During your teenage years, you probably couldn’t wait for your acne to go away. But sometimes once you are free of the acne, you can be left with lasting acne scarring, which can be very upsetting. It’s almost worse than the acne was, because it can seem like you’re stuck with it forever. Don’t worry; there are treatments out there that can help you. The first step is to learn a little about what type of acne scarring you have, which will help you to choose a treatment option to help to reduce or get rid of it.

Kinds of Acne Scarring

Acne scarring occurs in different forms. The simplest and most common is just a discoloration of the skin, either a dark pigmentation or a red area. “Ice pick” scars look like small deep oval pits on the face, while the similar “box car” scars are also deep but more straight-edged. Rolling scars are beneath the surface of the skin and appear as hills and valleys on the face. Hypertrophic scars are inflamed, raised and red in appearance.

Handling Acne Scarring

Once you have figured out which kind of scarring you have, you and your dermatologist can decide on a what kind of scar removal treatment will work best for you. The easiest type of acne scarring to treat is discoloration. There are even over-the-counter lotions and creams that are meant to correct this type of acne scarring, though it is still best to consult your doctor. Dermatologists can also prescribe stronger treatments than the ones available in stores. If you have only mild discoloration from acne scarring, one of these products may clear the problem up easily.

If you have a more serious form of acne scarring, you might want to consider micro-dermabrasion, laser scar removal, or a chemical peel. All of these treatments actually remove the top layer of skin, using mechanical methods, lasers, or chemicals. They usually require several treatments and a period of healing. Microdermabrasion is also used as an acne cure.

In very severe cases of certain types of acne scarring, surgery may be recommended. Rolling scars are one type of acne scarring that are treated this way, usually by a surgery called subcision, which is done by inserting a needle or scalpel under the skin and breaking up the adhesions. Chemical or laser peels sometimes follow this surgery, which can be quite expensive.

There is no one treatment that is best for all forms of acne. Be sure to check with your doctor to find out which one is right for you.

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