What Are Pock Marks?

Like Driver’s Ed, junior prom, or going off to college, acne is a quintessential adolescent experience. From a few rogue pimples to conditions like cystic acne, around 85% of people between 12 and 24 years of age are likely to experience some degree of facial acne [1]. 

But for 40% of people who experience it, acne doesn’t always become a thing of the past when they reach adulthood [2]. In addition, its traces can persist well into adulthood in the form of pock marks—deep, crater-like scars that linger even after breakouts cease. 

If you’ve been searching the web for ways to treat pock marks on face and coming up short, don’t fret. First, it helps to know where pock marks come from—then, you can get an informed understanding of what solutions may help. From switching up your skincare routine to dermatological procedures you can discuss with your doctor, here’s what you should know.

What Causes Pock Marks?

Pock marks or depressed scars are a type of scarring that appears as divots or gashes in the surface of the skin, usually in places where past breakouts or trauma have occurred. They appear on the skin’s uppermost layer, known as the epidermis, but they signal underlying damage that results from inflammation that’s triggered to help skin heal.

But what causes face craters or pock marks? In general, the three most notorious culprits include the following [4]: 

• Acne
• Trauma to the skin 
• Skin infections 

Acne

Pock mark scars are known as atrophic scarring, which indicates a loss of collagen, and are classified according to three different types [6]. Those types are: 

• Boxcar scars – Pock marks that appear as round or oval-shaped depressions in the skin are known as boxcar scars. Generally, the edges of these scars are very clearly delineated and noticeable [7]. Boxcar scars can range from relatively shallow to deep scarring. 
• Ice pick scars – This type of atrophic scarring is indicated by deep but slender depressions in the skin that have the appearance of small wounds, as if the skin has been damaged by tiny ice pick (hence the name) [8]. 
• Rolling scars – Pock marks of this variety feature edges that are less sharply defined and create a wavelike effect on the skin. They occur when the second layer of skin, known as the dermis, becomes attached to the subcutis, the bottom layer of the skin [9]. 

Trauma

Trauma scarring is often caused by the following:

• Burns
• Skin injuries, such as lacerations or puncture wounds 
• Surgery

Skin Infections

Likewise, infectious diseases that leave the skin riddled with blemishes, such as chickenpox, can also result in pock mark scarring. This is especially true if the condition becomes aggravated by scratching. 

To decrease the risk of scarring from such diseases, it’s wise to avoid scratching and to use antihistamines, calamine lotion, and other anti-itch remedies to relieve the sensation [10]. 

How Can You Get Rid Of Pock Marks?

If you’re concerned that acne scars are permanent, read on.  Understanding what causes face craters and pock mark scarring is essential to learning how to diminish their appearance on your face.Unlike the conditions that can cause them, pock mocks won’t go away on their own. But the good news is, several treatment options are available to help reduce their appearance and possibly eliminate them altogether. 

That said, it’s important to keep in mind that treating pock marks can take time. Regardless of the treatment, the results are rarely instantaneous and, in some cases, repeated treatments may be necessary.

At-Home Remedies

Revitalizing your damaged skin begins with revitalizing your skincare routine. But when it comes to hard-to-manage issues like pock marks, not just any skincare regime will do. Pock marks are a special problem that requires special solutions, so make sure you’re using products that are formulated to help fill in face craters and even out skin tone. 

To manage your pock marks, you should look for skincare products like a facial cleanser or night cream that contains ingredients that boost your skin’s collagen production and help it heal itself. That means choosing products that include the following ingredients [11]:

• Alpha hydroxy acids
• Retinoids
• Vitamin C 
• Lactic Acid

If you’re unsure whether your skincare products are providing you with the ingredients you need, it may help to seek out customized products that meet your needs—like by taking PROVEN’s Skincare Quiz. In just three minutes, you can answer questions about your skincare goals, individual skin type, and details about your environment and lifestyle. 

Doing so provides our talented, Stanford-trained scientists with all the information they need to draw on our extensive list of ingredients and craft custom-designed skincare products that perform exactly as you need them to.  

Additionally, always remember that your diet can have an impact on the health of your skin. For reducing the appearance of pock marks on the face, it’s important to maintain a healthy diet that includes ingredients that help your body produce collagen and improve the elasticity of your damaged skin. 

For that reason, make sure that your diet includes foods that are known to increase your collagen levels, such as [12]: 

• Bone broth
• Foods like beef, eggs, and dairy that are rich in proteins
• Foods rich in zinc and copper, such as shellfish, whole grains, and nuts 

Medical Procedures

Among the most popular in-office remedies are:

• Dermabrasion – A dermabrasion treatment involves using a special tool that rotates over the skin to remove the epidermis, triggering the growth of new skin that has a smoother appearance [13]. In addition to removing pock marks from acne, trauma, and surgery, dermabrasions can be useful for combating age-related skin ailments such as wrinkles, age spots, and fine lines.
• Microdermabrasion – This treatment uses abrasive crystals that remove the top layer of the epidermis, clearing the way for new skin growth [14]. Microdermabrasion is a popular, minimally invasive treatment, and it may also help improve the results of skincare products.
• Microneedling – The process of puncturing the skin with small needles. It’s used to promote smoother, firmer skin by kick-starting the production of important proteins like elastin and collagen [15]. This can also be performed with or without platelet-rich plasma or radiofrequency.
• Chemical peels – In some cases, people with pock marks turn to skin peels that use special chemicals to remove the top layer of the skin [16]. Depending on the severity of your pock marks, you may need a light, medium, or deep peel. As a bonus, this procedure can also help diminish the appearance of skin discoloration and wrinkles.
• Dermal fillers – Dermal fillers are among the fast-acting solutions for acne scars like pock marks [17]. They rely on injections of substances like hyaluronic acids, calcium hydroxylapatite, and others that act as skin volumizers to fill in pock marks. 
• Laser skin resurfacing – These procedures focus on the surface of the skin and the skin’s deeper layers to reduce the appearance of pock marks. The top layer is gently removed, while subsequent layers are lightly heated, which increases collagen production [18]. Ablative and non-ablative resurfacing procedures use carbon dioxide, chemicals like erbium, and even light therapy to achieve results. 

It’s worth noting that any medical procedure comes with its own unique risks and potential side effects. For example, dermabrasion treatments are likely to leave your skin slightly discolored and to increase its sensitivity for up to three months following the procedure, while dermal fillers may result in bruising or other discomforts [19][20].

For that reason, it’s important to consult with your healthcare provider and review your medical history before scheduling a medical treatment for pock marks. 

Put Your Best Face Forward With PROVEN 

Perhaps you’re concerned about pock mocks on your face, the signs of aging playing out on your skin, or you’re simply looking to improve your skincare routine. No matter the concern, an individualized plan with personalized products is the best way to ensure that your skin gets a daily dose of everything it needs—and nothing that it doesn’t. 

That’s where PROVEN Skincare comes in. From cleansers and creams to daily moisturizers with SPF protection, our custom-formulated products take into account the many factors that make your skincare needs unique, including your age, environment, and skin type. Then, we craft skincare for older women and men, young teens, and anyone in between that address those needs specifically. 

Get started now by taking our Skincare Quiz and experience the difference that personalized skin care can make.