Acne Scars

Scars that remain after acne treatment can be either depressed or raised. These present in three main types – boxcar, icepick, rolling and combinations of the three. Rolling scars are those which are like broad, low hills. Boxcar scars have a thick, hard centre which is often white, that pulls down in the centre. Icepick scars are very narrow and deep. These are all depressed (atrophic) scars, meaning there is an overall loss of skin. Most acne scar treatments attempt to either remove or replace abnormal tissue and to stimulate new collagen formation to fill in the old scars. Raised acne scars can be either hypertrophic scars or keloids.

Brown marks or red marks persisting on the skin where acne has occurred and where the acne has now cleared is a most common complaint amongst acne patients. Many patients feel these red or brown marks make their skin appear more broken-out and uneven than it truly is. Treatments are available to help lighten and remove these old acne marks. The Genesis procedure is a gentle, painless and no down-time laser treatment which can speed up the process of reducing the red and brown marks.

Choosing a specialist dermatological facility for acne scar removal provides more choices for treatments, ways to control future outbreaks and complementary cosmetic procedures to restore your skin’s appearance. Acne usually leaves some scarring, although it is often minimal and most people experience acne outbreaks in the course of their lives. Acne is most common during adolescence, but acne can occur at any time and adult acne often erupts more severely, producing disfiguring scars. As the acne lesions heal, the various shapes and sizes of scars remain as a permanent reminder of this common facial eruption. Acne scars make many people feel embarrassed or self-conscious. Fortunately, acne scar treatment can remove or minimize them through cosmetic treatments. Treatment options depend on the severity of the scarring and the type of acne scar.

What are Acne Scars?

Permanent textural changes and indentations that occur on the skin following severe acne result in acne scars. Scarring occurs as the body creates collagen to repair the damage. Depending on the skin type and other factors, the scarring can be relatively shallow and easy to correct, or deep where scarring is more severe. The healing process creates significant changes in the texture and smoothness of the skin, forming depressions (lost tissue) or giving the skin a rolling, wave-like appearance (adds tissue).

Why Does Acne Scar?

Acne is an inflammatory process. In the non-inflammatory phase (when there are only comedones), there is no scarring. Once the non-inflammatory lesion evolves into an inflammatory lesion, the mechanisms of wound healing are activated. If the inflammation is extensive and deep extending into the deep dermis and continues untreated, scarring results. The different types of acne scars are as a result of the extent, depth and degree of inflammation that is followed by repair. On the face, commonly there is an indentation (depressed scar), and on the chest and the back the scarring can be raised and lumpy – known as hypertrophic or keloid scarring.