How long does it take for depressed acne scars to fade?

Author: Cassandra Carroll  |  Last update: Saturday, July 12, 2025

While their appearance may decrease over time, after about 6 months of healing acne scars will not improve further without intervention. We recommend seeing a dermatologist for acne and acne scars that make you self-conscious or affect your life.

How long does it take for deep acne scars to go away?

If you have a red or brownish mark on your face that you got from a bad zit, it should eventually fade. However, it may take 12 months or longer. If you're upset about acne marks, talk to your doctor, who might have advice on what you can do.

How do you fade depressed scars?

Treating Depressed Scars

Depressed scars can often be immediately removed or reduced with treatments like microdermabrasion or a chemical peel. Both of these techniques work by exfoliating the top layer of the skin, reducing the scar's appearance on the surface.

How long does it take for a depressed scar to heal?

Well, a scar can heal within 12 to 18 weeks in most cases. However, how long your specific scar will take to heal depends on various factors, including size, depth, type of scar, and proper wound care. While scars aren't visually appealing, they're a natural part of the healing process and require patience.

What should a scar look like after 6 months?

The scar will tend to remain red for 1-6 months afterwards. After that as the collagen, fibers and scar organizes and matures, the scar tends to contract down and flatten out. The color becomes less red and begins to take on the color and appearance of the surrounding tissue.

How to FADE PITTED SCARS | Dr Dray

Does depression leave a scar?

People who have recovered from an episode of clinical depression have an elevated risk for developing a new episode of depression compared with those not previously depressed. One possible explanation for this finding is that depression may leave 'scars'—enduring psychological changes resulting from depression.

How to fix a depressed scar?

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.

Do indented scars fill in over time?

While some scars may undergo some level of fading, atrophic scars are particularly stubborn and don't resolve over time.

Does vitamin C help with acne scars?

COLLAGEN PRODUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE APPEARANCE OF POST BLEMISH MARKS. Collagen is an important skin protein, providing the scaffold that gives skin its structure. By promoting collagen production, vitamin C effectively improves the appearance of post blemish marks.

What are the hardest acne scars to get rid of?

However, the answer is typically ice-pick scars when asking which acne scars are most challenging to remove. Ice-pick scars are V-shaped depressions in the skin's surface that develop due to insufficient collagen production.

Are acne scars unattractive?

People with acne scars are perceived as less attractive, confident, happy, healthy, successful, and less likely to lead promising futures compared to people with clear skin.

How do you get rid of indented acne scars?

What's the best treatment for acne scars?
  1. Home skin care. Using sunscreen can help limit the contrast between unscarred skin and a scar. ...
  2. Soft tissue fillers. ...
  3. Steroid injection. ...
  4. Laser resurfacing. ...
  5. Other energy-based procedures. ...
  6. Dermabrasion. ...
  7. Chemical peel. ...
  8. Skin needling.

What age is acne the worst?

Acne is a common issue for many people, especially for teenagers and young adults in their 20s. Some have mild symptoms, while others can have very severe issues. Acne effects around 90% of adolescents with the prime age across all genders being the teenage years of 14-19 years old.

What skincare is best for depressed acne scars?

Glycolic acid: A type of alpha-hydroxy acid that helps shed skin cells to improve skin texture, this ingredient can diminish mild to moderately depressed scars. 5. Salicylic acid: A pore cleaner and exfoliant that can be used daily, salicylic acid can be used for all scar types.

Does shaving reduce acne scars?

Your healthcare provider uses a special instrument to shave away the uppermost layers of your skin. Dermaplaning can help reduce the appearance of acne scars or other skin imperfections by revealing newer, undamaged skin. It can make your skin look younger; though, it doesn't stop the aging process.

Why do pimples leave holes?

Acne holes are scars or pick marks from pimples. They usually look like indentations or holes in the skin. Acne holes occur due to damage in the deeper layers of the skin after popping pimples.

Are depressed acne scars permanent?

Unlike hypertrophic acne scars, depressed scars are permanent. They caused by the loss of collagen during the healing process. This may be due to replacement of collagen fibers with fibrotic tissue, or a combination of both. In any event, they affect the well-being of those with them.

When is it too late to massage scar tissue?

For best results, you should perform scar massage for at least 10 minutes, twice a day, for six months. You should only stop sooner than that if the scar starts showing signs of infection or you experience intolerable discomfort.

How do you get rid of depressed acne scars?

Treatment for depressed scars includes the following:
  1. Chemical peel: Applying a chemical peel to the skin helps the body produce more collagen and elastin. ...
  2. Fillers: This treatment adds volume to depressed scars. ...
  3. Laser treatment: Dermatologists use lasers to resurface skin with acne scars.

What is a depressed scar called?

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.

Do emotional scars ever go away?

The truth is, physical and emotional scars may never completely fade, but that doesn't mean we can't heal. With persistence, patience, and the willingness to embrace both the painful work of “massaging” our scars and the grace to allow for rest, healing is always possible.

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