If you, like many teens, had some major outbreaks of acne during puberty and the years that followed, you may still be relying on makeup or creative haircuts to hide the scarring that these pimples have left. However, these masking options aren't always satisfactory, and you may be looking for a way to put your acne behind you for good. Are there any topical treatments that can help you manage your acne scars, or is surgery the best option? Read on to learn more about the most effective scar removal options that can permanently erase any signs of adolescent acne.

What are your non-surgical scar removal options?

In some cases, the majority of your acne scarring may be confined to the top few layers of your skin. If most of your scars appear fairly shallow when you look at your face at an angle in the mirror, you may be a good candidate for microdermabrasion or a chemical peel. Through the microdermabrasion process, your skin will be scoured by an ultra-fine grain scrubber that can remove the top several layers of skin, primarily dead cells and other debris. When your skin regenerates itself following a microdermabrasion procedure, it will fill in the pocks and gaps left by your acne scars, reducing their prominence. 

A chemical peel achieves a similar effect as microdermabrasion, but rather than removing your skin cells by friction, it accomplishes this through a chemical reaction. Your dermatologist will place a clear gel on your skin that contains Vitamin A and other retinoids. When your skin is hit with a laser, the laser beam will react with this gel to seamlessly destroy the top few layers of skin (along with surface acne scars). Your skin will be red and sensitive for a few days following this procedure, but should appear much more even and smooth once you've healed.

Is facial scar revision surgery the best choice?

Sometimes your acne scarring may be too deep to be fully removed through microdermabrasion or a chemical peel. If this is the case, facial scar revision surgery may be your best choice. This will require your plastic surgeon to either utilize skin grafts to fill in any gaps or holes created by the scar or to remove the top layers of scar tissue with a scalpel or laser. Your recovery from this surgery should be brief, and you'll then be able to move on without the physical and emotional baggage created by your acne scarring. Contact a doctor that specializes in facial plastic surgery for more information.