The first and best way to deal with acne scars is to avoid them, because once acne causes scarring, it is extremely hard to shift.
So whenever you have a breakout of acne it's essential to get proper treatment as soon as it appears. There's a whole range of highly effective acne medicine on the market these days, it's just a case of experimenting with different treatments until you find the right one for your skin. Beyond that, it's important to resist the temptation to squeeze or pop your acne pimples. Applying pressure to the inflamed area can cause extra damage to your skin, making the acne scarring worse.
However, I realise that won't help you much if you've already got acne scars, so here are the best ways to deal with acne scars that have already formed.
But at this point, it's important to bear in mind the difference between acne scars and acne stains on the skin. Unlike scarring, skin that has been stained or discolored by acne will slowly fade over time. In some cases these acne stains will disappear completely.
There are two main types of acne scar; the keloid scar and the "ice pick" scar.
Keloid scars are caused by the build up of collagen when the skin tries to heal itself, resulting in a raised area of scarring. In comparison, an "ice pick" scar is a depressed area of skin that looks as though it could have been caused by an ice pick, hence the name.
There are a number of different treatment options for acne scars, including; laser resurfacing, chemical peels, dermabrasion, augmentation etc. However these treatments are complex, costly and the end result may not look the same as unaffected skin.
Dermabrasion: This technique involves the surgical scraping of the skin to create a new smooth surface. It works well on shallow acne scars and costs perhaps $1500 per treatment.
Laser Removal: This expensive treatment uses a laser to remove the damaged layers of skin. Studies have shown encouraging levels of improvement after laser treatment for acne scars, with an average improvement of 50% to 75% in 90% of cases after three treatments.
However, the main drawback is the cost of this procedure. Depending upon the size of area affected and the number of treatments required it could cost anything from $600 to $6000, with the average cost being in the region of $3000.
Chemical Peels: This treatment is less expensive than either dermabrasion or laser resurfacing at approximately $750 per treatment. However, this technique is less effective that either of these alternatives and can only be used on minor acne scars.
Augmentation: This treatment relies upon injecting collagen or the patient's own fat into the area of scarring until it is level with the skin of the surrounding area. However, this is a costly treatment and it's not permanent as the body will get rid of the injected substance over time. And due to the nature of the treatment it's only suitable for depressed areas of scarring and not keloid scars.
Punch Techniques: This technique involves using a biopsy tool to remove the area of scarring and then stitching the area. The aim is to replace a scar with a smaller scar which will respond better to further treatments such as dermabrasion.
With acne affecting about 25 percent of adults ? and roughly 80 percent of people in their teens and 20's ? the desire for an effective acne scar treatment is widespread. Many people recover from acne without any permanent effects, but others are left with disfiguring acne scars. There are a variety of acne products and medicines that can improve mild scarring, but sever acne scars must be treated by a dermatologist, using a combination of surgical procedures and skin abrasion therapy.
Acne occurs when pores in the skin become plugged with oil, bacteria and dead skin cells. Bacteria grows inside the plugged follicle, creating red, pus-filled red bumps. Hormonal changes during the teen years (exacerbated by stress in both teens and adults) cause increased oil production that contributes to the problem. Most serious scarring is caused by the more severe forms of acne, with large pustules that are more likely to leave permanent scars, even with regular acne treatment. The best way to deal with adult acne is to begin using acne products as soon as the acne appears, this preventing more acne and more scarring.
After an acne lesion has healed, it may leave a red mark on the skin. This, however, isn't a scar ? it's a post-inflammatory change in the skin's pigment as it goes through its healing process, and will slowly fade over approximately 6 to 12 months. If a good acne treatment program is followed and no more acne develops in that area, the skin can heal normally. Only if a change remains after a year is it considered a scar.
The best way to prevent scarring and pigmentary changes from adult acne is to is to prevent acne from occurring in the first place. If you have serious scarring from adult acne, however, you have a acne scar treatment options. The most state-of-the-art method for treating acne scars is laser resurfacing, which can be done by your dermatologist. The laser removes the damaged top layer of skin, leaving skin smoother. Treatments can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, and the patient is given a local anesthetic to lessen pain. It usually takes between three and 10 days after a treatment for the skin to heal completely.
The more traditional acne scar treatment treating acne scarring is dermabrasion, which uses an abrasive disc to wear down the surface of the skin, much like when you sand down a piece of wood. As the skin heals, a new, smoother layer replaces the abraded skin. It takes between 10 days and three weeks for skin to heal between treatments. Both of these types of treatments will take multiple trips to the dermatologist, and will cause the skin to turn red several months. Acne cannot be active ? meaning you can't have any pustules or blackheads ? when these treatments are done. Depending on the severity of your scars, your dermatologist may also suggest a mild chemical peel or microdermabrasion as an acne scar treatment, both of which are done in the doctor's office.
In some cases, a doctor may recommend surgery for deep acne scars, or collagen injections that displace the damaged tissue. This treatment works well on the scars that are not too deep, but it needs to be repeated periodically. In the most severe cases of acne scars, your doctor may recommend plastic surgery. Plastic surgery as an acne scar treatment is an expensive option, and it has the added problem that, should you have problems with acne in the future, you have less layers of skin and new scars could be even worse.
Both dermabrasion and chemical peels work by removing the top layer of skin. So right after treatment, the skin is sensitive and unprotected. This can be an issue if you need to go outside a lot. Dust and strong winds can damage newly abraded skin as well. After you have had treatment for acne scars, you should only use acne products specially formulated for sensitive skin. There are many effective acne scar treatments and there is no reason to leave your scars untreated. Do your research, make an appointment with your dermatologist and be sure, that there is a treatment that can remove your acne scars or make them much less noticeable.
Both Hannah Garcia & Mike Jennings are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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