Following the Scar Reduction Journey: What to Expect and How to Speed up the Process
Healing of acne scars calls for a lot of time, following a dedicated treatment regimen and loads of patience! After the acne flare-ups have healed, your skin structure needs to be rejuvenated and revitalized, layer by layer, and consequently you need to be very understanding and patient. A couple of factors decide how long it’ll take for you to banish the acne scars; but your looking at 3 to 5 months before you see significant improvements in the texture of your skin.
Acne scars are extremely stubborn, and you will need a combination of therapies to improve the appearance of your skin, depending upon the type of scar, your skin type and how severe your scarring is.
Understanding the Nature of Acne Scars
An acne scar forms when your skin heals incorrectly after a massive breakout. When the wall of the pore breaks due to excessive inflammation, sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells; the wall fails to heal correctly. Thus, you develop unsightly scarring of the skin.
How are Scars Formed?
Your body is trying to repair the damage to your skin, post the acne inflammation. The way your body responds to the wound decides how much scarring will occur. Collagen has a pivotal role to play in the repair of the skin. In case, large amounts of collagen is produced during the repair phase, then raised scars develop. On the other hand, when there’s not enough collagen, indentations are formed and you’ll have depressed scars.
Factors Influencing Scar Reduction Time
There are a host of treatment options to effectively deal with acne scars and each technique depends on certain factors and has a different timeline.
Here’s a round-up of factors that determine how long your scar will take to heal and how soon you’ll see results –
The Type of Acne Scar Decides How Soon your Scar will Heal
The type of acne scar you have is a big factor in determining the therapy that you will need as well as the number of sessions that will be required before you see satisfactory results. Pigmented scars typically rest on the upper layers of the skin, so post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation scars may require fewer treatments than atrophic scarring and you’ll see results a lot sooner. Atrophic scars include rolling scars, ice pick scars, and boxcar scars; of these the ice pick scars are typically the most difficult to treat.
The Location of the Scar has a Role to Play
The location of the scar plays a part in deciding how long it’ll take for it to fade away. The site of the scar also determines the depth of the scar. Deep scars need lots of repeated treatments to attain the desired results. Furthermore, scars on the cheeks are a lot more difficult to treat than scars on the forehead.
Scar Severity Decide the Timeline
How severe your scar is refers to it’s size, its pigmentation, and it’s depth. When a scar is huge, heavily pigmented and deep, it needs more collagen restructuring; consequently you will need more than 3 to 4 treatments to attain the results that you wish for and the treatment will take a while. Conversely, small, lightly pigmented, shallow scars can be dealt with sooner and easily. On the other hand, sometimes even shallow scars are fairly difficult to eliminate, especially when they are on certain areas of the face; hence, selecting the correct treatment plan is very vital.
The Age Factor in Scar Healing
An older skin needs more time to heal; when an injury occurs, the body repairs itself as rapidly as possible to reinstate its protective skin barrier. An injury needs adequate amount of collagen to bring about healing. Fibroblasts are cells which manufacture collagen. An insufficiency of fibroblasts in older people is responsible for lesser production of collagen, and this consequently slows down the healing process. Alongside, the fibroblasts also synthesize elastin. Elastin is a stretchy protein that helps the skin return to it’s previous state after it has been altered. Elastin is also necessary for the healing process; unfortunately, fibroblasts produce lesser elastin in an aged skin and this too decelerates the healing of the scar.
The Role of your General Health
Your health in general too has a bearing on how soon the scar will heal. Chronic disorders, a weak immune mechanism, a deficient nutritional status, radiation therapy, and vascular insufficiencies all slow down healing significantly.
Treatments to Reduce Acne Scars
It would be prudent for you to discuss with your dermatologist to understand which treatment option will suit you the best; the treatment option also contributes in a big way in deciding how soon you’ll see the desired outcome.
Over the counter Skin Care Products and Home care
There is a whole range of dermat approved home remedies and skin care products that help reduce the appearance of your scars; these do take a while to show noticeable results though. Make sure that you slather on sunscreen, it helps limit the contrast between the scarred skin and the unscarred texture and protects your skin from further damage. Dermatologists also recommend glycolic acid, azelaic acid or hydroxyl acid, to improve the texture of your skin.
