Acne Scars The Woodlands

What causes acne scars?

Your body forms new collagen fibers to mend the damage to your dermis, a deep, thick layer of skin. The new scar tissue will have a different texture and quality than the surrounding tissue.

Loss of underlying fat or muscle can cause a scar to have a sunken or pitted appearance. Scars can be raised, as keloid scars, caused by your body producing more collagen than the healing needs. We would love to evaluate your situation.

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

Scars cannot be completely removed, so your goal is to improve their appearance. Some ways to improve the appearance of acne scars are:

Topical treatments like Vitamin E, cocoa butter cream, and skin care products can soften the feeling of tight skin, but don’t actually reduce 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.

ASK VEDAS

“I’ve had acne scars on my face for years and nothing I’ve tried from the drugstore has made a dent. Is there actually a treatment that can get rid of them for real?”

Yes, and this is one of the most important things to understand about acne scars: over the counter products simply cannot reach the layer of skin where scar tissue actually lives. Topical creams and serums work on the very surface of the skin, but acne scars form in the deeper dermis, where your body laid down new collagen imperfectly while healing from a breakout. Reaching that layer requires clinical-grade treatments. At Vedas Medical Spa in The Woodlands, Dr. Nangrani offers several proven acne scar treatments that work at the right depth. SmartSkin CO2 Fraxel laser resurfacing uses fractionated CO2 laser energy to trigger deep collagen remodeling, smoothing scar texture and improving skin tone significantly. Venus Viva combines NanoFractional Radio Frequency and SmartScan technology to resurface the skin and stimulate collagen without the extended downtime of traditional lasers. Microneedling creates controlled micro-injuries that prompt your skin to rebuild with healthier, smoother tissue. Chemical peels like the VI Peel and Vitalize Peel dissolve the damaged surface layers to reveal fresher skin underneath. Most patients see the best results from a combination of these treatments tailored to their specific scar type. Dr. Nangrani will assess your skin during a free consultation at vedasmedspa.com and build a treatment plan designed around what your scars actually need.

 

“My acne is finally under control but the scars it left behind are making me just as self-conscious. What are my options for acne scar removal in The Woodlands?”

Getting your acne under control is actually an important first step before treating the scars, so the timing is right. At Vedas Medical Spa in The Woodlands, Dr. Nangrani offers a full range of acne scar removal treatments and will typically recommend a customized combination based on your scar type, skin tone, and how much downtime you can accommodate. For deeper pitted or textural scars, SmartSkin CO2 Fraxel laser resurfacing is one of the most comprehensive options available, stimulating deep collagen remodeling for significant improvement in texture and appearance. Venus Viva radio frequency resurfacing is another excellent option that works across all skin tones with faster recovery than traditional lasers. Microneedling is particularly effective for stimulating collagen in depressed scars, and Bellafill dermal filler can be used to physically lift and fill sunken scars for more immediate improvement. For patients with darker discoloration left behind by acne, VI Chemical Peels and Vitalize Peels address hyperpigmentation at the surface level. In many cases the most effective approach combines two or more of these treatments in a sequenced plan. Visit vedasmedspa.com to schedule a free consultation at 2626 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands.

 

“Are acne scars permanent, or is there a point where a professional treatment can still make a real difference even if the scars are old?”

Acne scars are not truly permanent in the sense that they can never be improved, but they do not fade on their own the way a bruise or a fresh blemish might. Without professional treatment, old acne scars tend to stay exactly as they are indefinitely. The encouraging truth is that age of the scar is not the most important factor in how well it responds to treatment. What matters more is the type of scar, your skin’s ability to produce new collagen, and choosing the right treatment for your specific situation. Patients at Vedas Medical Spa in The Woodlands have seen meaningful improvement in scars that have been present for a decade or more. SmartSkin CO2 Fraxel laser resurfacing and Venus Viva radio frequency resurfacing both work by stimulating your skin’s own collagen production, which rebuilds and remodels scar tissue regardless of how old it is. Microneedling works on a similar principle. Results from these treatments develop gradually over 3 to 6 months as new collagen forms, and improvements can be genuinely dramatic with the right treatment plan. Dr. Nangrani will evaluate your scars honestly during a free consultation and tell you exactly what level of improvement is realistic for your skin.

 

“I have a mix of deep pitted scars and dark spots from acne. Do they get treated the same way or do they each need something different?”

This is one of the most important distinctions in acne scar treatment and one that is frequently misunderstood. Deep pitted scars and dark spots left by acne are two completely different conditions that require different approaches. Pitted or textural scars, also called atrophic scars, are caused by a loss of collagen during healing, leaving an indentation in the skin. Treating them effectively requires rebuilding that lost tissue from the inside out using collagen-stimulating treatments like SmartSkin CO2 Fraxel laser resurfacing, Venus Viva radio frequency, microneedling, or in some cases dermal filler injections like Bellafill to physically lift depressed areas. Dark spots, on the other hand, which are called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, are not true scars at all. They are areas of excess melanin production triggered by inflammation, and they sit much closer to the surface of the skin. They respond well to treatments like VI Chemical Peels, Vitalize Peels, and IPL PhotoFacials, which target pigment directly. Many patients dealing with acne aftermath have both conditions simultaneously, which is why Dr. Nangrani at Vedas Medical Spa builds a customized treatment plan rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. During your free consultation she will assess exactly what you are dealing with and sequence the right combination of treatments for your skin. Visit vedasmedspa.com to get started.