Prevent and heal acne scars

Acne scars are easily recognized by the red skin of an area formerly occupied by a pimple. The initial form, while not actually a scar, will lead to one in some cases. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure that it is a scar is if the red skin persists for longer than 6-12 months. It is often better, therefor, to treat all acne lesions as potential scars.

Acne scars are caused by an overabundance of the connective tissues your body uses to heal itself. These tissues work to provide a temporary framework for your skin cells to regrow on. But if there is too much of this connective tissue, it is not broken down when the healing is complete, but rather stays permanently. This causes a discolored or unpigmented section of skin to form.

Since the root cause of acne scarring is acne, preventing acne in the first place is the best way to avoid scars. But even if you already have acne, it is still possible to prevent acne scars from forming. The way this is done is by speeding the healing process as much as possible. The faster your acne lesion heals, the less time the connective tissue framework has to overgrow and leave scars.

There are 2 main treatments dermatologists use to facilitate the rapid healing of acne lesions. The first is Tretinoin, an acid derivative of Vitamin A, also known as all-trans retinoic acid. This chemical speeds the skin's healing, reducing inflammation and preventing acne scars from forming. The second method involves the use of various Alpha- and Beta-Hydroxy acids, which perform much the same function as Tretoinin, speeding healing and reducing the chance of scarring.

Even if you don't or can't see a dermatologist, there are several different things you can do yourself that can help prevent acne scars from forming. The biggest thing is to treat your skin well. Avoid over-exposure to the sun, as sunburns can dramatically slow the healing process. Always wear sunscreen when going out in the sun. Don't pop your pimples, and if there are scabs from lesions, do not pick at them. Picking at any wound as it heals causes more damage, extending healing times and increasing the likelihood of scar tissue forming.

Removing Existing Acne Scars
Even with the best of care, scarring still sometimes occurs. But even if a scar does form, there are several options available that can reduce or eliminate your visible scarring.

Dermal Fillers
Fillers such as collagen can be injected into the site of an acne scar, raising the skin surface to reduce the appearance of pockmarks. These are not permanent treatments, however, and will require re-injection every 3-6 months.

Laser Resurfacing
An extremely popular and fast treatment for acne scars, laser resurfacing works by burning a precisely measured upper layer of skin. New skin then grows over the wound, leaving mostly unscarred skin visible. But as with the initial acne healing process, care must be taken to insure that this new skin does not scar as well.

Punch Excision
This procedure is only effective on certain types of scars. A surgical punch is made to precisely the dimensions of the scar to be removed. The scar is then punched out, similar to a cookie cutter, and the wound sewn together. If there is any scarring left after the wound heals, it can be more easily treated with laser resurfacing than the original larger scar.

Skin acne treatment with herbal products

Acne is a condition that plagues both old and young alike. There was a previously held belief that acne is only for teens but this myth has been dispelled by acne itself because it affects even people in their forties and beyond. A fool proof product to treat acne will be of interest to many including me because I am also affected and infected by acne. Acne treatment products are those creams, gels, pills and other preparations used for the treatment of acne and all pimple variants. Acne treatment products are employed in the cure of spots, pimples, zits and other variants like blackheads, whiteheads and rosacea.

These zits cure products could be home-based preparations [natural acne treatments], plants, roots and herbs [herbal acne treatment] or pharmaceutically prepared products used to treat pimples. Most of the common medications that cure zits in the market today are either herbal based or made from synthetic materials and hydrocarbons. These medications can either be single therapy treatment products or combination therapy pimples medication. Single therapy medications are those products that offer just one type of cure like pills or creams or injections.

On the other hand, combination therapy acne treatment products are those zits medications that offer multi-pronged approach to pimples cure. The composition of such combination products include pills, injections, creams, facial masks, gels, etc. as one single treatment. Several examples of combination therapy acne treatment products abound. Combination therapy medications that are used to treat skin spots are good. Single therapy pimples medications are equally good. Choose what works for you. The bottom line is that whichever acne treatment product you choose cures your acne without causing you unpleasant side effects and leaving acne scars behind.

