Acne Scar Treatment - Helpful And Unbiased Resource For Information On The Acne Scar Treatment

Many people have lived life long with scarring due to acne. Now, with new technologies in the market, that is no longer the case. Several treatment options are available to do away with the scars. However, all treatment options need to be researched properly before opting for any one. Some spots called macules look like scars but they eventually disappear. Post-inflammatory pigmentation or discoloration of the skin also occurs at the time of the healing of an acne lesion. It occurs more in dark-skinned people and can be done away with if treated immediately. Dermatologists often do chemical peeling to treat the pigmentation.

Acne scars are formed where an injury to a tissue has occurred. This injury is generally caused due to the body's inflammatory response to bacteria, sebum and dead cells. White blood cells can remain at the place of an acne lesion for weeks. This results in formation of scars. Acne scars are of two types: Depressed or shallow scars and deep scars or thickened tissues called keloids. Keloids occur due to over production of collagen and can stay for years. Depressed scars, formed due to loss of tissues, are more common.

It is difficult to say what type of scar can occur in one person and how long it will persist. Some persons are more prone to scarring and for some, scars gradually diminish in size. At the same time, people's reaction to acne scars also differs. Those who find the scars psychologically distressing usually opt for treatments. The one fool-proof method of stopping or minimizing scarring is to treat acnes as early as possible and continue the treatment. If the occurrence of inflammation is prevented, scars may not form.

There are many types of professional scarring treatments. Dermabrasion is used for shallow scars. It removes the damaged skin and allows the growth of new skin. For shallow scars laser resurfacing is also used. Laser technology is used to remove the skin. Chemical peel is used for mild scarring. Here, acids remove the damaged skin layer and the peels are repeated over a period of time. Punch technique includes punch replacement, punch excision and punch elevation and can be combined with dermabrasion or lasers.

Subcision is the one most effective on nearly all types of scars, especially the deeper ones. One to three sittings are necessary for full treatment. Here scars are detached from the deeper tissues. Since blood formation under the skin now becomes easy, the clot forms connective tissues under the scar leveling the surface. Augmentation treatment is also good for deep scars. Materials like collagen are injected under the skin to level it with the surface. For shallow scars, saline injections with collagens are also used.

Before selecting any of this treatment it is necessary to find out one's skin type. Some treatments can lead to more scarring if a person is scar prone. The cost of the treatment should also be taken into consideration. A dermatologist's opinion is equally necessary on whether a scar treatment is needed or not. Usually, it is not possible to restore the skin to the way it looked before the formation of acne.

• Cassandra Bagley
• 16/05/2009, 12:59 AM
• 0 Comments