Pick a language
English flag Italian flag Korean flag Portuguese flag German flag French flag Spanish flag Japanese flag Russian flag Greek flag Dutch flag                               
 

How to Get Rid of Acne Scars

November 7th, 2009 by admin
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (33)
Loading ... Loading ...
Republish     Print This Guide Print This Guide     Email This Post Email This Post        
 

Acne Scar Treatments

Before committing to any specific method of treatment for your scarring, make sure you do a LOT of research first. Every treatment option has pros and cons, and every treatment option will improve the appearance of some people's scars while worsening the appearance of others. These treatments can also be very expensive, which means you need to be very selective about your dermatologist – sometimes they're in it for their patients, other times they're in it for the money. Here are some tips to help you pick the right skin doc for you:
  • When initially selecting a dermatologist, visit several different ones. Contrast what the different doctors tell you and follow it up with a little research of your own to determine which one is really the best for you. Beware of doctors that pressure you to commit on the first visit and push new and expensive procedures on you. Search for the doctors name (with quotes) in a search engine like Google and see what you find. If you're not comfortable with any of them, move on and keep looking.
  • Get each doctor to tell you very specifically what course of treatments they would prescribe for your scarring, and then get them to explain to you in plain english exactly why they are prescribing that particular course. If you think you may forget, write it down or bring along a voice recorder. Follow up their advice with your own research and if you receive opposing treatment plans, bring them up to other dermatologists and see how well they respond.
  • Search in google Box recording device Showing files of patient
  • Insist on seeing before and after pictures of their previous patients. How many of the people in the ‘before' pictures have scarring that resembles yours? Can you contact any of these people?
  • How long have they been practicing dermatologists? What treatments do they have experience prescribing and performing?
Some people who have had their acne scars successfully treated report that as they age, the scarring gradually returns. Other people who have been unable to reduce their scarring report the exact opposite effect. My point is that everyone is different. Be realistic with your expectations and above all: research, research, research! Try to get in contact with people who have successfully treated scarring that is similar to your own and learn what they did. Sometimes you can find these people through dermatologists, support groups, and online forums and communities. We've added some links to a few online sources at the end of this article. Now on to the treatments: Subcision

Subcision

Cost: Up to $1000 per treatment. Procedure: Subcision is a treatment where the upper layer of skin is detached from the deeper tissue, allowing blood to flood into the opening and raise the skin in the treated areas. This is usually used to treat shallow and rolling scars and often requires multiple treatments.

Punch Treatments

Cost: $50-$150 per treatment. Procedure 1 - Punch Replacement: This method involves physically cutting out the entire scar and replacing it with a skin graft. Procedure 2 - Punch Excision: This method involves physically cutting out the entire scar and then stretching the surrounding skin closed around the wound and letting it heal, thus avoiding the need for a skin graft. Procedure 3 - Punch Elevation: This method is similar to subcision; it involves cutting the scar loose from the deeper tissue below it and then letting it heal. This usually results in the treated area elevating slightly, which can diminish the appearance of certain types of scarring.

Chemical Peels

Cost: $600-$800 per treatment. Procedure: One of many different types of acid is applied to the skin, allowed to sit for a period of time and then removed. The acid removes the top-most layer of skin. This usually results in a slightly smoother end result and is helpful for very mild scarring. Chemical peel

Dermabrasion

Cost: $1200-$2000 per treatment. Procedure: Dermabrasion (not to be confused with microdermabrasion) is a process where the top-most layer of skin is removed mechanically. The skin to be treated is first numbed, and then a rotating abrasive disk is used to ‘sand' off the top-most layer of skin. This is a painful procedure and does require some down time. Many people who have tried this approach have found that it provides only short-term results, and that the scars do grow back over time. Before and after laser resurfacing

Laser Resurfacing

Cost: $2500+ per treatment. Procedure: This is very similar to dermabrasion in that it involves physically removing the upper-most layer of skin to achieve a smoother effect – but instead of abrasive disks or pads, lasers are used. This is very expensive and the results appear to be very similar to those reported by people who have undergone dermabrasion – the scars can return. Acne.org has started collecting people's experiences with the above treatments. If you are considering any of them, you should definitely check them out here: Acne.org's Acne scar treatments section.

