Julia B. 
Acne is one of the most frequent skin diseases which often flares up at the onset of adolescence and at some phases of late thirties and forties. Although most of the acne lesions get cured up without our notice, yet some of them leave their trace in the form of ugly acne scars. Acne scars often cause extreme psychological depression and social embarrassment in its victims. Since these unsightly disfigurements leave permanent marks on our skin it is quite desirable to find some way which could effectively fade acne scars. The following techniques and treatment procedures could be quite helpful to diminish the appearance of scars.
Avert Future Outbreaks: Try your best to avoid any new acne formation. Clear all existing flare ups with proper topical over-the-counter medications or home remedies. Follow some basic daily regimen to stay away from any potential comedones. New acne lesions would prevent you from dealing with the acne scars.
- Exfoliate on a Regular Basis: As soon as you are free from acne blemishes or if you do not have any zits, pimples, or any other comedones at the scarred area then you should follow exfoliation technique to lighten the mark caused by acne. Exfoliation would help in peeling off the damaged skin layer revealing a healthy new skin from underneath. It is preferable that you exfoliate your skin every 2 to 3 days. Never use any chemicals like salicylic acid which could be harsh and irritating on your skin. You might use wither sand or cornmeal for this purpose, which would be effective, cheap, as well as soothing for your gentle skin. Mix the exfoliator with some mild liquid soap and massage the scrub over the acne scar in a circular motion. But, do not overdo this in an attempt to get the result overnight, otherwise you might end up with more inflammation and redness on your skin.
- Topical Treatment: You could also use some topical applications to fade acne scars to a large extent. Pure vitamin E oil is one of the most popular topical applications which is found to assuage the acne scars quite efficiently without inflicting any side effects. After exfoliation of the skin cover your scarred areas with this oil to be absorbed by your skin overnight. Make sure that your skin is properly washed and adequately dry before you apply this oil. Regular use of this oil would spectacularly mitigate acne scar visibility making it smooth and soft.
- Dermabrasion: This is another unique procedure to fade acne scars and to improve the texture and appearance of skin. This technique uses a wire brush or a diamond wheel with rough edges to peel off the upper layer of scarred area. However, this procedure is invasive and causes wound and bleeding during operation. As soon as the damaged skin layer is removed a new skin emerges from underneath to fill out the place reducing the mark on the skin significantly.
- Microdermabrasion: Although this method has close resemblance with dermabrasion; however, it is less invasive and causes less injury. In order to fade acne scars, this method uses a hand piece which streams a blast of microcrystals of aluminum oxide to gently abrade the top layer of the skin leaving a new smooth and fresh skin underneath.
- Laser Treatment: Most of the eminent dermatologists throughout the world prefer laser resurfacing process to heal acne scars. This laser treatment which is otherwise known as ablative laser treatment uses a beam of laser to remove the external layer of the skin. When the laser radiation falls over the blemished skin area the water molecules present in the cells absorb the radiation and this instantaneously followed by the vaporization of the water content inside the cells of the skin layer. This renders the destruction of the damaged skin layer and subsequent removal of the acne scar. This is not only an efficient procedure to fade acne scar but also a successful method to rejuvenate the natural collagen production at the dermal layer. This is an excellent treatment procedure to enhance the aesthetic appearance of any dull scarred skin making it more fresh, supple, and healthy.
As with any other skin treatment it is immensely important to figure out certain factors before you go for acne scar treatment. A few aspects like the severity of acne scar, your skin type and your requirements must be checked to ensure the best treatment procedure to fade acne scar. A good dermatologist could help you to meet your needs and heal up your acne scar and restore a normal and presentable skin texture.
