Acne can occur at any age; however, the condition is most common in the teen years and during pregnancy. Approximately 85 percent of American teenagers will experience acne each year, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Acne can leave uncomfortable red acne scarring on your skin. Fortunately, treatments are available to minimize the appearance of these scars.
Step 1
Make an appointment with your dermatologist. She will need to treat existing acne before starting treatment for acne scars. Topical retinoid, oral antibiotics or light therapy may be used for existing acne. Women with hormonal acne may benefit from oral contraceptives.
Step 2
Talk with your doctor about laser resurfacing to get rid of scarring. This therapy damages the top layer of the skin and tightens the middle skin layers. As a result, scarring disappears and skin appears tighter. A doctor will use a local anesthesia on the scar site to minimize pain. Healing will take several days. As of August 2010, the cost for treatment varied from $3,000 to $6,000 per session. A second session may be needed.
Step 3
Use dermabrasion treatments. A diamond shaped instrument is used on the face. Quickly spinning brushes move around the scar site, wearing down the top layer of the skin. As the skin starts to heal, new skin growth will occur, minimizing the appearance of scarring. Healing may take as long as three weeks. As of August 2010, the cost of treatment was about $1,500 per session. An additional treatment is sometimes needed, depending on acne severity.
Step 4
Consider fractional laser therapy. This therapy is good for deep acne scarring. Dermabrasion and resurfacing typically don’t target the deeper layers that fractional laser therapy can reach. After the treatment, your face may appear to have a sunburn. However, it will heal within a few days. As of August 2010, the cost was about $1,000 per treatment. Typically, four to five treatment sessions are required.
Step 5
Ask your doctor about injectable treatments. With this treatment, the doctor will inject collagen under the skin to minimize the appearance of scarring. Multiple treatments may be needed to get the desired effect. As of August 2010, the cost was about $500 to $1,500 for a treatment. Typically, only one treatment session is needed.
Tips and Warnings
- Some acne scars fade on their own, according to KidsHealth. This usually takes up to 12 months. If the scar hasn’t gotten better after this time, special treatments may be needed.
- Avoid picking at acne because doing so increases the likelihood of scarring. Squeezing acne may also result in scarring.
