Rolling, boxcar and ice pick scar types compared

Names such as rolling, boxcar and ice pick sound precise, and a quote that uses them can sound like a diagnosis. This piece checks what published sources say about each type, for readers in Saline, Michigan.

How the claim is usually presented

A quote that names your scar type feels settled. The type is only the start of the question, because the treatment it points to has to be checked too. www.aad.org publishes an overview of acne scars that is a plain place to begin.

What the numbers say

According to pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, boxcar scars comprise 20 to 30 percent of atrophic scars. The same page on pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov says rolling scars comprise 15 to 25 percent of atrophic scars. Neither type is the whole picture, so a quote should say which one it has in mind.

What treatment methods exist

A review of methods for improving acne scars used in dermatology and cosmetology gathers them in one place.

Where sources may not line up

For icepick scars, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov says their depth of involvement makes them resistant to conventional skin resurfacing options. Yet a review comparing CO2 and Er:YAG laser therapy for acne scars covers laser treatment of acne scars in general. The two do not obviously point the same way. A quote should say which scar type its laser plan targets.

A plainer list to compare

health.clevelandclinic.org offers 11 solutions for getting rid of acne scars, a plain-language list to hold against any quote.

The question to bring

Which scar type is on my face, and which source says this treatment suits it? Ask for both answers before you agree to anything.