How are Acne Scars Created?
Acne Scars are formed during the wound healing process. More specifically after the inflammation, follicular rupture and perifollicular abscess formation.
Types of Scarring
Your acne scars can be either atrophic or hypertrophic. The majority of acne scar cases are atrophic associated with the loss of collagen.
Atrophic Scarring
Ice Pick:
Accounts for 70% of atrophic scars. Ice pick scarring looks like narrow depressions with a V cross section.
Boxcar:
Accounts for 20% of atrophic scars. Boxcar are round/oval shaped with wide, vertical edges and a U cross section.
Rolling Scars:
Accounts for 10% of atrophic scars. Wide scarring with an M cross section.
Levels of Acne Scarring
Level 1:
Macular Erythematous Hyper- Also known as hypo-pigmented flat marks. These present a color problem on the skin.
Level 2:
Mild Atrophy and Hypertrophy- Are not as noticeable in social settings. Can be covered by makeup.
Level 3:
Moderate Atrophic and Hypertrophic- Very noticeable in social settings. Makeup will not cover these up, however scars will flatten by stretching the skin.
Level 4:
Severe Atrophic and hypertrophic- Very obvious in social settings. Makeup will not cover these. They can be flattened by manual stretching
Microneedling for Acne Scar Treatment:
Microneedling is the best treatment for acne scarring. It poses less of a risk of post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation than other procedures. Other procedures such as chemical peels do not fully treat acne scarring and microdermabrasion will not treat deep scarring and may also leave some discoloration.