Luckily you don't have bad scarring. I'd say:

1. Get completely clear first. Are you? Or are you breaking out still? If you're breaking out, get that under control first.

2. I'm betting a combo of TCA and laser might do the trick, but you'd have to ask a doc who specializes in scars.

I would also say that it's mild scarring. It's hard to tell on these pictures as they are very close but if you are a woman it would be an option to go to somebody who could teach you to use makeup (for men it could be an option too). Nobody is perfect 

Hello, Yes I would agree with others, 3 pieces of good news for you

1. Scarring is mild, small and shallow.

2. Scarring looks relatively recent, PIE marks giveaway for this.

3. You look young and European ancestry, meaning you can use full range of treatments and expectgood healing.

I think the best thing to is control mild acne and redness. Adapelene Benzoyl peroxide is a good combo, as well as diet changes and eliminating dairy, chocolate, simple sugars and perhaps alcohol. Sounds tough but trust me, 1 month pain and then you don't even miss it, I actually prefer oat milk to dairy milk now, couldn't ever have believed I would before.

In conjunction to this, VBEAM treatments, 3-4, will help both treat active acne and reduce redness from PIE parks by between 60-90%. Vascular lasers can also sometimes help early true scars.

Once acne and redness is eliminated, you will be able to accurately gage the extent of collagen fat destruction (true scars).

Cross this bridge when you come to it, but since yours look shallow, not widespread and mild (and fresh), treatments like INFINI or fractional laser may give you enough improvement to not worry about it ever again.

Best of luck.

Hi ! Many thanks for your advice and info! Really helpful!

- the cheeks were impacted this year, so fresh indented scars and red marks indeed. (shallow/mild and medium depth scars, I'd say  when I stretch ths skin - I still see the gap for some of them)..

-acne is still here, yes, Benzoyl Perozide doesn't do the trick anymore for me - as I got an allergy and everytime I put it on, I got an itchy and redness as a reaction.. Any thoughts on this?

- diet is helping yes! Sugar, alcohol at the minimum. And I'd try to reduce diary as well (cheese mainly - I am not drinking yoghurt and milk at all)

-the forehead is the one with older scars (indented ice pick are older from 2 years ago, shallow boxcars on forehead also fresh from this year)..

- make up (yes, a young woman here) is good for red marks, not for indented scars or maybe I don't know how to cover them..maybe there are some tricks for gaps as well. Also, I always pick natural over makeup, so some invasive procedures with permanent good results are desired..:

What really upsets me, it's that even though I don't pick at all, the inflammation persists and I think that's why I am getting these indented scars..or am I scarring due to bad genes? who knows? no one in my family ever had acne scars..:( 

I'd go for TCA and spot peels...or maybe dermapen. I am kind of scared of laser...maybe because I read more awful news than good..who knows. I am going to check with a specialist on the scars, hopefully, I will find a good one..!

This is a recent picture of my right check - that was so damaged for the first time this year. 

The fresh red mark and scar (you can see actualy a line) - it's the result of an esthetician that did an acne extraction and afterwards acne mask treatment. Never again.. I believe she didn't use the proper technique, as I can see this scar forming there..

Is there anything I can do in these first weeks/months to help heal that fresh scar..not to become a gap and recover nicely? 

If someone can help, I'd really appreciate and advice. Silicone/Strataderm will help or..?

Thank you! 

Hey I tried a lot and I had great results by using hydrocolloid dressings. I recommend the thread of an user called "PivotalAnime". I can only speak for me and it had a great impact on my atrophic scars.

You wrote that you have fresh scars/wounds. Try to react as soon as possible. Maybe microneedling. Maybe hydrocolloid dressings. You will thank yourself in the long run.

Moisturize your skin is a must. I would avoid the sun but thats worth discussing.

!!! The first step should always be to go to a doctor. I'm not one. !!! I wish you the best.

7 hours ago, MariaIS said:

This is a recent picture of my right check - that was so damaged for the first time this year. 

The fresh red mark and scar (you can see actualy a line) - it's the result of an esthetician that did an acne extraction and afterwards acne mask treatment. Never again.. I believe she didn't use the proper technique, as I can see this scar forming there..

Is there anything I can do in these first weeks/months to help heal that fresh scar..not to become a gap and recover nicely? 

If someone can help, I'd really appreciate and advice. Silicone/Strataderm will help or..?

Thank you! 

Yes acne can still scar even if you don™t pop but that scarring will be the easiest to treat as it will be shallow or hide compared to popping as that could leave a deep indent. Also make sure to not let the acne stay for long , the longer the area is inflamed your immune system keep on damaging the area as it think it is fighting an infection. Good things on the diet part but if it you are still breaking out go for accutane 2 months or so. Remember  prevention is better than cure when it come to acne scars.

On 8/31/2021 at 1:02 PM, MariaIS said:

 

-acne is still here, yes, Benzoyl Perozide doesn't do the trick anymore for me - as I got an allergy and everytime I put it on, I got an itchy and redness as a reaction.. Any thoughts on this?

 

Yeah that's completely normal. It's called the hardening effect of benzoyl peroxide and almost everyone gets it for the first few weeks of use. That's why it's important to start slowly. But it subsides with use.

Allergy is swelling or severe crusting, and in that case, you wouldn't want to use it, but redness and itchiness is completely normal and goes away.

Most important is to get clear so you're preventing future scarring.

Many thanks for replying to the above!

Yes, checked"PivotalAnime" and also I've tried COSRX patches and PURITO patches - they seem to work somehow. It seems that the wounds closed a little, but still cannot tell 100% as there is still redness.

Regarding the benzoyl peroxide, what is interesting is that I got this persistent redness and itchiness after 3 months using it (back then I had no problem with BP).So, it's something that developed with time, after 3 months usage...:(

Lesson learnt! I won't pop a pimple again on my face o even let anyone experienced todo it for me.

Something that I noticed is that scarring and healing seems to be different on my body - the face heals in other way leaving atrophic scars or not, and any other part of the body with a wound -> scab -> scab falls -> no gap.

I was thinking in fighting acne from inside - vitamin B complexor Omega 3 or Magnesium. Any effect on this inside from anyone for this type of scarring? I am on Zinc and it is quite good.