Acne is a very common skin condition that many people experience in their lives, particularly so as teenagers. As if the acne alone weren't enough, many sufferers are left with pimple scars after the outbreak too. American Chronicle promotes home remedies as being effective for very mild scarring but can offer little help for moderate to severe scarring. Acne.org suggests clinical treatments if the scarring is severe and has caused indentations, known as ice pick and boxcar scars, or raised fleshy growth of tissue in the skin, known as keloids.
Step 1
Dab a gauze pad in some lemon juice and then apply to the affected areas to fight your mild pimple scars. Leave this on for several minutes daily and then rinse off with cold water. Lemon juice is full of citric acid, which can cleanse the skin of bacteria and also fade the pimple scarring of its dark reddish complexion.
Step 2
Exfoliate pimple blemishes and moderately scarred skin with baking soda. Mix one part bicarbonate of soda with two parts water. It will quickly turn into a paste that you can apply to the skin. Massage it in. The baking soda particles with act like a home microdermabrasion treatment, eroding away surface skin cells and reducing the appearance of the pimple scars.
Step 3
Speak with your doctor about CO2 laser resurfacing treatment for severe pimple scars. This laser burns away your surface layers of skin, known as the epidermis, and then heats up your lower layers, known as the dermis. The removal of the epidermis helps reduce any superficial pimple scarring; combined with the heating of the dermis, this encourages new skin growth.
Step 4
Try cryosurgery at your dermatology clinic if you have severe raised fleshy pimple scars. This technique uses liquid nitrogen, which you apply to the scarring either with a sprayer or simply a cotton ball. This will freeze the scar and kill the skin tissue. As this tissue dies it is easier to remove, leaving a flat area.
Step 5
Speak with your doctor about steroid injections for your severe pimple scars. This involves the steroids being injected straight into the scarring. It breaks down the body's natural inflammatory responses--which is what causes the reddish tissue formation--and the scar then reduces.
Tips and Warnings
- Lemon juice causes increased photosensitivity. Rose water or vinegar can be used instead. A milder level of laser is also available and may be more appropriate for milder scarring. Often several sessions of all the clinical treatments are needed to see the best results.
- Topical application of home remedies can cause skin irritation so speak will your doctor before self-treating. Clinical treatments can have side effects such as bleeding, scabbing, redness, bruising and swelling. These side effects can last several weeks. Mayo Clinic is keen to point out that due to the stubbornness of pimple scars, a combination of treatments may be needed to find the most effective for you. Unfortunately, some irreparable damage is done when the skin is scarred, so a scar will never completely dissipate, notes The Scar Information Service.
Things You'll Need
- Gauze pad
- Lemon juice
- Baking soda
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