Another point to consider when deciding on products that cure acne could be whether the product is herbal-based or made from artificial materials and hydrocarbons. While no type is bad, most [if not all] herbal-based medications that are used to treat pimples do not give you unpleasant side effects because they are organic in nature. However, you must read the labels to know the herbal combinations of these formula to avoid ingesting or topically applying herbs you are allergic to. Artificial-based or synthetic products that cure acne also do the job.

However, where clinical trials were not fully carried out prior to release of the product or where such trials were inconclusive, you may be faced with unpleasant side effects that may be worse than zits. In other cases, such herbal products that cure spots may be labeled supplements to avoid scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration. In all cases, pregnant women must consult with their doctor before using any drugs and supplements including pimples medications unless such drugs and supplements are clearly labeled suitable for pregnant women and nursing mothers. You will not lose anything but anxiety if you still take such correctly labeled products to your doctor.

Acne therapy evolves and improves

Acne treatment continues to evolve, which is good news for the tens of millions of teenagers and adults who experience mild-to-severe versions of this medical disease. More choices and newer formulations of existing compounds give everyone an opportunity to successfully treat this skin disease which has the ability to scar physically and emotionally. According to many adults who experienced moderate-to-severe acne as teens, the fear of it reemerging is always present; any new pimple a reason for concern.

Although there haven't been many new chemical compounds developed for acne treatment that have been approved for use recently, improvements in formulations have enhanced efficacy and improved skin tolerability. There is a new microsphere cream formulation with benzoyl peroxide, which is available in a tube, or as a novel single-dose applicator, that has demonstrated efficacy and an excellent tolerability profile. There is also a solubilized and micronized 5% formulation of benzoyl peroxide that's available as part of a three-step acne treatment system or as a gel that has been shown to be effective in reducing inflammatory acne lesions and more effective in reducing non-inflammatory acne lesions. Some patients do experience some stinging in the first week of use that is usually mild and dissipates with continued use.

Another new gel formulation consists of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and 1% clindamycin formulated in a novel vehicle. Efficacy with once daily application appears to be comparable to that achieved with twice daily use of the jar/pump gel formulation of benzoyl peroxide 5%--clindamycin 1%, although head-to-head studies have not been performed. The tolerability profile with the benzoyl peroxide 2.5%--clindamycin 1% gel appears to be highly favorable.

More news includes the use of an ingredient called dapsone, which, although not new, is now available as a topical 5% gel. Topical dapsone 5% gel is available in a formulation designed to solubilize the active ingredient and optimize its ability to penetrate the skin without significant absorption in the body, if used continuously over time. As a result, blood testing is not mandatory, according to the FDA-approved product labeling, as no systemic safety signals have emerged with use in over 1,500 patients treated with topical dapsone.

Several studies have demonstrated that in patients with acne vulgaris of all severities, that concomitant use, from the outset, of the tube gel formulation of benzoyl peroxide 5%--clindamycin 1% gel in the morning, and a quality topical retinoid at night, produces the quickest and greatest reduction in both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions compared to the topical retinoid alone, or as compared to staggering the therapies. Such studies have been completed with several topical retinoids including tazarotene 0.1% cream, adapalene 0.1% gel, and tretinoin microsphere 0.04% gel.

Laser treatment for cne

Whether you are a adolescent with moderate or extreme acne, or an adult who thought all your acne woes were left behind with your teens, you have probably kept worrying about your skin condition. You may have tried out several topical and oral medications and are now concerned that you will never be able to have flawless skin again. Ideally acne is caused when pores prevent oil or sebum from escaping. This usually causes hair follicles to swell as the bacteria in them are clogged. This leads to you having pimples.

Usually acne leads to scars and red patches all over your face and you will always feel the need to cover it up with make-up. Most of the time various chemical treatments only cause your skin condition to get worse as skin irritation results in even more inflammation. In laser treatment for acne, a laser pen kills the bacteria that causes the acne in your skin and helps to repair scars.

If you are thinking of laser treatment for acne you should first seeyour dermatologist who would decide on whether it is the best form of treatment given your skin condition. Usually your dermatologist would prescribetopical or oral medication to see if your acne would go away, especially if your condition is mild. If your condition is more serious, you would be advised about the best form of treatment for you. A major fear among many who intend to follow laser treatment for acne is regarding the level of pain. The pain generally does not last more than a few days. Your dermatologist will be able to give you more information about the operation and how things would work out and may prescribe medication to help you get through the pain.

