Acne scars – a review

Acne scars are the marks left behind by lesions that had not healed or had become inflamed. Their size, frequency and type depend on various genetic factors, which are particular to every person. Some persons are more likely to see scars forming on their skin, due to their heritage and skin colour. This is why many people want to make sure their lesions will heal properly.

There are only two types of acne scars. The simplest scar is nothing more than a spot of skin bearing a brown, pink or purple colour, testimony to the fact that a pimple had been there. The second type is called the ice pick scar and it is a small hole in the skin where the lesion used to be. Scars are usually left behind only by inflamed lesions, such as pustules, nodules or cysts. However, squeezing open a comedo could result in an inflamed lesion and a scar.

Pigmented scars are the result of the skin’s own process of rebuilding the natural colour in the healing tissue. The concentration of pigment can be lowered with various types of treatments, such as bleaching creams, lotions or laser surgery. The choice of over-the-counter products should depend on the type and severity of your acne. If you are not sure what to choose, talk to a dermatologist.

Mild acne scars take up to six weeks to vanish. If the over-the-counter acne products don’t work, talk to your doctor again and he or she will recommend you a stronger treatment for scars, possibly even creams based on retinoids. This is done to prevent acne flare-ups and to promote the shedding of skin cells in and around the scars.

The next level in acne scar treatment is the chemical peeling of your skin. lycolic, salicylic or lactic acid is used to peel away the damaged top layer of the skin and trigger the formation of a new and smoother layer. This procedure can be beneficial even for active acne. Peels are usually performed over a period of weeks or months and are mostly effective against pigmented scars.

The second type of acne scars is more commonly treated with dermabrasion or laser resurfacing. Dermabrasion means that the top layer of the skin is removed with the help of a high-speed rotary wire brush or diamond-coated stone. This procedure requires more than one session for each scar and has the downside of not removing the scar at all. It simply makes it less visible.

A better treatment for acne scars is the laser resurfacing of the skin. Similar to the effect of sun exposure, doctors use the concentrated light of the laser beam to burn off a smaller or bigger part of the top layer of the skin. Many dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons recommend this procedure over dermabrasion.

The best way of taking care of acne scars problem is to use an acne treatment that can really help your body put an end to basic cause of acne and simply prevent scars at all.

Who gets acne?

Believe it or not, nearly everybody in the world gets pimples. When the body shifts into higher gear and puberty begins at the age of 12, hormones start taking over. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman. It doesn’t matter where you come from and who your parents were. I have never heard of a person who had stayed blemish-free in all the years of his or her life. Whether it’s food or pollution, something is bound to upset your hormonal balance sooner or later.

More than 40 percent of all teens develop cases of acne severe enough to warrant medical treatment. Most cases are usually solved without the need for fancy treatments, although more than one trip to the doctor is required. However, modern medicine has produced a wide range of prescription and over-the-counter acne products to help people deal with their acne without unnecessary pain.

However, not all acne cases can be treated quite that easily. Acne comes and goes on its own, between the age of twelve and twenty-three, but some people develop severe forms of acne, while others get acne for the first time as adults. This is mostly the case for men. Because of the higher level of androgens in their systems, men are far more likely than women to suffer from acne. In women, acne is associated with their fertility cycle and the hormonal changes it entails.

While most cases of acne are confined to the facial skin, most of the people suffering from this condition experience at least the occasional blackhead or pimple down the arms, on the back, the chest or even on the buttocks.

The social impact of acne is huge. The unpleasant sight of pimples makes many people run to the near drugstore or pharmacy because of the perceived influence acne has in social relations. Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent every year around the world on anti-acne products by people on five continents.

What is acne?

With all this talk about acne, we might as well try to define the condition a bit. Acne is the commonly used name for pores clogged by sebum (also known as whiteheads and blackheads), pimples, nodules or cysts that can appear on the face, neck, shoulders, chest, back, upper arms and upper legs.

Most teenagers and a good number of adults suffer from acne for more or less extended periods of time. The condition is not confined to any age group, race, or sex. It affects hundreds of millions of people across the world. The biggest problems with acne are the unpleasant look of pimples and the scars they may leave behind.

Types of Acne

Although pimples are by far the most common form of acne and the one most people are likely to encounter or suffer from, you should known that there are other forms as well. The simplest form is acne vulgaris, which features only comedones, the simplest of lesions.

Lesions are small patches of skin affected by acne, although the term “lesion” is not restricted to the changes produced by acne in skin tissues. Acne lesions are the external form of comedones, the sebaceous follicles plugged by excess sebum.

Comedones are known as blackheads and whiteheads, depending on whether the pore is open or not. Blackheads are pores whose distended openings are blocked by a mixture of keratin and sebum that is blackened at the surface. Whiteheads are closed pores filled with the secretion of the sebaceous gland that swells underneath the tissue.

Comendones are the usual target for picking and squeezing. However, opening a follicle in the less than sterile conditions of your home is likely to result in a slight infection. An open pore is an entry point for all kinds of bacteria.

Papules – The papule is a small, solid usually inflammatory elevation of the skin that does not contain pus. Very small papules can also appear in clusters, due to the tissue’s response to acne.

Pustules – Pustules are small inflamed elevations of the skin that are filled with pus. The pus is a combination of bacteria, white blood cells and dead skin cells. Pustules are usually formed around sebaceous follicles and hair.

Maculae – A macula is a red spot on the skin left behind by an acne lesion. Maculae are flat, red and stand out against the surrounding skin. A group of maculae gives the face an inflamed aspect.

Nodules – The nodule is a solid lesion, one of the most painful lesions caused by acne. Nodules tend to extend into the deeper layers of the skin and are known to lead to tissue destruction. They can be very painful to remove and leave scars behind. Nodular acne is a severe form of acne that is treated only with isotretinonin.

Cysts – Cysts are lesions shaped like capsules and contain liquid or semi-liquid pus similar to that found in pustules. However, cysts are larger than pustules and can be infected. Cysts are also extending deeper into the skin and leave scar tissue behind. Nodulocystic acne is probably the worst type of acne known to man. It is resistant to treatment and responds only to isotretinoin, the substance obtained from Vitamin A.