Now you know not to pop a zit! It almost always makes the imperfection worse. Say you have a school dance, and a big red honker appears on the tip of your nose. Don’t squeeze it to death. A dermatologist can inject a hydrocortisone-like cream to reduce redness and inflammation. Or she can open up the pimple. Neither procedure leaves scars. Keep that in mind next time you get the urge to squeeze.

 

Dr. Ronald Davis, clinical professor of dermatology at University of Texas Southwestern says many scars improve with time. “Some scars are more noticeable initially because they are red,” he says, “but they fade in time. They will improve as you get older.” In cases of severe acne scars, Dr. Davis recommends microdermabrasion, a procedure that removes the outer layer of dead skin cells to gradually fade the scars. Also, a laser treatment is now being developed to stimulate collagen that helps fill the scars in and make them less prominent.