Acne Scars in Conroe, TX

What causes acne scars?

When your skin is damaged, your body produces new collagen to repair the deeper layers of the dermis. However, the resulting scar tissue often has a different texture and appearance than the surrounding skin.

Scars can appear sunken or pitted due to the loss of underlying fat or muscle. Others, like keloid scars, may be raised because the body produces excess collagen during healing. We’d love to evaluate your skin and recommend the best treatment options for you.

Kinds of scars

• Ice-pick scars are deep, narrow, pitted scars
• Rolling scars are broad depressions with sloping edges
• Boxcar scars are also broad depressions but have sharply defined edges
• Atrophic scars are flat, thin scars or depressed scars
• Raised (hypertrophic) or keloid scars are thick and lumpy.

Lessening acne scars

While scars can’t be completely erased, the goal is to improve their appearance. Here are some ways to help:

Topical treatments—like vitamin E, cocoa butter, and certain skincare products—can help soften tight or dry skin, but they don’t actually reduce the appearance of acne scars.

Depressed scars—ice pick, boxcar, and rolling/atrophic

• Dermabrasion or physically removing the surface of the skin can help to blend in the scar’s irregularities.
• Microdermabrasion is less invasive than dermabrasion but minimally useful for very superficial scars.
• Laser Resurfacing also removes the surface layers of the skin. Newer types of laser may work on the dermis’s collagen without removing the upper layers of skin. Laser resurfacing will give you the most complete results for widespread scarring.
• Filler injections work on sunken scars by raising them to the level of surrounding skin.
• Fillers are temporary, so you will need to periodically retreat. Collagen, hyaluronic acid, fat grafting, and other fillers can improve depressed scars.
• Microneedling creates tiny punctures in the outer skin to stimulate collagen production that, in turn, makes the scars less noticeable.
• Subcision divides the fibrous band under the skin, allowing the skin to return to its normal position.
• Chemical reconstruction causes a local inflammatory reaction leading to the formation of new collagen fibers. This can help to reduce shadows on depressed scars, making them appear less deep. This is also called TCA CROSS, meaning trichloroacetic acid chemical reconstruction of skin scars.

Raised acne scars

• Surgery may lessen the appearance of depressed scars. Raised scars should not be cut out, because there is a risk of even more severe scarring.
• Steroid injections or topical steroids may help flatten a raised scar.
• Radiotherapy, used superficially and low dose, may prevent a recurrence of severe keloid scarring.
• Cryotherapy or freezing.

Do I have to choose a treatment method?

Dr. Nangrani will decide how best to treat your scars, with excellent effect.

Prevention is the best method

You know how noticeable acne is if you have ever suffered from it. First of all, caring for your skin early and thoroughly may keep you from developing scars. After your inflammation subsides, you can treat the scars that are left.

Anyone can get acne, even babies, but it is most common in teenagers when hormonal changes cause the skin to be more oily. Acne tends to run in families. Dr. Chaitali Nangrani, MD, will suggest treatments based on your individual needs. We usually recommend a combination of microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and skin care for active acne.