Whats the most effective acne scar treatment? Acne scars are unsightly reminders of a time that most people would rather forget, but still many people continue to live with them. Acne scars are usually a result of deeply penetrating, severe acne and come in a large variety of shapes and sizes, all of which depend on the type of acne that formed them. Large or small, with smooth or jagged edges, many people would simply prefer to have their acne scars treated to reduce the severity of their appearance, or ideally, to eliminate them entirely..

One of the most commercially available options for acne scar treatment are topical treatments, such as vitamin E and cocoa butter cream. These treatments may claim to heal scars, but there is little evidence to prove that they actually do reduce the appearance of acne scars. Even commercially available treatments to reduce scars such as Mederma have little evidence to prove their efficacy.

Perhaps less drastic than surgery, but also less effective, is the option of steroid injections. When steroids are injected into a scar over a long period of time, it is possible for the scar to flatten out and have less-pronounced edges, making it generally less noticeable. This treatment only works in keloid scars, or those raised above the surface of the skin.

The other nonsurgical option for treating acne scars is by injection. By injecting bovine collagen into the skin below an indented scar, it is possible to actually raise the scar and flatten it into the skin. These treatments do offer instant gratification, but they do not provide a permanent fix. These treatments must be repeated every 6 months or so to maintain their effectiveness. For those who are allergic to cow products or those who are vegan, it is possible to substitute your own fat from a different region of the body for the bovine collagen.

Surgical options are drastic steps in dealing with such a minor problem, but they offer the most practical means of reducing the scar”s appearance and making it less noticeable. These surgeries are generally done under a local anesthetic and are very effective in treating scars.

One class of surgical acne scar treatment is called the ”punch” procedures. The first type is called a punch replacement. In this procedure, a skin graft is taken from behind the ear to seal the gap left by a scar. The second type is the punch excision, where the pitted scar is simply cut out and allowed to heal. The third type is the punch elevation, when the actual scar is cut out and then, after a period of time, rises up and fills the void. These procedures, although surgical, offer more permanent forms of acne scar treatment than topical treatments or injections, and often the results are more effective. The problem with these treatments though is that they may take several weeks to heal, which makes them somewhat less popular as methods of acne scar treatments because their price and their effectiveness are both highly appealing.