Most of the time, acne blemishes heal and your skin replenishes itself without leaving any marks. In other cases, however, acne lesions may leave scars that are depressed below the level of the surrounding tissue or raised above the surface of the skin. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, AAD, there is no one best treatment for these marks. Talk with your dermatologist about the many treatment options available, letting her know what concerns you the most and what results you want to achieve.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is one of the treatments that removes the top layer of scar tissue to expose the underlying skin and allow it to restore itself. According to the AAD, dermabrasion smoothes the skin contours and makes scars less noticeable.
Autologous Fat Transfer
If you have depressed acne scars, your dermatologist might recommend an autologous fat transfer to inject fat tissue from another area of your body into the skin below your acne scars. According to Adult Acne, this raises the level of the scar and makes it less noticeable.
Chemical Fillers
Depressed acne scars can also be treated with chemical fillers, including collagen, hyaluronic acid or polymethylmethacrylate. Your dermatologist can inject these fillers into the skin under your scars, raising them to the level of the surrounding skin, says AcneNet. Polymethylmethacrylate is considered a permanent filler, while collagen and hyaluronic acid last about three to six months.
Chemical Peels
Some acne scars respond well to chemical peels that involve the application of high-potency acids to remove the top layers of the scar. Adult Acne says chemical peels make scars less noticeable and allow the newly exposed skin to repair itself.
Injections
Your doctor might recommend injections of medications, including corticosteroids or the antiviral protein interferon if you have thick raised scars or tough nodules of scar tissue known as keloids, says AcneNet. These injections into the scar tissue itself are designed to soften and flatten the scar tissue.
Surgical Scar Revision
Surgical scar revision techniques take advantage of your skin's ability to stretch over time, says the AAD. According to AcneNet, surgical techniques that remove scars and manipulate tissue to fill the resulting gap are very effective for depressed acne scars. Your doctor may use a cookie cutter-like device to remove a circle of scar tissue in a procedure called punch excision. The surrounding skin can be pulled together to fill the gap, or the doctor may use a skin graft to fill larger holes.
Aftercare Treatments
If you've had extensive surgical scar revision for your acne, your doctor might prescribe a post-operative treatment, such as wearing a pressure garment, corticosteroid injections or radiation treatments to prevent further scarring as your skin heals, explains AcneNet.
Laser Resurfacing
Laser resurfacing using high-energy light sources to remove or remodel acne-scarred skin can be very effective, according to AcneNet. A number of laser light sources, including pulsed dye lasers, use yellow light to eliminate scar redness and flatten raised scars.
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