If there’s anything worse than an acne breakout, it’s dealing with the scars that are left over when the zits and pimples have dried out. While breakouts are short-lived, these marks and scars are more long-lasting, lingering on your face from a few months to, well, forever.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic potion for getting rid of acne scars overnight. Topical treatments and over-the-counter medications are available, but sometimes these are not powerful enough to do the trick, so you may have to resort to clinical treatments to deal with the blemishes, blotches, pockmarks and craters that are left behind.

At Belo, we have a wide array of specialist treatments, including facials, peels, and lasers, that can help lighten, minimize or diminish these unsightly marks over a period of time. You just need to consult with one of our doctors and pick the right one for you, based on the type of scar you have.

Superficial scars, such as hyperpigmentation or red marks, can be lightened with a microdermabrasion treatment like Powerpeel. This method makes use of corundum crystals that gently slough off dead cells to reveal new, lighter skin underneath. With a few treatments, you can expect acne-caused blemishes to noticeably disappear.

Light chemical peels that use TCA (trichloroacetic acid), such as the Spanish Peel or the ZO Controlled-Depth Peel, can also help diminish post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, as well as shallow pockmarks.

For scars that have caused a depression on the skin, our doctors often recommend non-invasive laser treatments like Fraxel or Laser Genesis. These procedures stimulate collagen production that can help raise sunken acne scars to the surface of your skin.

The color of your skin can also be a factor in choosing the best scar-lightening treatment. Acne marks on fairer skin will benefit most from an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment like the Aurora Photofacial. This procedure combines IPL with radiofrequency to produce a more even skin tone and to diminish the appearance of superficial scars and acne-caused spots all over the body.

Sometimes you may even need a combination of treatments to minimize these blemishes. And sometimes, you just need to practice patience, stick to one treatment and go for multiple sessions. Just keep in mind that scars may be stubborn but they’re not impossible to get rid of.

To learn more on how to remove acne scars, click here  to schedule a consultation, or call 819-BELO (2356).