Regarding laser procedures for acne, you should know that it does not come at a low cost. Remember to find out more about different options available to you with regard to price, before you decide. You should also remember that some health insurance plans do not cover laser treatment for acne, but rest assured that this procedure is guaranteed to give you visible results. Side effects of laser treatment for acne could include tenderness of the skin and irritation for a few days. Apart from this, it is known to be a healthy process. Laser treatment for acne may not give you excellent results the first time you undergo it. Some people may have to go through several sittings before they see actual results. It may vary according to the persons acne condition.

Treat unsightly acne scars

As if the unsightly appearance of acne pimples is not enough for all too many people once the pimples disappear they are left with frequently equally unsightly scarring. The first thing to realize is that some conditions which look very much like scars are not in fact scars at all but are macules and other bumps which can occur following acne treatment. The redness which often accompanies macules and other bumps can last for up to a year but this is not permanent and these are not true scars.

True scars are produced by the healing process itself (often resulting from the creation of fibrous tissue) and represent a permanent change to your skin tissue. Permanent scarring often results from the action of your white blood cells as they attack the bacteria which causes acne and this 'battle' can produce permanent changes to the underlying cells of your skin.

Such damage is not however just limited to the cells below the skin surface and you can be left with such things as so-called icepick scars which are small pinholes formed in the surface of the skin. They are called icepick scars because they look as if the skin has been attacked with an icepick and they are often quite deep and thus unresponsive to such things as dermabrasion and laser resurfacing treatment.

Another common form of acne scarring are boxcar scars, which are similar to icepick scars but tend to be flatter on the bottom instead of narrowing to a point as icepick scars do. Boxcar scars are shallower than icepick scars and can be treatment using skin resurfacing techniques. Finally, keloid scars, which tend to extend beyond the site of the original pimple injury, result from an excess production of collagen and are usually seen as a firm shiny pink or red scar.

In all cases the best way to avoid acne scars is to prevent then from developing in the first place but, where this has not proved to be effective, then there are several standard treatments including dermabrasion. Dermabrasion is a form of treatment used to treat a wide range of different skin conditions, including mild (and sometimes moderate} acne scarring. After the application of a local anesthetic, a high speed brush is used to remove layers of skin. In many cases, once the skin heals naturally, acne scar disappear altogether and, where this is not the case, they are usually very much less evident.

A commonly alternative to dermabrasion today is microdermabrasion in which, instead of using a high speed brush, aluminum oxide crystals are moved rapidly across the surface of the skin using a form of vacuum hose. This is a little bit like a form of medical 'sand blasting' and is less invasive than dermabrasion and causes less trauma to the skin. Microdermabrasion can be effective in cases of very mild acne scarring but generally does not produce as good results as are seen with dermabrasion.

Laser Treatments. For some people laser treatment (often using CO2 lasers) is particularly effective and mild scarring can sometimes be removed with just a single treatment. When in the hands of a trained professional a laser can be used to remove scar tissue, or to alter the size of scars and change the contour of the skin to make scars very much less visible. This is however a fairly harsh treatment which effectively works by burning the surface of the skin and so it can produce redness which will persist for several weeks.

Surgery. Surgery, using a technique known as 'punching' is often used to remove some icepick scars. An icepick scar is cut out down to the subcutaneous fat layer and the resulting hole is then repaired either using sutures or a small skin graft. Scars can also be repaired using subcisions which involve lifting the scar tissue away from unscarred skin. This technique can be effective but at the moment results using this technique have been somewhat mixed.

Drug Treatment. Keloid scars do not respond well to any of the treatments described so far and indeed they will usually stimulate the formation of more keloids and make matters worse. In this case therefore it is common to either apply a topical retinoid cream or to inject steroid-type drugs directly into the skin around the site of the scar. Unfortunately, keloid scars are difficult to treat and results vary widely from one individual to the next.

Perhaps the most important advice which anybody can be given when it comes to treating acne scars is that you should start by getting a proper diagnosis from a professional dermatologist. Your dermatologist will not only be able to advise you about the treatments available for your particular type of scarring, but will also be able to advise you about both the benefits and risks of each type of treatment.