Acne is the 8th most common disease in the world affecting about 80-90% of teenagers and young adults and affects almost at some point in life. These are raised bumps in the skin and some of them can be large and pus-filled and painful; usually involving the face.
Acne will resolve after a certain period of time but leaves behind scars. Hence acne should be treated in an early stage. If not, the acne gets infected and damage most of the skin after healing, leaving behind a permanent scar which is visible from 10 meters distance.
The term scarring refers to a fibrous process in which new collagen is formed, following a full-thickness injury. It affects 30% of those with moderate to severe acne. It is particularly common in severe acne such as nodulocystic or acne conglobata or fulminans Acne scars are formed after healing moderate and severe pimples. Abnormal healing and dermal inflammation create the scar.
There are various modalities used to treat acne scars effectively. The treatment has to be tailored to the individual patient based on the skin type or color, scar type, and the patient’s economic capacity.
Before treating the acne scar, it’s important to know the prevention of acne scars and different types of acne scars as each type responds to treatment differently.
Prevention is better than cure; you must have heard this saying from someone. This is true in the case of acne scars also. Treating acne scars can be very difficult than to prevent acne scarring. So the best way to prevent acne scars from occurring is to prevent acne abrasions from occurring. To prevent acne and acne scars from occurring, one needs to understand in detail the causes of acne and acne scars and their right treatments.
There are different types of acne scars. The appearance of hideous acne scars is probably the most distressing thing a lot of people face. In fact, acne scarring has become one of the discussed and searched skincare issues across the world. Depending on the width, depth, and 3-dimensional architecture, acne scars are basically classified into three basic types; few authors classify under six variants.
Depressed or atrophic scars are shallow dents or pits on the skin due to the loss of tissue. The loss of collagen prevents the skin from repairing the indentation.Usually, they are divided into three main types such as ice-pick scars, boxcar scars, and rolling scars. Some authors classify atrophic scar under this as a separate variant.
Ice-pick scar: is the most common acne scars and are narrow and deep into the skin and resembles as large pores. Ice pick scars look as it has been pierced by a sharp instrument and look like a small, thin and deep hole into the skin. These acne scars usually occur after constant acne or after an irritating blemish or cyst.
Boxcar scar: These scars are round to oval depressions or wide box-shaped, with sharply demarcated vertical edges develop on cheeks and temple. They are wider than Ice pick scars and give the skin an uneven pitted appearance.
Rolling scar: These scars look like wide depressions that typically have rounded edges and an irregular rolling appearance and develop because of the fibrous band between the skin and the underlying subcutaneous tissue. Rolling scars differ from Boxcar scars in that they aren’t sharply defined and the skin itself looks uneven and craggy. Atrophic scars are thin flat or shallow depressions that heal below the top layer of skin.
Raised scars are formed after healing of inflammatory acne, and appear as bumps on the skin surface. Hence, raised scars are formed due to excess scar tissue formation on the skin. Papular scars are 3 to 4mm skin-colored cobblestone or soft elevated lesions are commonly seen on nose, chin, and trunk. They result from the destruction of collagen and elastin fibers in the dermal tissues around the hair follicles after acne inflammation. These papular scars are an unrecognized variant of acne scarring and most difficult to treat.
Such types of acne scars are raised, firm and red and usually occur after any skin injury or acne. Hypertrophic scars, Keloids are caused because of the overproduction of collagen.
Though you must have tried many home remedies, used numerous over-the-counter medicines, and tried various medical procedures for treating acne scars, how effective these remedies and medicines have been? Home remedies and medications do not guarantee any permanent results to treat acne scars. A lot of clinics claim to provide 100% results in treating acne scars, but most of the time they fail to fulfill their promise.
Acne scarring is a physical, emotional, and a permanent reminder of the uncomfortable skin condition. A number of treatments are available to reduce the appearance of scars.
We at Clear Skin Centre are committed to providing our patients with the best result-oriented treatments for acne scars. So if you are suffering from acne scars, there is nothing to worry about. We proudly say that we are the first and only center in India to provide the most advance, time-tested, FDA approved treatment with different technologies for acne scars. Our skin treatments will help you get rid of acne and or its scars and have acne-free scars, clear skin.
