How To Get Rid Of Acne Scars

Acne scars are a natural effect of dealing with years of acne, and there’s zero shame in having them — if you’re comfortable with yours or have made them a part of your identity, that’s fantastic. If, however, you want to get rid of them or reduce their appearance, we at New River Dermatology can chat with you about a number of solutions, from effective topical creams to laser treatments. What will work best all depends on your personal skin type and the type of scarring you have. Because there is no one size fits all approach, that means consulting with a dermatology provider on our team is an essential step to take before you select a treatment. 

Ready to learn more? We’ve broken down some of our best recommendations below!

Laser resurfacing. This approach is becoming more popular, especially for use on scars once treated with dermabrasion. However, while it has a relatively fast healing time compared to other treatments, it’s not good for those who still experience breakouts — and it might not be effective for those who have a history of keloids or who have darker skin tones. 

Soft tissue fillers. Fillers aren’t just for your lips — using collagen, your own fat, or other substances can help plump skin over the scars so they’re less noticeable. However, as with all fillers, results aren’t forever (typically between six and 18 months), so it’s a treatment that will require maintenance.  

Skincare at home. There are several topical acne-scar treatments on the market today, and products with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) can help make less-severe scars look less noticeable. While they won’t completely hide your scars, they can make lighter scars less noticeable. Products with retinoids and lactic acids are also great for evening out skin tone and texture for lighter scarring. 

Microneedling. With microneedling, your dermatologist will roll a needle-studded instrument over your skin, which should trigger collagen formation to help “fill in” the scars. This takes repeat treatments most of the time since the process works little by little — and it can take up to nine months to see changes. 

Chemical peels. A dermatologist applies a chemical solution to your scar tissue, which evens out the appearance of your skin by removing surface scars and making deeper ones less visible. It's important to note with this option, there’s some risk of scarring and changes in skin color with this approach. 

Dermabrasion. You might have heard of microdermabrasion, but in the stepped-up version of this, your doctor will remove the top layer of your epidermis with a quickly rotating brush. While this can be a solution, It’s possible this can lead to more scarring and changes in skin color. 

If you want to get started on reducing the appearance of your acne scars, book a consultation with our expert dermatology providers to discuss these options (and even more) that could be on the treatment menu. Give us a call to start the conversation!