There are many things you need to know about acne scars, such as, the causes of scarring, types of scars, preventive measures and treatments available. You must also learn to differentiate spots that look like scars but are actually not acne scars.
What Is An Acne Scar?
People with final stage acne have macules that are flat and red in color. After these inflamed lesions flatten, they leave behind a spot that can remain for up to six months. This spot vanishes as soon as the macule cures itself. If an individual experiences post-inflammatory pigmentation as well as discoloration of skin at the site of the healed acne lesion, then probably he/she has developed an acne scar. This pigmentation can persist for up to 18 months if left untreated.
What Causes An Acne Scar?
A scar is a result of an injury to the skin tissue. In the case of acne, the injury is a result of the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, plugged pores and dead cells.
Scientifically, acne scars are a result of the messy and rushed up job done by the body’s white blood cells in order to cure acne. In their task of repairing tissue and fighting infection, they sometimes leave behind eroded or fibrous tissues that result in scars.
The degree of scarring might differ from person to person.
Prevention And Treatment Of Acne Scars
While acne scars can be quite psychologically disturbing, many others accept their acne, thinking that there is not much they can do about it. One shouldn’t be so when you can make a difference! Here is how you need to get started to prevent and treat acne scars.
Find a good dermatologist in your area. Your doc would first see the degree of acne scarring, how deep rooted and how persistent your acne is. Most skin specialists find it difficult to predict how a person would respond to scarring treatment. Nevertheless, there is nothing more that can be done other than following your doctor’s advice.
Your dermatologist will recommend a treatment after examining your skin type, the cost of the treatment and what you expect out of the treatment. Some common acne scar treatments that your doc might suggest are:
• Collagen injections: Here, collagen is injected into the affected area to stretch and fill out the deep scars. This treatment works only on soft scars and is not advisable for ice-pick scars or keloids.
• Autologous fat transfer: In this treatment, fat is taken from another part of the body and injected into the scarred skin. The treatment helps correct deep contour defects that are caused due to nodulocystic acne.
• Dermabrasion: This scar treatment is performed under local anesthesia. Here a high-speed brush is used to remove the surface skin and remove scar contours.
Some more treatments include microdermabrasion, laser therapy, skin therapy and skin grafting.
To sum it up, though there are a number of acne scar treatments available, it would be best if you can prevent the condition rather than search for the right treatment.