Acne scars are common amount teens and adults. Most people have already accepted having acne as a way of life. However, as if having breakouts isn’t already bad enough, many people are left with scars that seem to never go away.
The big question is: Are Acne Scars permanent? Will they ever go away on their own?
In this post, we will go over the causes of acne scarring and the types of acne treatments that will clear your scars (fast).
What Causes Acne Scars?
Acne scars are caused by inflamed lesion like papule or cyst. When your pores become engorged with excess oil, serum, bacteria and dead skin cells, blemishes develop, and your pores swell. When the swelling becomes excess, the follicle wall breaks, and you end up with “popped pimple”.
If the breakage of the follicle wall is near the surface of your skin, you skin heals and there is minimal scarring. However, if it’s a deep break of the follicle wall, scarring can be more serious. This is because your body will try to repair the skin using collagen fibers, but resulting pigment is not the same as before the injury and you get what looks like a “scar” or new skin with pigment that is slightly darker or lighter than the original.
It’s important to know that acne scars can develop even if you don’t touch or pop your acne.
Do You Really Have Scars? (Or Just Marks?)
Many people mistaken other skin conditions such as hyperpigmentation or erythema as “acne scars”. However, real acne scars don’t go way easily. To your skin, an acne scar is already “fixed” meaning your body did the job to heal the infected area. It doesn’t know how good of a job it has done or if the color looks “off”.
If you discover some marks on our face after an acne breakout that hasn’t gone away in weeks, then chances are, those are acne scars.
Being able to recognize acne scars can help you get rid of them after by applying the correct treatments.
Ways to Get Rid of Acne Scars Fast
- Use a Dark Spot Corrector – Usually contains with Vitamin C and retinol, dark spot correctors are helping to penetrate the skin and brighten dark marks.
- Use Acne Treatments (Drugstore) – There are a few great acne treatment solutions that you can find at the drugstore. These treatments usually help to dry out your pimple and provide means for quick healing.
- Use Silicone Scar Treatment Sheets – These sheets are great for hydrating the skin and promote collagen production.
- Use a Retinol Cream – These creams help to protect your skin from further damage and increases the production of collagen. They are mainly used as a ant-aging cream but you can use them effectively for acne scars as well.
- Use a Sun screen – Prevent your scars from getting darker by applying some sunscreen while doing outdoor activities.
- Use a Tone Correcting Serum – These products help to promote collagen product and reduces the appearance of brown or dark marks.
- Use a Post-Acne Spot Lightening Gel – Usually contains skin lightning ingredients like hydroquinone to reduce post-acne discoloration and dark spots.
- Use a Chemical Peel – This method requires adding a chemical peel on your scars. It gently peels off the surface of your skin (thin layer) and forces your skin to rebuild that layer and create new skin.
- Try Laser Treatment – This solution involves using lasers (controlled heat) to target specific areas of the skin. By doing so, it forces your body to rebuild new skin. This is a very effective treatment for dealing with acne scars. You should consult your doctor first if you are considering this method. Be warned that this method usually takes 4-6 treatments before it can be effective. Each treatment is also quite pricey.
- Try Derma Fillers – This is a temporary solution but it works fast. Derma fillers is a method to inject Hyaluronic Acid into the depressions of the skin which will fill and restore its appearance.
The best prevention method of acne scars is to have a great skincare routine and to prevent breakouts as much as possible. However, if do find yourself with scars, Try one of the methods above and see which one works best for you.