Acne scars on your face affect how the world sees you. It is not uncommon to feel self-conscious of your inflamed pimples and zits. An unexpected breakout is annoying enough, but follow it with the dark marks it leaves behind makes it worse. Good thing both of these are treatable!
While there are plenty of approved treatments, it is recommended to know your skin type and condition before trying any of it. These solutions are not “one size fits all”. With the right information and an effective treatment plan, you can get rid of these frustrating acne and acne scars fast.
Many people have tried relatively unadvisable solutions in the hopes of getting rid of acne.
However, these methods usually turn out ineffective and sometimes even worsen the condition.
What causes acnes scars and dark marks
Acne scars and dark marks are caused by injury to your skin during the inflammation and infection process.
Timing plays a big role in whether that acne worsens or subsides. Leaving pimples to linger on your skin for some time can do more harm than good. Mild acne can also worsen in the long run and lead to acne scars.
One of the best preventions is to treat it as soon as you see or feel it growing. Treating your skin early on can stop the acne from getting worse. This will prevent the skin condition from progressing to a deep and painful acne, such as cystic acne. You will want to avoid this type of infection, especially on your face, as it usually leaves a long-lasting scar.
Treating acne when it first appears can also help you get faster results from your acne medications – whether treating a mild or severe type. It takes less time for the medicine to work on a few zits compared to a breakout.
Types of Acne Scars
Depressed Scars
Depressed scars are medically known as atrophic scars.
Atrophic acne scars can be further divided into 3 sub-types: Boxcar scars, rolling scars and icepick scars.
These are examples:
Acne scars occur due to skin inflammation and injury that leads to skin atrophy (indentation) and scar tissue formation. This is seen as dents or “holes” in your skin.
It is possible to have acne scars and acne marks at the same pimple spot due to the concurrent disease processes.
Raised Scars
Raised scars are also known as hypertrophic scars. A hypertrophic scar is limited to the damaged skin. A hypertrophic scar does not grow larger than the original wound unlike keloid scars.
Keloid Scars
Keloids are scar tissue of the skin that grows excessively into the surrounding skin. They can be larger than the original wound.
They can be hard and lumpy growths due to acne scarring.
Corticosteroid injection is the most common treatment for keloid scars.
When injected into the keloid, this anti-inflammatory medicine helps to shrink your scar.
Patients usually receive a series of injections once every 3 to 4 weeks.
On average, patients require at least 3-5 treatments of these injections.
The first injections tend to relieve symptoms and make your keloid feel softer.
Between 60% – 80% of keloids shrink after being injected.
How to get rid of Acne Scars?
Treating acne scars early – Regain your clean complexion
Acne scars don’t go away on their own and may stay with you for a long time. Some people may recover from acne and regain their clear skin, but some are left with these disfiguring acne scars. Treating it immediately will not just clear the skin but help prevent long-term acne marks.
Leaving acne scars untreated for a long time can become more costly in the long run as the number of procedures required increases. Older skin will need more collagen stimulation to smooth out the blemishes. Accumulated exposure to the sun can cause overproduction of melanin which makes acne scars darker and even harder to get rid of.
You can start by protecting your sensitive skin from harmful UV Rays as it causes more damage and delays healing. Apply sunscreen on your face and body for an extra layer of protection. Also, avoid picking at scabs as it interferes with the healing and remodelling process of sensitive skin.
Since acne scarring is something that needs to be treated not just on the surface but deeper into the skin, medical procedures are highly-recommended for faster recovery.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels offered by aesthetic clinics are not the ordinary solutions that you can do on your own at home. This is a medium to deep chemical peel that effectively treats depressed acne scarring. It stimulates collagen production and eventually improves scar appearance.
Subcision
Rolling and ice pick acne scars cause depressions on the skin which makes it challenging to deal with. However, they are effectively treated with subcision. This releases fibrous tissues underneath the acne scars. It stimulates the production of new collagen which then pushes the skin back up to level it with the rest of the skin’s surface.
