Acne Scars

Acne is the skin condition that everyone loves to hate. Of course the best treatment is preventing its occurrence in the first place. Unfortunately for millions of people this just isn't possible. Acne has a nasty habit a popping up in the worst possible places at the worst possible time. It does go away but for some sufferers it leaves behind an unsightly reminder; an acne scar.

Much like any other trauma that occurs to the skin, acne can leave a scar. This doesn't mean that it always does and some people are more prone to scarring then others. What normally happens after an acne blemish clears a dark spot known as post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation will appear on the skin. This is the body's reaction when it starts repairing the spot where the pimple was located. This dark pigmentation will usually fade away after a couple of years.

There are two basic types of acne scars; raised and depressed.

A raised scar is much less common and is a symptom of those who develop keloids at the skin trauma sites. A keloid is an overgrowth of the tissue at the site of the injury. Unfortunately keloids are hard to get rid of and surgery to remove a keloid will often result in a much larger specimen re-growing at the site.

A depressed scar forms much the same way a scar for a scrap or a cut forms. When a pimple is born it forms inside a pore or hair follicle under the skin. When it is popped or disappears on its own some tissue and collagen loss occurs leaving a small depression. A new skin tissue grows over the acne site the depression remains leaving a small blemish in the skin.

There are ways to prevent scars from occurring and also remove them when they do happen. The first place we will look at is prevention. After all never having a scar is much easier to deal with then having a scar.

Make sure you have adequate Zinc in your diet. Zinc is important because it is essential in the tissue healing process. The faster the skin heals the less chance you will have of obtaining a scar. This can help lessen or prevent any pitting or scarring caused by acne outbreaks. Zinc is also known to help strengthen the immune system against a variety of viruses and pathogens, keeping the body healthy and whole.

When it comes to actually removing acne scars there are a variety of treatments. The treatment method may also depend upon the type of scar that is encountered. These are the types of depression scars; ice pick, rolling, and boxcar scars. Depending on which type of scar or scars you have will determine which treatment a dermatologist will recommend. These treatments can range from Dermabrasion to laser surgery.

No matter what type of scarring you have there are treatment options available. It is best to consult with a dermatologist to determine the best course of action when it comes to ridding yourself of unsightly acne scars.