Acne is truly a devastating disorder. Not only are you dealing with active acne accompanied with all the redness, spots, and pustules, but these lesions can often leave their marks permanently in the form of scars.
Before we discuss the types of acne scars, we want to clarify one thing and that is the difference between scars and the red marks left over from a breakout. When clients contact our office, they will often tell us that they are worried about the leftover scarring. 9 times out of 10 they are referring to the red marks, or hyperpigmentation, left behind from their breakouts. These marks are temporary and fade over a period of a few months. Scars are permanent.
Acne scars are marks on the skin that are either pitted or depressed. There are 4 main types of acne scars:
- Ice Pick Scar- looks like an ice pick has been pressed into the skin. They are generally small in diameter and can either be shallow or deep.
- Box Car Scar- these somewhat resemble a chicken pox scar with more rounded edges. They can be large or small in diameter and are also fairly deep, but not as deep as an ice pick scar.
- Rolling- these scars are smooth indentations in the skin. They tend to be on the shallower side.
- Hypertrophic- otherwise known as keloid scars, these occur when there is excess growth of scar tissue at the site of a healed skin injury.
