You must have noticed that when pimples are plucked or popped, they can leave indented scars on your skin. These acne scars can go down to the dermal layer, sometimes even further, leaving a long-lasting effect on your skin. Due to their depth and narrow impressions, ice pick scars appear more severe than atrophic, boxcars, or other acne scars.

Because of their severity, these scars become difficult to treat at home. In this condition, if you seek professional help, you don’t have to go anywhere. This blog carries all the significant information on Ice pick acne scars from Dr. Swati Agarwal, MD Consultant Dermatologist at Skination providing the best acne scar treatment in South Delhi. So, please keep reading to know how ice pick acne scars can be treated, the tips to manage them, why they develop, and how a dermatologist can help you get clear skin.

Ice pick Scars: What Do They Look Like And How Do They Form

Ice pick scars are remnants of a severe acne lesion or outbreak. Their appearance can be calculated by monitoring others. Some acne scars are atrophic (flat and thin), while rolling and boxcar scars appear wide but have either sloping or sharp edges.

However, other than all these scars, Ice-pick scars appear to be narrower than atrophic acne scars, but they are deeper than all types of scars when it comes to measurement. They are ideally characterised by narrow, pitted shapes in the skin, which are more noticeable to the naked eye. However, ice-pick scars are generally caused by severe acne, such as cysts and papules that occur deep in your pores.

Causes of Acne Scar

There are different types of acne, but they have one thing in common: all begin with a clogged pore. When pores become deeply clogged, acne becomes inflamed and infected with bacteria. Following that, skin tissue is destroyed when the pimple heals. And if that is not enough, Inflammatory acne breakouts- including cystic acne- are more likely to leave ice-pick scars on your skin.

Hence, in the case of a deep pimple, the body fails to make enough proteins, like collagen, to fill in the injury to the skin, which leads to the formation of an indented scar.

After understanding the causes, let’s show what treatment options are available to remove ice pick scars.

Treatment Options To Get Rid of Ice-Pick Scars

Microneedling Radiofrequency

Also called collagen induction therapy, this acne scar treatment in South Delhi is performed when a healthcare provider rolls a tool covered in tiny needles over the skin. The needles are known to create microscopic holes in the skin. Later, the body reacts by releasing collagen, which can fill some acne scars.

The fact is most patients undergo multiple microneedling treatments spread out over some time. But it would help if you were patient, as changes to the skin are gradual, and improvements are not seen instantly.

Hyaluronic Acid Injections

Hyaluronic acid is identified as a substance produced naturally by your body. This substance helps tissues retain water and make your skin hydrated. Dermatologists take the help of hyaluronic acid to use as a filler for wrinkles and fine lines. Also, in recent years, hyaluronic acid has proven safe and effective in treating pitted acne scars, such as ice pick scars.

For this treatment, hyaluronic acid injections are given over multiple sessions spaced apart. Though it can be an effective treatment. The positive effects of hyaluronic injections wear off in about a year.

Fractional CO2 Laser

It stands to be one of the most effective laser scar removal treatments in Chhattarpur. In this treatment, the laser system uses light of a particular wavelength. When this light penetrates the deeper layer of the skin, it induces collagen. To ensure you get the maximum outcome from this laser, the right energy selection and knowing whether you are the right patient is important. It is only possible when a dermatologist does the evaluation.

However, this laser has a higher downtime, but it gives superior outcomes. Also, this treatment fits perfectly to remove stubborn, deeper scars. This technology is fractional; the energy is delivered through microchannels, ensuring your safety.

Intralesional Injections

Intralesional injections can help remove ice-pick acne scars by injecting a substance directly into the scar tissue to help improve its appearance. The choice of injections may vary as per your skin texture and your doctor’s prescription, but the common ones are:

Dermal Fillers
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Collagen Stimulating Injections
Corticosteroids
5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)

After looking for the treatments, let’s analyze the tips to manage these ice-pick scars so that your treatment can succeed.

What Tips To Follow To Manage And Prevent Ice-Pick Acne Scars

Generally, home treatments and over-the-counter products won’t help to manage your ice-pick acne scars as they are too deep. However, some lifestyle tips can help to manage your ice-pick acne scars.

Let’s study them carefully.

Maintaining a healthy diet- One of the many benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet is that it can boost your skin. Moreover, in addition to keeping the rest of your body healthy, foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can help to maintain clear skin, while minimizing inflammatory acne that can leave deep scars.
DIY facials- Along with putting inflammatory foods into your body, you can also try to put these foods into your body. You can use honey and cinnamon as they have antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties. Thus, using a cinnamon-honey mask on your skin can give a long-lasting soothing effect.
Applying tea tree oil to pimples- Research says tea tree oil can reduce inflammation and fight bacteria. And if you apply diluted tea-tree oil it can help to clear your breakout.

What prevention to take?

To prevent ice-pick acne scars, you can treat the inflammatory acne that causes them. The two steps you can take to prevent ice-pick acne scars are:

Maintaining a healthy care regimen
By keeping update your doctor about your breakouts

Tip: If you have breakouts, it is advised not to pick and avoid popping pimples, as this action can cause infection and make existing breakouts worse.

Conclusion

If you suffer from deep acne scars, you should know you are not the only one. However, the deepest scars, like ice pick, can also be treatable. Talk to the best dermatologist in Delhi for the best outcome and to make your skin scar-free.

One such doctor is Dr. Swati Agarwal, she is the MD dermatologist at Skination. She has over a decade of experience and has vast experience in treating patients with skin and hair disorders. Due to her dedication and past success rate to her patients she is considered the Best Skin specialist in Chhattarpur. Book your appointment with Dr. Swati Agarwal at Skination today to plan your ice-pick acne scar treatment!