Scars left behind by acne are a double pain. First, you had to spend a long time to get rid of it and then the scars remind you every minute of what you went through.
Is there any effective acne scar treatment?
When you think of removing acne scars, you have to run through what acne is and what causes it. Acne is caused by the accumulation of excessive oil coupled with dead cells in the hair follicles. Then skin pores become clogged. This clogging promotes bacterial growth that shows up in the form of tiny red bumps or pus-filled red bumps called ‘pimples’. The main bacteria responsible for acne are called Propionibacterium acne. Hormonal interplay during puberty triggers excessive oil production adding to the growth of acne.
There are many kinds of acne:
- Mild acne – considered to be those common white or blackheads, which most of us have suffered at some point or the other in our lives.
- Moderately severe acne – pimples that have a red and inflamed appearance, also called papules. Also, red pimples with white centers called pustules.
- Severe acne – causes nodules, which go deep into the skin and is painful. It includes pus-filled cysts or lumps occurring under the skin.
The more serious the acne, the deeper are the scars. Nodules from severe acne leave life-long scars. To prevent scars, go for immediate treatment as soon as the first signs appear. If nodules are detected, acne scar treatment is best handled by a doctor or a specialist, called a dermatologist.
Laser resurfacing is another acne scar treatment option to tackle any stubborn scarring, resulting from earlier bouts of acne. Done at a doctor or dermatologists’ chamber, the way it works is by removing the damaged top layer of the skin and tightening the middle layer. This leaves the skin bump-free and smooth. The exercise takes some minutes to an hour. Local anesthesia is used to deaden any pain. For the skin to return to normal texture and heal fully, it takes about 3 to 10 days.
Dermabrasion is yet another acne scar treatment option. This exercise uses a rotating wire brush or a spinning diamond-edge instrument which gives an abrasion on the surface of the skin. With time, the new skin grows in place of the damaged skin. Time taken for complete healing is somewhere between 10 days to 3 weeks.
These acne scar treatments are good if you don’t have any active acne at the time of treatment. Both of them result in redness of the skin that can last for several months.
A doctor or dermatologist may even offer you a milder acne scar treatment – a mild chemical peel or microdermabrasion. This is also done in the doctors’ office and removes the damaged skin to improve overall appearance.
For removing scars that have made deep indentations, doctors even suggest surgical intervention.
In a move to hide acne scars, never pile your skin with loads of masks or lotions – it only worsens the situation, making the scars look red and inflamed.
The reddish brown scars left behind by zits should not give you any cause for worry. They leave, just like the marks on your knees tthat you got when you fell off the cycle as a kid. It might take a year to go, so hold on to your patience and wait. Do not rub, squeeze or irritate the zits – though it looks extremely tempting to do so.