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.

What we will be discussing here are the many forms of acne scars which exist, the ways to treat them and last but not least, how to prevent them by tackling the internal causes of the condition.

An introduction to the types, causes and diagnosis of acne scars

Over the years, research has shown that generally acne causes scars only if they are of the severe kind like nodules and cysts which form deep within our skin. Other causes for scars could be an infection, extra skin tissue formation and most importantly if you damage the skin while trying to burst or pull out the acne forcibly.

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.

It is absolutely essential therefore to start treatment for acne scars at the earliest so that the tissues are not damaged beyond repair.

Acne scars can be of two varieties: those which come about because of skin tissue loss and those which form because of an increase in skin tissue formation.

Formation of scars because of skin tissue increase

Where there are increased skin tissues, the most commonly found acne scars are Keloids scars. These scars are more likely to be found on people with dark skins and appear when an excess of collagen is formed by cells as part of the healing process. These scars are usually smooth and are shaped irregularly.

Acne scars which emerge due to skin tissue loss:

Acne spots: the skin surrounding these scars generally turn brown or red. In most cases they gradually fade away by themselves or after the application of some topical scar treatment. A similar fading away can be noticed in the case of post inflammatory hyper pigmentation but the use of MSM has often hastened the process.

Ice-pick lesions: as the name suggests, these acne scars look like ice which has been riddled with an ice pick. Most commonly they appear on the cheeks and the scars can sometimes be deep and sometimes superficial. These scars are more difficult to get rid of than acne spots.

Depressed fibrotic scarring: these scars usually result from deep nodules. They are white, rigid and have sharp margins and steep sides.

Atrophic scar macules: Acne scars of this type are small and white and are generally soft and distensible. Other types of scars include boxcar scars, characterized by vertical edges and round indentations and rolling acne scars which are the result of the surface of the skin getting stuck to the subcutaneous layer are other types of acne scars.

Treatment of Acne Scars

In most cases, acne scars slowly diminish with time as do Post inflammatory pigmentations. However, there are some scars which do not fade easily and one will have to use some manner of acne scar treatment, such as surgical cosmetic intervention or topical treatment, to camouflage them.

Each acne scar needs to be tackled in its special way. There are also scars which require to be treated through a combination of several eradication methods. Very many treatments exist for getting rid of scars and these include: pulsed laser technology, dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser resurfacing, punch techniques, collagen injections and creams.

Collagen injection is a method whereby collagen or fat is injected under the skin. This method is mostly suitable for soft scars, whether they are deep or shallow. However, it has to be kept in mind that this is a short term solution and these injections have to be administered every 6 months. Moreover, collagen injections produce some unpleasant side effects and allergic reactions may also develop.

Microdermabrasion is a scar treatment in which tiny particles are passed through a vacuum tool. The intention is to scrape the external top layer of the skin. The method stimulates and enhances the growth of new cells but is only effective in cases of mild scarring.

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 is a technique which involves the slicing of the acne scar right down to the layer of fat and then stitching it up by using a small skin graft.

Different types of scars have to be treated differently. Let us tell you about the recommended treatments in respect of the various types of acne scars. Alpha lipoic acid acne cream and MSM are excellent for use on post hyper pigmentation marks. Laser resurfacing or dermabrasion are the recommended treatments for ice pick scars. However, these scars do not respond positively to Collagen injections which should only be used on flat or thin scars. The Keloids acne scars can be smoothened with steroid injections, crytotherapy, silicone gel dressing and with pulsed laser treatment combined with carbon dioxide laser vaporization (where there is not too much thickness or too much redness on the keloid scars).

Preventive measures for acne Scars

If you are looking for acne scar treatment that will be inexpensive and free of side effects, then the only solution is to get rid of the acne first. This can be done by identifying and curing the deep rooted imbalance within your body by natural remedies and not by topical acne treatments, steroids or the standard medications available over the counter. Once you have treated the internal malady which has caused the acne you will not develop acne scars and so the question of costs and treatments will not arise at all.

We already know that acne and its resultant scarring are not a skin problem but are caused by internal imbalances. Once that is fixed there will be no acne and consequently no acne scarring.

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.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 at 1:16 am and is filed under acne. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.