Picking at your face, either to pop or squeeze acne pimples or as a compulsive disorder, damages the upper layers of skin, which can result in unsightly scarring. While it may be tempting to pick at or pop pimples and other skin imperfections, allowing them to heal on their own is the best way to prevent scarring.
Types
Scars from picking the face are usually depressed scars. Boxcar scars are shallow scars that vary in size and resemble large pores with noticeable borders. Icepick scars are deeper and typically smaller than boxcar scars, resembling a small, deep puncture wound in the skin. Rolling scars create an uneven or bumpy appearance with shallow areas surrounded by raised scarring. Keloid scars are raised areas that give the skin a bumpy appearance. Other scars are red, brown or white spots or patches left behind after acne breakouts or excessive picking. Discolored scars that do not penetrate the skin tend to fade with time.
Formation of Scars
Raised keloid scars form from collagen building up around damaged areas of skin. They are more common in African Americans. If other people in your family have keloid scars, you are more likely to develop them yourself since these types of scars are often genetic, explains the American Academy of Dermatology. Icepick, rolling and boxcar scars form due to a loss of tissue. When you pick your face, you can damage the upper layers of skin, causing the tissue to die and leave a depressed scar.
Treatment
Scar surgery raises depressed scars to help them blend in with the surrounding skin. After scar surgery, you will usually see results within a few weeks after bruising and swelling subside. Injectable fillers include collagen, hyaluronic acid and your own fat. Injecting fillers into depressed facial scars immediately makes them less noticeable, but the results typically only last from a few months to a few years, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Laser treatments damage the upper layers of skin to encourage new growth, so you will have visible wounds for several weeks. Chemical peels penetrate the top layers of skin to remove them completely, allowing new skin to grow in place and smooth the appearance of depressed scars. Dermabrasion procedures work in much the same way as chemical peels, except they use a handheld device that a dermatologist uses to remove the upper layers of skin.
Considerations
If other people in your family have scars from picking at facial skin, it is particularly important for you to avoid doing so. How your skin reacts to damage is, in part, genetic, especially with regard to raised scars from excess collagen. Many scar-reduction treatments require several sessions to see vast improvement, and they can be costly, ranging from several hundred to more than $1,000 per session. Chemical peels, dermabrasion and laser treatments can leave the skin red, peeling, irritated and extremely sensitive to sunlight for several weeks after each session.
Prevention
While it can be tempting to pick at pimples and blemishes, allowing them to heal on their own is the best way to prevent facial scarring. If you have severe or cystic acne, talk to your dermatologist about a skin care regimen to help you clear up the condition and prevent scarring. If you suffer from compulsive skin picking, discuss your problem with your doctor or psychiatrist to come up with a treatment plan to help you cope with the urge to pick.
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