The human body has an incredible capacity to heal itself. Often, however, the healing process of wounds caused by injury or skin conditions such as acne can leave a scar. There are no techniques that exist today that can completely remove a scar, but there are several ways of significantly reducing the visibility and prominence of the damage.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is a technique undertaken with mechanical or manual abrasive tools which are used to remove layers of damaged skin. Derma Network explains that the procedure is usually used for the removal of acne scarring and can be superficial, removing only the upper epidermal layer, or deep, removing both the epidermis and some of the lower derma layer. This technique, when properly applied, can greatly reduce the appearance of scarring but can involve long recovery times and carries a relatively high risk of infection when compared to other techniques.
Surgical
Surgical scar removal is effectively the cutting out of one scar to be replaced by the much fainter scar of the carefully edged and sutured area where it was removed. Skin Therapy Letter explains that visually prominent, raised or lowered scars can be caused by a variety of conditions such as inadequate healing, improper suturing or skin disease. Different surgical “scar revision techniques” are applied depending on the type of scar being removed, but with expertise a surgeon can greatly improve a scar's appearance and sometimes the patient's quality of life.
Laser resurfacing
The American Academy of Dermatology, or AAD, explains how lasers are applied to scar tissue to achieve significant results without much of the trauma caused by dermabrasion and surgical methods. Concentrated light is applied to both remove and reshape scarred skin. Different types of lasers are applied for different tasks such as resurfacing or removal of coloring. Healing times are typically much shorter with this method and patients can often return to their lives in a week or less. Sometimes a redness of the skin where treated can last for weeks or months.
Chemical Peels
Another technique described by the AAD is that of chemical peeling. In this treatment chemicals are applied to the skin, where they "eat away" the scar tissue. The depth of the peel is determined by the type of chemical peel chosen, so the method offers considerable versatility. Chemical peel treatment is most effective when applied to shallow, superficial scaring and healing time is moderate, taking up to two weeks.
Punch Grafts
Punch grafting is a technique wherein skin is removed from one part of the body to replace the scarred area. The Acne Resource Center explains that this technique is best applied for the “ice pick” scarring typical of acne. Although it may not cover much surface area, this type of scar is deep. Once scar tissue is removed, skin is taken from elsewhere on the body, often the ear lobe or inner thigh, to create a type of patch which can be sutured over the wound to heal more inconspicuously than the scar that preceded it.
