How to Get Rid of Acne Scars

At one point in our lives, we were all awkward teenagers with an acne issue. In fact, around 85% of teenagers will suffer from acne during puberty, meaning teens across the globe are desperately trying to find treatments to keep their spots at bay.

The most frustrating problem with acne, though, isn’t the spots – it’s the scars that acne can leave behind. These can lead to a lifetime reminder of that embarrassing, yet brief time of your life.

So, the question for many of us is, how do we get rid of acne scars?

Let us explain:

How to Get Rid of Acne Scars

acne scarring

The best method to remove acne scars is prevention. This means taking action beforehand and using an effective skincare routine to make sure your skin is as healthy as possible.

By stopping spots and acne in its tracks with good skincare products, you can reduce the chances of acne appearing and make it less long-lasting, reducing the chances of scars ever occurring.

To help with acne prevention, you can read our definitive guide to battling acne. Keep in mind, too, that although most known for being common in teenagers, adult acne (that is, acne in those over the age of 20) is also a serious problem.

Acne in adults is most likely to affect women, with 80% of all adult acne cases being women. Adult acne can be brought about by a number of issues, mainly an imbalance in hormones, so is common around the time of your period, during pregnancy and in those who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Another common reason for spots in adults is due to dirty makeup brushes. When left uncleaned, make-up brushes become breeding grounds for bacteria and can cause unsightly pimples. If you can’t remember the last time you washed yours, head over to our guide on how to wash your brushes and get it squeaky clean.

Your pores will love you for it!

Types of Acne Scars

Deciding on how to remove acne scars depends on the type of scarring you have, with different options available to different kinds of scars. These are the three most common types of acne scars people suffer from:

  • Atrophic scars – A atrophic scar occurs when your skin doesn’t make enough fibroblasts when your spots are healing. Fibroblasts are critical during the healing process, and this cell is responsible for the synthesis of collagen, which helps with skin renewal. An atrophic scar will look like a series of little indents in your skin.
  • Hypertrophic scars - Appearing as a raised scar; this type of scarring occurs because you had too many fibroblasts in the area of the acne.
  • Keloid scars – These scars will look similar to a hypertrophic scar. The key difference, though, is that a keloid scar will be darker than your surrounding skin (often red or brown) and will cover a thicker area than where your acne was originally. It’s also common for these pimple scars to itch and even cause pain.

What Makes Acne Scars Worse?

don't squeeze pimples

Scars, particularly face and back acne scars can be made worse when you pick your skin. True, when you see a blackhead or whitehead, it can be incredibly tempting to squeeze that spot. However, pressing and squeezing your spots can lead to infections – particularly from contaminants beneath your fingernails – and can lead to more acne scarring.

That doesn’t mean that it’s okay to squeeze your spots with a sterile implement!

The main cause of acne scars is squeezing too hard on spots that are yet to fully form. This can damage the veins, glands and layers of skin surrounding your acne, leading to scars.

We would recommend avoiding squeezing pimples at all if possible, instead using skincare products to help remove them.

How to Remove Acne Scars

If you do have acne scars, worry not.

Getting rid of acne scars entirely isn’t always possible, but you can seriously reduce the size and noticeability of your scars if you use the correct methods. The best method for you is dependent on the size and type of your acne scarring.

If you choose a more invasive treatment, it’s imperative that you speak to your doctor first and ensure that all your acne is healed before you begin treatment.

Here are some of the most popular methods of acne scar treatment:

Natural Remedies

For those of us with mild scarring or if you’d rather look at a more natural way to reduce the look and appearance of your scars, then there are plenty of natural lotions to use. You can even use some home remedies for acne scars, including:

  • Coconut oil
  • Raw honey
  • Lemon juice
  • Shea butter
  • Aloe vera gel

It’s important to note here that all our skins are different and certain home ingredients might cause reactions on our skin. So, before you start concocting your own acne scar treatments, be sure to test a small patch of your skin first.

At Luminositie, we have a number of products that can help with your acne scarring in a natural way, while also improving your overall skin condition. In particular, our Dragons Blood Serum is an all-natural serum that can drastically reduce scarring as well as other imperfections like wrinkles and redness.

Another product, our Snail Extract Essence Cream, contains snail mucin, which is now considered worldwide to be a miracle treatment for the skin. Not only does it help reduce acne itself, but this cream can also trigger your skin to regenerate, which helps your complexion in the long run.

Medical Treatments

Of course, not all acne scarring can be reduced by natural remedies alone, meaning there is a chance you’ll need to turn to medical means to combat your acne scars.

Here are some of the medical treatments available for acne scars:

  • Chemical Peels – To get a chemical peel you should first speak to a dermatologist. They can look at the level of your scarring as well as your skin type and from there, recommend the type of chemical peel that might work for you.

It is thought that trichloroacetic acid (TCA) chemical peels are the best for acne scars, with a 2017 study showing that of the 10 participants, six noted their scarring improved by at least 70%.

If your skin isn’t suitable for a TCA peel, there are other chemical peels available, such as glycolic acid. Whether a peel works for you will depend on your skin type, so you may have to try different types to find the best peel for you.

  • Laser treatment - This sort of treatment will remove the top layer of your skin, which should reveal the younger and less-scarred layer of skin below. Laser treat can cause reactions in those with sensitive skin so it isn’t recommended for everyone.

Acne scars are understandably a cause of low self-esteem in both men and women. If you find yourself feeling down over yours, it’s time to take action, as your scarring can easily be reduced by trying some of the methods listed above.

First and foremost, try natural remedies.

Not only as these far less expensive than medical treatments, but they are also kinder to your skin.

If the scars remain stubborn, though, go to your doctor or dermatologist and ask for their advice on medical treatments available to you.