Acne Scar Creams

Proactiv acne cream There is certainly no shortage of creams and balms that claim to cure everything from impotence to scarring, but do they work? Most of the reports we have found say “no", however there are always a few who claim success with these methods, so here is a list of the ones we have found that have had at least one reported success story associated with them (and we only found two!).
  • Creams containing cocoa butter and vitamin E help keep your skin soft, elastic and healthy. Regular use of such creams may help scars diminish naturally over time. We would recommend combining this with an overall healthy lifestyle.
  • Apply a 3x solution of medical-grade hydrofluoric acid (or a product which contains it) to the scarred area twice daily for one to two weeks. Do this ONLY under the supervision of your dermatologist because this CAN damage your skin.
Do you have a remedy or tip that can help other visitors to this page? Please share it with them using the form at the bottom of this page.

Offsite Resources


Get rid of acne scars and have smoother skin with Acnezine.
ads

Ask a question


Powered by Ask A Question

    Pages: 1 2





     

     
    Previous Tips »
    1. ashleigh Says:

      Take accutane if you have severe acne… especially cystic acne… it’s the only thing that worked for me…. and yeah don’t pick at your acne because I have scars now…

    2. oh my Says:

      I need help…

      I’m a college freshman and all the girls I know have grown out of their acne stage, I however still look like I’m 16 and have acne… I have to perform on stage and i wash my face every night, and i don’t mind the occasional zit, (it’ll happen) but my scars on my face are embarrassing, I would like for suggestions to regrow skin that will make me feel pretty again :(

    3. Avalisa Says:

      I swear by a product called Witch Hazel!!! You can even buy it at walmart for about 3-4 dollars. It is a god send. If you have never used it then you really should try it, and its also good for soooo many other things!!! Like cold sores and genital herpes…If you have an outbreak then apply witch hazel to it very often and it does something special to the virus & you most likely wont get another one again or if you do it will be less severe and as time goes by and you age the outbreaks get less and less (I researched that over 80% of people have the cold sore virus..it’s actually a form of the herpes virus..but you can get it just from using utensils or glasses at a restaurant or from touching a surface that someone else touched that had the virus…so what I’m saying is that the cold sore virus is so very common and most people have the virus but don’t even know it because they have not had an outbreak.)
      Anyways, Witch Hazel is a little like rubbing alcohol but it does not over-dry the skin like alcohol does. It is awesome for pimples I swear! When I use it the redness and swelling begin to shrink almost before my eyes!!! Here is what I do: First wash face well using a natural bar soap containing Glycerin..Next-Apply alot of witch Hazel to whole face using a cotton ball and apply more to zits. Sometimes I even pour a little witch hazel in my palms and kinda splash/rub it onto my face, then I let it air dry and then I apply pure aloe vera gel to my whole face. (If you can get a live plant it is the best for is tworks great, and on burns too…also for healing as well so helps with scarring). This helps me tremendously. Don’t wash your face too much because it can lead to over-drying of your skin which then causes skin to over-produce oil…see the cycle there…Anyway I hope this helps! Now if only I could find the miracle cure for my old acne scars from before I found witch hazel but the aloe vera gel does work well for healing…but the best cure for an scar from picking a pimple I think is to just not pick it…which is hard for me to do sometimes because it feels so good in a way…:(…but I would much rather have smooth,soft & blemish-free radiant skin!

    4. Amanda Says:

      I used to have chronic cystical acne…like it was acne that would start out as knots under my skin…I went to see a doctor and he told me antibiotics work and will probably be the only thing that could work for me and when I planned to go to my next appointment to get the meds things came up which forced me not able to go and then shortly after i moved. When i moved i met this girl who had scars on her face i could tell it was from acne so i asked her “how is your skin so clear” and she told me about this medication you can get at walmart.Its called Natures Cure. Its about 8$ a box and it comes with a 30 day supply of pills that you take one in the morning and one in the evening and a tube of cream to put on aswell. Theres 2 kinds one for women and men. Days after i bought it and began to use it my acne was almost gone….it was truely a miracle worker.

