Acne Scars - How to Best Treat & Avoid Them

What is Acne?

Acne scars are a noticeable consequence of acne; the most common skin disease often afflicting younger people. They can appear as raised tissue or as holes in the skin. Treatments & products are available to either remove acne scars or improve the appearance of a complexion affected by acne scarring.

What causes Acne Scars?

Acne scars are often the result of inflamed blemishes that occur when skin pores become engorged with excess oil, dead skin cells & bacteria. When a pore swells, it causes a break in the follicle wall. While shallow lesions are usually minor & heal quickly, if there is a deep break in the pore wall, infected material can affect surrounding tissue, thus creating deeper lesions. 

A person's skin will attempt to repair these lesions by forming new collagen fibres, but these repairs usually aren't as smooth as the original skin state, thus leaving acne scars in prominent facial areas, including the forehead & cheeks.

Common causes of Acne Scars include:

• Blemish inflammation.
• Neglected inflamed acne.
• Picking at & squeezing acne.
• Family history of acne.

Can men & women suffer from Acne Scars?

At some point in their life, most people will be troubled by acne, particularly as a teenager. Acne is largely triggered by hormonal changes. The condition can also occur later in life due to menstrual cycles, birth control pills, as a reaction to particular products or even because of stress. Deeper acne lesions are always a possibility &, if picked at, can increase the chance of acne scars.

Types of Acne Scars

Two main types of acne scars exist.

• Depressed Or Atrophic Scars: These develop when there is tissue loss. Of these, the two common types are icepick scars, which are mostly small but noticeable holes in the skin, & boxcar scars, depressed areas often round or oval in shape with steeply angled sides, much like chickenpox marks. 
• Hypertrophic Or Keloid Scars: These are caused when there is an excess of raised tissue on the surface of the skin as a consequence of the body producing too much collagen as acne wounds heal. You might also hear the phrase rolling scars, where the skin looks bumpy & uneven.