The Latest Treatments For Acne Scars

Nearly eighty percent of teen-agers and people in their twenties experience acne at one time or another, and even five percent of older adults have this condition. Many of them recover with no permanent scars, but some are disfigured with the scarring that accompanies acne. Medical professionals have reported individuals suffering from the scarring of acne often need treatment for depression and even suicidal thoughts, which they believe is a result of the social implications of scarred, less than attractive, skin and appearance.

Causes of Acne

The development of acne depends on several factors, with the main problem inside the hair follicle, with the abnormal development of cells, which leads to a blackhead--comedo--or plug formation, that prohibits movement of grease, or sebum, skin cells and hair. This results in the eventual enlargement and rupture of the hair follicle. When the hair follicle ruptures, it spills its oily content of debris onto the skin where it causes redness and swelling.

Certain bacterium also plays a role in acne. This kind of bacteria in hair follicles produces a substance that causes inflammation and redness. Androgen hormones are another acne-causing factor that enlarge the sebaceous glands and cause them to increase oil or sebum production.

The Latest Treatments for Acne Scars

A popular treatment for acne and other skin defects is laser resurfacing. For acne scars, the two main types of laser are erbium YAG and carbon dioxide. Essentially, lasers burn off the top layers of the skin to a certain depth. The burned layers are replaced during healing with new skin. Post-operative skin care must be followed precisely to achieve a good result from the procedure.

Subcision, or subcutaneous incision, breaks up fibrous bands of skin that is the cause of rolling scars. Performed under local anesthesia, a specialty beveled needle is inserted under the skin and parallel to the surface of the skin. The needle is used in a piston-like motion to cut through the bands of tight skin, to reduce peaks and valleys and give a smoother surface. Any nodules left are treated by injecting steroids into them.

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One surgical correction for acne scars is punch excision, for deep icepick and boxcar scars. A sharp round biopsy tool is used, matched in size to the walls of the scar. The scar is excised under local anesthesia and the edges of the skin are sutured together. This method produces a new scar which eventually fades and may not be noticed, or at least may be managed with other resurfacing methods.

Another technique using the punch tool takes a skin graft from behind the ear, and fills the defect in the skin with the skin plug, instead of surturing the skin together. Around four to six weeks after this graft, a skin resurface method can be used to correct texture and colour differences if noticeable.

A technique using dermal fillers can be used to raise the skin surface to give a smoother look. The fillers used are collagen with polytheyl-methacrylate microspheres, hyaluronic acid derivatives, human collagen, bovine collagen and fat. A drawback of this method is that it is not a permanent correction for scars from acne, and more injections are periodically necessary.

Experts in the field of skin care and who are in the front lines of the latest treatments for acne scars, state that no individual has to live with the dark spots, inflammation, redness and scarring from acne. With the many safe and effective procedures that have been developed, dermatology patients have many options available to reduce the appearance or eliminate the scars completely.

This information is presented as background and suggestions only, and is not intended as medical advice. Anyone suffering from the effects of acne and the resultant scarring should consult a licensed medical professional to discuss options and treatments available. If acne worsens suddenly or is accompanied by fever or severe swelling, the individual should contact a licensed physician immediately.