Although most teens suffer from acne, only some develop acne scars. According to the American Academy of Dermatology or AAD, people with a strong family history of acne scarring, plus those who have more severe cases of acne, are most likely to develop scars. Depressions in the skin called pock marks are the most common form of acne scar, and dermatologists have an array of treatments to use on pock marks.
Pock Mark Development
Acne appears when the body's hormones cause too much oil production in the skin, according to the Mayo Clinic. This oil, combined with skin cells that are shedding too quickly, can form plugs in the skin's hair follicles. If the blockage is severe, inflammation and bacterial infection sets in below the skin's surface and a cyst or nodule forms. Cysts and nodules likely will leave pock mark scars behind once they clear.
Best Treatment
The AAD recommends acne scar surgery as most effective for many pock mark acne scars. In this procedure, which generally is performed on an outpatient basis, a surgeon might remove your scars with a punch and potentially will graft another piece of skin into the place the scar had been. In another technique, the surgeon uses a scalpel to separate your upper layer of skin from the scar tissue underneath, raising and leveling the scar.
Laser Treatment
Many acne pock mark patients have used laser treatments to smooth their skin, according to the Mayo Clinic. In ablative laser treatments, the laser removes the top layer of skin. Once new skin forms, the scars are much shallower.
Non-ablative laser treatments do not remove any skin; instead, the heat from the laser encourages the formation of new skin. Because the non-ablative treatments are milder, you will need several to see results.
Tissue Fillers
Dermatologists often recommend combining acne scar surgery or laser treatment with tissue filler injections, which can serve to plump up the skin and make any remaining pock mark scars even less obvious, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Patients also can choose tissue fillers without any other treatment. However, most of these fillers are not permanent and will need to be redone after three to six months, according to the AAD.
Considerations
Treating severe acne pock marks takes time. Acne scar surgery and ablative laser treatments will give you visible wounds, and you'll need time to recover, according to the AAD. In addition, you won't see the final results of your treatment for several months while your face heals and changes.
Fillers, on the other hand, can give near-instant results, but those results won't be permanent. If you have acne pock mark scars you want treated, you should consider finding a dermatologist who specializes in this type of cosmetic surgery.
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