Acne Scar Removal

Most of us are forced to deal with the problems of acne throughout our adolescent years.  Unfortunately, the drama of having a pimple-free complexion before the upcoming prom can have long-term effects - characterized in the nasty form of scars.  A scar by definition is a mark left by a healed wound, sore, or burn.  In our case the healed wound is acne. The removal of acne scars and the procedures used can depend on a number of factors:

  • your age, overall health, and medical history
  • severity of the scar
  • type of scar and scar location
  • your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
  • your opinion or preference on the treatment

The damage left by the presence of acne can be simplified into two types:

Hypertrophic scarring: This type of scarring results in a growthof tissue. Excess collagen is produced, and in severe cases, large outgrowths may result.

Atrophic scarring: Characteristics of this type of scarring results in a loss of tissue. This type of scarring is much more common than hypertrophic scarring.

The best practice used for Acne Scar Removal is early treatment, but even for those who have been plagued by acne scars for a number of years there are many other alternatives for the removal of acne scars.

Some of the most common types of intense Acne Scar Removal are: Dermabrasion, Microdermabrasion, Laser therapy, Chemical therapy, and surgical procedures.

Dermabrasion-The process of buffing/sanding the skin with a sander, CO2, or Erbium: YAG Laser.  Most effective with hypertrophic scarring. Warning: can be very painful and requires months of healing!

Microdermabrasion -Through eliminating the superficial layer of the skin (epidermis), the lower layer is exposed. Keratinocytes appear in the basal layer from the proliferation of keratinocyte stem cells which experience gradual specialization until they reach the stratum corneum where they form a layer of dead, flattened, strong cells.  In English, the damaged skin is removed exposing fresher more hydrated skin which replaces the old skin.  The process generally takes a month.

Laser Therapy - Laser resurfacing is a procedure which wounds the skin using microscopic pulses of light, as the skin softens and the body regenerates softening the presence of scars.

Chemical Therapy - A chemical solution causes the skin to blister and peel off.  The regenerated skin is generally smoother.

Surgical Therapy - Through a process called subcision, the skin tissue is separated from the deeper scar tissue, allowing blood to pool which then levels off the skin.  This procedure is a primer for other treatments mentioned above.

There is hope! If you are scared of going under the knife, or the harshness of the above mentioned treatments keep reading to see what Consumers and Experts Rated the Top Acne Treatments based on the following criteria:

Safety

Side Effects

Effectiveness

Overall Value

Find the best way to remove your acne scars below…