Acne breakouts can affect a person not only physically, but mentally as well. However, even if the acne breakout has healed, it leaves behind unsightly acne scars, an aftermath that has the same, if not worse, effect on a person’s mental well-being,
What Causes Acne Scarring?
In most cases, acne scars, pimple scars, or acne markings are created by enlarged pores and inflammatory lesions that leave a breach in the follicular wall. When the body tries to mend itself by generating new collagen fibers to get the injured tissue replaced, the results aren’t always as flawless and smooth as previously. When a wound mends, the body may generate too little or too much collagen, resulting in an indentation on the surface of the skin or a raised tissue. Many individuals are worried about whether or not these acne scars could be eliminated.
What Is The Difference Between Hypertrophic And Atrophic Acne Scars?
Atrophic scars are caused by a lack of collagen remodeling, which results in uneven skin texture and depression. In other terms, these scars cause tissue loss. Atrophic scars are further classified as rolling, ice-pick, and boxcar scars.
Boxcar scars are large depressions with distinct borders. The shape of rolling scars is angular, with a sloping edge and broad depressions. Ice-pick scars are thin, pitted, and deep scars.
Hypertrophic scars are raised, thick scars that occur as a result of an aberrant wound healing reaction. The difference between atrophic and hypertrophic scars is that hypertrophic scars are caused by too much collagen formation, resulting in the appearance of a lumpy scar on the skin, whereas atrophic scars are caused by a significant loss of skin tissue, resulting in a depressed scar that could take different forms.
Acne Scar Treatments
CO2 Fractional Laser
The fractional CO2 laser is an acne scar treatment that induces collagen synthesis through microscopic thermal damage while leaving the surrounding healthy tissues untouched. The skin would then begin to fix itself, and the formation of new collagen would help to smooth out the scarring.
The procedure takes 30 to 60 minutes (such as the administration of local anesthetic) and is best performed over 5 to 10 sessions, based on the acne scars’ initial severity. Most people find the treatment acceptable. Some swelling or redness is to be anticipated following the treatment and would normally go away in the first week. Because fractional CO2 laser is an incredibly customized procedure, your cosmetic doctor may tailor treatment settings to your specific skin condition and type.
In addition to treating atrophic, depressed acne scars, fractional CO2 lasers may address uneven skin texture, and enlarged pores, and improve overall skin regeneration.
Microneedling Using Radiofrequency
Radiofrequency (RF) micro-needling is a therapy that’s proven to enhance the appearance of deep acne scars in clients.
Your cosmetic doctor could enhance collagen remodeling in the skin by administering repeated passes at varying skin depths, smoothing out acne scars and possibly tightening the skin.
Subcision
Subcision is a process that involves using a tiny needle to shatter the tight collagen bands manually linked to the skin beneath the scar. This acne scar treatment is much more suited to rolling scars.
During the procedure, a hypodermic needle would be injected into the skin behind the scar. Then the needle is pushed back and forth beneath the tissues in your skin in a “fanning” manner to smoothen out your scars and release the skin tissue.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers fill in places where there’s volume loss. Most dermal fillers are composed mostly of hyaluronic acid (HA) and are used to replace volume loss in face regions caused by aging. Fillers, like in atrophic acne scars, assist to raise the scar tissues, thereby leveling out the skin’s appearance to match the surrounding skin.
