How to Improve and Smoothen Skin Texture After Acne

Your fight against acne is not entirely over once your breakouts have healed. Acne marks and scars immediately follow, leaving long-lasting after effects in the form of dark spots, bumps, and skin indentations. These make your skin look dull and tired, which can then affect your overall look and self-confidence.

If you want to learn how to get rid of these marks and scars, read more below.

Acne Marks vs Acne Scars

Acne marks are usually flat with brown, pinkish or reddish discoloration on your face but it’s not actually a scar. Acne marks are inflammation in the skin, which appears as a part of the body’s healing process. This inflammation or redness triggers the production of skin pigment, leaving an acne mark that may fade or improve on its own after a few weeks or months.

Acne scars, on the other hand, are not just temporary discoloration but a permanent damage on the skin. It appears when an inflamed pimple or cyst, containing bacteria and dead cells, fills the pore and bursts out of its follicle damaging the surrounding skin tissues. The skin then forms new collagen as a way to heal itself from the damage or lesions.

There are two types of acne scars: raised and depressed. Raised scars are firm with tender bumps while depressed scars look like craters or pits.

How Can I Treat Acne Marks and Scars?

Acne marks are easier to treat because the problem is mostly discoloration. They tend to fade away on their own for about three to six months, but there are treatments that can help accelerate the process.

However, acne scars (especially craters and pitted ones) require intensive combination treatments that can only be done by an aesthetic doctor.

Here are some of your options for treating acne marks and scars:

VI Peel

VI Peel is the US formulated chemical peel that can help treat acne and acne scars, as well as hyperpigmentation, age spots, fine lines, and enlarged pores.

The treatment can take about 30 minutes to an hour and you are likely to experience slight tingling (temporarily) after the solution is applied. The solution, moreover, needs to stay on your skin for at least four hours, but you can leave the clinic and wash it off at home.

Do take note that the peeling will start on the third day and may last up to seven days. Once this is finished, you will notice that your skin is clearer and healthier with less spots. Check out our blog about VI Peel for acne scars and pigmentation to learn more about this treatment.

Pearl Resurfacing

Pearl is a US FDA-cleared laser resurfacing treatment that can rejuvenate dull skin by getting rid of acne scars, pigmentation, sun damage, and wrinkles. This works by treating the top layer of skin with pulses of light in a pre-selected pattern, triggering the body’s natural healing process. This then leads to clearer and healthier skin.

After the procedure, the skin will immediately create a protective layer that will peel off after three to five days. Also, there is at least seven days downtime following the treatment. Once the skin is completely healed, you will then notice a more beautiful skin, with a “pearl-like” glow.

Laser Genesis

Laser Genesis is another US FDA-cleared aesthetic procedure that effectively stimulates collagen growth to promote vibrant and healthier skin. It can help fade acne scarring, as well as treat enlarged pores, fine lines, facial redness, brown pigmentation, and rough skin texture without any downtime.

The procedure involves the use of a handpiece that gently heats the upper dermis below your skin’s surface to trigger collagen regrowth. This then improves the appearance and texture of the skin, with the generation of additional heat in dilated capillaries to diffuse or reduce skin redness.

The results of Laser Genesis Skin Therapy are gradual yet very natural. You may be able to visible improvement after three procedures, but it may take at least five treatments or more to see optimal results.

Microneedling (Dermapen)

This involves the use of mechanized device called Dermapen, which creates thousands of miniscule needle punctures in the outer layer of the skin. Dermapen precisely controls these tiny needle pricks to achieve a set of depth, pattern, spacing, and frequency.

Skin needling break up the uneven scar tissues and helps stimulate the growth of new one. Dermapen, furthermore, assists in improving the blood supply on the treated area to promote healing and provide a healthier foundation for new skin. This makes it effective for treating acne scars, enlarged pores, stretch marks, wrinkles, and scars from surgery.

You can check out our previous post for an in-depth look at how Dermapen can improve your acne scars.

What to Keep in Mind

Before you treat your acne marks and scars, it is advisable to clear your breakouts first. This is because new pimples can result in new scars and inflammation, which can then reduce the effectiveness of your chosen treatment for the scars and marks.

Furthermore, keep in mind that there is no quick fix in treating acne scars (especially deep ones). It can be a long and sometimes difficult process which takes time, patience and compliance to the treatment plan.

Contact Cutis Laser Clinics in Singapore today and schedule a consultation with our Harvard-trained aesthetic doctor, Dr. Sylvia Ramirez, to find out which procedure is right for you or how you can improve your skin after breakouts.

Tags: Acne Scars, Pearl, Laser Genesis, Dermapen