Acne breakouts may go, but they like to linger on as skin discolourations or deeper scars long after the cysts are gone. Apart from cosmetic reasons, acne scars can also be a reminder of a not-so-pleasant part of people’s lives. So there are so many treatments available for lightening acne scars, here are the top 5 things to know before you pick the best one for your skin.
KNOW WHEN TO DELAY YOUR RESURFACING TREATMENT
Have you tried cleaning up after a party before your guests are gone? There is probably little point trying to remove acne scars if you are still breaking out, since you are removing scars while new ones are still being formed. I know it’s hard waiting, you wanted smooth skin yesterday. But trust me, acne scars treatments can cost and you want to make every treatment count. Instead, have your breakouts controlled first by seeing a doctor who can help prescribe skincare, topical acne creams or oral acne medication to get you started on this journey of acne scar removal.
STOP THE BREAKOUTS
Salicylic acid helps unclog pores by directly dissolving keratin plugs. Salicylic acid washes such as Skin Laundry III are convenient, all-in-one acne products that helps dissolve all the gunk, even deeply rooted blackheads. Clear Bliss helps clear up infections with the antibiotic Clindamycin while soothing skin with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. Purity Program is an effective acne-fighting program designed to clear troubled skin using VBeam Perfecta and the Forever Clear BBL. Both treatments will treat active acne and also lighten red/brown post-acne discolourations.
THERE IS AN EMERGENCY PIMPLE CLEARING INJECTION
Got a huge zit that you know is going to scar? Quickly head down to your doctor’s clinic for Pimple ER, a tiny injection directly into the cyst will make it go away within a day. This is an intralesional pimple injection using usually a combination of an antibiotic solution and a mild anti-inflammatory.
EXPECT SOME DOWNTIME FOR ACNE SCARS TREATMENTS
Deeper acne scars do well with laser treatments such as the SmartX, Pico Smooth or Fraxel. These effectively cause a productive wound healing (making your skin think it is injured so it regenerates and heals itself) response, flattening out the acne scars quite effectively. Don’t be surprised if your doctor also picks up a needle and decides to poke around the rolling scars to break fibrous bands holding down depressed scars, to make laser treatments more effective. Downtime for resurfacing acne scars lasers range from 3 days to 2 weeks, depending on laser settings and your own healing response.