In acne, the healing process of skin inflammation by the white blood cells or anti inflammatory molecules often has a tendency of scarring the skin. The scars can be of two types- depressed scars- such as ice pick scars and raised fibrous tissues such as keloids.


There are many surgical options available to get rid of acne scars. Here, we take a look at the different procedures.

Dermabrasion: This procedure involves the removal of the skin surface through abrasion. The abrasion is performed with the help of a wire brush which spins at high speeds. This is a painful method and often requires the use of anesthesia. You skin may become red and raw after dermabrasion and may take several months to heal completely. The process is useful only if your scars are raised above the surrounding skin.

Microdermabrasion: this is another form of dermabrasion and involves the removal of only the upper most surface cells of the skin with the help of aluminum oxide crystals which are passed through a vacuum tube. While this procedure usually requires several sittings, it does not cause any damage to the skin.

Chemical Peeling: chemical peeling involves the use of certain chemicals to remove the top layer of the skin. Once regenerated, the skin is not only free from scars but also smooth and soft.

Laser Therapy: this method involves the use of microscopic pulses of light to make lesions on the skin. The light energy aids in the elimination of damaged skin cells and further encourages the growth of collagen and new skin cells. The collagen is consistently stimulated for upto four months. The new cells, along with newly generated collagen; work together to improve your appearance. You may require an average of one to three sittings for this form of acne scar treatment to work.

Subcision: this technique is used to treat deep rolling scars caused by acne. Here, the skin tissue in the affected area is separated from the deeper scar tissue. This enables the collection of blood under the affected area and thereby, causes the deep scar to come to the level of the skin. Once the skin has been leveled, acne scar treatments such as laser therapy, chemical peeling and Dermabrasion are performed to smooth out the scarred tissue.

Punch Grafting: this surgical procedure involves the importing of small parts of the skin from other parts of the body to replace the acne scarred skin. The scar tissue is removed with the help of a surgical instrument after which there may be a little hole left on the skin. This hole is filled in with the imported skin part. The area usually takes about a week to heal and the skin usually becomes smooth after the recovery process is complete.

There are many other methods through which you may remove your acne scars including, cortisone shots and cryosurgery.