Permanent scarring is one of the most troubling aspects of acne breakouts, leaving the skin marred forever. Indeed, those seeking treatment for disfiguring acne scars comprise a significant number of patients under treatment at the Advanced Acne Institute.

Fortunately, advances in laser technology have led to new treatments that can offer significant improvement in the appearance of acne scars.

Fractional resurfacing lasers provide one of the most innovative and effective tools currently used at the Advanced Acne Insitute to help patients achieve improvement in the appearance of acne scars. Using microbeams of laser energy that reach below the skin surface where scars are formed, lasers break up scar tissue leaving a more even texture and a smoother complexion.

Types of Permanent Acne Scars

There are several types of permanent acne scars:

Ice Pick Scars

These are permanent scars that look like deep pores with tapered bottoms, like a hole left by an ice pick.

Boxcar Scars

These types of scars are not as deep as ice pick scars. They are shallow depressions in the skin with raised borders.

Rolling Scars

Rolling scars create an uneven skin texture but are not as deep or discrete as other acne scars.

Temporary Acne Marks

As acne breakouts heal, they often leave marks of discoloration behind. Although often referred to as “acne scars”, these spots are in fact not caused by scarring.

They are simply temporary changes in the color of the skin caused by the inflammation of a preceding pimple. Usually, these marks fade away on their own, but this may take time, even many months in some cases.

Avoiding the sun is important to prevent the marks from becoming darker. Also, using some prescription creams, such as a retinoid (a derivative of Vitamin A), can help them to fade away more quickly.

Other techniques, such as chemical peels or microdermabrasion treatments can help the skin shed, lifting off the dark spots more rapidly. Similarly, daily use of an exfoliating wash or toner can also help.