Once acne scars develop, they're often permanent, leaving a constant reminder of the acne you suffered from in your teen years. However, with acne scar revision treatments, you can reduce the appearance of, or completely eliminate, acne scars. Your options range from mild treatments like chemical peels to full-on scar removal, all of which offer some degree of improvement in your scarring.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels are used to remove the top layer of skin to reveal healthier, fresher skin underneath. Usually made from an acid like glycolic acid or a phenol, chemical peels can be applied at home or in your doctor's office, depending on the strength of the treatment. These peels can help red marks left behind by acne or even slight impressions in the skin fade away more quickly than they would otherwise.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a form of skin treatment that uses crystals to slough off the top layer of skin. You can buy at-home kits or have the procedure performed on your lunch break at the dermatologist's office. Mild redness often results. Several treatments are required before you notice results, which are typically a slightly smoother skin texture.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is performed in your dermatologist's office under sedation and requires a much longer healing time, according to KidsHealth. Several layers of skin are removed at once to remove fine lines, wrinkles and some acne scars. Your skin will be red for several months and requires the application of special creams to prevent new scarring.
Laser Treatments
Laser resurfacing works by directing light at your skin and penetrating through the top layers to the lower layers. This can help to stimulate new tissue growth including collagen production, which can help to fill in depressed scars and loosen the connection between scar tissue and underlying tissue.
Fillers
For shallow scars, fillers like collagen or fat are injected into them to help round them out and greatly reduce their appearance. Unfortunately, this procedure is not permanent and will need to be repeated every six months or so to maintain the smoother appearance, according to DermaDoctor.
Surgical Removal
Severe acne scars often cannot be treated in any other way than to remove them entirely. This involves cutting out the scarred area and stitching the surrounding tissue back together. This will create a new scar, but under controlled healing it will be barely noticeable, if at all.
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