Almost everyone has some form of acne scarring. However, for some people, acne scarring is severe and can impact the appearance of their skin. If you are looking for an acne scar treatment that can help your skin to heal faster after a breakout, we offer services for acne scarring at Rejuvené MD.
Healing your skin often involves getting to the root of your acne breakouts and helping your skin to stay clear and healthy. After this, we can help your skin to heal and regenerate through a wide range of resurfacing and rejuvenation treatments. We offer services in El Paso, TX, and we can create a plan to help you achieve smoother skin.
Understanding Acne and Acne Scars
Acne breakouts are caused because of an overproduction of sebum, an oily substance that is produced by the sebaceous glands in your skin. When there is too much sebum, it can mix with dead skin cells and other debris and clog your pores. Some types of acne are less painful such as whiteheads or blackheads. However, other types of acne can become inflamed when bacteria is introduced into the clogged pore. Papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts are common types of inflammatory acne.
Cysts are much more likely to cause noticeable acne scars. These deep and painful types of acne cause severe inflammation under the surface of the skin which can damage the tissue. When the inflamed pore ruptures, it can cause even more damage as the bacteria spreads.
While your body is equipped to heal this inflammation and restore the tissue, it sometimes doesn’t produce the right amount of collagen. Usually with inflammatory acne, the body produces too little, which can cause a depressed scar. Acne scar therapy seeks to help your body to produce more collagen in these areas to minimize the appearance of acne scarring.
Factors That Influence Acne Scar Healing Time
Severity of Acne
The severity of the initial acne breakout can play a significant role in the healing time of acne scars. Because cystic acne can be so persistent and relentless, it can take longer for your skin to heal from this type of breakout.
Skin Type and Tone
Some skin types and colors can be more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or can take longer to heal. Those with darker skin tones may notice more hyperpigmentation. While this can fade over time, continual breakouts can slow the healing process.
Lifestyle Factors
While diet and other lifestyle factors are not the only factors that can contribute to acne breakouts and more severe scarring, they can have an impact on how fast your skin can recover from breakouts. A balanced diet, stress management, and protection from the sun and pollution can help improve healing over time.
Typical Timeline for Acne Scar Healing
- Initial inflammation and healing: Once acne develops, the body’s immune system responds. This process begins right away. The length of this stage can depend on the severity of the acne and your skin’s healing capabilities.
- Formation of scar tissue: As the acne clears, scarring can occur, especially if the acne was popped or picked at. The body will repair the damage by producing collagen. If too much or too little is produced, scarring will result. This can take a few weeks or months depending on the breakout.
- Natural fading of scars over time: Over time, most scars naturally fade and the body will continue to remodel the scar. However, acne scars can linger for many years even after breakouts subside, leading individuals to seek out acne scar treatments to speed up the process.
Acne Scar Treatment Options to Speed Up Healing
IPL
IPL, or intense pulsed light, is one of our acne scar treatment options that can speed up healing and reduce acne scars. It offers a non-invasive approach to acne scar reduction treatment and works by using light pulses to penetrate the skin and stimulate new cell growth and additional collagen. This can lead to acne scar removal and an overall improvement in appearance.
Microneedling
Microneedling is a procedure that uses tiny needles to prick the skin, prompting the skin to heal and rebuild. Over the course of several treatments, acne scars can begin to fade.
ResurFX
ResurFX is a non-ablative skin resurfacing laser treatment used for scar therapy. It stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin fibers in the deeper layers of the skin, promoting skin regeneration and reducing the appearance of scars.
CO2 Resurfacing
CO2 resurfacing is an aggressive form of acne scar removal that is suitable for those with more severe scarring. It is an ablative laser that removes the outer layers of skin, prompting your body to create new, healthier skin cells. This treatment can offer some of the most significant results.
Chemical Peels and Other Facials
Chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and routine facials are forms of acne scar therapy that can clear the pores, remove dead skin cells, and keep sebum production at a more moderate level. Chemical peels can offer additional benefits by removing the top layer of the skin and helping your skin to heal and rejuvenate itself faster. Facials and microdermabrasion can help prevent acne breakouts from occurring in the first place, minimizing the risk of additional scarring.
Professional Acne Scar Removal Services in El Paso, TX
While certain measures such as a good skincare routine can help with acne scar healing, professional acne scar reduction treatments are sometimes the best way to restore your skin’s health. At Rejuvené MD in El Paso, TX, we offer all of these acne scar treatments along with skincare products that can keep your skin healthy and glowing. Call us today at (915) 800-2288 or contact us online so that we can develop your personalized scar therapy plan.
