Acne breakouts can be frustratingly annoying at times, more so when it affects the appearance of your skin. However, like any other medical conditions that are curable, acne and its scars can be treated.
Before you start treating your acne scars, you will have to treat any active breakouts so that it doesn’t worsen your skin condition or cause new scars to form. On top of that, prolonged breakouts can cause you to experience emotional distress that may affect your self-esteem.
If you want to regain your confidence and restore your skin’s condition, continue reading this article to find out how you can treat your acne scars along with the available acne scar removal treatment in Singapore.
What causes acne?
Anyone who has experienced acne before would know how frustrating it can be to get rid of active breakouts. That’s because acne is a skin condition that occurs when the hair follicles on your skin are plugged with oil and dead skin cells, causing whiteheads, blackheads, or pimples to develop.
You see, every pore of your skin is the opening to a follicle, which is made up of hair and a sebaceous gland. The gland releases oily liquid known as sebum, which travels up the hair, out of the pore, and onto your skin. This helps to keep your skin lubricated and soft.
However, when there’s an overproduction of sebum, it causes pimple or acne to develop due to the accumulation of dead skin cells and bacteria in the pores. Aside from hormonal factors, other factors of acne include medication, diet, and family history.
How to treat acne scars?
Before we discuss the treatment methods, let’s understand how acne scars are formed. Generally, acne scars are formed when a breakout penetrates the skin deeply and damages the tissues beneath it.
When the skin is unable to regenerate itself, the wound is replaced by granulation tissue which is made up of collagen. Working from the inside out, the collagen may help to heal the damaged area, but the scar may remain visible.
There are three types of acne scars – atrophic, hypertrophic, and dark spots. The first type commonly forms when insufficient amounts of collagen are produced while the wound is healing. Meanwhile, hypertrophic scars form when there’s too much collagen during the healing process. Dark spots, however, are not scars but these marks will fade over time on their own.
Like most curable skin condition, acne scars can be treated in two ways – home remedies or medical treatment. Before you start any treatment, it’s best to consult your doctor or see a dermatologist to determine the right treatment for your skin condition.
At-home treatments
Many ingredients can help treat acne such as salicylic acid, retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids, lactic acid, and natural remedies.
1. Salicylic acid
Known for reducing acne by exfoliating the skin and keeping pores clear, salicylic acid works best to treat acne scars and prevent future breakouts. Available in facial cleansers, lotions, and spot treatments, it works to penetrate the skin to dissolve dead skin cells that are clogging the pores. If you have sensitive skin, you may have to use it less often or try spot treating your acne scars.
2. Retinoids
Topical retinoids are another acne treatment with scar-smoothing benefits. Aside from speeding up cell regeneration and improving skin texture, retinoids can help reduce discolouration and make scars less visible. However, they can make your skin especially sensitive to the sun. So, always wear sunscreen when you use anything that contains retinoids.
3. Lactic acid
Typically used to treat hyperpigmentation and age spots, lactic acid can act as a gentle peel to pull away dead skin cells. Not only that, but it can also help to reduce the appearance of your acne scars and smooth the overall texture of the skin. This acid is commonly found in various acne products such as chemical home peels, serums, and ointments.
5. Natural remedies
While the science behind natural remedies remains unclear, they’re often used to help clear up acne scars. Some of these remedies include the use of apple cider vinegar, honey, cinnamon, lemon juice, cinnamon, tea tree oil, etc. As these ingredients lack clinical evidence for their efficacy in treating acne scars, they’re best used with caution to prevent skin irritation or other problems.
Medical treatments
If home remedies don’t seem to help improve your skin condition and remove your acne scars, consult a skin care specialist or dermatologist who will help with your acne scar treatment.
1. Chemical peels
Different from the sheet masks that you put on while binge-watching your favourite shows on TV, chemical peels use strong acids to remove the top layer of your skin to reduce the appearance of deep acne scars. Some are mild enough to be used at home, so consult your skincare specialist and find out the best acne scar removal treatment for your skin.
2. Dermabrasion
This procedure is potentially one of the most effective and common acne scar treatments. Skincare specialists typically use a wire brush or a type of wheel to deeply exfoliate the top layer of the skin. It works best on scars that are close to the surface of the skin like a shallow boxcar or rolling scars. Deep acne scars may also become less noticeable.
3. Laser resurfacing
Much like chemical peels and dermabrasion, laser resurfacing uses heat energy to stimulate skin rejuvenation while removing the top layer of your skin. This treatment typically has a faster healing time, but you’ll have to keep the area covered until it’s completely healed. Unfortunately, laser resurfacing isn’t for everyone, especially those with active breakouts and dark skin tone.
4. Fillers
Skincare specialists generally use fillers to fill in acne scars and help even out the skin. It can either be made from collagen, your own fat, or even a commercial filler. They’re injected under the skin’s surface to help plump up and smooth out depressed scars. Most fillers typically last between 6 and 18 months before they need to be redone.
Now that you’ve learned about acne scar treatment, here’s how Eeva Medical Clinic can help with your acne scar removal in Singapore.
Helmed by lady doctors with a collective experience of more than 40 years in family practice and medical aesthetics, we understand the various concerns and effects related to acne as we have experienced it ourselves. Hence, a consultation is necessary to draw up the right treatment method for your acne scar removal.
