Best Ways To Get Rid Of Pockmarks

The worst thing about acne isn't the pus-filled projections it emits nor the duration it stays on your face. The mark it leaves on your face is the true cause for concern. Pockmarks aren't easy to remove, since they are changes in your skin's physical properties. However, with a potent topical cream or through surgery, your pockmarks can be removed, as if they never appeared on your face. Just be patient in trying out each solution.

Topical Solutions

Some dermatological products are formulated to erode scars then straighten skin back to its normal appearance. The results may not be quick, but through constant use, you'll see gradual improvement over time. However, if the pockmarks run deep into the skin, you may have to resort to more serious remedies. Here are the topical solutions you can use.

Onion Extract

Onions can make you teary eyed, but when it comes to your skin, it has a pretty pleasurable effect. The cooking ingredient contains enzymes that act as an anti-inflammatory solution. Onion extract also hampers the production of collagen, which forms the pockmark's silky surface. To use, just apply as directed by the product's label. Your scars will gradually revert back to normal skin. You can purchase onion extract from drugstores and beauty stores.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is a potent skin moisturizer used for smoothening skin, giving it a light dainty scent upon application. Unknown to some, it can work wonders against pockmarks as long as it is applied religiously on the scars. The components of the solution enhance the skin's smoothness and elasticity, which help in reducing the scars. Your pockmarks, as a result, will fade after a while. You can also use other powerful moisturizers, if cocoa butter is not available in your local beauty store.

Silicone-Based Application

Scar removal is one of silicone's alternative uses, so it can certainly remove pockmarks. Just be patient, since the results don't appear quickly. Remember, numerous biological processes are involved before scar tissue is reworked back to a strip of normal skin. Silicone treatments can come as gel or a medical strip that applied on the scars. Combine its use with the other topical solutions for optimum results.

Topical Cream with Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Alpha hydroxy acids figure in many cosmetic products due to their effects against the signs of aging, which are somewhat related to pockmarks, given the change in skin properties. You can use a topical solution that has low concentrations of the said acids. Apply liberal amounts on your pockmarks, as directed by the label or based from your dermatologist's advice. Examples of alpha hydroxy acids are:

salicylic acid
lactic acid
citric acid
glycolic acid
mandelic acid

Scar Removers

There are products on the market aptly named scar removers, which halt the facial collagen production. It moisturizes the pockmarks, reducing them gradually through each application, before promoting the growth of normal skin over the scar. Scar removers are pretty abundant at drugstores, in fact, you'll find more than a few brands. Just do some internet research or consult your dermatologist on which you should purchase.

Surgical Procedures

Surgery is reserved for heavy scarring after a series of serious acne attacks. Topical solutions do very little against heavy pockmarks. The results take too long to appear and in some cases, they don't even come at all. For heavy pockmarks, surgery is your best option. It will surely remove all the pockmarks after the procedure. However, be ready to pay for stiff medical fees.

Dermabrasion

In dermabrasion, the dermatologist will apply a facial sanding method, which smoothens the skin completely, taking the pockmarks away in the process. The procedure is quite rough. Wounds gradually appear while your face is scrubbed by the dermatologist. About two weeks after the procedure, the scabs will disengage themselves, revealing a stretch of healthy skin. This procedure is reserved for people with a light or dark skin tone.

Laser Treatment

A surgical laser is powerful enough to cut through flesh in an instant, so it won't have any problems eroding scars. Your dermatologist will use either a CO2 laser or a YAG laser to adjust your skin. Just like a sculptor, he or she will carve out the pockmarks, en route to the growth of new skin. The recovery period is about two weeks, which is quite long, but when your wounds heal, your face will be as smooth as silk.

Punch Augmentation

Punch augmentation is probably the most effective among the surgical procedures, but the recovery perod lasts for about a month. The dermatologist extracts the pockmarks, as if using a hole punch, then replaces them with skin from other parts of your body, often the back of the ears. The wounds take awhile to heal, but when they do, your face will show no signs of any unwanted marks or discolorations.

Try the Topical Solutions First

Ideally, when getting rid of pockmarks, you should try out one or a combination of the topical solutions first, before resorting to surgery. Surgery may bring quick results, but the charges involved are quite stiff. So the surgical procedures mentioned should serve only as your final options.