Acne can often leave behind some horrible reminders of it's stay, with severe cases of acne often resulting in quite bad scarring. While the scars can be minimised by not picking, and trying to find an acne remedy, that is effective as soon as possible, unfortunately some level of scarring is almost inevitable. There are many types of acne scar treatment, some more effective than others, but as everyones skin is different results really have to be taken on a case by case basis.

Before beginning any type of acne scar treatment it is important to remember that some marks on the skin left by acne are not necessarily scars. Minor marks left will ususally fade by themselves within seven months although it may take up to two years for them to disappear completely.

There are two types of acne scars, hypertrophic and atrophic. Hypertrophic is where excess collagen is procuded by the skin and tissue grows. Atrophic scarring is where there is a loss of tissue resulting in an indent in the skin. Atrophic is the most common form of acne scarring and ranges in its severity, like acne itself. There are many acne scar treatments that may be able to help reduce the appearance of scars.

Dermabrasion involves removing the surface of the skin using abrasion (sanding). It is a fairly painful procedure that is carried out under general anaesthetic. The skin is left very red and sensitive afterwards, and the healing process takes a few months as the skin regenerates. Dermabrasion produces great results on raised scars.

Laser therapy wounds the skin using microscopic pulses of light. It is this wounding that causes the skin to regenerate therefore softening the appearance of scars. It may take up to 3 treatments to dramatically improve the appearance of acne scars, depending on the depth and coverage of the scars. This method is much less harsh than dermabrasion and works well on indented scars.

Chemical peels basically remove a layer of skin. A chemical solution is applied that causes skin to blister and eventually peel off. The regenerated skin underneath is generally smoother and less scarred than the old skin. It may take a course of peels to effectively treat bad scarring, and they will need to be carried out over a period of time to allow the skin to heal properly in between peels.

This process is used to treat deep rolling scars. The skin tissue around the scar is separated from the deep scar tissue which allows blood to pool under the affected area, which in time will cause the deep scar to raise to the same level as the rest of the skin area. Once the skin has been levelled out, further treatment such as laser treatment or a chemical peel can be used to improve the appearance of the scar tissue.

There are also many creams that claim to be able to reduce acne scarring, however these will not be as effective as the more physical treatments such as dermabrasion and laser therapy. It may be that you prefer to try a cream for a few months first, especially if your scarring isn't too extensive. Then if you aren't getting the results you want from your acne scar treatment you can look into more powerful methods of removing scars.