Laser Treatments
Laser resurfacing helps with resurfacing many skin defects and help you achieve smoother and flawless skin. Laser resurfacing works by replacing the skin’s top layer with a new appearing skin. It helps with boosting collagen production which treat acne scars to match the rest of the skin. This is also useful in reducing redness caused by post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
How to prevent Acne Scars?
Prevent acne – Cleansing is the most important step
Cleansing to Prevent Acne
Cleansing helps remove bacteria and combat excess oil on your face – both of which are responsible for clogging the pores. Pores clogged with dead skin cells and oil is a breeding ground for bacteria which leads to acne growth. Cleansing is especially important before hitting the hay.
Skin naturally restores and heals itself while you sleep; this gives your acne and skincare products the chance to work their magic. Failure to cleanse your skin correctly can trigger excess sebum production which causes clogged pores, acne, and acne scars.
It is important to gently exfoliate the outer layer of your skin using glycolic acids (glycolic acid), alpha hydroxy acids, lactic acid, salicylic acid and topical retinoids. If you gently exfoliate, you can reduce the appearance of active breakouts, improve skin tone, improve post inflammatory pigmentation without damaging your skin barrier.
But also keep in mind that cleansing too much may strip off your skin from natural oils – this can lead to dryness and irritation. It is best to cleanse twice a day to make sure you don’t overdo it. Always be sure to wash your face off from dirt, grime, and oil from the day to give way to your skincare products.
It’s also recommended that you identify your skin type to match it with the right kind of cleanser. Skin types such as dry, oily, and combination have different products that work well on them. A product that works on dry skin may not work well on oily skin and may even worsen its condition.
Treat acne early – just like any conditions!
How to treat acne?
Timing plays a big role in whether that acne worsens or subsides. Leaving pimples to linger on your skin for some time can do more harm than good. Mild acne can also worsen in the long run and lead to acne scars.
One of the best preventions is to treat it as soon as you see or feel it growing. Treating your skin early on can stop the acne from getting worse. This will prevent the skin condition from progressing to a deep and painful acne, such as cystic acne. You will want to avoid this type of infection, especially on your face, as it usually leaves a long-lasting scar.
Treating acne when it first appears can also help you get faster results from your acne medications – whether treating a mild or severe type. It takes less time for the medicine to work on a few zits compared to a breakout.
Acne Treatment Products – Can I get rid of acne overnight?
How to get rid of acne?
You might think popping your zit can help stop it from progressing. But this actually spreads the skin infection and may lead to unwanted acne scars.
Spot Treatments
To effectively heal acne overnight, stick with your skincare regimen and apply some preventive measures. Use your favourite cleanser, put on a moisturizer, and apply a spot treatment preferably with salicylic acid or benzoyl. This will remove dead skin cells that clog pores and kill bacteria.
Oral Medications
Antibiotics can quickly reduce any inflammation. It targets acne-causing bacteria in and around the irritated follicle. Antibiotics also help reduce the excess production of oil. This treatment should be taken with the guidance of your doctor as it comes with side-effects.
Antibiotic Creams
Antibiotic creams containing clindamycin can combat bacteria that are responsible for developing acne. It is an easy and effective at-home-treatment. This will heal the acne faster and take the swelling out quickly. Antibiotic creams can drastically reduce the chances of acne scars to develop.
Steroid Injections
For severe acne such as cystic acne, it is best to ask your skin specialist for steroid injections to reduce pain and calm the inflammation. Although it won’t heal overnight because of its severity, this acne treatment will show effects in just 1-2 days given the infection is deep inside the pores.
How long does it take for acne scars to fade?
Dark spots and brown marks can take 3 to 24 months to fade, especially if you have darker skin tones and on-going active breakouts. This because your skin surface is still undergoing healing.
Conclusion
Knowing your type of acne scarring will help you to get the most suitable scar treatments for your skin concern.
Apart from effectiveness of the treatment for acne scarring, the other key considerations that you should have include: recovery time, risk and price.
If in doubt, please speak to an acne scar expert for advice.
