Acne Scars

About 20% of people who get acne end up with acne scarring. You’re not alone if your acne scars bother you. The good news is that many effective treatments are available to reduce the appearance of your acne scars. At Cleaver Medical Group Dermatology, the dermatologists use the most advanced tools to treat acne scarring, improving your skin’s appearance. Call the office in Alpharetta, Canton, Cumming, Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Gainesville, Johns Creek and Toccoa, GA, today, or schedule an appointment online to find out more about acne scarring treatments.

What is acne scarring?

Acne scarring can occur as a result of how your skin repairs itself when damaged by acne. Acne is a common skin condition caused by a buildup of dead skin cells, oil, and bacteria in your pores.

A blemish that penetrates deep into your skin can damage the skin. When the acne clears, your skin repairs that damage using collagen. If your skin uses too much or not enough collagen to repair the skin, a scar appears.

You’re more likely to develop acne scarring if you have acne cysts or nodules. These are large, inflamed blemishes. Picking at your acne can also cause scarring. 

What kinds of acne scarring are there?

The two kinds of acne scarring are depressed scars and raised scars. Which kind of acne scarring you have determines how it will be treated.

Depressed scars

Depressed scars (atrophic scars) form when the skin doesn’t use enough collagen to repair the damage. These scars leave pits or depressions in the skin. Depressed scars most often affect the face.

Your dermatologist will describe these scars as boxcar (deep scar with sharp edges), icepick (a deep scar with a wide opening that narrows), or rolling scars (depressed scars with sloped edges).

Raised scars

Raised scars (hypertrophic scars) form when your skin makes too much collagen. Raised scars usually affect the back, chest, or shoulders and can itch or cause pain.

How is acne scarring treated?

Cleaver Medical Group Dermatology customizes acne scarring treatment based on the scars’ type and location. Some of the treatments for acne scarring include:

Skin resurfacing

Skin resurfacing procedures reduce the appearance of depressed acne scars. Laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels, and dermabrasion are skin resurfacing procedures.

Fillers

Fillers are cosmetic injections that add volume to the skin. The dermatologists at Cleaver Medical Group Dermatology will inject fillers under a depressed acne scar to smooth out the surface and improve its appearance.

Microneedling

Microneedling (collagen-induction therapy — CIT) is a cosmetic procedure that uses tiny needles that stimulate collagen production, helping fill in depressed acne scars.

Laser therapy

Cleaver Medical Group Dermatology uses laser therapy to treat depressed or raised acne scars.

Surgery

The dermatologists also perform surgery at the office to remove the depressed or raised acne scar.

Call Cleaver Medical Group Dermatology today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about acne scarring treatment.