Scars from acne
Many young people, especially boys going through puberty, suffer from acne. The skin is affected by blemishes in the face, on the neck and on the chest, and often it is difficult to avoid picking at the blemishes. Often, one will pick or scratch the blemishes and try to squeeze out the white pus, but often this will make things worse, damage the skin and lead to permanent scarring. For most people, acne disappears with age, but many will discover that picking at the skin and squeezing out blemishes has left scarring. Scarring tends to be genetically linked to an individual's unique inflammation response. This means that the tendency to develop scars and the visibility of them is determined by genetics.
If you wish to prevent scarring, it is important to act while the condition is present – not once it has passed. It is important to consult your doctor and initiate treatment that can reduce the number of blemishes. In addition, it is important to avoid picking, scratching and squeezing out impurities, as scarring often occurs when you damage the skin. This does not mean, however, that scarring will occur if you pick a blemish once.
Once the acne is under control, it is possible to start treating the scarring caused by the condition. A scar is a permanent change of the skin, and therefore, treating scars will often make them less visible but not remove them altogether.
Effective treatment options
Laser treatment is one of the most effective scar treatments. Several types of laser treatment exist. One example is the CO2 laser which is effective for treating moderate or severe scarring. The treatment is only carried out in the face, where the CO2 laser heats the skin and removes the top layer of skin cells. The laser triggers the skin into producing more collagen, which is a protein found in the skin and which can be used to fill out scarred skin. After laser treatment, the skin should not be exposed to the sun for three to six months, and sun screen containing SPF 50 should be applied every day, regardless of season. In addition, it can be difficult to obtain the same complexion as you had before the treatment.
Derma rollers are a cheap alternative to laser treatments which could cost thousands of pounds. Derma rollers are said to promote skin renewal and thus reduce the number of wrinkles, cellulite and acne scarring. This is due to a method known as micro needling, which involves additional minor damage to the skin, after which the skin reacts by stimulating the natural healing process.
Dermabrasion is yet another option, where the outermost layers of the skin are removed, after which they will be replaced by a new layer of skin, thus reducing visible scarring and revealing smooth skin without blemishes. This is, however, a harsh and risky treatment, which is only recommended in severe cases as the treatment could lead to more scarring. It is a painful treatment which requires local anesthetics, and after the treatment, it is of outmost importance to keep the skin out of the sun.
It is recommended to use a high factor sunscreen to protect the skin as the sun’s UV rays can reduce the skin’s ability to heal and make the scars darker and more visible.
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