Acne Scarring

Acne scarring is a very popular skin concern and can sometimes develop after experiencing active acne, or when previous breakouts have healed. It is very common for people who have had moderate to severe acne to experience some kind of scarring, especially if it was cystic or nodular. Whilst these scars are not a cause for concern, some people may find that they give their skin an uneven appearance and texture.

This can be detrimental to their confidence, as acne scarring can be visible with or without makeup, varied in colour and pitted in some instances. It is important to note that acne scarring is different from the red or brown pigmentation marks that can be left soon after the acne has disappeared. These types of marks are called post-inflammatory colour changes and will typically heal on their own after a while.

True acne scarring can be more persistent as they are deeper and larger in size and fade a lot slower. Despite this, post-inflammatory colour changes and pigmentation marks are still able to be treated to reduce their appearance and to aid the healing process. Acne scarring can take form in different textures on the skin, including pitted scars, rolling scars and boxcar scars. Pitted scars are also sometimes referred to as “icepick” scars, as they appear to be narrow but deep depressions in the skin where the acne once was. Boxcar scars have a similar appearance, although they tend to be wider than pitted scars.

Lastly, rolling scars have a much broader appearance and feature wide areas of depressions where the acne was. If you have acne scarring, it is important to remember a few things to avoid making the scarring worse. Firstly, do not pick or squeeze the scars, as this may result in further scar tissue being created due to the trauma that is caused to the skin. It is crucial to avoid over exposure to the sun and SPF should be worn everyday to reduce the risk of further scarring or darkened pigmentation marks, which can sometimes be hard to fade. Microneedling treatments can be very effective at treating most types of acne scars and pigmentation marks left from acne. Check out our Microneedling treatment page for more information on how it works.