You might have suffered from a mild case to a severe case of acne as a teen, or even now as an adult. Aside from being a cause of insecurity, a severe case of acne can cause your skin to develop scars on the face which may not prove to be attractive to look at.
Men and women alike would want to have a flawless, scar-free complexion, especially on the face ? but what can you do if you suffered acne during your teenage years and there are just unsightly spots and scars that you cannot get rid of?
There is always a solution to this relatively common skin condition. The key is to understand how you can take care of your skin better and to keep an open mind about the options that you have to get rid of acne scars to achieve a flawless and glowing look.
'Acne: Cause and Effect'
Acne is basically a common skin condition wherein the surface of the skin ? which can be the face, back, neck or arms ? breaks out. This is due to the fact that the skin follicles are blocked, causing bacteria and dirt to be trapped on the surface of the skin. Acne is the resulting skin condition, which comes in the form of blackheads, whiteheads, or pimples.
Acne will disappear in time, but there are marks and permanent visible scars that will result from having acne, thus making the skin look 'spotty'.
There are two types of scars that will result from having acne:
- Keloids
Keloid is basically raised tissue on the superficial layer of the skin which is the effect of a wound that healed. An acne scar that is keloidal will look like an uneven, thickened layer of the skin. This occurs on the skin of people who are susceptible to wound scars.
- Deep Scars
On the other hand, the other type of scar that may emerge from having acne is a deep-seated layer of skin that will look like a 'hollow' spot.
These scars are unsightly and may cause a person to have a lack of self-confidence and feel insecure.
'Acne Scar Treatments'
Rather than the scar being a cause of embarrassment, most people who are affected with acne choose to have their skin treated by a dermatologist. This will lessen the effect of deep-seated or raised acne scars to have a fairly flawless complexion, especially if the area affected is the face.
The key to preventing scars from developing is early treatment of acne. Having a healthy lifestyle as well as a strict skin regimen is also recommended.
Here are some methods on how you can get rid of acne scars:
1. Chemical Peel
A light chemical peel is a minor cosmetic surgery that will remove or 'peel off' the superficial skin layer. If the acne scars are not deeply embedded, then a chemical peel will most likely remove acne scars.
2. Laser Treatment
A laser treatment can also remove unsightly facial scars caused by acne. This option most often produces the desired permanent results.
3. Collagen Injection
Here, collagen is used to fill out the affected part of the skin where the scar tissue is located. This treatment, however, does not produce permanent results and repeat procedure is necessary after about three months or so.
It is necessary to consult a dermatologist to determine which of the options available is best suited for the degree of acne scar that you have.
Furthermore, it pays to treat acne the earliest time possible to prevent scarring.
