When acne lesions damage the dermal layers, or lower levels, of the skin, it can often result in a pimple scar. These scars can either be keloids---raised fleshy lumps---or small indentations called either rolling, boxcar or ice pick scars depending upon the shapes they make in the skin.
Collagen is a key component in the body's natural healing processes. Many clinical treatments for pimple scarring focus on either adding more collagen to the scarring or encouraging the body to create more in order to heal the pimple scar itself.
Step 1
Use augmentation injections to place extra collagen into a boxcar or rolling pimple scar. A specialist will inject a collagen solution directly into the pimple scar. The skin in the indentation inflates to a point where it is in alignment with the rest of the skin. The collagen and tissue which was lost due to the pimple has been replaced.
Step 2
Use chemical peels to treat ice pick pimple scars. An acid solution is applied to the scarring to wound the skin. The acid burns off the epidermal, or top layer, of skin, and in so doing, sends the body into mild trauma. The natural healing processes kick in and start producing more collagen in order to rebuild the lost skin. The new skin that grows in its place is less blemished.
Step 3
Inspire collagen production in the body by using laser resurfacing techniques on your ice pick, boxcar and rolling pimple scars. A heated laser will be used to burn away the epidermal layers of skin and warm the dermal layers. This dual process encourages the body to start producing more collagen in order to create new layers of skin to replace those lost.
Step 4
Lightly wound the skin with dermabrasion treatment in order to heal the boxcar, ice pick and rolling pimple scars. Extra collagen is created by the body when the dermabrasion tool---a rapidly rotating wire brush---removes the epidermal layers of skin and exposes the dermal layers. The body, in a state of trauma, produces more collagen in order to rebuild skin. The new skin that grows at the pimple scar site is less blemished.
Step 5
Treat rolling pimple scars with a skin needling technique. A specialist will use a 30-gauge needle or a tattoo gun, minus the ink pigment, to puncture the scarred skin at a controlled depth in order to induce trauma in the skin and encourage collagen production which will heal the scarred tissue.
Tips and Warnings
- Although augmentation injections are very effective and have little side effects compared to other treatments, the positive results only last for months rather than years. Various strength lasers and chemical peels are available and the right one for you will be based on a specialists review of your skin and scarring.
- Expect side effects from these clinical treatments. Bleeding, scabbing and swelling can last for several days. A blushed red appearance to the skin can last for months. Severe side effects such as increased scarring and hyper-pigmentation are rare but still a possibility. ScarInfo notes that when the dermal layers are damaged and a scar is formed, irreparable damage is done. Hair follicles and sweat glands will never return. It is therefore a case of improving the sight of a scar rather than curing it completely.
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