser and light treatments, hydroquinolone, or topical retinoids to reduce melanin production so the pigment decreases and increase cell turnover so you can slough off the discolored skin. Hypo-pigmentation is characterized by the light spots that result from a lack of melanin. With this type of skin damage, melanocytes are depleted from the injured area or lose their ability to produce melanin.
This occurs when healthy skin has been replaced with scar tissue. Few treatments completely erase hypo-pigmentation, but chemical peels and laser resurfacing can be helpful in creating a more balanced skin tone. Erythema is a permanent redness that comes from damaged skin cells. Small capillaries near the surface of the skin become permanently dilated, resulting in a red spot.
For treatment, we can prescribe a topical medication to decrease vasodilation temporarily, or work toward more long-term solutions with Intense Pulse Light phototherapy. An acne scar is a change in texture in your skin. Discoloration is temporary, but texture changes are permanent.
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