Acne is one of the most common conditions we see in our clinic.
If your acne is making you feel self-conscious, or if breakouts are causing you pain, then our range of treatments can leave your skin feeling soothed and you feeling confident by tackling the acne at its source.
Here is our quick guide to getting rid of those acne scars and pigmentation.
What are acne scars and pigmentation?
Acne scarring can refer to a multitude of different marks that a breakout may leave behind. Acne scars come in different forms and can appear as pigmentation, or as rolling, boxcar, and ice-pick scars.
Acne scars occur when too much collagen forms in a particular spot when a wound is healing. The scar often develops within the dermis, where the original acne-caused inflammation formed.
Acne scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can both occur after a breakout, but the two are actually very different and a different approach is required when it comes to fading them.
When someone has cystic acne, there’s a higher probability of having rolling or boxcar scarring especially if they are picked at before they are ready, or too aggressively. Acne scarring is due to touching and squeezing spots. This damages small veins, glands and tissues surrounding the spots which creates scarring.
Unlike acne scarring, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is simply a form of skin pigmentation, like sun damage, which occurs as a result of trauma to the skin. As it doesn’t damage the follicle, it isn’t considered a true form of scarring. It occurs when a pimple causes the skin to become inflamed. In response to the injury, the skin produces an increased amount of melanin, (or pigment). This results in dark patches or spots.
The good news is that when it comes to getting rid of acne scars and pigmentation, there are myriad options available, from in-clinic treatments to at-home hacks.
If you’re looking to diminish rolling, boxcar or ice-pick scarring, the solution likely lies in a skin clinic. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation will fade on its own over time, but there are several options – both in-clinic and at-home – that you can utilise to speed up the process.
What are the best acne treatments?
There are many treatments out there to help fade the various forms of acne scarring – including lasers and microdermabrasion – but our best results come from micro needling.
Performed by a professional, microneedling is probably the best for scarring, and also helps reduce the signs of ageing. By making micro-wounds in the skin, we are forcing it to produce new healthy collagen and elastin which reforms the skin.
If your scars are less severe, then a chemical peel may be a great option.
What’s more, at-home peels have come a long way in recent years, and there are now plenty of excellent options that work on renewing the skin surface, reducing the depth and intensity of acne scarring. These products will exfoliate dead and darkened scar skin cells, and also kick-start your body’s natural production of collagen.