acne scars – Top Health Today

For some, acne only brought an unpleasant pimple or two during the teen years. For others, acne blemishes were an on-going threat to appearance and confidence. Even if the pimples themselves were left in the past, the acne scars can remain to remind you of the times you were ostracized or bullied because of your bad complexion. Now, those scars can also be a thing of the past with special procedures that use facial fillers to reduce their appearance and give you a smoother and more attractive appearance.

What Are Acne Scars?

For people who suffered drastically with acne in their younger years, the pain may not go away as they leave puberty behind and become an adult. Now, instead of pimples and blemishes, they have scars and pits on their cheeks, chin, jawline, and forehead. Acne scars are categorized into various types such as rolling, ice pick, and boxcar.

Rolling Acne Scars– These are long, relatively shallow scars that appear almost like waves of damaged skin. If you can gently pull your skin smooth with your fingers, this is probably the type of acne scars you have.
Ice Pick Scars– These show up as narrow and deep holes in your facial skin.
Boxcar Acne Scars– These are named because the scars are wide and deep with well-defined edges. They look like small boxes sunk into your face.

What Can Facial Fillers Do?

No matter what type of acne scars you have, facial fillers can help reduce their appearance and give you a smoother face. All facial fillers are injected by a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon. The most common types are called hyaluronic acid dermal fillers and come under a few brand names such as Juvederm and Restylane. Your doctor will probably have a favorite brand and let you know which one will work best for your particular scar situation.

This acid is naturally found in your skin and body. Injecting more of it into the skin around and under the acne scars helps them fill up and smooth out once again. This procedure is done in the office usually takes 1 to 2 hours depending on the amount of scarring you want to be filled. There may be some redness or swelling for a day or two, but soon you will be able to enjoy your smoother complexion.

The main problem with hyaluronic acid fillers is that they are not permanent. Because the gel-like material is natural, it does get reabsorbed into the body over time. Most acne scar fills last about a year. For the relatively affordable price of this procedure, a year of smooth cheeks and chin is worth it. A year of no shame and lack of self-confidence can certainly change your life.

There are more permanent and more expensive options in facial fillers that do not use hyaluronic acid. Instead, some inject collagen. This lasts a lot longer and also costs more, but the value may be worth it to you. No matter what product you choose or your doctor recommends, using facial fillers to reduce the appearance of acne scars can give you the smooth skin you always wanted. Leave behind the ugly reminder of teenage breakouts and step forward with new confidence.

With acne being the most common skin condition in the US you would think there would be more solid information available. Many people believe that acne should be left to run its course and it will go away. However, without proper treatment, acne can lead to dark spots and permanent scars. Additionally, acne and acne scarring can lead to a drop in a person’s self-esteem.

It isn’t just about hormonal teenagers anymore either, women in their 30’s, 40’s and beyond are dealing with outbreaks in growing numbers.

While the majority of us have various scars across our bodies, from stretch marks, accidents, and beyond, there is something about facial scars that is most upsetting.

There are a number of treatments for acne scars, from laser treatment to dermabrasion, chemical peels to subscision, and fillers.

What’s the difference between acne scars and other scars? Is there one?

Well yes, and actually there are many types of acne scarring. Dark spots that appear after the lesion itself heals are only temporary, and they generally go away within two to six months. They are not true scars, as they are temporary.

A true acne scar is a permanent elevation, depression or white area of the skin. This is most common after cystic acne, which are deep lesions that are hard and tender. However, scarring can be left after pustular acne, which are clogged pores with pus in them. A true scar has a firmer texture than the skin that surrounds it. The two categories are atrophic, which is a loss of tissues, and then hypertrophic, which is an excess of tissue.

To make things more complicated, there are different shapes to acne scars. The ice pick scar is a deep scar that has a narrow opening at the skin- it’s called ice pick because it looks as though a tiny ice pick has been used to puncture the skin.

The other acne scars generally affect the surface of the skin, and can have almost box like walls (boxcar), sharp definitions (keloid), or rolling soft shoulders (rolling). Another type of scarring from acne may look like enlarged pores where acne was active.

The best way to avoid scarring is by actively treating the acne itself, however, not everyone has that luxury and many people are dealing with their teenage scars as adults. As mentioned above there are a number of treatments to reduce or remove acne scarring. It can have a deep effect on self-esteem.

To help control scarring there are a number of steps you can take to limit their impact. Be careful in the sun, if you’re heading out into the sunshine cover up with SPF 30 or higher. Additionally, avoid using Vitamin E. According to a study from the University of Miami using Vitamin E on had adverse effects in 33% of cases, while 90% of cases saw no improvement or it made matters worse.

Most importantly, resist the temptation to pick or squeeze pimples.

Facial Fillers to Reduce Acne Scars

What Are Acne Scars?

What Can Facial Fillers Do?

Are acne scars different than other scars?

What’s the difference between acne scars and other scars? Is there one?