Acne can interfere with appearance, especially if it causes scars. However, in fact this can be overcome. There are several ways to get rid of acne and its scars that you can do yourself at home, some need to be done by a doctor.
Acne often appears on body parts that tend to be oily and sweat a lot, such as the face, chest, shoulders, and back. The appearance of acne can be experienced by anyone, especially teenagers.
Acne can appear when the follicles or hair growth sites on the skin are clogged with oil (sebum) and dead skin cells.
Based on the severity, there are mild, moderate, to severe acne.
Mild acne is generally in the form of spots or blackheads, while moderate acne is characterized by small red bumps that feel soft, sometimes accompanied by pus. This condition is also known as acne papules and pustules.
Meanwhile, the types of acne that are classified as severe acne include cystic acne, cystic acne, and acne fulminans.
Types of acne that can be treated at home are mild to moderate acne, while severe acne should be treated by a dermatologist because of the risk of causing large acne scars.
Some Ways to Get Rid of Acne
To get rid of mild acne, you can do the following ways:
- Avoid washing your face with acne more than 2 times a day because it can irritate the skin and make acne worse.
- Wash and clean the skin with acne using a special facial cleanser for acne and warm water.
- Avoid squeezing pimples because it can cause permanent acne scars.
- Clean the face or body with acne every time you sweat a lot, for example after exercising or sunbathing.
- Avoid direct sunlight and use sunscreen when outdoor activities.
Also avoid using make up as long as it's still acne because make up can clog pores in the skin and make acne come back or get worse. If you want to use make up, choose products that do not contain oil or labeled non-comedogenic.
To treat moderate acne, you can use over-the-counter acne medications, such as ointments or creams containing benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resolsinol, or salicylic acid.
If you have severe acne, this condition needs to be treated by a dermatologist. To treat acne, your doctor may give you corticosteroid injections and an antibiotic ointment to reduce inflammation and treat the infection.
To treat severe or recurring acne, your doctor may also prescribe acne medication in the form of tretinoin or birth control pills.
Some Ways to Get Rid of Acne Scars
After acne disappears, sometimes acne scars will appear in the form of scar tissue, reddish spots, or even keloids. Usually these acne scars will appear if the pimple is solved or squeezed in an inappropriate way.
To treat acne scars that are small and not too severe, you can do your own treatment at home by applying natural ingredients, such as honey, aloe vera or aloe vera, and lemon, on the acne scars.
If these natural ingredients are not effective for removing acne scars that appear, you can consult a dermatologist. You may be given an acne scar removal ointment first. However, if this doesn't work to get rid of your acne scars, your doctor may suggest more advanced treatments.
The following are the treatment steps that your doctor may suggest:
1. Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is one of the most effective skin treatments for treating scars on the face. When you undergo dermabrasion, the doctor will apply a local anesthetic to your face, then the doctor will use a special tool to stimulate the formation of new skin tissue on your face.
2. Chemical peels
Chemical peels has almost the same effect as dermabrasion, which is to exfoliate old skin tissue and form a new layer of skin. On method chemical peel The doctor will apply an acid to your skin to stimulate the formation of new skin tissue.
This method is usually used when acne scars are quite deep on the layers of your skin.
3. Fillers
Doctor can give injection filler on acne scars so that the surface of the skin in that section looks more even and smoother. Fillers The injected can be in the form of fat or collagen.
4. Laser therapy
Laser therapy can also work to remove the top layer of skin and stimulate the formation of new, smoother skin tissue. This treatment usually has a faster healing time than other resurfacing treatments, such as chemical peels and dermabrasion.
5. Microneedling
The technique for removing acne scars is similar to dermabrasion. Method microneedling performed by doctors by creating small wounds using a special tool consisting of fine needles.
However, before this method is carried out, the doctor will first give a local anesthetic to your face, so you don't feel pain. Method microneedling can stimulate the production of collagen and a new layer of skin so that acne scars look more subtle.
Some methods to remove acne scars may need to be done several times and may not give instant results. People who have certain skin problems, such as sensitive skin, may also not be able to undergo some of the steps above.
Therefore, you need to consult a dermatologist so that the doctor can determine how to get rid of your acne and acne scars well.