Various Ways of Treating Acne Scars
Scars naturally occur on our skin when it goes through normal healing after being wounded or injured. Superficial wounds do not usually leave scars but when the skin’s dermis is damaged, more permanent scars are formed. Acne scars are formed on our facial skin as a result of inflammation of a pustule, papule or cyst. The follicle or pore fills with dead skin cells, excess oil and harmful bacteria. When this happens, the pore swells, and the follicle wall breaks.
Ugly lesions occur when the follicle wall is broken deep into the dermis, where infected matter spreads and ultimately destroy the healthy skin tissue there. The extent of the scars that develop depends on the degree of inflammation. Treating acne scars depends on the type of inflammation of acne lesions. When the body produces excessive collagen to repair a wound, a mass of raised tissue is form on the surface of the skin. This scarring is called hypertrophic, or more commonly known as keloid, scarring.
Atrophic scars form when tissue has been lost. Some types of non-inflamed blemishes such as whiteheads and blackheads do not cause the formation of scars because no skin tissue is destroyed. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is sometimes mistaken for an acne scar. It is actually a short-term skin discoloration that will fade in due time.
While there are several methods of treating acne scars, it is important for you to realize that some scars cannot be erased completely, although with the right treatment, you can notice great improvement on your facial skin. You should consult your dermatologist who can determine the best way of treating acne scars on your face.
One of the options for treating acne scars is laser treatment, which comes in two variants – ablative and non-ablative. Ablative lasers are best for athrophic scars. Keloids are best treated with non-ablative laser. Other options include punch excision, punch grafting and punch elevation, all of which are appropriate treatments for depressed or ice pick type of scars. You can also choose to undergo subcutaneous incision, dermabrasion or microdermabrasion, dermal fillers or steroid treatments.