Unfortunately, there are many individuals that do not seek acne treatment when they are adolescents and end up having very damaged skin with scars in it. Although the acne treatment is not always effective, it is usually beneficial in preventing the breakout from getting worse and for targeting the worst problem areas in the skin. It also helps to diminish the lasting effects of the acne scarring, providing treatment before the scarring ever occurs. There are ways, however, to diminish the acne scars after they have occurred, although the methods do not eliminate all of the scars on the face. In addition, the age of the person seeking the treatment, the type and severity of the scar and tolerance to different medicines or procedures also affects the success of the acne treatment.
For people who have many different types of scarring from acne, one acne treatment is to use subcision. This method uses several different treatment sessions to lift the surface of the scar to the level of the skin so that the skin looks smooth again. Since the procedure has to be repeated and there is bruising after the treatment for almost a week, there are some people who cannot practically use this method of acne treatment. There are also some bleeding issues while healing that can be a problem if the person wants to be able to immediately go back to work.
There is another method of acne treatment that is used for mild scarring and is called the TCA cross. In this method, there is an acid called trichloracetic that is put on each scar on the face. It seems to help the skin to produce the collagen it needs to bring the base of the scar up to the surface of the skin so that the skin is made flat again. For people who have deep scar damage, there is a filler method of treatment for acne that uses a synthetic gel to fill the scars in and make the skin look naturally smooth once again. This method uses injections to place the gel where it needs to be to fill in the deep scar damage on the face. There is also a method for those who have the really deep scars that are called ice-pick scars or boxcar scars. In this method, the scar itself is removed and the skin that remains is sewn back together, creating a thin scar that, when healed, is barely noticeable in comparison to the acne scar that was once there.