Treatment For Acne Scars

Treatment For Acne Scars

Acne scars are an unfortunate consequence of acne, and can form through standard adolescent acne or due to the more persistent forms of adult acne. Many sufferers find that, once they have found the cure for their acne pimples themselves, their skin is still blighted by the after effects of acne – which some people find as unsightly and difficult to manage and acne itself.

There are two different types of acne scars, and it is important to establish which you are suffering from before embarking on a course of treatment to rid yourself of them. The first is Hypertrophic scarring, which results in the growth of tissue when excess collagen is produced and, in the more severe cases, large outgrowths may form.

The most common form of acne scars, however, are called Atrophic scarring. Where hypertrophic scarring causes a raising of the skin, atrophic scarring causes the skin to indent. These scars are formed due to prolonged problems with acne, where the follicles and pores themselves have been subjected to so many infections they become damaged. This damage, however, is not irreversible and all but the most severe of acne scarring can now be if not fully removed than at least greatly reduced.

The most popular method for removing acne scars is a dermabrasion. This is essentially a cosmetic medical procedure where the top layers of skin are removed through abrasion – often referred to as sanding – and thus removing the scars and revealing fresh skin underneath. However, demabrasion is both painful and medically challenging as it tends to require some form of anaesthesia and is best reserved for the most severe cases.

Light therapy or laser therapy is often used for those requiring a less invasive form of acne scar removal. This therapy works by wounding the skin with microscopic pulses of light, which encourages scar free regrowth, and can be done at home – though at home kits are expensive – at a salon or a doctor’s office. Treatment usually takes up to six months, depending on the frequency of therapy.

These are the two most popular forms of treating acne scarring, yet both are expensive and can be at least uncomfortable. Wherever possible, prevention of acne scarring is preferable to the cure. The major cause of scarring is due to people popping or squeezing pimples; by refraining from this, you greatly lessen the chances of having to consider such severe cosmetic procedures.

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