Acne scars can make people feel self-conscious about their appearance. There are many different types of acne scars, and each type responds differently to treatments.
This blog post will discuss the four main types of acne scarring: ice pick, boxcar, rolling and hypertrophic. The article will also provide information on how to effectively get rid of acne scars with professional treatments, skin care products, or at-home DIY remedies for your convenience!
Table of Contents
Ice Pick
Ice pick scars are deep acne scars that look like a large slit or puncture in the skin. Ice pick acne scars are usually longer and thinner than other acne scar types, with steeply angled sides that extend into nearby healthy tissue. These acne scars can be very deep and difficult to reduce as they often go down to the fat layer of your skin.
Ice pick scars can happen when acne cysts are large, inflamed, and burst. They can also happen when acne cysts are popped too aggressively or with incorrect acne scar removal tools that end up penetrating through the skin rather than into the acne cyst itself. As a result of this puncturing, ice pick scars form as these deep holes lead down to healthy tissue below.
There are certain treatments that work effectively on ice pick acne scars. Fractional laser acne scar removal is a popular acne scar reduction technique that works well on ice pick acne scars as it stimulates collagen growth and improves the skin’s texture. This makes them shallower over time. You can also use skin care products such as acne scar treatments with retinoid and glycolic acid ingredients to help reduce its appearance (although it may take some time until results start to show).
Boxcar
Boxcar acne scars are round or box-shaped, with steeply sloping edges around depressed acne lesions where healthy tissue lies below the surface of the skin. Boxcars commonly result from severe cystic acne breakouts, which leave behind damaged tissues after pimples heal and move to the surface of your skin in an inflamed state before decaying completely into non-cancerous, atrophic acne marks.
This type of acne scarring usually heals within weeks but may last if secondary treatments aren’t done to improve acne scars. It will also become more severe if the acne lesions are popped when they’re in an inflamed state, as this can lead to a pock-like appearance rather than properly flattening out after pimples heal and move towards the surface your skin.
Boxcar acne scars respond well to chemical peels which help slough off dead skin cells from their deepest layers so new tissue heals faster with minimal scarring afterward. Laser acne treatments such as fractional laser therapy or intense pulsed light (IPL) can also be used for boxcars that don’t respond much to at-home skincare remedies.
But, if you want first to try home remedies, you can try using acne scar removal products containing retinoids or AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids), as these can help smooth acne scars and stimulate collagen growth for a healthy skin structure.
Rolling Scars
Rolling acne scars are wider than boxcar acne scars but shallower, with a wavy surface that looks like gentle hills and valleys rolling across the skin. Rolling acne scars result from damage to the tissue beneath your pores rather than deep below the top layer of your skin where ice pick acne scarring occurs.
Rolling scars are also common in people who have oily or combination-type skins because their oil glands become enlarged during puberty which causes them to form larger pores on specific areas such as around their nose area (which is why they’re often referred to as “T-zone” acne scars).
Rolling acne scars are deep acne scarring that responds well to laser acne treatments such as fractional lasers or IPL. This works by speeding up the skin’s natural turnover rate so new tissue can form faster with reduced chances of acne scar formation afterward. It also helps stimulate collagen production, which makes your skin more elastic and reduces wrinkles at the same time!
If you don’t want to get professional acne scar removal procedures done, try using products containing retinoids, AHAs (such as glycolic acid), vitamin C derivatives, or salicylic acid for best results. The downside is these acne treatment options might take longer until they start showing effects on rolling acne scars compared to other types of acne scarring due to their shallower depth.
Hypertrophic
Hypertrophic acne scars are the acne scar types that form a raised bump beneath your skin surface. These acne scars result from deep tissue damage (from inflamed acne lesions), which causes the body to produce too much collagen in response, leading to an overgrowth of fibrous tissues.
Hypertrophic acne scars tend to be more noticeable than other acne scar types because they’re larger or more elevated than their surrounding healthy tissues.
This type of acne scarring is often treated with steroidal creams like hydrocortisone as these can help reduce inflammation and encourage new tissue growth for faster healing times after pimples heal into non-cancerous atrophic acne marks on your skin’s surface layer. You can also use chemical peels for acne scar removal, which help slough off dead skin cells from their deepest layers.
If you don’t want to get professional acne scar removal procedures done, try using products containing retinoids, AHAs (such as glycolic acid), vitamin C derivatives, or salicylic acid for best results. These acne treatment options might take longer until they start showing effects on hypertrophic acne scars compared to other forms of acne scars due to their deeper depth.
Links:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ipl-treatment#uses
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_hydroxy_acid
https://www.healthline.com/health/hydrocortisone-for-acne#efficacy