      Before then i had acne from 7th grade till the end of my freshmen year. Like others ive tried it all proactive and all that did was make my skin waaaay worse and red. Acne free andything you can think of i for sure have bought and used.
      Hope anyone with the same problems buy it and get the same results!

    5. anna Says:

      DO NOT PICK YOUR PIMPLES!!! although it seems as if your helping, or its a habit of yours, dont do it! i made that mistake and now, even though my acne is gone from accutane (i reccomend it) i still have scars from picking and popping. dont do it, take it from a girl who had acne for 4 years!

    6. elizabeth Says:

      To anyone suffering from acne, I recommend roacutane strongly. There has been a lot of bad press about the drug and the side effects sound horrific but i was on the medication for 6 months and it completely cleared my skin with occassional dry skin being the worst side effect. 100% worth it and you will feel so much happier.

    7. kelly Says:

      i had back acne and i worked really on getting rid of itand know that it is gone i can see the scars from all the times i itched it. so help me

    8. Danail Says:

      I’m only 16 but i have had acne for like 3 years now and it stresses me soo much…. it’s difficult to explain, so i started taking “Oxytetracycline” Tablets (250mg) since i got them perscribed from my doctor and i take Two Twice a Day (so 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening) & you know what? I think they actually work (they take 2 months or more) but the only problem is the fact that i used to pop my spots and play with them so now i have like dark scars or something and im scared that they will not go away. I seriously suggest that as stupid as this might sound: if you can you should take a holiday to a hot country by the beach because salty water & sun are REALLY REALLY good for the acne and im not kidding but then again 2or 3 days are not going to make that much difference.

    9. Mary Says:

      Try Brenese facial rejuvenating cream. My sister had a bad case of acne scars. Her skin is sensitive and any product with chemicals just made it worse. She tried the cream and after two weeks she could not believe how good her skin felt. No scars and younger. I do not have any scars but I now use the cream because it give me a young healthy complection without the chemicals.

    10. lily Says:

      Try La Mer, it made my red and brown scars disappear in two weeks. Considering the money i spent on visits to the derma and other useless face products, i find that its well worth it. And its the only product that performs what it preaches.

    11. derek Says:

      If no one has tried this method yet, i encourage it since it helped me with my scenario. Try swimming in a pool with chlorine in it, chlorine will destroy the bacteria on your face and clear it up - as it did for me…however after not swimming for awhile my acne started to come back…so when that happens just stay clear from your face (not to touch) and use a cream from you doctor if you can, as well as drink water. good luck!

    12. Brian Says:

      I need treatment for boxcar and hypertropic scaring… Any help for medications people?

    13. Ellie Says:

      Does anyone have any tips on how to help ice pick scars? Mine is the same colour as my skin tone, which makes it harder to get rid of etc. amd it is fustrating! I have treid things like rose oil, which atm, after weeks of using hasnt made the slkightest diff. People say il never get rid lof them, and tht theyre there for life.Anyone got any tips?

    14. Lisa Says:

      I am 26 years old and I have had acne since I was 15. I have tried everything from Murad, Proactive, Acne Free, antibiotics, topical creams let me tell you…..I just recently ordered that Skin ID that you see on TV and I have only been using it for a couple of weeks but let me tell you…praise the Lord because I have noticed a big difference. It did make me break out first but the acne is clearing up and my pores are shrinking! As for scars….well I am still searching for a remedy for that……

    15. Mary Anne Says:

      hey….i have the same problem as scars but the quickest way to get rid of them is by dapping ur face with ice cubes everyday and applying lime juice on scars.But remember dunt rub d lime juice all over ur face as it dries up ur skin…

    16. Dan Says:

      I have had acne for years. Even since I was in probably grade 7 and I am now in fourth year University. I have been trying new things all the time (while still allowing time for each treatment to make sure that it really works or not). This is the first year I have seen positive results in my skin.

