Scars from acne can seem like double punishment — first youhad to deal with the pimples, now you havemarks as areminder.
Acne lesions (pimples) happen when the hair follicles (or "pores") on the skin become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. A plugged follicle is the perfect place for bacteria to grow and create the red bumps and pus-filled red bumpsknown as pimples.
What Are the Different Types of Acne?
Acne comes in different forms:
- mild acne:this causes the whiteheads or blackheads that most of us get at some point
- moderate acne:this can cause red, inflamed pimples (called papules) and red pimples with white centers (called pustules)
- severe acne: this causes painful, pus-filled cysts or lumps (callednodules) under the skin
Most serious scarring is caused by the more severe forms of acne, with nodules more likely to leave permanent scars than other types of acne.
The best approach is to get treatment for acne soon after it appears to prevent further severe acne and more scarring. If you have nodules, see your doctor or dermatologist for treatment.
Treating Acne Scars
Most of the time, thosereddish or brownish acne marks that areleft behind after pimples clear up will fade with no need for treatment. Picking or squeezing acne can increase the risk for scarring, though.
Acne scars take two forms:
- scars with a gradual dip or depression (sometimes called "rolling" scars)
- scars that are deep and narrow
A person's acne needs to be under control before scars can be treated.
Mild vs. Severe Scarring
Treatments depend on how severe thescars are. In some cases, adoctor or dermatologist may suggest a chemical peel or microdermabrasion to help improve the appearance of scarred areas. Thesemilder treatments can bedone right in the office.
For serious scarring from previous bouts with acne, several types of treatment can help:
- Laser resurfacing. This procedurecan be done in the doctor's or dermatologist's office. The laser removes the damaged top layer of skin and tightens the middle layer, leaving skin smoother. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. The doctor will try to lessen any pain by first numbing the skin with local anesthesia. It usually takes between 3 and 10 days for the skin to heal completely.
- Dermabrasion. This treatmentuses a rotating wire brush or spinning diamond instrument to wear down the surface of the skin. As the skin heals, a new, smoother layer replaces the abraded skin. It may take a bit longer for skin to heal using dermabrasion — usually between 10 days and 3 weeks.
- Fractional laser therapy. This type of treatment works at a deeper level than laser resurfacing or dermabrasion, Because fractional laser therapydoesn't wound the top layer of tissue, healing time is shorter. Someone who has had this type of treatment may just look a bit sunburned for a couple of days.
For "rolling" scars,doctors sometimes inject material under the scar to raise it to the level of normal skin. Finally, in some cases, a doctor may recommend surgery to remove deeply indented scars.
One thing you shouldn't do to deal with acne scars is load up your face with masks or fancy lotions — these won't help and may irritate your skin further, making the scars red and even more noticeable.
If you have a red or brownish mark on your face that you got from a bad zit, it should eventually fade. However, it may take 12 months or longer. If you're upset about acne marks, talk to your doctor, who mighthave advice on what you can do.
