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Acne is a skin condition that happens to over 80% of humans all over the world. It is in fact the bane of many a teenager. Almost every teenager will get acne at one point or the other. Some outgrow it in their early 20s while others unfortunately experience it even late into their 30s and beyond.

Unfortunately for some people, this issue leaves a scar(s) in its wake. Many people are faced with the dilemma of how to get acne scarring treatment that’s best for their skin type. Truth be told, these scars are quite stubborn and as such are not easily treated. You might have to use one or two treatments or more combinations.

In this article, we will review some of these treatments and how you can get the best for you. But before we go on to that, let’s look at types of acne scars.


Types of Acne Scars

Treatment of acne scars often depends on two things; skin type and type of scar. There are two broad categories of scars and they are atrophic and hypertrophic acne scarring.


Atrophic

Atrophic scare are also known as depressed scars and they are most often on the patient’s face. They sit beneath the skin surrounding them. These types are formed because enough collagen wasn’t made when acne wound was healing.

The three types of atrophic scars are as follows:-

  1. Boxcar- They are U- shaped and wide and have sharp edges; can either be deep or shallow. The shallower ones respond better to treatment.

  2. Ice Pick – These are V- shaped and narrow and can go way beneath the surface of the skin. They appear like little oval or round holes; more like the scars from chickenpox. They are about the most difficult type to teat because of how deep they are.

  3. Rolling - They appear like wide depressions with rounded edges with a rolling and irregular appearance.


Hypertrophic

These are also referred to as raised scars because that’s what they are. They are most often found on the back and chest of patients. They are usually raised above the top of the skin surrounding the wound. They are a result of too much collagen that was made while the acne wound was healing


Types of Acne Scarring Treatments

Knowing your skin type and scar type goes a long way in determining the best type of treatment for acne scarring. If you want to embark on home treatment, you might want to click here to find out your skin type.


Home Remedies

The following are some of the home remedies that you can try:-

  1. Aloe Vera – This is a very medicinal plant that contains antioxidants and has moisturizing and soothing properties. All you need to do is scrap the pulp of the plant and slather all over the scar, leave it on for at least 30 minutes and wash off with warm water.

  2. Baking Soda – This common ingredient that can be found in almost every pantry can help to balance the pH of your skin and naturally exfoliate it. Just add one part of baking soda to two parts of water to form a paste. Apply to the affected part and leave on for a minute or two. Wash off with warm water.

  1. Honey – It is a natural moisturizer and helps regenerate the skin tissue by stimulating it. You can just rub the raw honey on your face and leave for about 30 minutes before washing it off. You can also mix the raw honey with cinnamon powder before applying it.

  2. Lemon- If the scar has left dark spots, lemon might be a good option for you. The alpha-hydroxy acid it contains is just what you need to heal the skin and lighten it. It will also help new cells to grow and give your skin elasticity. Just cut a lemon in half and rub it on the scar. Let the lemon juice soak the scar and leave it on for 15 minutes then wash off with cold water.

Note that all these treatments may make you sensitive to sunlight so you need to invest in very strong and active sunscreen. These treatments are also to be done regularly to get the best results which are not immediate. You can also use medicated creams that contain hydroxyl acids or azelaic acid. It is recommended that you stop any of these treatments if you notice any adverse effect.


Medical Procedures /Treatments

Most often, home remedies are for light scars; the more severe ones do require medical procedures / treatments. Some of these treatments are as follows:-

  1. Surgery – There are two minor procedures known as punch excision and subcision. In punch excision, the doctor cuts out the individual scars and treats the wound with either a skin graft or just stitches. For subcision, the doctor will insert needles under the skin where the scar is to loosen the fibers.

  2. Laser Resurfacing – This can either involve removing a part of the skin to allow new growth in its place or just the stimulation of collagen production. The process of removing a part of the skin is known as Ablative laser treatment while the other type is the Non- ablative laser treatment. Both types help to improve the appearance of the skin

  3. Injections – Fat, collagen or other substances are injected under the skin to plump it over the scars (best for indented scars). Due to the fact that the result of this treatment is temporary, there is need for repeated treatment. This may however, change one’s skin color.

  4. Chemical Peel- In this treatment method, a chemical solution is applied on the scar to remove the upper layer of the skin. This helps to reduce the appearance of scars that are quite deep. Medium and mild peels have to be repeated but deep peel cannot. Note that deep peel can change the color of a dark skinned person.

Check out this site: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ for more details on these treatments.


Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed 4 home remedies and 4 medical treatments for acne scars. Bear in mind that these aren’t all the types of treatments that are available. We just gave you a few of these treatments. Depending on the severity of the acne scar, it might be best to consult a dermatologist before embarking on any treatment especially home remedies. With professional help, you stand a better chance of getting the best treatment for you.