Dr. Rapaport has over 30 years of experience creating personalized treatments for patients seeking help with acne scars. He has helped thousands of patients reduce their acne scars and improve their self confidence.
What are the types of acne scars and what do they look like?
Acne scars fall in two general categories, Atrophic and Hypertrophic scars
Depressed or Atrophic Scars:
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Ice pick:
An ice pick tool has a wide shaft that narrows down to the tip. This type of acne scar resembles the tool in that it’s a hole that’s wide at the top and narrows to a point as it goes deeper into the skin. Such an indentation is common and also one of the most challenging scars to heal. You’ll find them on your forehead and upper cheeks, where your skin is thinner. -
Rolling:
These scars are typically found on the lower cheeks and jaw, where your skin is thicker. The indents have sloping edges that makes the skin look uneven and wavy. -
Boxcar:
Boxcar scars are indents that have sharper edges. Those edges go down deep into the skin. These scars are common on the lower checks and jaw.
Raised or Hypertrophic Scars (aka Keloid scars)
These scars are raised from the skin caused by the over-growth of collagen in the area. These scars are usually found on the chest, back and shoulders and jaw line and can be itchy, tender or painful.
Treating acne scars is difficult but achievable, and requires professional help from a trained dermatologist like Dr. Rapaport for tangible improvement.
Acne Scar Treatment:
Our acne scar expert, Dr. Rapaport will meet you in the office. He’ll visually examine the scar to determine the type of acne scar(s) you have and will suggest the best treatment based on the type of scarring. He recommends treatment to start as soon as possible as delays in treating acne scars typically increase the severity of such scars.
Dr. Rapaport uses a combination of the following dermal treatments to treat acne scars:
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Chemical peels:
This treatment uses special chemicals to remove the top layer of old skin. Typically whenever the top layer is removed, the new skin that grows in is smoother and has fewer scars. -
Dermabrasion:
This treatment uses a special tool that produces friction to remove the top layers of skin, much like a sander removes the top layers from a plank of wood. -
Microdermabrasion:
Microdermabrasion, similar to dermabrasion, uses a special machine to remove the upper layer of skin. -
Laser resurfacing:
A laser delivers heat to the scarred collagen under the skin. This relies on the body’s wound-healing response to create new, healthy collagen. This encourages the growth of new skin to replace it. There are two different types of laser resurfacing: ablative and non-ablative. Your dermatologist will determine which type is best for your skin type and nature of your acne scars. -
Steroid injections:
In this treatment, steroids are injected into a raised scar. Steroids soften the fibrous tissue, causing the scar to flatten. -
Dermal Fillers:
With this treatment, a substance is injected under a depressed scar that lifts the skin upward. -
Microneedling:
This treatment uses small needles to purposefully injure your skin to stimulate collagen production that can smooth scars. Microneedling can be done alone or with heat (i.e. microneedling radiofrequency). Microneedling radiofrequency has shown to help with textural improvement from acne scarring and can prevent further acne from forming. -
Excision:
With this technique, the dermatologist cuts into the skin, removes the acne scar and then uses stitches to close the wound. -
Subcision:
This treatment uses a needle to break apart fibrous bands that pull down scar tissue into the lower levels in your skin. The skin is released so that it can return to the surface and can lay smooth naturally.
Acne Scar Prevention:
Dr. Rapaport recommends not to pick or squeeze your acne areas. This will damage the skin resulting in inflammation which will make scars worse. He also suggests to wear sunblock as exposure to too much sun can darken scarring which will make scars more prominent.
