Acne Scar Skin Care – Acne Scar Treatment and Skin Care

Archive for the ‘Acne Scarring’ Category

It is understandable that acne scarring can be psychologically distressing and embarrassing to an individual. If left untreated, it may well impact a person self-esteem and social interaction with other people. Unfortunately, most acne scars never really entirely disappear altogether. They normally improve in appearance with time but do not get eliminated completely. You can always rely on make-up to hide the scars after treatment. There are different types of acne scarring, some are called the ice pick scars that are pitted scars, some are called atrophic scars which are flat and thin in appearance and others are known as keloid or hypertrophic scars which are scars that are lumpy or bumpy in appearance. Depending on the type of acne scars that you suffer from, different treatment options will have different effects on those scars.

For pitted scars, you will get the most benefit from treatment methods such as dermabrasion, laser resurfacing which is using the power of laser lights to reduce scarred tissues, punch grafting for deeper scars, subcision in which the fibrous band under the scar is divided to allow the skin to snap back to its original position and finally bigger scars can be excised which is to removal by cutting out the scars altogether, For atrophic scars, as they are flatter and thinner in appearance, you will benefit from dermabrasion or soft tissue augmentation methods such as collagen injection, gelatin or fat implants. Collagen is used as our body does not recognise it as a foreign substance hence reducing the risks of rejection. Over time the collagen does get absorbed into our body system and you may need to revisit your dermatologist to have the doses topped up. There is an element of ongoing maintenance with this treatment option as the results are not permanent.

For lumpy or hypertrophic scarring, ask your dermatologist for some potent topical steroids for starters. This will take several week before any visible result can be achieved. If this is not effective, other procedures include intra-lesional steroid injections, silicone gel dressings, surgical revision and cryotherapy. The downside to any keloid scars is that they are particularly prone to recurrence, even if it was after a seemingly successful procedure. Typically it will reappear close to the original scar location. Cryotherapy is a treatment procedure that freezes the surface of the skin lesions. This process is conducted using liquid nitrogen, carbon dioxide snow, dimethyl ether or propane. These are applied directly onto the skin lesion. Cryotherapy does sting and can cause pain during and shortly after treatment. Immediate swelling or redness to the skin may occur after treatment. This can be reduced by the application of a topical steroid and orally taking aspirin can help reduce any inflammation and stinging pain.

Technorati Tags: Acne, Scarring, Skincare, treatment

What is acne scar removal? It is not uncommon for people to suffer from acne at one time or another. It is normally triggered by hormone imbalance and at other times could be cause by having a poor diet that is full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fat. Stress can also trigger a bout of acne break out. Some break outs are temporary but others can be recurring. Chronic acne problems unfortunately could lead to unsightly permanent scarring that to many can be embarrassing or distressing.

There are however acne scar removal treatments that are now available through skin clinics and some hospitals. A good dermatologist should always assess your medical history, ask questions about your diet and lifestyle before determining the best course of acne scar removal treatment. Different skin types or to some extent ethnic groups do respond differently to the prescribed treatment and finding a skin clinic with a good track record should always be a priority. Most acne scar removal procedures are not cheap, if you are going to spend your money on treating your skin, make sure you get the best dermatologist that could give you the best quality skin care.

Most patients will see some visible results straight after treatment but the best result can be achieved if you allow your skin to heal over time, nobody could rush the healing process and some scars will take longer than others to heal properly. It is important to know that most of these treatments are not miracle cures. Scars will not disappear overnight. The overall objective is to improve the appearance of your skin by minimising the appearance of the acne scars. Some very deep acne scars may never be fully restored.

Treatments include topical medications for more minor scars, for more moderate scarring, methods such as lasers, chemical peels, manual micro-abrasion or excision are used. Some procedures involve filling the skin depressions with various fillers such as autologous which is your own fat, bovine collagen from a cow, porcine collagen from a pig or cultured human collagen that our body will not reject. These injectable fillers although widely available, do not last forever which means you will have to return to the doctor to get them refilled after a period of time. Lasers are also an effective way to remove acne scars and the results are more permanent. Whichever treatment option you elect, make sure you do your research thoroughly as these treatments are quite costly. Some treatment options are only effective if administered by a highly experienced skin specialist. So take your time in finding the right treatment option.

Technorati Tags: Acne, Removal, Scar