Treat Scars on the Face

Scars occur when a wound to the skin fails to heal quickly. They can be the result of an injury, surgery or skin conditions such as acne. You can generally treat scars by removing the scarred tissue and allowing the skin to grow back without the scarring. The specific procedures for treating facial scars include laser resurfacing, dermabrasion, dermal fillers and chemical peels.

Use Mederma or other scar creams to prevent scars from forming on your face. Emollients that keep the skin moist can help skin lesions heal more quickly, which can keep scar tissue from forming. Consult with a dermatologist if you already a scar on your face. An existing scar generally requires medical treatment, and several options are available. Get laser resurfacing. This treatment is most commonly used on the face because it requires a longer recovery time than other methods, and the skin on the face heals especially quickly. The skin readily absorbs the light from the laser, which vaporizes the upper layers of the skin as required to remove the scar.

Receive dermabrasion. This technique removes the upper layers of skin through some mechanical means. A dermabrasion tool generally consists of a diamond-tipped head that rotates very quickly to remove the skin. A dermatologist operates the dermabrasion tool manually, so the results are highly dependent on the operator's skill. Select a chemical peel. A chemical peel consists of a solution of glycolic acid and may be performed at home or by a dermatologist. The chemical peel will remove the top layers of skin, depending on the strength of the acid. Chemical peels for home use typically have a concentration between 10 and 20 percent. Dermatologists use glycolic acid solutions as strong as 70 percent.

Receive a dermal filler. A dermatologist may inject various materials under the skin to fill out the indention caused by a scar. It's most commonly used on the deep pitted scars caused by acne. Common dermal fillers include collagen, silicone and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA.)