Do acne scars ever fade on their own?

The honest first question about an old acne scar is whether waiting will fix it. A reader in Dexter, Michigan gets the answer first and the rest of the sequence after it.

What my.clevelandclinic.org says about waiting

The statement is direct: "Without treatment, acne scars are likely to stick around for the rest of your life." Waiting is the default path, and the source does not expect scars to fade on their own.

What the same source says in the other direction

It also offers a counterweight: "And if you do (one in five people with acne will also have scarring), the good news is that not all acne scars are permanent!" So scarring is not the usual outcome, and permanence is not the rule for every scar that does form.

Where this falls in the sequence

First, find out whether your mark is a scar. Second, decide whether to leave it or have it assessed. A clinic visit settles the first part, and your preference settles the second.

What to gather

• A note of how long the mark has been there
• Questions for the clinic about whether it counts as a scar
• Any past treatments you have tried

The next step

Start with a review of methods used to improve acne scars. To see how treatments compare for facial acne scars, see a systematic review and meta-analysis of fractional CO₂ laser and needling-based modalities in facial acne scar treatment.