What are Ice Pick Scars?
Ice pick scars are types of acne scars, characterized by their jagged edges and steep sides, giving them an appearance of having been stabbed with an ice pick. Look up ice pick scar pictures and you'll immediately recognize this type of facial scar. Ice pick scars come soft and hard, as well as shallow and deep. It is common for ice pick scars to extend all the way to the dermis or even subcutaneous skin layers. Depressed fibrotic scars are large scars with sharp and step edges. Ice pick scars can evolve into depressed fibrotic scars after time.
Scars form because of inflammation, a natural response of the body to injury, in this case acne lesions. These scars are caused by a loss of tissue. Other loss of tissue acne scars include boxcar scars and rolling scars.
On the other end of the spectrum are scars caused by the excess production of collagen; these include hypertrophic scars and keloids.
How To Get Rid Of Ice Pick Scars
As ice pick scars are typically deep, most acne scar removal methods are not effective. Dermabrasion, microdermabrasion and chemical peels regenerate new skin but only remove the outer layers of skin.
Lasers are also involved in ice pick scar removal. Different lasers can be used to burn away a layer of skin. Like other resurfacing treatments, new skin cells are encouraged. Redness and shape are also improved thanks to laser treatment.
Although you might be eager to pursue acne scar treatment, to avoid improper healing and further scarring, do not move forward with any resurfacing procedure for at least 12 months after completing accutane.
Punch techniques are another option for depressed scars. Unfortunately, ice pick scars are often too deep for punch grafts but it has been found helpful in removing scars where loss of tissue is involved. Punch grafts or replacements are skin transplants placed where the scar was removed. Punch excision is the ice pick scars treatment where the depressed scar is removed. The skin near the wound is stretched and closed, healing less conspicuously. The last is punch elevation where the scar tissue is detached and allowed to 'float' up to the normal level of surrounding skin. The recovery time involved is typically several weeks long.
Another variation for treating ice pick scars is stretching of the skin. Unfortunately, this does not work for most as it is only effective on soft scars and most ice pick scars are deep and hard. To improve upon stretching, a filler of collagen, fat (autologous fat transfer) or other substance can be injected. With fat transfer, the body reabsorbs it back into the body between half a year to a year and a half later and requires follow up injections.
Get rid of your ice pick scars or of deep boxcar acne scars with a chemical free cream that eliminates scar tissue and redness while improving the cell matrix of your skin.
