Acne Scar Treatment And Removal
Acne is something which all of us have experienced at some point in life. This is a perfectly natural but embarrassing outcome of hormone surges which occurs during adolescence. There are others of course who suffer from extreme lapses of acne. What ever the situation acne can be mild or severe which leave life long scars.
While there are various ways in which acne can be treated, most treatments aim at turning the skin back to the ‘normal' appearance as much as possible, because acne scars, like any other scarring can never be completely or permanently be removed.
The treatment options are usually approached taking into account several factors. For instance factors like type and extent of spread of the acne, an evaluation of how the acne is affecting a person's normal life and assessing the person's budget for treating the acne. So before taking a final decision on the treatment methods, it is better to discuss the various options available with a dermatologist.
Causes of Acne Scars
Like every other scarring ailment, acne scars also occur mainly due to tissue damage. In the event of tissue damage, the body's natural reaction is to start the repairing process and also protecting the surface against infection. In this process, the body sends out a substance called collagen to the damaged area, but sometimes the body produces collagen in excess. This excess collage then forms a fibrous mass which ultimately ends up as a smooth but firm acne scar which is irregular in shape. One of the other more common reasons for the development of acne scar is when tissue is lost. In this category, there are different types of scarring including 'ice-pick' scar, depressed scars, soft scars, atrophic macules and others.
Acne Scar Treatment Options
Of the many treatment options available injecting collagen in the scar area is one where the process has to be repeated once in every 3 to 6 months. The injected collagen puffs up the damaged area when the scars start to look less noticeable.
The other process uses the person's own body fat. Called the autologus fat transfer, this process involves taking some fat from any body part and injecting it into the scar basically to fill it out. Though less frequently, this process also needs repetition since the fat begins to get absorbed into the skin.
The other common acne scar treatment method is called dermabrasion. This process involves removing a think layer of surface skin with the help of a fraise or a brush, run on high speed. While shallow scarring can be removed by displacing the surface layer of the skin, it can also lessen the depth in case of scars which are deeper. Crystals of aluminum which pass through a vacuum are used in a process of micro-dermabrasion, yet another method for treating acne scars.
Treating acne scars can also be done using lasers. The entire aim of this treatment is to change the shape of the scar. This is possible when lasers of various intensity and wavelength are pointed towards the scar. Permanent removal is possible suing this method, though success would largely depend on the depth of the scar. This also involves multiple interventions.
Skin grafting and skin surgery are two other extreme measures which are also deployed to remove acne scars. These methods are reserved for extremely deep scars which require special treatments.
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