Natural Remedies and Lifestyle Changes
There are scores of dermat endorsed home remedies that work wonderfully well for acne scars! What’s more, there’s a strong science to back the efficiency of these natural remedies. These fabulous remedies work beautifully and here’s why these kitchen staples ought to be a part of your skin care routine.
- Potato
- Banana
- Papaya
- Lime
- Honey
The natural acids and enzymes present in these foods are good for exfoliation. They are superfoods which promise scar reduction, skin rejuvenation and an enhancement of the texture of your skin.
In-office Procedures for Acne Scars
- Soft tissue fillers – Dermatologists introduce collagen or fat under the skin to plump up the skin and thus make the scars less obvious. Soft tissue fillers effectively plump up depressed scars. However, most fillers give you only short term results, that last 8 to 18 months. Some fillers are called permanent, but the procedure needs to be repeated frequently to sustain the beneficial effect.
- Steroidal injections – Steroidal injections work well for raised scars and greatly improve your skin’s texture. Corticosteroid is directly introduced into a hypertrophic scar and it helps reduce its size. Steroids decrease the amount of scar tissue beneath the skin and thus enhance the texture significantly.
- Laser resurfacing – This procedure helps get rid of old skin cells and reveals new, youthful cells. The therapy also heats the layers of the skin underneath to boost the manufacture of collagen, and promises you a smooth, even skin texture.
- Energy based therapy –Pulsed light sources and radiofrequency techniques significantly reduce the appearance of the scars without damaging the outer layer of the skin. You will require repeated sessions to retain the desirable effects though.
- Dermabrasion – Dermabrasion is done for cases of severe, widespread scarring. The top layer of the skin is removed using a quickly rotating brush. With dermabrasion, superficial scars can be eliminated completely, and deeper scars can be made less obvious. This procedure is fraught with a few side effects however, so do confer with your dermatologist.
- Chemical peel – A chemical solution is applied to the scar tissue to get rid of the top layer of skin and to lessen the appearance of deep scars. Your dermatologist will advise repeating mild and medium peels to maintain the desired results. Experts say, you should do only one deep peel though.
- Skin needling –A needle studded gadget is rolled over the depressed scars to help stimulate collagen formation. The needles puncture your skin, and consequently cause an injury, and once your skin heals, it boosts collagen synthesis tremendously. Results become obvious within a period of 3 to 9 months. You will need 3 to 6 sessions of therapy every 2 to 6 weeks.
Medical Procedures for Acne Scars
- Botox – By and large, the skin around the scars tends to pucker. Your doctor will recommend injecting Botox to help relax the surrounding skin, and this will help enhance the appearance of the scar. Do remember, the results are temporary, and you will need repeated treatments before you see the intended result.
- Surgery – Surgical intervention includes punch excision. Your dermatologist will cut out the acne scars and repair the wounds either with stitches or through a skin graft.
All these therapies take a while for the beneficial results to become apparent, and consequently, your scars take some amount of time to fade away.
How Long Does it Usually Take to Reduce Scars
Let’s understand why acne scar treatments take so long to work. The chief aim of all acne scar treatments is to increase the synthesis of collagen in the skin to help diminish the appearance of the scars. Rebuilding collagen in your skin will take 1 to 3 months depending on the type, depth and site of the scar. Thereafter, collagen maturation will take another month after the new collagen has been formed. Your age, the depth of the scar and the severity of the scar are all very important determining factors for how much collagen needs to be built to enhance your skin’s texture. What’s more, the cell turnover cycle takes 28 to 40 days. Certain specific therapies speed up this process to turn over new skin cells, so it’ll take a few weeks to couple of months to decrease the appearance of your scars.
Estimated Time Frame for Scar Reduction
The timeline for the fading away of an acne scar could be anywhere between a few weeks to couple of months to a few years; your dermatologist will tell you what it’ll be in your case.
Why Do You Need Repeated Treatments for Acne Scars?
Repetitive follow up treatments or maintenance treatments are necessary to attain as well as retain your desired outcome; thus you need frequent visits to your dermatologist. Regular and timely visits to your doctor promise to keep the production of collagen high so that the texture of your skin stays smooth and even.
What outcome can you expect after acne scars treatment?
Scar treatments decrease the size, color and appearance of the scars. With time and repeated treatments, the scars fade, making them hardly detectable.
The outcome of the treatment depends largely on the skill and expertise of your dermatologist. Effective and safe treatment for acne scars starts with a consultation with your doctor. Your doctor will examine the skin, evaluate the scars and outline the treatment routine that will help you. All these factors will play a part in determining your results.
