How to Classify Your Acne Scars
Acne and acne scar expert Dr. Eric Schweiger explains that, “Not all acne scars are the same. There are a few different types of acne scars that can form on your skin; it is important to be able to identify the different types of acne scars, in order to determine the best form of treatment to get rid of your acne scars.”
Here is our quick guide to classifying your acne scars:
Ice Pick Scars: Ice pick scars are very deep scars, with sharp borders. They look almost as if they have been poked into the skin with an ice pick.
Boxcar Scars: Boxcar acne scars have a sharp border, but they are much wider than ice pick acne scars. They appear as round ‘pits’ on the surface of the skin.
Rolling Scars: Rolling acne scars do not have sharp borders, they appear as indented ‘wavy’ patches of the skin.
Hypertrophic Scars: Hypertrophic acne scars are not indented at all, they are actually firm bumps raised above the surface of the skin. This type of acne scarring is most commonly found on the chest and back.
Discoloration: While not truly an ‘acne scar’, discoloration can appear just as dramatically on the skin as acne scarring. There are two main types of discoloration after acne, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (dark spots) and post-inflammatory erythema (reddish spots.) Both of these types of acne marks can be addressed with topical medications, chemical peels, and in-office laser treatments.
Click here to learn more about classifying your acne scars.
