Scars form when the skin tissue is injured in some way.  Acne develops on the skin due to excess sebum that attracts white blood cells to the site to fight the inflammation. After the inflammation subsides, the tissue may be damaged and forms different types of acne scars.

There are atrophic scars caused by a loss of tissue, and hypertophic scars which caused by growth of tissue.

Acne Scars vs. Macules

True acne scars should not be confused with macules, which are flat, red spots on the site of a previous acne infection. Inflamed acne lesions subside and leave behind macules. These may take a few months to disappear, but they do not leave scars.

Let’s look at the different types of acne scars. Atrophic scars occur more commonly than hypertrophic scars, and are ice pick scars, boxcar scars, rolling scars, atrophic macules and follicular macular atrophy.

Ice pick scars are so called because they are usually deep and have steep and jagged sides, like a wound caused by an ice pick. They form after the infection from a deep inflamed cyst reaches the surface of the skin.

The infection destroys the skin tissue and results in a deep, narrow scar.  Ice pick scars are generally seen on the cheeks.

Chicken Pox-Like Scars

Boxcar scars are more severe. They are also known as depressed fibrotic scars and resemble large round or oval valleys on the skin with steep vertical sides, rather like chicken pox scars.

This type of scar is formed after an attack of acne destroys skin collagen, resulting in loss of tissue. The skin covering this area is left without support, thus forming a depressed area.

Rolling or soft scars are caused when fibrous tissue forms between the skin surface and the tissue below it. These scars are circular or linear in shape. They have gently sloping sides which merge with normal skin, resembling rolling waves or hills.

Face and Body Scars

Other types of acne scars include atrophic macules which occur on the face and other parts of the body. They are smaller in size on the face and larger on the body.

They are soft with a wrinkled base and are appear blue because of the presence of blood vessels beneath the scar. With the passage of time, these scars turn from blue to white and become less visible.

Follicular macular atrophy is also known as perifollicular elastolysis. It usually occurs on the chest or back of a person who is already suffering from acne.  They are small and white and are slightly raised on the skin, resembling white heads which are not fully developed.

What Are Keloid Scars?

The other category of acne scars is hypertrophic or keloid scars. These scars are a result of increased formation of tissue due to production of excess collagen.

Hypertrophic scars are smooth, firm and irregular in shape. They often last for years, but gradually get smaller in size.

A number of options are available to treat the different types of acne scars.

Types of Acne Scars is a post from: Skincare

Acne is a long-term problem for most people. However, scars formed by an outbreak of acne can be permanent. Which is why you should treat an outbreak of acne as soon as it occurs? There a number of non-surgical treatments available.

But consult a dermatolgist if your acne does not respond to over the counter treatments.  Acne results in different types of scars, hence scar treatment differs from one individual to another.

Concealing Scars

Skin camouflage is used to cover up unsightly acne scars. Concealing creams are available in different colours, depending on the colour of the scar to be hidden. Once the cream is dry, foundation is applied over it, followed by loose powder to set the foundation.

This is an inexpensive option and may also be used by people who cannot tolerate other treatments.

Simple Acne Remedies

Home remedies can be attempted, such as applying lemon or tomato juice to the affected area and leaving it overnight. Treatment with topical creams containing cocoa butter and vitamin E help to keep skin soft and supple.

Regular application of creams containing tretinoin can improve acne and gradually reduce fine acne scars as they increase the formation of collagen in the skin. A solution of hydrofluoric acid applied twice a day for 1-2 weeks has also been found to be effective.

“Peeling Away” Acne

Chemical peels are among the list of non-surgical treatments you can use to rid yourself of acne scars. Using this method, you use a chemical to remove the scarred top layer of skin, exposing a fresh layer of unblemished skin. They work best on mild scars and are becoming a very popular treatment choice.

These include alphahydroxy acid (AHA) and betahydroxy acid peels. TCA peels are also used to treat acne scars. They work by removing dead skin and improving blood circulation, which in turn stimulates the skin cells. The course of treatment consists of 6 peels, one every 1-2 weeks.

Skin fillers such as collagen injections are used to fill out certain scars, but they do not affect keloids and ice pick scars. The effects of collagen injections are temporary and last for upto six months only.

Hyaluronic acid injections are also used, but have a limited use in treatment of acne scars.

Injectable Treatment

A combination of collagen, small spheres of polymethylmethacrylate and lidocaine is a new injectable treatment for acne scars. The body forms its own collagen around the material injected, thus giving volume to the skin and raising the scar. The effects of this injection last longer than other skin fillers.

Autologous fat transfer is another method, where fat is removed from another part of your body and injected below the skin to raise the level of depressed scars. This injectable treatment procedure needs to be repeated a number of times as the injected fat is gradually reabsorbed into the skin.

Always remember, you must consult a good dermatologist to determine the best non-surgical treatments for your acne scars.

Non-Surgical Treatments for Acne is a post from: Skincare

Acne scars are treated by different methods, depending on the severity of the condition. When home remedies and non-surgical treatments fail, surgical or laser treatments could be considered.

Abrasive Methods

Dermabrasion is the method by which the surface of the skin is scraped to remove superficial scars and reduce deeper scars. This procedure is carried out under local anesthesia. However, dermabrasion is not effective on ice pick scars.

Microdermabrasion is a more recent procedure in which aluminum acid crystals are passed through a vacuum tube to remove cells on the surface of the skin.  This treatment may require multiple sessions and is not effective with deep scars.

The advantages of microdermabrasion are the short duration of treatment, minimum discomfort and inexpensive cost.

Photorejuvenation falls into the category of surgical/laser treatments. It uses pulses of visible light, causing new collagen to form and thus improve mild acne scars.

Cutting out The Scars

Scar revision is removal of acne scars through surgery. Punch excision is a surgical method by which a small tool like a cookie cutter is used to cut out individual scars. Sutures are used to close the wound, and are removed after a week. This surgical treatment is very effective for ice pick scars.

Subcision or subcutaneous incision is used to break the fibrous bands found in rolling scars. This procedure involves inserting a special needle under the skin and moving it back and forth to cut the fibrous bands. Subcision can cause bleeding and formation of nodules.

Skin grafting is the method by which skin is removed from another part of the body and placed over the damaged area. This treatment is complicated and is rarely used to treat acne scars.

Laser Treatment

Laser resurfacing generally uses carbon dioxide and is methods which removes the top layers of affected skin one at a time and tightens the layer beneath, thus making the skin appear smoother.

This procedure is performed under local anaesthesia. The final effects are seen as long as 18 months after the resurfacing. Post-operative skin care is very important to achieve success with this procedure.

Treating Stubborn Scars

Pulsed dye lasers are used for treating thick scars. Facial acne scars respond best to this treatment. In this procedure, non-overlapping laser pulses are applied to the scars. This may turn the scars purple. The treatment needs to be repeated after six weeks.

Fractional laser therapy is the newest form of laser therapy. It penetrates deeper than dermabrasion and laser resurfacing.  Since the top layer is not wounded, healing time is much faster. This method is very expensive.

Sometimes a combination of the above procedures is used to treat acne scars. Generally, one should opt for surgical or laser treatments only as a last resort.

Surgical/Laser Treatment for Acne is a post from: Skincare