Maintaining Your Skin After Scar Reduction
In order to get the best results from your acne scar treatment and to ward off complications, you must carefully follow all aftercare instructions provided by your dermatologist. Understanding exactly what your skin needs is very essential in building a successful skin care routine.
Preserving Your Skin's Health
- Make sure your skin is well moisturised. By and large, after an intensive procedure, the skin’s integrity gets somewhat compromised, making it a lot more susceptible to dirt and microbes.
- When washing your face, use a mild cleanser that does not have any acids and exfoliating agents. Apply a light moisturiser immediately after washing your face to prevent the skin from drying out; a dry skin slows down the process of healing.
- In case your dermatologist has prescribed topical ointment, ensure that you follow instructions correctly to hasten recovery.
- Slathering on adequate amounts of sunblock is very vital. As much as possible stay out of the sun. This reduces your vulnerability to post treatment hyperpigmentation.
- Do not use make-up for 1 to 3 days after the treatment. Make-up impedes the process of healing by getting inside the wounds on the skin and causing infection. In addition, the ingredients within cosmetics have a potential to cause further irritation to the skin. Ideally, you may use make-up once all the scabs have healed completely.
- Make sure that you have your dermatologist’s approval before using any skin care product on the face. Apply skin care actives only if advised. Apply retinoids and exfoliants 7 to 10 days post the procedure.
- Do not touch or pick at the skin after treatment. Scabs fall of in 7 to 10 days. Picking at the scabs will delay the healing as well as raise the risk of infection and new scar formation.
Preventing Future Scarring
Prevention is always the key. If you are prone to acne flare-ups , ensure that you treat them in time and don’t neglect or try to manage the breakouts on your own. Seeking help early from your dermatologist is critical to staving off scarring associated with inflammatory acne.
The Importance of Regular Follow-up with Dermatologists
Follow ups with your doctor are very important. Follow ups help you identify problems and misconceptions about your skin care routine, make regular assessments and modify treatments. Your dermatologist can evaluate whether you are doing all that you’re supposed to be doing as well as he will help you fortify your good performance.
Why Choose Us?
The New Roots Hair and Skin Clinic has a fabulous reputation based up on clinical brilliance and high quality care. We address all your concerns related to your skin and have the very best dermatologists to help. Our clinic boasts of state of the art facilities, top drawer treatments using advanced surgical and non surgical techniques and the very best doctors.
FAQs
An acne scar is rather tough to heal; it calls for a lot of time and patience. Unhappily, there’s no guarantee that your scars will be gone completely. Nonetheless, most treatments decrease the size of the scars and make them less noticeable. Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation acne scars gradually fade away after a couple of months as the skin starts to heal. Atrophic scars, on the other hand, tend to linger for years sometimes, based upon the type of skin and the severity of the acne.
The ice pick acne scar is the most difficult type to treat. Ice pick scars are like pin points, very narrow, and V shaped which go deep in to your skin. Treating them is difficult because of their depth and narrowness; it is tough to decrease the depth of the scar so as to make the skin’s surface flat. Also, the treatment has to lessen the discolouration of the skin once the scar has been levelled. All this makes it fairly tough to treat an ice pick scar.
Severe forms of acne, especially nodular acne, usually leave permanent scars as compared to other types of flare-ups. In order to prevent ugly scarring, ensure that you treat your eruptions at the very earliest – that will ward of new breakouts as well as will stave off unsightly scars.
Vitamin C, oral or topical, most definitely helps deal with acne scars. You could opt for vitamin C supplements; or load up on limes, lemons, guavas, mangoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and berries. Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant which fights free radical damage and helps boost your skin’s natural regeneration process. A combination of oral vitamin C along with applying a vitamin C serum will help lessen the appearance of the scar remarkably.
There are a host of creams and serums that will help you manage acne scars at home; however, do talk to your dermatologist before embarking on any treatment. You need to understand which is your skin type and what type of scar you have and what products would be best suited for you. Your doctor will prescribe one or a combination of the following –
– Alpha hydroxy acids
– Glycolic acid
– Lactic acid
– Retinoids
– Salicylic acid
Home remedies and natural remedies too are potent and help lessen the appearance of the scar. Tried and tested remedies include –
– Aloe Vera
– Lime
– Coffee
– Potato
– Beet
