People who have deep acne scars have one thing in common: getting rid of those unsightly pock marks that are all over their faces is on top of their wish lists. As if battling acne was not enough, the often irritating scenario of looking at yourself in front of the mirror with ugly dents on your face is a far more depressing problem since acne scars can stay there for the rest of your life. Worse, eliminating facial acne scars is often a very expensive ordeal. But, like famous actor Edward James Olmos, is there a handsome hope in a bottle of acne scar cream?

What Does an Acne Scar Cream Do?

More like how a cellulite cream works, an acne scar cream doesn’t really make deep acne scars vanish but only makes them a lot less obvious. Edward James Olmos, aside from being good-looking by default, looked handsome despite his face covered in facial acne scars because he had a golden complexion. Acne scars are less noticeable the darker your skin is.

An acne scar cream as well as acne scar gels and lotions successfully make facial scars less obvious by working in different ways. Sometimes, the trick is to apply an ample amount on your face so that the rough areas where the acne scars are will appear to be leveled. Another way of achieving the same effect, although a bit more painful, is when the cream burns the outer layers of the scars that stick out so they become a lot thinner and more level with the skin surface.

There is also a type of acne scar cream that has a smoothing and abrasive effect. This type of acne scar cream has alpha hydroxyl among its main ingredients, scraping layers of dead skin much like a facial scrub. This will give you a more even skin tone especially when topped with effective, water-based moisturizers that help in creating a smoother skin texture.

Are There Side Effects?

While not everyone gets bad side effects from using an acne scar cream, some people have highly sensitive skin that adversely reacts to certain topical solutions. Some people, after using acne scar cream, experience redness, itchiness, and irritation. Also, when using acne scar cream, make sure not to expose yourself too much under the heat of the sun since the chemical components of the cream may react to the heat and burn your skin.

Of course, it is not unusual to hear from people who use acne scar cream that their acne scars do not really look any different from when they did not put on the cream anyway. In this case, it is best to just consult a dermatologist who will know better about your problem. You may be advised to try another acne scar cream or resort to other alternative for removing acne scars for good, such as laser treatments or surgery.