Having acne is not only inconvenient, but for many people, it can be painful. Not only are the acne cysts unsightly, the scars they leave can be ugly to look at and difficult to remove. Thanks to more research and technology development, however, dermatologists now have a wide variety of techniques that can help heal acne scars, or make them less visible. There are also products on the market that you can use to treat your acne scars. However, before buying any cream or lotion, you need to ask: is that acne scar treatment product really for you?
There are two major kinds of acne scars. Pigmented scars appear as dark spots after the acne cyst has gone. Such scars can disappear with the help of pigmentation evening creams, or they can slough off with old skin and finally lighten over the course of weeks or months. On the other hand, pitted scars or pockmarks appear as craters over the former place of the acne cyst, and they can be more difficult to remove by ordinary, topical, or medicinal means. Pitted scars are the result of damage to the dermis, or the skin tissue underlying the acne cyst; damage is usually done when the acne cyst is pierced or squeezed without using medically-approved means.
Exfoliation
When buying an acne scar treatment product, you will need to assess what kinds of scars you have, and then see if the acne scar treatment product is appropriate for your acne scars. There are many products available over the counter. For instance, some commercially available facial washes can help lighten pigmented acne scars through the use of exfoliating particles present in the wash. Some facial washes also have compounds that can whiten the skin and even pigmentation out.
There are also products on the market that reduce pigmentation in acne scars through peeling. Such products might contain fruit acids, such as glycolic acid or citric acid, which peel the old skin cells off and encourage the growth of new skin. Any acne scar treatment product that makes use of peeling agents, however, should always be recommended by a licensed dermatologist. Excessive peeling can cause more damage to the skin, and can be an entry point for dangerous microbes that can cause further infection.
Pitted scars
If you have pitted acne scars, however, an ordinary acne scar treatment product may not be enough for you. You need to visit a licensed dermatologist, who can apply various compounds to your scars to reduce their depth, or even make them temporarily disappear. For instance, your dermatologist can inject fillers, such as collagen or your own fat cells, to plump up your pitted acne scars and raise them to the upper surface of your skin. Such a method can keep your acne scars less visible for up to half a year depending on the elasticity of your skin.
You can also ask for filler substitutes, or compounds that can plump your skin without injections. For instance, hyaluronic acid can be sprayed onto your skin at high speeds. Once this acid penetrates your skin, your skin can be plumper, and your lines, scars, and wrinkles can also be lifted. Although this method is less invasive, its effects will last for two days at the most.
For more severe pitted acne scars, you can also have collagen injections, which are designed to tighten the skin and make scars less visible. For keloids, a dermatologist may recommend steroid creams or cortisone to help keloids shrink.
Laser therapy for acne
Another popular technique is laser therapy, which is often used when topical creams and lotions are bound to fail. One form is the invasive ablative laser therapy, which uses a beam of high intensity light to penetrate into the underlying skin tissue. This light not only allows skin to slough off, it also tightens the young, growing skin so that acne scars can be reduced. In the non-invasive non-ablative laser therapy, the light is used to tighten the underlying skin without penetrating through the upper skin surface. This can be less painful than ablative laser therapy, and it can actually be done over lunch break!
Whichever type of acne scar you have, make sure that you do a lot of research on the acne scar treatment product recommended for your use. Always consult with your doctor before buying any medication. Soon, your scars will disappear, and all it takes is prudence and patience on your part.
Flor Serquina is a writer and also a wife and a mother who has a great interest in maintaining the healthy skin of the members of her large family. For more information visit her website, where she discusses various subjects such as finding a good www.healthy-skin-today.com/acne-scar-product.html acne scar product, www.healthy-skin-today.com acne scar reduction and www.healthy-skin-today.com/laser-surgery-for-acne.html acne scar skin care.
The site features well-researched articles on the different types of acne, their causes and their treatment. There are reviews of the varied approaches to acne, including laser surgery for acne scars, home remedies, different brands of acne soaps and face wash, over-the-counter acne medications as well prescription medicines.
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