The Truth About Treating Acne Scaring
It was bad enough you’ve dealt with acne, now you are left with scaring. Treating acne successfully is difficult and when that’s done, people are left with scars that will still make them feel uncomfortable in their own skin.
But there is great news. There are many affordable treatments that reduce the signs of scaring. Notice how I say reduce? It’s near impossible for any method to fully get rid of scaring. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but the expectations need to be set.
Acne scar removal treatments vary because there are different types of scars and each person needs to have a customized approach. The types are treated slightly differently. The cool thing is that many of our treatments that we perform at our spa are often combined to treat both at the same time and are fully customized for your other skin conditions or concerns you have.
Acne scars may appear as discolorations, raised or flat and we like to call them Post Inflammatory Hyper Pigmentation. They are usually red in color in light skin tones and dark brown with people who have dark skin tones. Scars can also have an indentation in the skin, some call it an ice pick scar.
Creating the right protocols for reducing acne scars depends on several factors. The first is time. It takes everyone a different amount of time to see the results they are looking for. Based on my 15 years experience as a licensed Esthetician, it will normally take 2-3 treatments spaced 2-4 weeks apart to start seeing the first signs of better skin. Most people will see it after 1 treatment, but like I said setting up expectations is essential, so you are not disappointed.
After those first initial 2-3 treatments, the process get’s longer. Our clients are thrilled with the results. But then your body adapts, and successive treatments will not show the same results. The skin can/will still change with regular follow up appointments, but the progress slows down. It’s kind of like dieting, you see a lot of results at first and then BOOM, it slows to a halt. Now this isn’t necessarily the case with skincare. The results are there, but they slow down. Most estheticians or doctors offices won’t tell you this, but this is the reality & truth of working with the skin.
When I tell people that I had acne and scaring they look at me like I’m crazy. I have been treating my skin for years, taking care of it like I take care of my body. I feed myself nutritious food, stay hydrated and workout consistently. Taking care of our skin is no different. To keep seeing results, you need to use good quality products, which I highly recommend you get from your local esthetician who has a track record with excellent online reviews. Trust me on this! The right products will smooth your skin and reduce pigmentation. By the way, my sister who is also an esthetician and remembers my acne and scaring was analyzing my skin when she got out of esthetics school and commented that she could still see my scaring. Not one esthetician has EVER told me that. The scaring is minimal and can’t be seen with the naked eye anymore, but they are still there. It has taken me years of consistently working on my skin to keep it looking young, smooth, acne free and masking the old scars of my past.
Elizabeth has been a licensed Esthetician since 2005 and has worked with thousands of clients over the years, helping them to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. Her team of estheticians in her spas are highly trained & certified in many area of esthetics that include our award winning Acne Clearing Program, Beautiful You Repair Series & the Brazilian Wax Treatment.
By Elizabeth Steffen, Master Esthetician
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