Apart from the irritation and trauma that a
sufferer has to face because of acne, there is yet another element
which causes him as much, if not more, agony. This pertains to the
scars that acne often brings in its wake. Trying to prevent these and
then trying to eliminate them once they have appeared, is a cause of
great concern to the concerned individual. The reason for so much
concern is that while acne is thought to be a temporary condition, the
lesions and scars which form are perceived to be of a more permanent
nature.
There are, no doubt, treatments available these days which are quite
effective, but some types of acne cause deep scarring which aren`t
possible to cure. This is why, to avoid the psychological trauma and
the expenses of trying to treat the lesions and living with the
disfigurement, it is so important to avert acne scarring.
What I will try to do here is to talk about the various types of acne
scars and to give you advice on how to treat them. But primarily, I
will guide you on how to prevent these scars in the first place by
eradicating the root cause of your acne.
The Causes and Types of Acne Scars and their diagnosis
Studies indicate that acne scars mostly come about as a result of
severe acne which causes nodules and cysts to form in the deeper layers
of the dermis. Other causes include damage caused to the skin by
picking or popping acne, infection, cystic acne which works its way
deep into the dermis and overgrown skin tissues.
It has also been found that some people, irrespective of the type of
acne they contract, are more prone to the process of scarring. And acne
scars sometimes occur because the body`s wound healing process
sometimes goes askew, whether it be an improper deposit of collagen or
the formation of new capillaries or a warped response to the
inflammation or anabolic and catabolic phases: all these are meant to
be part of the body`s natural healing phase.
Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that, if you do not wish to be
permanently scarred by acne, treat the damage as soon as you can.
In essence, acne scars are of two types. Scars which have formed due to
an increase in skin tissue formation and those which have formed
because of a loss of skin tissue.
Scars which form because of an increase in skin tissue:
Where there are increased skin tissues, the most commonly found acne
scars are Keloids scars. These scars are more likely to be found on
people with dark skins and appear when an excess of collagen is formed
by cells as part of the healing process. These scars are usually smooth
and are shaped irregularly.
Scars which form because of the loss of skin tissues:
Acne spots: the skin surrounding these scars generally turn brown or
red. In most cases they gradually fade away by themselves or after the
application of some topical scar treatment. A similar fading away can
be noticed in the case of post inflammatory hyper pigmentation but the
use of MSM has often hastened the process.
Ice-pick lesions: as the name suggests, these acne scars look like ice
which has been riddled with an ice pick. Most commonly they appear on
the cheeks and the scars can sometimes be deep and sometimes
superficial. These scars are more difficult to get rid of than acne
spots.
Depressed fibrotic scarring: these scars mostly form as a result of
deep nodules and are white and rigid. They are characterized by steep
sides and sharp margins.
Atrophic scar macules: scars of this variety are generally soft, small
and white and are distensible.
Other types of scars include rolling acne scars which come about
because the surface of the skin gets stuck to the subcutaneous layer.
Also, there are boxcar scars which are characterized by vertical edges
and round indentations.
Treatment of Acne Scars
Just as the discoloration that accompanies an acne attack fades away
slowly, so do most acne scars. However, some scars prove more difficult
to smoothen away and require some manner of treatment whether it be
topical treatment or surgical cosmetic intervention.
Different scars require to be tackled differently. And there are even
scars which require to be treated using a combination of more than one
elimination method. A large number of treatments exist for smoothening
over scars and these include: pulsed laser technology, dermabrasion,
chemical peels, laser resurfacing, punch techniques, collagen
injections and creams.
Collagen injection involves injecting collagen or fat under the skin.
This treatment is generally administered in the case of soft scars,
whether deep or shallow. However, the effects of collagen are not long
lasting and injections have to be repeated every 6 months. Also, it
should be noted that collagen has some adverse side effects and
allergic reactions could also develop.
Microdermabrasion is where tiny particles are passed through a vacuum
tool with the purpose of scraping the external top layer of the skin.
This process, which is only effective with mild scarring, acts as a
stimulant and enhances the growth of new cells.
Laser resurfacing is a treatment involving the flattening and
resurfacing of the skin layer by the use of laser thus making the scars
more even with the surface of the skin. This, to an extent, camouflages
the scars. However, this method often causes undesirable side effects
such as infection, a reddening of the skin and can sometimes even
aggravate the scars. Studies have indicated that laser treatment works
better on newly formed scars rather than on old ones.
Punch grafting means slicing open the acne scar right up to the fat
layer and stitching it up by means of a small skin graft.
We give you the recommended treatments for the various types of scars
acne brings in its wake. Post hyper pigmentation marks are best tackled
with MSM or Alpha lipoic acid acne cream. Dermabrasion or laser
resurfacing is the suggested treatment for ice pick scars. Flat or thin
scars should be dealt with by administering Collagen injections, which
should not be used for ice pick scars. Keloids acne scars can be
brought under control with steroid injections, silicone gel dressing,
crytotherapy or pulsed laser treatment combined with carbon dioxide
laser vaporization (where the keloid scar is not too red or too thick).
Prevention of Scars after Acne
Ideally, acne scar treatments should be tried as a last resort because
they are highly expensive and have too many side effects. The best
approach would be to first try and get rid of the acne. This will work
only if you identify the imbalance in your system which is causing the
acne. Try to cure it by using natural methods and avoid taking topical
acne treatments, medication that is available over the counter or
steroids.
Once you have corrected the internal symptoms that caused the acne, you
will notice the acne disappearing gradually without leaving any scars.
Moreover, you will be saved the expenses and harassment of taking
treatments that cannot cure the acne permanently.
We already know that acne and its resultant scarring are not a skin
problem but are caused by internal imbalances. Once that is fixed there
will be no acne and consequently no acne scarring.
If you succeed in nipping the acne forming process from its roots then
you will not have any acne scars to deal with either. In this way you
will be permanently free from acne and acne scars and enjoy a flawless
complexion forever.
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/
got-acne-scars-heres-how-to-cure-and-prevent-them-now-593140.html
About the Author
Mike Walden is an author of the best-selling
e-book, " Acne No More- Open the Door to an Acne Free Life". To Learn
More About His Unique 5-Step Holistic Acne Cure System Visit: Acne No More.
For further information visit: Acne Treatment
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