How To Get Rid Of Acne Scars Fast

As if acne wasn’t bad enough, many people are stuck with the scars afterward as a constant reminder of what they, and their skin, have gone through. 

But being able to love the skin you’re in, and fix anything that’s bothering you, is an essential part of quality self-care and self-love. That’s a big part of why we designed our skin care products at Miami MD to be “functional,” so that you can feel beautiful while you’re wearing them as well as when you’re not.

Wondering how to get rid of acne scars fast? There’s no magic potion, but we do have some tips and tricks that you can use to help take some of your control back and show your skin who’s boss. 

A Brief Skin Refresher Course

Before diving into how acne scars happen and if there is a way to get rid of acne scars fast, let’s first go over a quick reminder of how the skin works.

Our skin is the largest organ we have. People tend to think of organs in much more visceral terms, like the heart, liver, kidneys, etc.

But really, organs are just self-contained parts of the body with a specific job, and there aren’t many jobs more important than protecting all of the other organs! 

The skin itself is divided into three essential layers:

• The innermost layer — the hypodermis, or subcutis
• The middle layer — the dermis
• The outermost layer — the epidermis

The dermis and epidermis are divided further into sublayers, as well. Each layer (and sublayer) has its own uniquely important job in keeping the skin healthy and effective, 

For instance, the subcutis is the main insulator of the body. It also can act as a shock absorber in the event of trauma, protecting the organs from damage as much as possible. 

The dermis is the thickest layer of skin — making up 90% of the skin’s thickness — and is there to regulate temperature. 

The dermis is also where the body’s water supply is stored. Most essential skin maintaining components are located in the blood vessels, sweat glands, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands. 

And the epidermis is the part of the skin that we can see and the layer that controls the color of our skin and gives us nerve sensation. The epidermis’s most outer layer, the stratum corneum, is often referred to as the skin’s moisture barrier.

Keep these layers in mind as we get deeper into acne scarring and why it happens.

Acne Scar 101

Although we don’t often think of acne as a wound that happens to our skin, it is. The trouble all starts in the dermis with those pesky sebaceous glands when it comes to acne and acne-related scarring. 

Any area of the body with them can develop acne, specifically the face, chest, and back. While acne itself doesn’t always cause scarring, it is a possibility every time a blemish occurs. 

Essentially, acne scars happen as a result of redness and swelling that may occur. When a pore becomes clogged with dead skin cells, debris, and acne-causing bacteria, it starts to swell as a reaction to the foreign, invading material. This swelling causes a breakdown to occur in the walls of the pore. 

Smaller sources of acne can cause more shallow scarring. Some of which may not even be noticeable. Larger blemishes, however, run the risk of spilling their contents into the surrounding tissue, which causes deeper, more prominent scarring. 

In this case, the body reacts as it normally would to any other wound and triggers the formation of new collagen fibers to repair the damage. 

In addition, some people (especially people of color) tend to develop hyperpigmentation (or dark spots) even after the acne is gone and the scar is fading. This is the result of a specific type of hyperpigmentation known as PIH, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. 

This occurs when the skin triggers collagen production to help repair damage and increased melanin (which gives our skin its unique color). For some, hyperpigmentation is worse than acne scarring. 

How To Get Rid Of Acne Scars Fast

Let’s be upfront here…the only way that you can get rid of acne scars quickly is by seeking the care of a dermatologist or esthetician. 

Laser therapy can help remodel the collagen and reduce the appearance of acne scars, as can using fillers like Bellafill. For significantly deep scarring, some people even choose to undergo punch excisions. Again, all of these treatments will need to be done at a medical facility,

If you’re willing to put in the consistent work to fade acne scars and hyperpigmentation over time, though, there are more options that can be used to help. 

One of those tools is proper exfoliation. There are two different types of exfoliation — mechanical and chemical.

For people already dealing with acne scarring and hyperpigmentation, chemical exfoliants are usually the way to go because they don’t involve physically scrubbing at the skin. 

The vast majority of chemical exfoliants that can work for acne-related concerns include glycolic or salicylic acid. This encourages the skin to speed up the rate it turns over and break the bonds between dead skin cells that can be more easily removed. 

If you haven’t used an exfoliant before, always start slowly. Because of how exfoliants work, they tend to cause irritation, especially if you use them often. 

To help with hyperpigmentation, we created Miami MD’s Dark Spot Corrector. It was specifically formulated to help fade, diminish, and transform dark spots on the face, forehead, chest, arms, and hands. It works to boost the appearance of the skin so that it looks less patchy and uneven to more healthy and radiant. 

We used proven ingredients like alpha arbutin, vitamin C, and glycolic acid so that you can have a way to fight back against not only hyperpigmentation caused by acne scarring but also the normal wear-and-tear that comes with the process of aging. 

You can use it both morning and evening after you’ve cleansed your face and before you’ve applied moisturizer. Keep in mind, major results will not happen right away. It requires consistent dedication, but it will also be worth it!

How To Prevent Acne Scars

The easiest way to prevent acne scars from forming is by taking steps to prevent the onset of acne in the first place! But, considering that more than 50 million people in the United States alone are dealing with acne, the likelihood that you’ll never experience a blemish is small. 

Creating a skin care routine that works with your skin is essential, and severe acne will likely require treatment and care by a licensed dermatologist. 

If a blemish occurs, acne scar prevention is most effective when you start treatment as soon as you notice it. Spot treatments applied directly to the scar are often the first choice, but anything that can keep the inflammation and potential damage to the skin at a minimum is good. 

Also, it goes without saying that you should never pick at acne, no matter how tempting it may be. You’re also putting your skin at risk by introducing additional bacteria and germs from your fingertips into what is essentially an open wound, which can make it even more angry. 

For both those issues, you may want to consider pimple patches. These Korean beauty darlings have been gaining popularity in the United States, lately, and for a good reason. 

In Conclusion

Stop wondering how to get rid of acne scars fast, and start asking yourself how you can be more comfortable in the skin you have. Embracing who you are, self-identified flaws, and all can really change your life. 

Using products that can help you minimize the things you don’t like about your skin can also help give you your confidence back, and nothing is more beautiful than someone who feels good about themselves! 

Miami MD is here for you, and our functional skin care products will help you look just as good as you wear them as you do with consistent use. Now go out there and show the world your beautiful face!

Sources:

Layers of the Skin | SEER Training

Inhibitory effects of alpha-arbutin on melanin synthesis in cultured human melanoma cells and a three-dimensional human skin model | PubMed

Acne Resource Center | American Academy of Dermatology Association