Acne Scars

by Rebecca Swanson, May 25, 2010 4:18 PM

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Acne Scars

Acne isn’t over once someone passes into adulthood. In fact, acne doesn’t end just when the blackheads go away and the red pimples stop breaking out. Acne can have effects that reach far ahead into life. Those who experience severe acne may have acne scars for a very long time.

The formation of an acne scar

A scar forms when the body’s tissue is damaged. When the wound from the site of a pimple causes severe skin damage and persists for a very long time, there is the risk of scar formation. The body has remarkable healing ability, and the sign of the lesion will be dramatically minimized, but there may still be scars.

Scars and people who get them

Different people scar in different ways. In fact some people are genetically predisposed to scarring easier than others. Those who have a hereditary propensity toward scarring and those who have a severe form of acne are more likely to experience long-term scarring from their acne.

Types of scars

Keloid scars: Keloid scars occur most often in non-Caucasians. The scar is a result of high levels of collagen located on the site of a wound. The collagen creates a lighter skin tone on the site of the scar that could remain for life.

Atrophic maculas:  an atrophic macula is a scar that varies in color from reddish, to purplish to whitish. Usually, the scar site is a rounded patch of sagging skin.

Ice-pick scars: jagged:  the picturesque name of this scar clues you in as to what it looks like—a jagged, whitish line in the skin.

Fibrotic scars:  an ice-pick scar may develop into a fibrotic scar. Fibrotic scars become larger and harder than the original ice-pick scar.

Soft acne scars: this is one of the most common types of scars left by acne. It is a simple, sometimes unnoticeable depression in the skin. Usually, a person with soft acne scars has multiple scars that are most prominent around the cheek area.

How to prevent acne scars

There is no guaranteed ways to keep acne scars from happening. There are three things that you can do which may help to minimize the occurrence of a scar:

Treat your acne. Take practical steps to treat your acne, rather than to let it run rampant. Treatment works, and by minimizing your acne, you can minimize the chance that acne scars will form.

Don’t pick at it. The highest rate of scar formation comes from those who were more prone to pick or pop their pimples. The longer a wound persists without healing, the more likely it is to develop into a scar. Be patient with your face, and try to keep your hands off.

Live an all-round healthy lifestyle. Skin health is whole body health. By eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep, you can take major steps toward preventing scars. Skin made unhealthy through excessive tanning, smoking, and poor eating habits, is also more prone to developing scars.