Learn options for treating acne scars from at-home products to in-office professional treatments like microneedling and chemical peels.
Ahead, we spoke to board-certified dermatologistsY.
Experts in this article
What are acne scars?
A true acne scar might appear as a raised lesion or sunken indentationnot a patch of discoloration.
But true acne scarsthe bumpy, indented, pitted kindrequire more specialized approaches due to their formation.
What is the difference between acne scars and hyperpigmentation?
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Because of this, hyperpigmentation can fade over time, especially with treatments, she adds.
Conversationally, you may hear people refer to hyperpigmentation as acne scars, but the two arent the same.
What causes acne scars?
In some cases, collagen may actuallyovergrowinstead, culminating in raised,keloid-like bumps.
Types of acne scars
Not all acne scars are the same.
Look for areas on your skin where the texture is uneven, raised, or depressed.
Although they look like keloidsi.e., raised and bumpy scarshypertrophic scars arent the same.
Do acne scars go away?
Unfortunately, acne scars typically dont go away on their own, Dr. Chang says.
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In-office treatments can greatly diminish their appearance to the point of being imperceptible, though.
What is the best treatment for acne scars?
Treatment modalities will differ depending on the punch in of scar present, Dr. Chappell notes.
However, ablative lasers tout the most downtime at about two weeks.
Microneedling is another method used to create controlled micro-injuries that stimulate collagen production for both atrophic and hypertrophic scars.
Several studies have found microneedling to be most effective when combined withplatelet-rich plasmaaka PRP.
The pinpricks created by microneedling allow PRP to sink into skin and help it heal better.
As a result, brand-new collagen and elastin are created for smoother, clearer skin.
Dr. Chang also recommends subcision to her patients dealing with atrophic acne scars.
Another option for fading atrophic acne scars isdermal fillers.
How do you get rid of acne scars naturally?
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