Dermal fillers: Dermal fillers such as JUVÉDERM™ Injectable Gel and Restylane® can be used to add volume to recessed areas of the skin, such as indented scars. Although results are temporary, treatments can safely be repeated as necessary.
In most cases, acne scars do improve over time without treatment. That's particularly true of discoloration. Indentations may be more stubborn and less prone to disappearing on their own. For lasting skin color changes, creams that contain a bleaching agent can help fade discoloration.
Many treatments can help in several types of scarring too! PIH can be improved with laser genesis, chemical peels, and micro needling. Ice-pick and boxcar scars can be improved with fractionated ablative laser, microneedling, subcision, and filler injections.
Mature scars can also flatten out as they go through this aging process, but it's important to note that scars will never go away completely. Even with some scar treatments, the appearance will be improved, but they will never totally disappear because the skin composition is different from the surrounding tissues.
Treatment of atrophic scars depends on the type and severity of the scar. Injections, skin resurfacing and collagen-induction are the most common, but reconstructive plastic surgery may be used for severe or large atrophic scars.
With certain depressed scars, dermal grafts (skin taken from behind the ear) or fat taken from the body can be used to “fill” under the scar (or wrinkle). With dermal or skin grafts, Dr. Vartanian may also use a full thickness punch graft that contains all layers of the skin to completely fill in a depressed scar.
Acne scars or other indented (atrophic) scars can be improved with laser skin resurfacing.
Different types of shots can make scars less noticeable. For example, if you have acne scars, fillers such as collagen or fat may even out bumps or indents in the skin. Botox or similar injections can smooth the skin and the appearance of scars. Corticosteroid shots can make scars less visible.
When a loss of subcutaneous fat affects the face, it results in sunken cheeks and facial folds and indentations. The most common cause is associated with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, etc.). These disorders can result in hollow facial features, such as sunken cheeks.
Some scars can have a sunken or pitted appearance. This kind of scarring occurs when underlying structures supporting the skin (for example, fat or muscle) are lost. Some surgical scars have this appearance, as do some scars from acne.
Treatment Options
Soft-tissue fillers – injections commercially known as Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane and Sculptra – can be used to temporarily improve the appearance of depressed scars. Soft-tissue fillers are a good choice only for scars that are significantly depressed so they can be elevated by the filler.
While no topical treatments have been shown to improve atrophic scars, silicone gel can be used as the original pimple or chicken pox blister is healing. Silicone gel is recommended by scar experts to prevent abnormal scarring.
Atrophic scarring is often an unfortunate and permanent complication of acne vulgaris. It has high prevalence, significant impact on quality of life, and therapeutic challenge for dermatologists.
One of the most impactful and clinically applicable articles of 2019 in dermatology is entitled, "The Role of Topical Retinoids in Prevention and Treatment of Atrophic Acne Scarring: Understanding the Importance of Early Effective Treatment," by Tan et al.
Dermal Fillers: Apart from treating wrinkles and enhancing facial contours, dermal fillers can help fill acne holes on the face. Doctors often inject hyaluronic acid into acne scars to raise them to the skin's surface and make the texture appear even.
Dermal Fillers exhibits highly favorable results in refining the appearance of acne scars by lifting up the indented, depressed scars. Their effect is however not permanent to last lifelong.
Dermal Filler is a hyaluronic filler injection that is the best used for rolling and atrophic scars.
A minor wound like a cut will usually heal to leave a raised line, which will gradually fade and flatten over time. This process can take up to 2 years. The scar will not disappear completely and you'll be left with a visible mark or line.
Cortisone is useful in suppressing inflammation in the short term, and in the long term, dissolving scar tissue, stabilizing the body's defenses, speeding the healing process, and is very effective in causing certain cysts to disappear.
You may be able to reverse your sunken cheeks by toning your facial muscles with specific facial exercises. An 8 week study completed in 2018 indicated that people who did 30 minutes of facial exercises every day had firmer and younger looking faces.