Discover how to
stop any new acne scarring, and how to
treat existing acne scars
Preventing and
eliminating acne
scars is yet another great
concern shared by acne sufferers all in addition to the
day-to-day agony inflicted by acne itself. It appears
that many acne sufferers are more troubled by the
consequences of their blemishes, e.g. acne scars and
lesions than from their acne. The main logic behind this
phenomenon is that acne is in most cases and is
perceived to be a temporary event whereas most acne
scars are thought to be permanent.
Although there are
effective acne scar treatments
available today, there are types of acne that can cause
deep scarring which cannot be completely eliminated.
That is one of the main reason why it is so important to
prevent acne scarring in the first place to avoid
permanent scars, the costs and the emotional stress
involved in treating and living with acne scars.
In this report I
will discuss types of acne scars, how to treat
and most importantly how to prevent acne scars by fixing
the internal cause of your acne.
Acne Scars: Causes,
Types and Prognosis
It has been studied
that most acne scars result from severe acne, usually
cysts and nodules, which occur in deeper layer of the
dermis. Scars can also be caused by a skin injury as a
result of picking the skin, by overgrowth of skin
tissue, by cystic acne that penetrates deep
into the dermis or as a result of an infection.
Some studies have
also shown that some acne sufferers are more prone for
scarring than others regardless of what type of acne
they had. Acne scars are often the end result of a
skewed wound healing process: when a response to
inflammation, improper collagen deposit, rebuilding
elastin, the formation of new capillaries and anabolic
and catabolic phases are all part of the healing
equation.
Be that as it may,
acne scars, should be treated as early as possible to
prevent permanent damage to the tissue.
Basically there are
two types of acne scars. The first type is an increased
skin tissue formation and the second type is when there
is a loss of skin tissue.
Acne scars with
increased skin tissue:
The most common acne
scars characterized by increased skin tissue are Keloids scars. Keloids are firm,
irregular shaped scars that are usually smooth and are
formed when the cells produce too much collagen as part
of the healing process. . It is known that people with
dark complexions are more prone to develop keloids.
Acne scars with
loss of skin tissue:
Acne spots:
these acne scars are characterized by some type
of discoloration of the skin to red or brown. Acne spots
often fade away naturally or with the use of topical
scar treatments. Post inflammatory hyper pigmentation,
which usually appears after a breakout, also fades away
naturally, but to accelerate the process some have used
MSM with great success.
Ice-pick
lesions: these acne scars share the resemblance
to cuts on ice made by an ice pick. They can be
superficial or deep and the most common place these acne
scars turn out is the cheeks. Ice pick scars are more
resistant to treatment than discoloration scars.
Depressed
fibrotic scarring: these acne scars are rigid
and white and often result from deep nodules. They have
sharp margins and steep sides.
Atrophic
scar macules: These acne scars are white
colored, small and soft and distensible.
There are other
types of acne scars like boxcar scars
which are have round indentations and vertical edges and
rolling acne scars which are the result
of an adhesion of skin surface to the subcutaneous
layer.
Acne Scars
Treatments
Although most acne
scars tend to fade away in time (like Post inflammatory
pigmentations), some acne scars are more resistant and
the only way to make them less apparent is by using some
sort of acne scar treatment, from topical treatment to surgical
cosmetic intervention.
Each type of acne
scar requires a different scar treatment. Some scars
require the combination of several acne scar elimination
methods to maximize results. There is myriad of
treatments for acne scars and they include: pulsed laser
technology, dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser
resurfacing, punch techniques, collagen injections and
creams.
Collagen
injection is an acne scar treatment where skin
collagen is injected under the skin. It is suitable most
for soft scars, which are either shallow or deep. The
results of collagen or fat injection are short term as
they should be repeated every 6 months, Collagen
injections have some side effects as incorrect
positioning and allergy reactions.
Microdermabrasion is an
acne scar treatment involving the passing of tiny
particles through a vacuum tool aimed at scraping the
external top layer of the skin. The process of scraping
stimulates and enhances new cell growth.
Microdermabrasion is effective only with mild
scarring.
Laser
resurfacing is a process in which laser is used
to flatten and resurface the skin layer so that scars
will become more even with skin surface and therefore
les apparent. Laser resurfacing can cause side effects
such as increased redness, infection and even aggravated
scars. It has been studied that old acne scars respond
less to laser treatments than newly formed acne
scars.
Punch
grafting is a procedure that involves the
cutting of the acne scar all the way down to the layer
of fat and then using a small skin graft stitching the
hole.
MSM, and Alpha
lipoic acid acne cream have been used with great success
for post hyper pigmentation marks. Ice pick scars are
treated by dermabrasion or laser resurfacing. Flat or
thin scars usually require Collagen injections, which is
not the recommended treatment for ice pick scars. As for
keloids acne scars, they are usually treated with
steroid injections, pulsed laser treatment combined with
carbon dioxide laser vaporization (when the keloid scar
is not so thick or red), silicone gel dressing or
crytotherapy.
How To Prevent Acne
Scars
The best and
probably the cheapest most effective way to avoid all
the costs and side effects of acne scar treatments is to
get rid of your acne in the first place. The only way
you could ever cure your acne permanently is by fixing
the internal cause of your acne and not by using
conventional medication, steroids, over the counters or
topical acne treatments.
If you fix the deep
internal factors that are causing your acne to form in
the first place, you will surely prevent any acne
scarring and the costs and treatments involved in trying
to eliminate them.
Although acne form
of the skin surfaces and so do acne scars as a result of
acne, acne is not a problem with your skin, but with
your deep internal balance. The cause of acne is
internal and so is the internal cause of acme
scarring.
You have the ability
to eliminate acne scars before they form by stopping the
process of acne formation from the root. Only this way
you will be able to enjoy lasting acne freedom with no
fear of acne scars and their heavy emotional and
esthetic consequences.
Read More About Acne Scars
Acne Dermatology Treatment
Acne Removal
Best Way To Remove Blackheads
Natural Acne Remedies
|