08
Dec
The Best Treatment for Acne Scars
There is a lot of readily available information about how to treat acne and prevent acne breakouts, but what if acne leaves something behind? Acne can cause permanent discoloration and textural changes to your skin, literally scarring you for life. Fortunately, Kirsch Dermatology offers several treatments for acne scars that can restore smooth, even, blemish-free skin.
Why Acne Scars Develop
Acne scars may form when acne doesn’t heal properly. For example, if acne blemishes are irritated, scratched, rubbed, or frequently picked at, it can lead to poor healing that results in a scar. Significant acne breakouts in which many blemishes appear, as well as chronic acne, can also be more likely to leave permanent scarring and/or discoloration. Even if special care is taken to minimize, treat, reduce, and prevent acne, acne scars can still develop. Acne scars are more likely to occur with more severe types of acne, such as chronic or hormonal cystic acne.
Treatment for Acne Scars
If you are bothered by your acne scars, Dr. Kirsch can recommend the following treatments to repair your skin.
Subcision
In some cases, acne scars may be treated with subcision. This is a minor surgical procedure that requires no incisions. For the procedure, a needle is moved back and forth beneath the scar tissue. This causes the scar tissue to break up and helps even out skin texture.
Medication
If you have severe, scarring acne that is chronic, medication may be recommended to help minimize current scarring and prevent future acne scars. Isotretinoin is an aggressive medication that can reduce acne, minimize oil production, and restore healthier, more balanced skin.
Fraxel® Laser Treatment
Fraxel® laser treatments can also be administered to effectively eliminate acne scars. The Fraxel® laser destroys the damaged scar tissue left by acne lesions so that the body can create new, healthy skin cells in its place. Most patients will need approximately 3 to 5 treatment sessions spaced a few weeks apart. The results are immediate and progressive as the body heals and produces new collagen to improve skin texture and appearance.
What You Can Do at Home
In addition to these acne scar treatments, there are steps you can take at home to minimize acne scars and reduce the likelihood that they will develop after future acne flare-ups.
- Use Gentle Cleansers: Often, acne scars develop or worsen due to harsh, abrasive cleansers. It may be tempting to use strong cleansers when dealing with acne breakouts, but many of these types of cleansers can actually worsen acne and increase the risk of scarring. Instead, use a mild, gentle cleanser twice a day to help acne heal properly and reduce acne scarring.
- Don’t Touch: Resist the temptation to pick at, scratch, squeeze, or pop pimples. Doing so introduces more bacteria and spreads inflammation in the area, making it harder for your body to heal. Avoid touching acne breakouts except with clean hands, and then touch your skin only to wash and moisturize it.
- Use Moisturizer and Sunscreen: Sun exposure can dry out the skin, causing it to overproduce oil. While your skin’s natural oil barrier is an essential part of healthy skin, excess oil production often leads to acne breakouts. Applying moisturizer and sunscreen daily protects the skin and helps reduce the likelihood of breakouts and future scarring.
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but sometimes all the efforts in the world aren’t enough to prevent acne scars from forming. With the treatments offered at Kirsch Dermatology, you can get the best treatment for acne scars and finally look forward to smooth, blemish-free skin.
If you are looking for a way to treat acne scars, Kirsch Dermatology can help. To schedule your appointment with Dr. Kirsch today, call (239) 300-9767 or contact Kirsch Dermatology online.
