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Acne scars are a common complaint amongst all age groups. Acne is often a constant problem, but even if the condition is successfully cured it can still leave a person with pitted scars. There are several good treatments available today.

Derma-peeling removes the top surface of the skin . This treatment uses an acid which depending how strong can strip layers of the epidermis down, and leave a fresh smooth appearance once healed. This procedure can be done in a surgeon’s office and the downtime is minimal. Works great for mild scarring. For deeper acne depression scars, a stronger type of chemical is needed. TCA is sometimes used inside the depressed area to lift it up and fill the void.

Another option is punch excision with grafting. Local anesthesia is used on the scar area. A punch instrument punches a hole through the skin at the site of the acne scar. A skin graft using the patient’s own skin is taken from behind the ear and placed in the wound created by the punch tool. It’s held in place by a wound healing glue or closure strips. After the graft heals it will still be visible but the depth of the scar will have been reduced. After the punch graft heals other treatments can further improve the scar’s appearance.

Collagen can be injected under the skin of some acne scars. When collagen is lost due to injury the result is usually a depression or pitted area within the scar. Collagen injections work by stretching the skin and works well for reducing wrinkles and some other types of scars. It does not work well for ice pick acne scars.

Microlipoinjection (also called autologous fat transfer), takes fat cells from some place on the body (usually buttocks, thighs, or abdomen) and used on the face to fill acne scar voids. This is a three step process where the fat is removed using liposuction, purified, then re-injected back into the patient. It a pretty safe procedure with few side effects. It usually last longer than some other types of fillers such as bovine collagen and branded cosmetic fillers. There are some synthetic fillers that can outlast microlipoinjections.

Shallow acne scars can be removed by mechanical resurfacing of the skin. Commonly called dermabrasion, it involves removing the top layers of the skin. Mechanical dermabrasion uses a motorised rotary tool with changeable tips. A drum type diamond cylinder spinning at high speed grinds away damaged skin. After months of healing the resulting skin surface is usually much smoother. Potentialy dangerous, dermabrasion should be preformed by only the most skilled surgeons.

Fraxel lasers work well for acne scars. They destroy damaged skin on the epidermis as well as stimulating new collagen growth in the dermis. There is usually less downtime than other procedures. This method is also popular because it is very targeted and leaves healthy skin intact.

Subcision treatment involves a special needle with a lancing point. The point is inserted under the skin and is used to cut the fibres that connect the skin surface to the subcutaneous fat underneath. Repeated motion frees the skin to return to it’s original height. A synthetic or natural filler agent is often used to help the process.