What are Acne Scars and how are they treated?  

Acne or pimple can ruin your beauty and even hamper your self-esteem quashing your confidence altogether. In this article, Dr. Firdous Ibrahim will tell us about acne scars, its types and what are the treatment methods for it. Dr. Firdous Ibrahim is a well known and internationally trained aesthetic physician from Secunderabad. She has been treating acne scars successfully for many years, and has helped many individuals regain their confidence and good looks.

What are the acne scars?

Acne scars are caused by inflammation of skin pores stimulated by excess oil, dead cells, or bacteria. The skin pores break the follicle wall due to swelling. Some superficial lesions may heal by themselves but for deeper lesions, the infection may spread around the tissue too, forming a deeper acne scar.

Blemishes and dark marks are a prominent sign around an acne scar. These may further progress into acne pits and holes, which are extremely difficult to correct if ignored for long. Usually prominent on the face and neck, these scars also appear on back and chest too. If you are looking for acne scar treatment it is advised that you get the right help from medical aggregators like ClinicSpots. ClinicSpots gives you a comprehensive list of the acne scar treatment doctors in major metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Secunderabad and many more. Apart from that, the procedures that are performed with their costs are also mentioned.

What are the types of acne scars?

There are different types of acne scars, based on their size, shape, color, and strength of deformity on the skin. They can be pitted or raised, and most of them can be treated by dermatologic procedures. It is important to reach out for medical treatments as early as possible, to avoid any permanent scar or marks.

The types of acne scars include:

  • Depressed or pitted scars: These are the most common pimple marks that arise due to inflammatory acne or papulopustular acne. These consist of red blemishes, pimples, pustules, and large swollen nodules.
  • Boxcar scars: Deep and definite edges with round or oval depressions.
  • Rolling scars: Broader skin depressions, rounded and with smooth sloping edges.
  • Ice pick scars: Deep and narrow resembling a large empty pore on the skin.
  • Raised Acne Scars: These are less common and caused as a result of acne inflammations. Dr. Firdous mentions that the excess scar tissues come out over the surface of the skin, making it uneven and bumpy. This may be challenging to treat, as the scar tissue lies on the skin. They consist of:
  1. Keloid scars – These are a result of the excess formation of scar tissue on the surface of the skin. They arise due to the overgrowth of a kind of collagen (granular tissue) at the site of injury due to the body’s natural healing process.
  2. Hypertrophic scars – These are a result of excess collagen deposition at the site of injury. They are not as high as keloid scars but contain nerves and blood vessels.

Why some acne leaves dark marks?

With acne, the skin gets opened up first and closes back due to the natural healing process, forming scars, resulting in an abnormal pigmentation which is darker than the color of the skin. External factors like sunlight can surge melanocytes (the pigment-producing cells) thus causing acne marks to darken.

What are the different Acne Scar treatments?

Upon asking about the number of treatments available for acne scar treatments, Dr. Firdous said that there are 5 types of acne treatment which are commonly used worldwide. They are:

  1. Pixel Laser Resurfacing – It is done by non-ablative or fractioned laser devices. The laser removes the skin layers by vaporization and brings out new smooth skin from underneath which heals the scars.
  2. Microneedling Radio Frequency – Micro needle studded device is used to puncture the skin, penetrating only to a certain depth, thus reducing the depth of acne scars.
  3. Subcision – It is the subcutaneous incision-less surgery for acne scars on the skin.
  4. Chemical Peel – To remove the upper layer of the skin with controlled exfoliation, acne control peels are done. Thus fading the small acne scars.
  5. Intralesional Injections – They are used to flatten and soften the acne scars.

What are the things to know about acne scars treatment?

Acne scars can be treated effectively at a skin clinic by a number of procedures. The treatment depends on the dermatological evaluation and consultation, with respect to the kind and strength of acne scars on your skin. Chemical peels are the first-line treatment using salicylic acid, which can help treat light acne scars as they remove the upper layer of the skin. Laser devices use light to target the deformed tissues under the skin and render them ineffective so that newer cells may be stimulated thus replacing the scarred ones.

To treat scars, it is important to first understand them. Scars can vary in types from red to brownish blemishes, boxcar scars, rolling scars to ice pick scars. From traumatic incidents to surgery and a number of incidents can cause scarring, the most common being pimples. The good news however is that each one of these can be treated.

Before you begin any treatment the doctors always perform a skin patch test. This helps the doctor to assess the skin’s fitness for the procedure and gives them an indication of whether the patient’s skin is allergic to any specific substances. This also enables us to have a feel of the surface and helps the doctor to plan the treatment parameters.

The doctor then moves to stage one, subcision.  The fibrous bands holding the base of the scar are broken down using specially made needles, which helps reduce the depth of the scar without any discomfort.

This is followed by laser treatment, where small microscopic laser beams are transmitted to the scar aiding the regeneration of the damaged layers of the skin. Apart from reducing the visibility of the scar, this procedure also aids in skin rejuvenation.

Skin treatments can vary from person to person. Each scar has its own characteristics and requires a different combination of treatments. There is no one solution for everybody.

A scar does not have to be a mark for life. What used to be a lifelong burden is now easily treated with professional care.