Acne Scar Treatment
Sunday, June 24th, 2007Acne is one of most common skin conditions in the world, afflicting 40 to 50 million Americans Acne is a skin condition that affects up to 80% of people in their teens and twenties, and up to 5% of older adults. Most serious scarring is caused by the more severe forms of acne, with nodules more likely to leave permanent scars than other types of acne. While many people recover from acne without any permanent effects, some people are left with disfiguring acne scars. Severe, inflamed, cystic acne always leaves scars after healing, but in some people even superficially inflamed acne can result in scarring. There are some topical skin care products and medications that can improve mild scarring, but most acne scars are treated with a combination of surgical procedures and skin resurfacing. After an acne lesion has healed, it can leave a red or hyperpigmented mark on the skin. This is actually not a scar, but rather a post-inflammatory change. The redness or hyperpigmentation is seen as the skin goes through its healing and remodeling process, which takes approximately 6-12 months. If no more acne lesions develop in that area, the skin can heal normally. Any color change or skin defect still present after 1 year is considered to be a permanent defect or scar. Atrophic macules are usually fairly small when they occur on the face, but may be a centimeter or larger on the body. They are soft, often with a slightly wrinkled base, and may be bluish in appearance due to blood vessels lying just under the scar. Over time, these scars change from bluish to ivory white in color in white-skinned people, and become much less obvious.
Acne scars result from two types of tissue response to the inflammation of acne: (1) increased tissue formation, and (2) loss of tissue. Acne Scars Years after outgrowing adolescent acne. severe acne, which causes nodules — painful, pus-filled cysts or lumps — to appear under the skin. Scars caused by increased tissue formation are caused by a build up of collagen in the skin. Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occurs deep in the skin. They are the visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an acne scar. When tissue suffers an injury, the body rushes its repair kit to the injury site. Among the elements of the repair kit are white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules that have the task of repairing tissue and fighting infection. Follicular macular atrophy is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne. These are small, white, soft lesions, often barely raised above the surface of the skin—somewhat like whiteheads that didn’t fully develop. This condition is sometimes also called “perifollicular elastolysis.” The lesions may persist for months to years.
A person may seek treatment for acne scars (1) as a procedure to remove or improve the scars, or (2) in conjunction with an overall program of skin rejuvenation. Mederma is helpful for treating newly healed wounds and resolving acne. Ice-pick scars and deep fibrotic scars are not treated effectively by chemical peels. Keloids are usually not treated by chemical peels. Repeated and/or deep peels may be necessary to improve deep or extensive scarring.Using tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova, Avita) speeds up the skin’s remodeling process and helps heal post-inflammatory changes. Picking at scabs should be avoided at all costs. Scabs form to protect the healing process that is going on underneath them. The newest form of treatment for acne scarring is called fractional laser therapy. This type of treatment works at a deeper level than laser resurfacing or dermabrasion. Laser Treatment-Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used to recontour scar tissue and reduce the redness of skin around healed acne lesions. The type of laser used is determined by the results that the laser treatment aims to accomplish. Chemical peels can improve small, depressed scars and some larger scars. Peeling may also be effective in treating any remaining acne by removing comedones (blackheads and whiteheads).