Acne Scarring

Causes of Acne Scarring

Scarring from acne can take several forms, the two most common are small depressed areas called pock marks, and raised thickened areas such as keloids. Acne scars are caused by injury to tissue as a result of acne lesions. Even though some people are more prone to acne scarring than others, the mechanics surrounding why acne will cause scarring is the same for everyone. Deep rooted inflamed acne is the kind most likely to cause scarring. This acne tends to occur deep in the skin tissue and can result in damage to surrounding tissue which can leave scarring. Scarring can also occur with less deep rooted inflamed acne, but is less likely to be as severe. Exactly who some people scar more easily than others in not well understood.

The lifecycle of an acne scar seems to vary from person to person. For some the scars seem to diminish and become less noticeable over time. With others the passage of time makes no appreciable difference in their scarring. Like most everything else the emotional impact of acne scarring varies by person and severity.

Treatment of Acne Scarring

The best way to treat acne scarring is to prevent it in the first place. Once acne scarring occurs, removing it can be difficult. There are a number of creams and gels that claim they can remove or reduce acne scarring. Many of these work by hydrating the skin making it appear more even. Hydrating the skin can temporary reduce the appearance of scars. Generally you must continue to use the creams to keep benefiting. Other creams make more dubious claims of being able to actually heal the damage that cause acne scars. It’s likely many of these will not work as advertised.

There are also a number of surgical techniques that can be used to deal with acne scars.

Dermabrasion

This is a procedure performed in a dermatologist office that uses an abrasive tool called a burr to remove upper layers of the skin. During the healing process new skin grows back and changes the contour around existing scars. The often times has the affect of improving the appearance or eliminating the scar all together.

Microdermabrasion

This technique is a superficial form of dermabrasion. It does not use a mechanical burr or brush to remove multiple layers of skin, but instead uses an air jet to blast the skin with Zink oxide or Aluminum oxide to remove only the outer most layers. This technique is most effective with raised type scars, and somewhat less effective with pock marks or sunken scars.

Laser Treatment

This uses lasers of various intensities to recontour the skin and remove redness. In simplest terms the laser vaporizes the top layer of skin which heals back with a more natural look and minimizes the appearance of scars.

Collagen injection

Collagen is a naturally occurring protein found in skin, bone, and cartilage. Collagen can be injected into the skin to fill in superficial scars, wrinkles, and lines in the face. This is a popular treatment option but the affects only last for about 6 months.

Autologous fat transfer

This treatment is somewhat similar to a collagen injection. But in this case fat is transferred from other areas of the body and injected into the skin. The technique can be used to recontour deep scars and lines. The fat is eventually reabsorbed into the skin over a period of 6 to 18 months and the procedure must be repeated to continue to get benefit.

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