Unlock Flawless Skin: Essential Guide to Acne Scar Treatments, Costs, and Results
Acne is the most common concern of people, from teenagers to adults. More than three-fourths of people from teenage to late 20s get acne and 20% of them get scars from those acne. These scars can be reduced by either medication or procedures or a combination of both. Remember, these can also be reduced and not vanished by acne scar treatment.
Acne can really be stubborn for some people; if one heals, the other one may be ready to pop up. Acne scar treatment may not be that helpful for such people but it can certainly lighten their visibility. Acne appears majorly on the face, chest, shoulders and upper back. The type of treatment depends on the severity of acne and its scar.
What are acne scars?
Acne is a condition that arises when hair follicles get clogged due to oil and dead skin cells. It leads to blackheads, whiteheads, pimples etc. Acne arises in those areas where sebaceous glands are present, like the face, chest and back.
Inflammation of acne blemishes leads to acne scars. The acne point gets swelled up and broken down. Some blemishes are small and heal quickly whereas some break down, and spread to the nearby tissue which leads to deeper scars. The skin heals these scars by producing more collagen.
Types of acne scars
There are majorly two types of acne scars depending on the form they take. One, either there is a loss of tissue or a raised surface. The former leads to indented skin whereas the latter forms a bump. Here are the two types of acne scars.
Depressed acne scars
As aforementioned, skin repairs itself from acne by making collagen. If it makes collagen less than the required amount to fill that particular area, it leads to a depressed acne scar. There are 3 types of depressed acne scars.
Ice pick scars
Ice pick scars are the most common type of scars that are left after the acne is treated. These are like small holes on the cheeks but go deep in the skin. Its name is kept after its look. It seems as if the skin is punctured by something sharp, just like an ice pick.
Rolling scars
Rolling scars are the types of scars that are quite wide and shallow and happen because of scarred tissues under the skin. Rolling scars all over the face leave an uneven appearance, generally looking like a rolling look.
Boxcar scars
Boxcar scars, also known as craters or pockmarks, give an appearance of holes on the skin, generally caused by chickenpox or acne. These are either round or oval-shaped and a little wider than ice pick scars but lesser than rolling ones.
Raised acne scars
This is exactly the reverse of depressed ones. It happens when the skin makes excessive collagen while healing. This is generally faced by people with darker skin tones.
There are two types of raised acne scars.
Hypertrophic scar
Hypertrophic scar is a thick scar that occurs when some extra connective tissues are formed during wound healing. The hypertrophic scar generally occurs on the jawline, chest or back. It starts appearing a couple of months after the acne breakouts vanish.
Keloid Scars
A keloid scar is again a thick and firm scar which grows huge in size, more than the breakout itself. It starts showing three to twelve months after the breakout clears. A keloid scar again starts with the thickening of skin and the size of which can be prevented or at least, reduced by wearing a pressure garment.
Causes of acne scars
The major reasons for the occurrence of acne scars are as follows.
- A deep acne occurred that caused inflammation in the skin, leading to scarring. The deeper the acne, the higher the possibility of scarring.
- An acne is picked, squeezed, popped or scratched which increases inflammation and hence, scars.
- This is genetic too. If a close blood relative of a person gets acne scars, this person is also most likely to get acne scars.
Treatment options for acne scars
Not all acne causes scars and not every scar is permanent. Cosmetic acne scar treatments are available for treating such acne scars, the most popular and effective ones are mentioned below.
Filler
As the name suggests, filler fills a particular place. Here in the case of scars, the fillers fill the depression caused by the acne. It also leads to a boost in collagen production and elasticity that fills the scars. Most fillers are temporary, and last for 3 months to 2 years, some can be permanent though. For the proper treatment, you need to give more than one office visit and later on, require touch-up visits as well.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
PRP treatment involves the withdrawal of one’s own blood, placing it into a machine that separates its plasma into different levels. The platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scarred area to treat it and often combined with some other treatment for better results.
Needle Radiofrequency
This procedure combines radiofrequency waves and microneedling to puncture your skin and work on the acne scars. Needle rf produces more collagen and elastin and reduces the visibility of acne scars. Combining this procedure gives more effective results than radiofrequency or microneedling alone.
Derma roller
A derma roller is a handheld device that rejuvenates skin, treats acne scars and reduces signs of aging. The person himself can roll the device on the targeted area. It has infinite small and fine needles on the surface that kind of puncture the skin. These needles break down the scar tissue but don’t cause any actual damage to the topmost skin layer. This procedure produces more collagen and forms new blood vessels in the skin.
Dermapen
Dermapen microneedling is an amazing skin renewal procedure that triggers the body’s own repair and renewal process and boosts collagen. In this treatment, microfine needles are used at different speeds and depths to cause fractional puncture on the skin’s surface. This lets an important serum, meso glide, reach deep down the skin.
Threads
Threads used in healing acne scars are made up of a synthetic material called polydioxanone (PDO) that allows minimum tissue reactions. These threads gradually dissolve in the body. The most popular type is Smooth PDO threads that produce more collagen, improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of scars.
Scar revision
Scar revision is a treatment that doesn’t remove scars but reduces their visibility. This can be done either with medication or surgery. It matches the colour of your scar to the surrounding skin so the scar doesn’t become visible. In simple terms, it’s there but it’s not visible.
Subcision
Subcision is a surgical technique without incision. It helps reduce the scars of acne, chickenpox, surgery and wounds. Subcision also treats wrinkles and cellulite along with depressed scars. A hypodermic needle is inserted in the skin which loosens and breaks the fibers connecting the scar to the tissue and releases collagen.
How many sessions are needed to remove scars completely?
Honestly, it depends on person to person but on an average, three to five sessions are required with a gap of a few weeks to gain a dramatic reduction in the appearance of acne scars.
Cost of Acne Scar Treatment
Cost of acne scar treatment depends on a variety of factors like the type of scar, surgical technique used, geographical location of the clinic, expertise of the practitioner, additional treatments etc. This is the average price range for various acne scar treatments in India.
Needle RF– cost varies from INR 10,000 to 25,000 in India
Dermapen– INR 10,000 to 20,000
Thread– INR 1,000 to 5,000 per thread
PRP– INR 4,000 to 15,000
Fillers– INR 20,000 to 40,000
At Sakhiya Skin Clinic, we charge the following prices for the respective treatments.
Needle Rf– INR 8,000 (spot 4,000)
Dermapen– INR 8,000 (spot 3,000)
Thread– INR 950 onwards per thread
PRP– INR 3,000/- onwards
Scar Revision– price depends on the size of the scar
Filler– INR 29,500/- onwards
Before and After results of Acne Scar treatment at Sakhiya Skin Clinic
Acne scar treatment is highly effective in reducing the leftovers of terrible acne with the least adverse effects. Sometimes, it may lead to redness, bruising, skin irritation, dryness, swelling and pain in the treated area but these go away in a few days.
Following are the results and ‘before and after’ images of patients who went for acne scar treatment at our clinic.
Acne scars don’t go away on their own, you need to try remedies or go to a doctor if these also don’t work. Medications and cosmetic treatments work effectively on acne scars but use only those and when prescribed by your dermatologist. The reason is simple: the non-prescribed skin products may cause skin irritation at times.
Sakhiya Skin Clinic offers the latest technology in acne scar treatment with its esteemed and experienced doctors and supporting staff. We have 30+ branches in India. Hence, if you face acne issues and want to get rid of them, book an appointment right now at your nearest location.