Acne Information

Scarring that has come as a result of acne is a difficult issue to deal with for millions of people worldwide. The scars are most often on the patient’s face, or in other highly visible areas, making them a constant source of insecurity and stress. Thankfully, a number of new and effective solutions are coming to light as powerful treatment to restore your face, back, neck or arms to their previous state.

It seems so unfair. A person goes through a part of their life where they suffer from acne, including the social stigma and self-confidence effects, and when they finally break free from that mess, they are left with unsightly scarring; a problem that is not mitigated by time. Thanks to the advances in dermatology in the last decade, however, these scars are quickly becoming more of a temporary inconvenience than a lifelong burden.

There are many options depending on the type of acne scarring you have. Among the most common types of scars from acne are ice pick scars. These are narrow pits in the skin that form from acne episodes, leaving the skin looking like it had been poked with a series of needles. Usually found on the cheeks or temples, boxcar scars are another common type of scarring. They are have sharp, angular edges, resembling the type of scars that might have developed as a result of chicken pox. Damage occurring under the skin during acne often results in rolling scars, which are shallow and extend over a greater area. Hypertonic scars are raised and lumpy, above the surface of the skin and are usually the result of much more severe acne episodes than the other forms of acne scarring.

For ice pick scars, boxcar scars and rolling scars, treatment usually involves some kind of laser resurfacing of the affected area. This can be quite costly. Treatments that can be used in tandem with surgery or on their own are chemical peels, dermabrasion and punch techniques. Each of these must be done by a trained and trusted skin care professional. Dermabrasion is the most costly, and does not necessarily have good enough fan-fare to pursue straight away. Punch techniques are relatively cheap and have received a much higher degree of positive feedback.

For rolling scars, skin augmentation (again, done by a skilled and trusted professional) has seen positive results. In this process they actually inject the rolling pits with silicon or other liquid to fill in the recesses in the skin tissue. Skin rolling/needling has also seen positive effects. This involves using a tattoo like needle gun to penetrate the skin at a consistent depth, encouraging cell growth and tissue regeneration.

For hypertrophic scars there are fewer options, but many people have found steroid injections to be an effective treatment. With this treatment steroids are injected into the scar tissue, reducing the inflammation in the scar and consequently reducing the size of the scar.

While there is no fail-safe silver bullet to getting rid of acne scars, they are by no means untreatable. For each type of scarring there are methods that have shown to be effective to others. Now may be the perfect time for you to give them a try.