Acne Scars Can Be Treated - Choose The Right Way Of Treatment

Acne injures the tissues at the site of occurrence, thus starts the appearance of acne scars. When you get a pimple, the body's inflammatory response to bacteria, sebum and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle, causes injury to the skin at that particular place. The body rushes its injury kit to the location, as soon as the harm to tissues happens. In this case, the kit consists of white blood cells and inflammatory molecules which perform the task of repairing the damaged tissue and fighting off infection. After the repair is done, it may leave a messy mark, which appears on the skin as scars. Some people are more prone to scarring than others, and thus the depth and period of scarring may vary.

Prevention From Scars

There is no sure shot way to prevent acne scars, since so little is known about why this happens in a different manner for everyone. The best way to prevent it is to let the acne be and take its own course. This way you will provide less inflammatory intervention. If you have a pimple, it will go away in a few days. But if you try to pick it, squeeze or poke it with a pin, it may spread and the scar that you get might even be permanent. If you have a particularly troublesome lesion, then see the dermatologist and look for proper treatment rather than trying to get rid of it on through experimentation.

Treatments Available To Get Rid Of Scars

There are several treatments available for treating acne scars. Depending on the type of skin that you have, how deep your scars are, how much can you spend or what you want from the treatment, the course of treatment is charted out. Here is a brief look at the different ways to treat the scars:

• Topical creams: Hyper pigmentation of the skin can be reduced with the help of bleaching agents. Superficial acne scarring may be treated with creams that consist of a chemical called retinol.
• Collagen Treatment: Collagen is injected under the skin to stretch out or fill up the superficial or deep soft scars. But the cosmetic benefit of collagen lasts only for about 3 to 6 months. For longer periods, more collagen has to be given.
• Dermabrasion: This is known to be the most effective treatment. Under a local anesthetic, a high speed brush is used to remove the surface skin. This is most effective for superficial scars and reduces the depth of any deep scars.
• Laser Treatment: Laser beams of various wavelengths are used to recontour the scars. The skin absorbs the heat from the laser in a short time. The results are more permanent and may need just one sitting.

In extreme cases, to remove the acne scars, treatments such as skin grafting, skin surgery, and microdermabrasion are also used. It depends on how you feel about your scars. If you are comfortable with the idea that the scars will reduce in size or tend to blend in the skin over a period of time, then regular use of over the counter creams is sufficient. But if the scars are causing deep mental anguish and are affecting your self-esteem, then it's a better idea to undergo proper treatment as suggested by your dermatologist.