Tag: Scar Tissue

Acne Scars Is There Hope?

It is estimated that eighty percent of people between the ages of fourteen and twenty suffer from acne. For most of us, acne is a short-lived annoyance during certain periods of our lives. Unfortunately, for some people acne is painful long after the pimples have been treated. Scarring from acne is most common for those who have suffered from severe acne, but scarring can affect anyone who has experienced acne.

If you are one of the millions of people living with acne scars, theres good news. There are many options available to diminish these unseemly blemishes. All of these techniques work to restore the normal, healthy appearance of scarred skin; it may not always be possible to get rid of all acne scars, but with the right treatment for you, no one will ever know you were scarred. Acne scar treatments vary in their approaches depending on the severity of your scarring and your budget. You should discuss all of the available options, costs, and side effects with your dermatologist.

Before we talk about the treatments available, we should take a look at why acne can cause scarring. The primary reason for any kind of scar is tissue damage. When body tissue is damaged, our body tries to heal and protect it from infection. In the case of acne, dead skin cells block the bodys pores, preventing the secretion of natural oils in the skin. This creates a perfect environment for bacteria to grow, which irritates the skin and causes acne. When acne is aggravated due to harsh scrubbing or other forms of physical attention, it further aggravates the condition and harms the sensitive skin tissue. When the skin finally is able to heal, a scar is left behind.

One of the most popular acne scar treatment techniques is injecting collagen under the surface of the scarred skin. Collagen puffs out the skin and evens out the scarred area, making acne less noticeable. Another important acne scar treatment technique is what is called autologous fat transfer. This process makes use of your own bodys fat. Fat is taken from another part of your body and is injected into the affected part, filling up the scar.

This technique requires repeated applications because the fat is eventually absorbed into the body, making the scar noticeable once again. Your dermatologist may suggest you try laser treatments or dermabrasion. Both of these techniques are very effective. In the most extreme cases, skin grafting and skin surgery may be considered.

Keep in mind that these are only a small number of the options available for acne scar treatment.

A Permanent Cure for Acne Scars?

Ask anybody who has ever suffered from acne what was the least enjoyable part of the whole experience and probably the most possible answer will be the scars – acne scars that remain long after acne is gone. If having acne is considered bad, then what about having acne scars for several years more?

If your acne has already progressed beyond the initial stage of whiteheads and blackheads and you now have pimples and scars on your face, then you have to do two things at the same time – get rid of pimples and get rid of acne scars.

Before discussing how to eliminate acne scars, you may want to know…

What are acne scars?

Acne scars are caused when pimples either get inflamed or do not heal fully. Acne scars are formed when at least one of the layers of healthy skin is injured. When the skin is damaged and bleeding, the body forms new tissue fibers at the place to heal the wound and stop the bleeding. It is these tissues that may appear as a scar.

So getting rid of scars requires that the scar tissue be replaced by healthy tissue by some process or method.

There are several methods to help acne scars but in practice very few of them may be very effective. And some methods may have side effects that you may want to be aware of before you start such a program.

Laser Resurfacing: A carbon dioxide laser burns away the damaged skin, layer by layer. The depth of penetration is controlled. As the outer layers of damaged skin is removed, new skin cells begin to form as the healing process starts and in a few weeks, a younger looking smoother skin surface begins to appear.

Dermabrasion: This uses a spinning diamond instrument or a rotating wire brush to wear down the outer layers of the skin that have been damaged. And when the skin starts healing, younger and smoother skin will replace the old skin removed by abrasion.

Chemical peels for acne scars: Acidic solutions are applied to the skin to peel away the damaged layers and the new skin that is formed is usually smoother. Chemical peels range from mild to deep penetration. Though chemical peels can be applied at home, it would be advisable to get a dermatologist to apply it.

Punch grafts: More suitable for deep and pitted acne scars, this method involves punching a hole to remove the scar and then removing a small piece of undamaged skin.

But the question you may want to ask is… do they work?

All of the treatments mentioned above seem to have a moderate success rate – while they seem to work well for others, some are less than delighted with their treatments. While results like these may be expected with any medical procedure, your face is a very important part of your life and you will want to be absolutely certain that any treatment will be beneficial to your sense of well-being.

How Does Laser For Acne Scars Work

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about beauty. When you start sharing the fascinating beauty facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

Although acne itself doesn’t always lead to scarring, the picking, scratching and squeezing of acne can cause permanent end. The good news is that laser for acne scars is one treatment that can minimize their appearance.

The two primary categories of laser used on depressed acne are ablative ( also referred to as resurfacing ) and non – ablative.

Ablative lasers are the most traditionally used but also the most potentially harmful. These types of lasers literally destroy the outer layers of the skin. They burn away scar tissue which triggers the dermal collagen to tighten. This in genius reduces the amount of scar visibility. This treatment causes the affected area to be very red, sensitive, and problematic until the skin fully heals. And full healing can returns anywhere from several months up to a year so it is important to take care of the wounded area and take measures to deter infection. This is done with soaks, antibiotic ointment, and dressings. The skin that does grow back lacks acne scars or wrinkles. The ultrapulsed carbon dioxide laser and erbium YAG laser are most often used in laser resurfacing.

Nonablative lasers, in contrast, do no damage to the the outer layer of skin. Instead, they diminish acne scars by stimulating collegen growth. While ablative laser treatment only needs to be done one time, the nonablative laser for acne scars must be repeated. Smoothbeam is the one of the newest FDA approved laser for this treatment. This targets and heats the sebaceous gland to reduce sebum which can lead to acne formation. When the collagen is heated, the dermis tightens and scarring is less visible.

Raised acne scars ( called keloids & hypertrophic scars ) require a different sense of laser: the pulsed dye laser ( PDL ). Treatment with a PDL can help reduce the itch and pain, diminish the color, and flatten a raised scar. The PDL involves the use of a concentrated die laughing of light that targets blood vessels in the skin. The light converts to heat and destroys the blood vessel while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged. The laser is considered especially safe because it uses yellow light which results in no long – term skin damage. PDL treatments usually take only a few minutes and no anesthesia is required. Improving the appearance hypertrophic scars or keloids may take take multiple appointments. Although inadequate, the most common bite effect of this type of treatment is bruising. However, this usually clears within 3 – 10 days. Temporary pigmentary changes may also occur but they generally last only a few weeks. At least one month before getting treated with a PDL laser, you should apply Sunblock to the affected area. Tanned skin actually blocks the light of the laser and increases the chances of side effects. Scarring is extremely rare with this laser.

The above information about laser for acne scars does not substitute medical advice given by a health professional.

This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.