Acne Scars for Years? Is Complete Skin Clearance Possible?

Acne scars form because untreated acne causes deep inflammation in the skin, which later heals as scars. These scars can be of different types such as ice-pick, box, rolling, linear, or red scars, depending on the depth and pattern of inflammation. Once scars are formed, a 100% cure is not possible, but around 70–80% improvement can be achieved with the right treatment.

Management depends on the scar type and usually involves combination therapies like fractional CO₂ laser, subcision, chemical peels, microneedling, or TCA CROSS. Ice-pick scars respond better to TCA CROSS or microneedling, while box and rolling scars show better results with CO₂ laser combined with subcision.

Since most patients have a mix of scar types, personalized combination treatments give the best results and significantly improve skin texture and appearance.