Chicken pox is a common childhood illness, but it can leave a nasty reminder of its presence — unsightly scars. The scars that you get from chicken pox are atrophic, which means that they leave a dent in the skin rather that being a raised pink mark. If you have chicken pox scars, you may want to remove them.

What Causes Chicken Pox Scars

Chicken pox do not typically cause permanent scarring on their own, though you may have noticeable red spots a few months after you’ve recovered. Rather, scars form when the chicken pox blister becomes infected by a bacterial infection. This usually occurs when you scratch the blisters. If you can avoid scratching, you may be able to avoid scarring.

Natural Remedies

Time will reduce the appearance of most scars, but you may want to be more proactive than that. Drinking water can help heal scars because it increases your circulation, allowing more blood to work on the area. The American Academy of Dermatology also suggests using creams that contain silicone as a way to remove scars. Many over-the-counter remedies that claim to heal acne scars will not produce the effects you seek.

Shallow Scars

If your chicken pox scars are somewhat shallow, you may be able to remove them with a chemical peel or dermabrasion. In these procedures, a doctor will use either chemicals or abrasion to remove some of the skin cells around the scar. This smoothing of the skin makes the scar area seem less deep. It can take several procedures to see a noticeable effect.

Deep Scars

If your scars are deep, you may want to see a dermatologist about punch grafts or soft tissue fillers. If the doctor does a punch graft, she will surgically remove the scar, replacing it with healthy skin from another area on your body (typically from behind the earlobe). If you choose a soft tissue filler treatment, the doctor will inject the area with a substance like collagen or fat to raise the scar in line with the rest of your skin.

Covering Scars Up

If you don’t want to take such drastic measures to remove your chicken pox scars, you can cover them up with makeup. Look for makeup specifically for covering up scars or tattoos because this will be thick enough to get the results that you want. Match your skin tone as closely as possible.