Scars are visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. In the case of acne scars, the injury is caused by the body's inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in a plugged sebaceous follicle. They are different from spots which may look like it but are not scars as a permanent change has not occurred.
Causes of Acne Scars: Like I said scars are visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. They usually form at the site of an injury to the tissue. When a tissue suffers an injury, the body sends the white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules to repair the tissue and fight infection. The white blood cells and inflammatory agents may remain at the site of the acne for days or even weeks and when their job is completed they leave a messy repair site in the form of fibrous scar tissue or even an eroded tissue.
It should be known that some acne do not leave scar e.g. comedos. However inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occur deep into the skin may leave temporary or permanent scars.
Types of Acne Scars: There are two major types of scars that are caused by pimples. This is usually determined by the tissue's response to inflammation.
1. Scars that are caused by increased tissue formation: These are usually called keloids or hypertrophic scars. They are usually associated with excessive amounts of cell substance collagen. The overproduction of collagen is a response of skin cells to injury. Hypertrophic and keloid scars may persist for years but some have been known to diminish in size over time.
2. Scars caused by loss of tissue: These scars are similar to those seen as a result of chicken pox. They are more common than keloids and hypertrophic scars. These scars include Ice-pick (usually small, with a jagged edge and has steep sides), Depressed fibrotic (are usually quite large, with steep sides and sharp edges), Superficial or deep soft scars (are soft to touch, small and have gently sloping rolled edges), Atrophic macules (are soft, may be fairly small when it occurs on the face but larger when found on the body) and Follicular macular atrophy (it occurs more on the chest or the back. It is small and white like whiteheads).
Prevention of Acne Scars: The only sure method of preventing acne is to treat present acne effectively and also prevent new ones from appearing. If the inflammation associated with acne is prevented or treated quickly and with accuracy, then there is a greater chance of not having scars.
Treatment of Acne Scars: A large number of the treatments that are available for treating these scars are through dermatologic surgery which means you need to see a qualified and trusted dermatologist. The dermatologist would let you know which treatment is best for you based on a number of factors. The scar treatments that are available presently include Collagen Injection, Autologous fat transfer, Dermabrasion, Microdermabrasion, Laser treatment, Skin surgery and Skin grafting.
In summary, acne scars are caused by the body's inflammatory response to acne lesions. The best way to prevent acne scars is to prevent acne or treat present ones early, effectively and long enough. There are various acne treatments that are effective and are trusted among billions of people which are presently available. They are far cheaper and safer than the treatments you would need if you develop scars.
