Acne Scarring Treatment And Care – The Ways to Get Rid of Those Ugly Scars

Almost each one of us has suffered from acne at some point of time. Sometimes acne leaves permanent scarring on the skin. Scarring is the process where collagen within the skin is damaged from inflammation, leading to permanent texture changes in the skin. With the advancement of medical science, Acne Scarring Treatment is available that have proved to be quite successful.

Different Types of Acne Scarring

There can be several types of acne scarring like ice pick scarring, atrophic scarring, and hypertrophic scarring. Ice pick scars are deep-pitted scars with steep edges. Atrophic scars are pitted but have smooth borders and are not as deep. Hypertrophic scars are thick lumpy scars that sit above the surface of the skin and are more common on the chest and back.

Another common thing in acne is color changing of the skin. It may take years to completely disappear. Color changes can be of three types. Post-inflammatory Erythema (pink and purple patches at the site of acne lesions), post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (brown/black discoloration at the site of the acne lesion) and post inflammatory hypopigmentation (white marks at the site of a healed acne lesion). Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is very common in people with darker skin tones or in those who tan easily and can significantly worsen the appearance of acne.

The Causes of Acne Scars:

Scars generally form at the site of an injury to tissue. They are actually the visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. For acne, the injury is caused by the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. There can be two types of scars:
1. Depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and
2. Raised thickened tissue such as keloids

Treatment of Acne Scars:

Although acne scarring is permanent, it can be treated for improvement. Depending on the kind of scarring present, there are different kinds of treatments. It is important to ensure that acne has been cleared before treating scarring. Otherwise, new scars would form and the procedures would be wasted. The most effective treatments are surgical and there are many types.

How is Dermabrasion Used To Prevent Scarring?

Dermabrasion is primarily used for the treatment of acne scarring. There are two layers of the skin; the outer layer is called the epidermis and the inner layer, the dermis. There can be two types of dermabrasion, superficial and deep techniques. Superficial dermabrasion removes portions of the epidermis and deep dermabrasion removes all of the epidermis and portions of the dermis. Deep methods are effective but generally require weeks of healing time and carry a higher risk of complications. Dermabrasion improves the cosmetic appearance of the skin. However, not everyone can go for dermabrasion. Those with active acne, infections and other scarring skin conditions may need treatment before undergoing dermabrasion.

The Technique of Laser Resurfacing

Lasers use a high-energy beam of light that targets specific structures in the skin. The CO2 and Erb:Yag lasers used for laser resurfacing are less specific and destroy the epidermis and superficial dermis. Like dermabrasion, laser resurfacing is ablative i.e. it destroys the outer layers of the skin. Ablative techniques are more effective but less popular because they require recovery time. Side effects are similar as in dermabrasion. So, you need to discuss it in detail with your doctor.

Subcision Procedures

This method is used for atrophic scarring. Local anesthesia is used and a needle is then inserted under the scar and gently moved underneath the skin to release the scar tissue.

Punch Excision and Grafting

The only effective treatment for deep ice pick scars is complete removal of the scar. A small, round, cookie-cutter-like device, called a punch is used to cut out the scar and the edges of the wound are then sewn together with a suture. In this case, a deep, large scar is traded for a tiny line scar that can later be treated to further blend into the rest of the skin. Larger scars can be removed and then filled with a skin graft. Grafts are later contoured with dermabrasion to blend them into the rest of the skin.

Fillers

Fillers can improve the appearance of acne scars by flattening the scar on a temporary basis. To maintain the result, the lesions must be re-injected at regular intervals.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are also known as chemical resurfacing. Chemical treatments can be done to produce an improved appearance of the face, including acne scars. Chemical peels produce controlled injury to the skin that promotes the growth of new skin with an improved appearance.

Treatment for Hypertrophic Acne Scars

Hypertrophic (and keloid) scars can be more disfiguring and harder to treat than other kinds of acne scarring. This type of scarring is more common on the chest and back. They tend to recur after removal. The treatment for this, usually involves topical steroids, injected steroids, silicone dressings, and cryosurgery.