Any number of reasons could cause you to develop scars on your face. Perhaps you suffered from chicken pox as a kid that left scars. Or, maybe teenage acne left your skin ravaged. Even an accident or mishap could leave your face disfigured. In any case, there are many treatments available for dealing with facial scars that can reduce their appearance or eliminate them permanently.
Scar Types
Any number of types of scars can afflict the face. Acne can leave many types of scars including boxcar scars, ice pick scars and rolling scars, which are characterized by deep depressions with sharp edges, narrow scars with pronounced sides and indentations on the skin. Keloid scars are raised and can be caused by acne, cuts, scratches or other lesions. These tend to grow beyond the area of the original lesion.
Depressed Scars
For depressed scars, one route of treatment involves injecting it with a filler material to push the scar's surface back in line with the rest of your face. Common filler materials include fat, collagen and saline though these measures are only temporary and will need to be repeated.
Resurfacing
Resurfacing treatments work by removing the top layers of skin and revealing smoother, less pitted or uneven skin underneath. Common treatments include laser resurfacing, chemical peels and dermabrasion. Laser resurfacing involves shining a light on the scar to remove it. Chemical peels use acids to peel away the top layers and are generally useful in cases of discoloration or mild scarring. Dermabrasion uses a sanding tool to remove the top layer of skin. This leaves your skin as an open wound, so that once it heals, the scarring will be less noticeable or gone altogether.
Severe Scars
Another way to deal with facial scars is to have them removed. This is a surgical procedure and requires cutting out the scar and stitching the surrounding tissue back together. While this might make a new scar, it tends to heal better because it is a controlled wound. Sometimes a graft is required to fill in the area where a scar was.
Recovery
After having any invasive scar removal procedure, it's likely you'll have some discomfort or even pain. This is normal and a part of the healing process. It's important, however, to follow your dermatologist's aftercare instructions to insure your skin heals as it should. This will allow for the optimum results.
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