Acne scar, what should I do?
- Posted on: Oct 1 2020
Acne scars come from picking at them. This causes scaring giving you the red, purple and dark appearance. This happens when we go through acne and especially those who go through cystic acne. Acne is caused by hormones, clogged pores, poor eating habits and stress. Scars can fade naturally but sometimes it does not disappear completely. Therefore, when acne is not cared for properly it causes scarring.
What are the types of acne scarring we can go through?
There are two types of acne scarring that can occur. These are known as Hypertrophic and Atrophic scarring. Hyperpigmentation can occur due to acne scarring resulting in marks on the face.
Hypertrophic scaring is when the body produces a lot of collagen to heal the wound, which leads to raised tissue.
Atrophic scaring is when the body does not produce collagen leading to a loss of skin tissue. This results in acne scars having a sunken whole appearance. This type occurs when we go through severe acne scars resulting in uneven skin texture. Therefore, leaving the skin with a picture hole look that don’t disappear over time.
What treatments can I do to fade my scars?
There are many types of treatments that can reduce the appearance of scarring. These include microneedling and laser resurfacing.
Microneedling is a procedure whereby small needles are poked into the skin causing trauma. This trauma stimulates collagen. The production of collagen helps to reduce the appearance of scars. However, microneedling does require some downtime and you have to be careful by not spending time in the sun. Usually, to see the effectiveness of this treatment it is needed to have at least 3 to 6 treatments to improve the skin texture. Thus, microneedling helps to improve the skin surface and reduce scarring.
Whereas, laser resurfacing is another procedure that can help with scaring. This procedure uses a laser technology to stimulate collagen. For lighter skin tones it is best to have non-ablative resurface such as fraxel. However, for darker skin tones it is best to have infra red Nd:YAG. This treatment needs more down time as it’s peels the surface skin resulting to fader appearance if scars. This treatment requires at least 3 to 6 treatments to be effective. Therefore, it is best to seek advice from a professional skin care specialist to see if which resurfacing treatments is best for you.
What other acne scar treatment options do I have?
- Chemical peels help with light acne scars, which help to brighten the complexion by removing dead skin cells and stimulate collagen.
- Fillers help to improve the appearance of Atrophic scars giving you a smooth skin texture.
- Cortisone injection help to flatten the hypertrophic acne scarring.
- Retinoids can be a non-invasive treatment that can help to increase cell turnover and stimulates collagen that in turn improve acne scars.
It is best to keep in mind that any treatments takes around six months to see the full effects. Therefore, more than one treatments are needed to see any improvements.
To find out which treatment can help to improve your acne scars, please feel free to contact Saints European on (828) 586-6172!
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