The 5 best treatments for reducing acne scars
And our tips for preventing them in the first place
Acne scars are like a hangover when you’ve only had two drinks the night before: unexpected and unwelcome. And while it is unlikely one single product will completely erase your scars, there are a number of options that will do a solid effort at significantly reducing them.
But before we get to the scar-tackling treatments you need to add to your shopping cart, it’s important to understand what acne scarring actually is and why it occurs in the first place. To do just that, we spoke to Director of Education at DMK, Debbie Dickson.
“The biggest type of acne scarring is caused when lesions or blemishes become inflamed. Inflamed blemishes occur when excess oil and dead skin cells cause a blockage in pores and follicles – this blockage then becomes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Serious lesions or skin damage occurs when there is a deep break in the follicle wall. This means the infected substance within the pore leaks out onto the skin and scarring occurs,” explains Dickson.
The second type of scarring comes in the form of hyperpigmentation rather than an actual change in the texture of the skin. “Pigmented scarring occurs as a result of either prolonged inflammation of a blemish or from picking and squeezing the infected area,” adds Dickson.
If you’re wondering why some blemishes scar and others don’t, Dickson explains, “deep breakouts such as very inflamed cystic acne take a long time to heal, which increases the risk of scarring on the skin’s surface. Minor, non-inflamed blemishes, such as blackheads and whiteheads don’t typically scar, as these lesions sit closer to the surface of the skin and don’t injure your tissue, meaning the ‘repair job’ is much faster.”
As to the best ways to treat your scarring? In addition to rosehip oil - which has been touted as one of the best ways to reduce scarring on a Reddit thread - we've rounded up the five best treatments that will help prevent further damage or reduce the severity of your acne scars over time.
Kate started working for BEAUTYcrew in early 2016, first as a contributor, and was then named Beauty Writer in 2017. She loves picking the brains of the industry's top experts to get to the bottom of beauty's toughest questions. Bronze eyeshadow palettes are her weakness and she's forever on the hunt for the perfect nude nail polish to suit her fair skin. Her words can also be found in Men's Health magazine, and she now works in PR.