      I do have tips on what worked for me, but you must remember that everyone is different and the cause of acne is different depending on your lifestyle and chemical makeup in your body.

      The most important thing I can ever tell you is DO NOT PICK AT YOUR SKIN WHATEVER YOU DO! DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE!!!! I cannot stress that enough! I now have clear skin but have a lot of scars on my face and wish that i could turn back time and never pick at my skin. Not only does picking lead to scars, but it also makes your acne worse!

      These are the products that I use that you may want to try out (note that I do have a dermatologist so talk to them first)
      - Clindoxyl gel (I use it every night and it is effective and does not dry out your skin)

      - Clindets (These are individually wrapped towelettes that are AMAZING for back-acne (or backne) I STRONGLY recommend this. I used it every morning and night at first, and as I started to see results I began using it only at night

      - Doxycycline (a pill taken once or twice a day. It takes a few months to work when you first begin using, so give it time. It also makes you extremely photosensitive so be sure to stay out of the sun when using)

      - Brewers Yeast (pills that you can find at a health food store. It is a blood cleanser and is good for people who think that it is their chemical makeup that affects their skin. I take 2 in the morning and night)

      - Bare Minerals Makeup (you can find this at Sephora, some drugstores, and online. It is 100% mineral makeup so that you don’t clog your pores during the day)

      - Gisel (www.mygisele.com I use the Lavender cleanser and Peppermint Skin clarifier. They are all natural and wont dry out your skin)

      I know this is a lot of products to use but this is what works for me. It is definitely worth a try. Talk to your dermatologist about the Clindoxyl, Clindets, and Doxycycline and the other products you do not need a prescription for.

      GOOD LUCK! I know how awful it can feel to go through having acne but just stay positive and keep looking for solutions!

    17. shantiara herriott Says:

      i wonder how u get rid of acne because mine are still on my face and how to get rid of blackheads.

    18. eureka! again.. Says:

      oh hi again!!
      just to let u guys know that i’ve been to some weird research about different types of acne scars and how to treat them, turns out to be that it works for some but IT DOESNT ACTUALLY OR COMPLETELY REMOVE UR SCARS! all it does is to minimize it or appear it to be the same colour of ur skin. just giving u the highlights. but people, dont go extreme measures just to get rid of scars, i know how u guys feel of hving this cuz i hv it and it sucks! but mine is slowy vanishing and im no putting any scar cream! but this will take a long period of time! and i cant be patient! i hv, i THINK i hv ‘HYPERTROPHIC SCARS’. lolx. i wish the scientis or doctors would come out a CURE for completely vanishing this scars!!! and i mean comppletely!!!

    19. eureka! again.. Says:

      hi hi again!!!
      ever since i use clearasil for my acne, it is slowy removing my big, deep pimple. but now it seems to be risng up closer to the surface of my skin. u know, deep pimples means that they’re deeper in ur skin and closer t ur veins. hving this kind of pimple can hurt reall bad and its imposible to pop it out. mediction is only the way. as i was saying, using ‘clearasil’ for abt a week for this pimple of mine is showing god results. nw, my pimple is quite a little bit close to the surface and this morning i press it and some oil came out but not the ’seed’. in acne there’s always a ’seed’ and its while in colour. must take it out cuz this ’seed’ is like a plant!! it keeps growing in different areas. belive me, i kknow. well TTFN!

    20. je Says:

      its me again i almost for got to mention another thing that helped me a lot with a scar and i need to use it again but i just had forgotten vitamin E is great for scars well for me it worked great one time when i went to the doctor he recommended it an i saw results fast maybe you should try it… it worked for me and helped with other bad scars that i had for years and there gone…ok this is what you do you just buy the caplets of vitamin E at wal-mart or a drug store. the vitamin is inside the pill make a hole in it an apply to scars over night an use it every nigh till they fade away and hopefully it will work for u it did for me!!!! good luck hope i helped some one!!!

    Previous Tips »


     





    Copyright © 2007 by howtogetridofstuff.com