Treatment for depressed scars includes the following: Chemical peel: Applying a chemical peel to the skin helps the body produce more collagen and elastin. When the skin has more of both, depressed acne scars tend to be less noticeable. Peels are available in strengths ranging from mild to strong.
Depressed scars can be improved by removing the scar surgically – usually in the office. Skin fillers can also be used to improve most depressed scars in an easy, immediate, and quick way. Advanced lasers or dermabrasion can also be used to treat skin areas with depressed scars, such as in acne scarring cases.
Some medicated creams, such as those containing azelaic acid or hydroxyl acids, might help too. Soft tissue fillers. Injecting collagen, fat or other substances under the skin can plump the skin over indented scars. The goal is to make the scars less noticeable.
Self-Care Strategies
Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices can help center your thought and calm your mind, reducing the stress and anxiety that often accompany emotional scars. Physical Activity: Exercise is not only good for the body but also for the mind. It can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Conclusion: Healing is a Lifelong Process
Through this journey, we discover that while scars may remain, they do not have to define us. With the right support, time, and effort, we can heal from both physical and emotional wounds, becoming stronger and more resilient in the process.
It's natural to wonder, “Do indented scars fill in over time?” Unfortunately, these scars won't disappear on their own. Atrophic scars rarely go away completely, but with the help of a dermatology provider, you may be able to successfully reduce their appearance.
And vitamin C is a key player when it comes to creating collagen. Even though collagen and wounds are usually discussed in the context of repairing fresh injuries, since collagen helps make healthy tissue, it can impact older scars as well and improve their appearance.
If your body doesn't produce enough collagen, you can end up with the opposite — a depressed scar. Depressed scars, also called atrophic, boxcar, icepick, and rolling scars, are more commonly found on the face as a result of acne.
Cocoa butter cream and Vaseline are most often used to help reduce the appearance of scars. Applying the ointment daily will help heal scars but will not make them invisible. Another tip for caring for your scars includes surgery. Surgery will not eliminate the scar but can change its shape or make it less noticeable.
Scar massage is a way of softening and flattening scars. It can stop scar tissue build up and help make scars less noticeable. Your scar or scars will continue to grow and change for about twelve to eighteen months, so the earlier and more regularly you massage your scar, the less the chance of long-term problems.
Some common self-help treatments include: Silicone gel: Silicone sheets or ointment are used after the wound closes to prevent or reduce a raised scar. The self-adhesive sheets need to be worn every day, all day, usually for several months or longer.
Whether they're from childhood accidents, surgery or illness, some scars will fade over time but it's unlikely they'll completely disappear by themselves. If you're looking to reduce their appearance, you'll need to look into scar treatment. Keloids and sunken acne scars are least likely to fade.
Scars seem to get worse before they get better. For about six weeks after surgery the scar becomes red, firm and hard. This is the body's way of making a very strong and solid scar. Over the next four months the scar will soften and lose the redness.
Atrophic scars are the opposite of hypertrophic scars. They are depressed, sunken and often have a pitted appearance.
Lasers and other light treatments: This is becoming the go-to treatment for all types of scars because these treatments can: Prevent raised scars and keloids. Reduce the appearance of existing raised scars and keloids. Decrease scarring after surgery.
The filler of choice for filling indented scars is generally a biostimulator to lay down a new layer of fresh collagenous tissue that will continue stimulating your body to create new collagen. Radiesse® and Sculptra® are examples of fillers used to treat acne and other depressed scars.
Mederma PM Cream can be used on atrophic scars such as acne and chicken pox scars. Mederma® PM Cream may help to smooth and soften the edges of the pox mark but it will not cause the indented area to fill in. By smoothing the edges, the mark may become less noticeable.
Fillers: This treatment adds volume to depressed scars. Fillers can also help your body produce more collagen and elastin to fill in the scars. Dermatologists use different fillers, which last for varying amounts of time. Most fillers give temporary results, ranging from 3 months to 2 years.
Most scars will never go away completely, but smaller ones might fade over time. For larger or more noticeable scars, there are some treatments that can help reduce their size or make them less noticeable.
But in my experience, emotional healing happens in seven stages: awareness, acceptance, processing, release, growth, integration, and transformation. We don't move through these seven stages in a straight line, but we do pass through them all eventually on the path to healing.