Acne scars - you get rid of the acne only to be left a more permanent reminder of the problems you thought were left behind. The effects are both physical and emotional and are difficult to avoid if you're one of the unfortunate individuals prone to scarring. But why do the scars form and what, if anything, can be done about it? This article helps shed some light on acne scar treatment and acne scar removal.

In simple terms, an acne scar is the visible legacy of your skin's tissue damage / trauma. Whenever our skin is damaged in any way, blood travels to the area carrying a mixture of our own body's natural defences. The body's immediate response is to heal and prevent further problems by way of infection from external sources.

Unfortunately, although our skin does invariably manage to heal itself, it often does so with scant regard to how it looked in it's former state.

There are two general types of scars left behind by acne. Either caused by tissue loss or, conversely, over compensation of tissue growth. Generally, sufferers of acne scars in which tissue growth is excessive, tend to be from African or Asian backgrounds. This is called Keloid scaring or Hypertropic scarring. They form when the skin cells produce excess collagen which form the scars. It is collagen which makes up the majority of our skin structure. Effectively, Keloid scarring is the body healing itself too much.

When the scars are formed because of tissue loss, it is the lack of collagen in the skin which results in the scar being visible. This type of scarring is much more common and is known as Atrophic scarring. There are several types:

* Atrophic macules. These are small, bluish-whitish skin colorations, and are usually less visible than other types of scarring.

* Depressed fibrotic scars. These are large, depressed valleys on the surface of the skin. They are usually jagged.

* Follicular macular atrophy, or perifollicular elastolysis. This consists in small, slightly raised lesions, similar in appearance to whiteheads.

* Ice-pick scars. These less severe versions of depressed fibrotic scars, and with time, they can in fact develop into them.

* Soft scars. These are gentle, scar-like depressions in the skin. They are usually small, and either circular or linear.

Once acne scars have formed, there are several ways of removing them. These range in cost and effectiveness and it is important to do your research.

Laser Acne Scar Removal

If the scars are extensive but not too deep, and the acne has burnt out, laser treatment is a possibility. However, there is little evidence that it is really effective and it is costly in private clinics. If you are considering it, discuss it with your doctor first.

Collagen Injections to Treat Acne

Some specialist clinics use collagen injections to plump out flat ?tissue-paper? scars and pitted ?ice-pick? scars. But we have all seen bad collagen injection results in celebrities, so use with caution.

Liquid nitrogen/steroid injection.

Lumpy cysts can sometimes be treated by freezing with liquid nitrogen or injecting with triamcinolone steroid. These are not treatments for scars.

Dermabrasion or Microdermabrasion

Dermabrasion, ?planing down? of the skin using a high-speed wire brush, used to be a common method of dealing with acne scars. It is no longer used very often because of the risk of infection.

Silicone sheets

Silicone sheets. You can buy silicone sheets (?silicone skin?) from pharmacies. You may have to ask your pharmacist to order them. You apply the sheet to your skin like a face mask. It is claimed that this can help lumpy scars, but its effectiveness is questionable.

Surgery

Scars which are deep and disfiguring can sometimes be cut out by a plastic surgeon.

Micro Needling

This development has only recently been made available and treatment is possible within your own home. Micro needling of the skin effectively promotes the formation of collagen in the skin and is effective on the more common types of scarring. This technique is also used for the reduction of other types of scars including stretch marks.

Research from 2006 (which included tissue biopsies) has shown that a single micro needling session can encourage up to a 1000% increase in collagen levels in the skin, making it appear younger, healthier, more elastic and even textured.