Fortunately for sufferers of acne, today there are a large number of smoothing treatments that can be used to smooth out skin layers and for clearing the appearance of acne scarring. There are two kinds of scars: pigmented and ice-pick. Having acne for years can give your skin a rough texture in the areas where you had multiple lesions. This bumpy texture is hard to get rid of, but there are some great treatments that naturally smooth the skin out in those areas.
Pigmented scarring treatment options range from over-the-counter products to treatment practices performed by medical professionals or aestheticians.
Home remedies can often be effective in the treatment of scarring. Soaking the face in a non-comodogenic oil will loosen dead and pigmented cells. The loosened cells can then be scrubbed off using a gentle exfoliant. You can increase the rate at which cells are regenerated by applying a solution of vitamin C to the face, which will also help with clearing the pores and improving the skin balance and tone.
Over-the-counter bleaching products containing hydroquinone can be used with glycolic acid-based creams to smooth the appearance of scarring. If the acne scars are particularly severe, or does not response to this treatment, another option may be retinoid creams.
These prevent further breakouts, but more importantly, will exfoliate skin-cells in the dermis, the site of scar formation.
Dermabrasion is one of the smoothing and clearing treatments that has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years. It entails the use of a brush or other instrument which vibrates at a very high speed, smoothing and resurfacing the uppermost layers of the surface and helping to remove scars or reduce the depth of the scars.
Patients undergoing this treatment usually require several days’ recovery time. A related treatment is micro-dermabrasion, a less intense and invasive form of dermabrasion. The dermatologist or aesthetician will use a spray comprised of microscopic crystals rather than a brush to remove the upper layers of the dermis.
While the delicate nature of dermabrasion treatments means that more than one procedure may be required, the benefit of this treatment is that recovery time is much reduced.
Chemical peels are also used to lessen the appearance of acne scars. It may be administered by a medical professional such as a doctor or nurse, or by a spa aesthetician. The peel removes the outer skin layers, smoothing the face’s surface.
The strength of the peel may vary depending on the severity of the scars, and some people experience irritation and peeling for a few days afterward.
