Compare Acne Scar Treatments
Acne Scar Treatments That Work
What causes acne scarring? Skin scarring happens because the body tries to heal the acne that occurs when dirt collects around a plugged hair follicle where acne-causing bacteria have formed in the natural oils of the skin. The skin produces too much collagen in the healing process and causes a scar to show up. The scars do not get worse without treatment, but may become more severe if acne continues.
Topical and oral treatments may be prescribed by dermatologist. A physician should be consulted to determine the best treatment plan for your skin and scars. The creams and ointments allow the skin to improve itself and reform the collagen in the skin to make the scars less visible.
Injections are used to soften and flatten the scarred area. Injections may be given as often as every two weeks. If treatment does not produce a visible result by the fourth treatment, surgery may be recommended by your dermatologist.
Laser treatments are used to remove the top layer of skin. The treatment tightens the middle layer of skin. Laser treatments make the skin smoother. Sometimes pain is associated with laser treatments. Dermatologists may use a local anesthesia to lessen the pain by numbing the skin before treatment.
Chemical peels use a mild to deep penetration acidic solution to peel away the outermost layer of skin. By applying the solution to the affected area of the skin, the outermost layer of skin disintegrates. Once the skin peels away a newer unaffected layer of skin is left behind. This treatment does not require any healing time.
Microdermabrasion technology treatments are one of the harsher treatments to the skin surface. A rotating wire brush or spinning diamond instrument wears down the surface of the skin. When the skin heals a new smoother skin layer replaces the removed skin.
Acne Scar Treatments That Don’t Work
During the teenage years it is very common for many people to get acne. If the acne is bad enough, sometimes it can leave scars for the rest of a person’s life. These scars can be very frustrating to deal with for a person who has finally gained control of his or her acne and just wants a clear face. Fortunately, there are a plethora of different treatment options available for acne scars. However, some aren’t very effective. They can be very expensive and don’t cause the acne scarring to go away. So, before getting any acne treatment, it is important to know your options. There are a variety of skin products that are over the counter, or you can get various treatments from a dermatologist. Some popular options available are chemical peals, dermabrasion, laser treatments, over the counter products, and vitamins.
Some of the treatments available are over the counter topical creams. However, many, if not all over the counter treatments have been shown to be much less effective than they advertise themselves to be. Studies have been done that show that many over the counter topical creams like mineral oil, ointments and lotions can all have some effect, but can be very ineffective at actually reducing the physical appearance of the scars.
It is important to be careful when looking for treatments, because some can even make the situation worse. For example, one popular treatment is made with vitamin E and onion extract. Vitamin E has been shown to cause dermatitis in around a third of patients, and can make scarring look even worse. Vitamin C is also ineffective in the treatment of acne scarring. So, if you have acne scars, don’t waste your money on over the counter medication. In almost every case, they won’t help you at all. Options involving a dermatologist are the only really effective and proven methods for ridding yourself of acne scars.