When a wound heals, it may eventually turn into a scar. Facial scars come in numerous forms and may be caused by injuries, acne, burns, or surgery. Since your face is constantly exposed to the environment, scars on this part of your body may have a harder time healing. Whereas you may be able to cover up or protect other areas of your body while a wound heals, your face is open to the elements for most of the day. It may not be possible to fully protect wounds on the face as they heal, and it may be difficult to keep treatments (e.g., ointments, creams) from rubbing away. The good news is that if you’re looking to treat facial scars, you have a lot of options to consider. Read through these popular methods, and discuss all of the benefits and risks with a dermatologist.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is one of the most effective and most popular methods for treating facial scars. Unlike microdermabrasion kits you can buy at the drugstore, dermabrasion is performed by a dermatologist. They use a wire brush or a wheel to exfoliate the top layer of skin on your face.
Some of the complications of dermabrasion include:
- infection
- darkening of the skin
- redness and swelling
- uneven skin tone