A discussion about acne scar treatment.

 

An acne scar occurs when the collagen in skin is damaged by acne swelling to such an extent that the texture of the affected skin is changed forever. Sufferers looking for acne scar treatment also perceive scarring to be changes in the colour of skin affected by acne after it has healed.

Acne scars and scarring are varied, and acne scar treatment differs accordingly. In general, there are two types of acne scar; ice pick scars and keloids. The ice pick acne scar type generally appears on the cheeks and characteristically resembles an ice pick, having steep and rough edges. Keloid acne scars occur when the skin’s connective tissues over-multiply to repair damage caused by acne. The result is bumpy, reddish coloured acne scar tissue, which sits above the surface of the skin.

Darker skin types tend to be at a higher risk of suffering acne and acne scarring. African American, Hispanic and Middle Eastern peoples suffering from acne not only have a greater likelihood of acne scar but are more likely to suffer post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (post acne discoloration). Hence, treating the potential cause of scarring (i.e. early acne treatment) before more invasive acne scar treatment is required is always the best preventative solution.

Acne scar treatment may be a combination of different treatments according to the severity and location of the scarring. It is often expensive and not a hundred percent effective, although the appearance of acne scars can be significantly improved. Before any acne scar treatment begins, it is vital that the acne has cleared up or further scarring can occur. Most acne scar treatments are invasive (i.e. surgical).

Dermabrasion acne scar treatment is the removal of scar tissue through the use of abrasive methods. Superficial dermabrasion removes the outer scar tissue on the surface of the skin (epidermis), whereas deep dermabrasion removes skin not only surface but skin from the deeper skin layer (dermis). Of the two approaches, deep dermabrasion is the preferred technique for acne scar treatment as it is more effective. There is a price for this though as deep dermabrasion acne treatment can be more complicated and generally takes longer to heal. Dermabrasion should only be considered if the patients acne is inactive and that there are no other skin conditions that could cause complications. 

Laser resurfacing acne scar treatment is the use of a high energy light beam concentrated on certain areas of skin affected by acne scarring. Like dermabrasion laser resurfacing removes targeted areas of the epidermis. It is an effective form of acne scar treatment but can mean lengthy recovery times.

Subcision acne scar treatment is useful in helping remove the severity of atrophic scarring (N.B. atrophic scars are depressions in the skin caused by the destruction of collagen as a consequence of inflammatory skin diseases). This is a surgical treatment whereby a needle is inserted underneath the acne scar tissue and moved around gently to loosen the scar tissue.

This treatment for acne scars involves the removal of an affected area with a device like a small cookie-cutter (a punch) and the resulting wound stitched. So a large acne scar can be exchanged for a significantly smaller one that can be further improved later on with other techniques, such as those in the case of the dermabrasion acne scar treatment above.

This type of acne scar treatment relies on the use of chemicals to cause controlled damage to areas of the skin in order to promote skin growth in a specific area, which has an improved appearance. Different chemicals are used according to the type of acne scar: some chemicals used in acne scar treatment will work on superficial scarring others will work at a deeper level. Deep chemical peels are more effective but come with increased risk of infection, discoloration or ironically scarring.

The appearance of hypertrophic acne scars can be more severe than other types of acne scar, and they can also be more difficult to treat. Hypertrophic acne scar treatment generally involves steroid injections and/or creams or surgical removal; although hypertrophic scars tend to come back after they have been removed.

Skin discoloration as a consequence of acne may not require the same type of attention as general acne scar treatment for two main reasons: discoloration is less permanent than acne scarring and easier to treat, largely with topical medication.

Some topical medications can be provide effective acne scar treatment in certain cases of less severe acne scarring. They can also be used in conjunction with some of the other more aggressive techniques as described above.

No acne scar treatment is a hundred percent effective as acne scars are permanent to some degree. However, significant improvements can be made to the skin by certain scar treatments. The most effective acne scar treatment is the one that never happens as the acne is treated early so that scars do not form.

You should consult your doctor or a health professional before embarking on any course of acne scar treatment.