Remember when your mom told you not to squeeze or pop your pimples? As an adult with acne scars, you probably wish you had listened to her. Unfortunately, even if you did listen to her, you may still have acne scars.
Acne scars can develop from inflamed blemishes that penetrate and damage the skin. The more severe your acne is, the more likely it is to leave a scar after it goes away. And even if you were lucky enough not to get acne as a teenager, you may still develop acne as an adult, and acne scars after the acne has gone away.
Acne is common. In fact, it’s the most common skin condition in the United States. It affects about 85% of teens and young adults.
Acne scars form when your skin is damaged, either by picking or popping your blemishes or when blemishes erupt and damage the surrounding skin. Your skin generates collagen to help heal the damaged skin.
Sometimes your body creates too much collagen, leaving a raised scar, called a hypertrophic or keloid scar. Sometimes it doesn’t produce enough collagen, leaving you with a depressed scar, also called an atrophic or pit scar.
The first step in treating your acne scars is to clear up your acne. The sooner you clear up your acne, the less likely scarring will occur.
Fortunately, you don’t have to live with acne scars. You can make your acne experience a thing of the past with the help of several different treatment options.
We at Los Gatos Dermatology, under the direction of Bruce Saal, MD, offer several different treatment options. With his expertise in acne scar removal, he recommends the best treatment, or combination of treatments, to help you achieve your skin goals. Treatment options include:
Medications such as topical retinoids and other oral or topical acne-fighting products can help clear up acne breakouts as well as help fade dark spots left by acne.
Laser skin resurfacing removes the top layer of skin to tighten and improve your skin’s texture and tone. In addition to improving the appearance of acne scars, it can also treat sun damage, age spots, and any other hyperpigmentation on your skin.
This treatment helps your skin by tightening and smoothing for an overall improved, youthful appearance.
Fillers such as Juvederm® XC injectable can help raise the surrounding skin so that it’s more even and uniform. This treatment is not permanent and should be repeated every few months.
If you’re ready to get rid of your acne scars, call us at Los Gatos Dermatology for an appointment today.
