There are different types of skin scars, and the appropriate course to get rid of them depends on the type as well as the scar's characteristics and location. Your health and medical history also come into play when planning treatment with a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Some scars, usually seen as a result of severe acne, are depressed, and are known as icepick, boxcar and rolling scars. Hypertrophic and keloid scars are raised above the surface of the skin.
Depressed Scars
Step 1
Try over-the-counter topical applications to improve the appearance of depressed scars. On their Skin Care Physicians site, the American Academy of Dermatology, or AAD, suggests using products made with retinol, glycolic acid or vitamin C. These ingredients may be beneficial because they stimulate collagen production, so can fill in depressions.
Step 2
Ask your dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon about filler injections. These are exactly what they sound like—material is injected into depressions to fill them, making them more even with the skin's surface. Filler materials include collagen, fat, hyaluronic acid and polymethylmethacrylate. The latter is a permanent filler; others last anywhere from three months to three years, according to AAD.
Step 3
Consult with your doctor about cosmetic procedures. Laser skin resurfacing uses laser beams to even out skin texture and coloration. Dermabrasion uses a spinning brush or blade to sand away skin irregularities. Microdermabrasion uses a hard spray of tiny crystals for the same purpose. Acid applications strip away surface layers of skin in a procedure known as a chemical peel.
Step 4
Talk to your dermatologist or plastic surgeon about scar revision surgery. Several procedures get rid of depressed scars, as the AAD explains. A punch graft attaches skin to the depression. A punch excision uses a cookie cutter-like tool to remove the affected skin. Punch elevations and subcutaneous incisions raise the underlying skin.
Raised Scars
Step 1
Check with your dermatologist about home methods of scar treatment. These include pressure massages, bandages or devices to compress scars and silicone-based gels or creams, according to AAD. Topical treatments made with alpha hydroxy acids or onion extract may help improve the appearance of scars, too, notes Columbia University. Cosmetic concealers can cover up scars as well.
Step 2
Consult with your doctor about corticosteroid or interferon injections. These can shrink, flatten and soften hypertrophic and keloid scars. Injections are administered once every two to six weeks, on average, notes AAD. Sometimes this treatment suffices on its own, but it is often used with other procedures.
Step 3
Talk to your dermatologist or plastic surgeon about cryosurgery or laser surgery, as recommended by the New York Presbyterian Hospital. The former uses a freezing agent to destroy scar tissue, and the latter does the same with lasers. Laser surgery typically requires multiple treatments.
Step 4
Ask your doctor about surgical scar revision. Some scars are best removed by being cut out. Less prominent scars will be left in their place as a result of the procedure. Surgical excision of skin scars often requires follow-up treatments, including radiation therapy, pressure therapy or corticosteroid injections.
References
- New York Presbyterian Hospital: Scar Revision
- American Academy of Dermatology: What is a Scar?
- Skin Care Physicians: Raised Acne Scars: Treatment Can Ease Pain, Diminish Scars
- Skin Care Physicians: Depressed Acne Scars: Effective Treatment Available
- Skin Care Physicians: Acne Scars: Answers to Common Questions
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