How to Get Rid of Acne Scars Quickly

Out of all the miseries visited upon humans by acne, the scars that result from acne might just top the list. Acne scars can last a lifetime and many of us carry our scars from our adolescent acne into adulthood long after the our acne has cleared.

Fortunately, there are now finally some effective techniques that can be used to smooth out and fade acne scars that can be used the comfort of home. When these home-based therapies fail, there are a variety of new medical technologies to consider to get rid of acne scars.

Fixing Pock Marks, Dimples, and Lumpy Skin

The bumpy, pock-marked face is stereotypical of the acne scar. Severe acne penetrates the skin and connective tissue deeper than less-severe forms of acne. The severe acne infection physically damages the collagen (i.e. connective tissue) that help give the skin its shape and support. When the acne heals over, collagen underneath the surface of the skin remains damaged. While the collagen fibers heal over, they are unable to align themselves exactly as they were before acne damaged them. The result of this altered alignment of collagen is what forms a scar.

Up until recently, fixing the “bumpy” skin associated with acne scarring has been something unachievable with a cream or gel and instead has been relegated to expensive procedures at the dermatologist or plastic surgeon’s office. After all, somehow triggering the collagen fibers to align in their more natural random pattern is a tall task.

This has changed though, as researchers have discovered that simply regularly applying a gel containing medical silicone seems encourage collagen fibers to align in their more natural, random pattern. This seems particularly effective at smoothing out scars, helping to flatten out raised scars and raise pitting and dimples in the skin that are the result of scarring.

The most convenient way to apply a silicone gel twice a day. This gel should be the last thing you apply to your skin if you are using other skin-care products like acne treatments, make-up, or suntan lotion. The best brand for this purpose is Kelo-Cote Advanced Scar Gel. It is available at a great price with free shipping on Amazon. Click here to visit the Kelo-Cote page on Amazon.com.

Reducing and Fading Dark Spots from Acne Scars

The best way to fade the appearance and discoloration of acne scars is through using a cream. While silicone is used to help smooth out the skin, a different approach is needed to get rid of dark spots and discolorations that are the result of acne scars.

One of the most powerful ingredients for fading dark spots is through hydroquinone. This is the only known over the counter product that can actually reduce skin pigmentation. This is the active ingredient in the popular Proactive “Dark Spot Correcter”.

The only downside to using hydroquinone creams is that a study on mice linked this chemical to cancer. While mice studies rarely transfer entirely to humans, it is worrisome. However, no product out there works nearly as well as hydroquinone for getting rid of dark spots, so this is a risk many are willing to take to get rid of their acne scars.

Another great over the counter way method for removing acne scars is through onion extract. Some studies have reported that onion extract is capable of reducing redness and discoloration in scars and may speed up healing. A type of onion extract is the active ingredient in the popular Mederma line of scar treatment products.

The best place to get both of these powerful active ingredients in a single cream is via Revitol’s Scar Removal Cream. This cream contains both onion extract and hydroquinone. Additionally, Revitol also contains glycolic acid to stimulate exfoliation plus copper peptides have been added to stimulate skin healing. These two ingredients may increase the effectiveness of the hydroquinone and onion extract.

You can get the best price on Revitol by ordering direct through their website, which you can visit by clicking here..

Medical Treatments for Acne Scar Relief

When gels and creams to get rid of scars is not enough, medical procedures may be enlisted. Medical procedures tend to be the most effective way for reducing acne scars, but they are also by far the most expensive, invasive, and have the most side effects.

Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion are two popular methods for reducing the appearance of scars. The goal of these two treatment techniques is to use mechanical stimulation to slough off the top lairs of skin, removing damaged tissue and allowing fresh skin to grow in its place.

Dermabrasion is a medical procedure that involves actually penetrating the epidermis and may cause bleeding and significant pain. There is a several week healing time and several treatments may be needed to get significant results.

Microdermabrasion is a similar procedure but does only scrapes the very top lair of skin known as the epidermis. This top layer of skin has no nerve endings or blood supply so there is no pain or bleeding. Tools are available that you can get to perform microdermabrasion on yourself since it is not an invasive procedure. The downside is that it may help smooth out the skin but is unlikely to have a major influence on scar appearance.

Subcision is a more popular surgical procedure that is used to correct rolling or pitted scars. As mentioned previously in this article, these scars are the result of bundles of collagen fiber that are pulling the skin to its shape rather than anything wrong with the skin on the top layer. Subcision involves cutting into the skin and separating the skin surgically from its supporting collagen fibers. This causes the skin to not tightly adhere to the bundled collagen, giving the skin a smoother appearance.

Given that this is a minor surgery, the cost, pain, and healing time of subcision are quite significant. It may be several months before the skin has fully healed after such a procedure.The newest and perhaps the most promising medical therapy for acne scars is laser therapy. There are a variety of laser types out there on the market, so be sure to research each one individually before committing to a particular type. Recovery time and effectiveness may vary greatly from laser type to laser type.

Laser therapy often “burns” the skin, causing your face to be raw for up to 2 weeks depending on intensity. It may be several months before the skin fully heals over and takes on a “like new” appearance. There is also the risk of hypopigmentation, which is where the skin loses all pigment entirely and appears snow white.Laser therapies are indeed effective, but are very expensive. An average treatment runs about $1,000 US in the United States and is often used as a precursor to dermabrasion or additional laser treatments as part of an acne scar removal plan.

Due to the extreme cost and long recovery time of medical procedures, you may want to try something more convenient and inexpensive like Revitol before resorting to medical procedures: