Acne sufferers face more than one concern. There is of course the constant nuisance of the acne itself. There is also the anxiety caused by the acne scars and lesions which will render the skin an aesthetic disaster. The reason for this is that most people believe that acne is a temporary situation whereas you are stuck with acne scars for the rest of your life.
There are, no doubt, treatments available these days which are quite effective, but some types of acne cause deep scarring which aren’t possible to cure. This is why, to avoid the psychological trauma and the expenses of trying to treat the lesions and living with the disfigurement, it is so important to avert acne scarring.
I will pass on my information on the various kinds of acne scars, what treatments actually work and how to ensure that the scars do not form by first attending to the root cause of acne which is an imbalance in your internal systems
The Causes and Types of Acne Scars and their diagnosis
Studies indicate that acne scars mostly come about as a result of severe acne which causes nodules and cysts to form in the deeper layers of the dermis. Other causes include damage caused to the skin by picking or popping acne, infection, cystic acne which works its way deep into the dermis and overgrown skin tissues.
It has also been found that some people, irrespective of the type of acne they contract, are more prone to the process of scarring. And acne scars sometimes occur because the body’s wound healing process sometimes goes askew - whether it be an improper deposit of collagen or the formation of new capillaries or a warped response to the inflammation or anabolic and catabolic phases - all these are meant to be part of the body’s natural healing phase.
Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that, if you do not wish to be permanently scarred by acne, treat the damage as soon as you can.
In essence, acne scars are of two types. Scars which have formed due to an increase in skin tissue formation and those which have formed because of a loss of skin tissue.
Acne Scars as a result of excess skin tissue:
Keloids scars are normally caused by excess skin tissue which is believed to affect dark skinned people more than others. During the healing process, when cells produce an excess of collagen, smooth, firm and irregular shaped keloids are formed.
Acne scars which emerge due to skin tissue loss:
Acne spots: a discoloration of the skin to brown or red characterizes these acne scars. Acne spots usually fade away with time or with the help of topical scar treatments. Similarly, post inflammatory hyper pigmentation, which often follows acne breakouts, fades away naturally, but to quicken the process you should try MSM.
Ice-pick lesions are acne scars commonly seen on the cheeks and are similar to cuts made by ice picks on ice. Whether these scars occur on the surface of the skin or deep under the dermis, they are more difficult to treat than the discolored scars.
Depressed fibrotic scarring: these scars mostly form as a result of deep nodules and are white and rigid. They are characterized by steep sides and sharp margins.
Atrophic scar macules: these acne scars are also white and are small, soft and distensible. Other types of scars which form as a result of an acne outbreak are rolling acne scars which result from the skin surface sticking to the subcutaneous layer and Boxcar scars which are characterized by round indentations and vertical edges.
Treatment of Acne Scars
Mostly, acne scars fade away slowly, as do Post inflammatory pigmentations but there are some which resist removal. The only way to smoothen them away is through topical treatment or surgical cosmetic intervention.
Different types of acne scars need to be treated differently and there are some scars which require a combination of several elimination methods to smoothen out. There are a large number of treatments for acne scars and these include: pulsed laser technology, dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser resurfacing, punch techniques, collagen injections and creams.
Collagen injection is used in a treatment where collagen or fat is injected under the skin. It is most suitable for soft acne scars, be they deep or shallow. However, one must remember that the cure is short term and has to be repeated every 6 months. Also, collagen injections sometimes give rise to adverse side effects and users could suffer allergic reactions.
Microdermabrasion is where tiny particles are passed through a vacuum tool with the purpose of scraping the external top layer of the skin. This process, which is only effective with mild scarring, acts as a stimulant and enhances the growth of new cells.
Laser resurfacing is more effective for treating newer scars rather than older scars by evening out the surface of the skin thereby making the scars less visible. Since the laser levels out and resurfaces the skin, side effects like increased inflammation, infections and an increase in acne scars have been known to happen.
Punch grafting means slicing open the acne scar right up to the fat layer and stitching it up by means of a small skin graft.
We give you the recommended treatments for the various types of scars acne brings in its wake. Post hyper pigmentation marks are best tackled with MSM or Alpha lipoic acid acne cream. Dermabrasion or laser resurfacing is the suggested treatment for ice pick scars. Flat or thin scars should be dealt with by administering Collagen injections, which should not be used for ice pick scars. Keloids acne scars can be brought under control with steroid injections, silicone gel dressing, crytotherapy or pulsed laser treatment combined with carbon dioxide laser vaporization (where the keloid scar is not too red or too thick).
Preventive measures for acne Scars
In the final analysis of course, the cheapest and best way of getting out of the nuisance factor of dealing with acne scars is to rid yourself of the acne condition. And the only sure and permanent way of curing your acne is by putting in place methods which would redress the internal cause of your acne. Conventional medications, topical or over the counter acne treatments or steroids really don’t help. When you are able to correct the deep rooted internal factors that really are the cause of your acne formation, you will automatically be free of any acne scarring and also free of the never ending expenses that you incur in taking treatment for its removal.
Acne and the resultant acne scars are not skin problems but manifestations of an internal imbalance appearing on the skin.
You can successfully prevent the formation of acne at its very root and therefore not get any acne scars. This will give you a blemish free complexion and freedom from the emotional trauma of living and dealing with an acne ridden face.
