Acne breakouts are a very common skin condition that affects up to 80% of adolescents and 5% of adults.
Those who are unfortunate enough to suffer from this condition may also be unfortunate enough to be left with awful scarring as a result.
If scarring isn't treated soon enough they can become permanent and can really do damage to a person's self confidence.
There are different types of acne scars that are classified by shape, size and appearance.
The different types known as Icepick, Boxcar and Rolling.
If you start treatment early enough then the scarring can respond really well to medications.
However if the scars are older and more permanent they may require surgical treatment.
A combination of treatments involving topical skincare medication along with either surgical or skin resurfacing treatments, can be very effective.
There are a number of surgical options that can be used to treat acne scarring and they all have their positive aspects and negative aspects.
A doctor will treat a patient based on their age, sex, medical history, their skin type and most importantly the severity of the scarring.
Cost is also an issue as some of the procedures can be quite expensive.
One option is to use dermal fillers.
With this treatment a surgeon will inject fillers like collagen or hyaluronic acid derivatives into the skin.
As a result the base of the scar is raised to the same level as the normal skin, reducing the appearance of scarring.
Another treatment option is the 'punch excision' treatment that is usually used in icepick and boxcar scarring.
This treatment requires making incisions in the skin using a punch biopsy instrument and then the edges are stitched together.
The aim is for the new scar to heal nicely and leave a less noticeable scar than the one that was there.
Another variation of this treatment is punch excision with skin graft replacement which uses a skin graft to mend the incision instead of suturing the edges together.
The next treatment option we are going to discuss is punch elevation and this is usually used on boxcar type scars that have well defined edges and regular bases.
With this treatment the bottom of the scar is excised and then elevated to the top of the skin level.
Sutures or glue are then used to join the sides together.
Subcutaneous incision is another treatment that is used for rolling scars and with this treatment a beveled needle is inserted beneath the skin and then used to cut the binding tissue within the scar.
There is some bruising after this procedure which will fade in around one week.
Laser resurfacing is a popular treatment and this involves burning off the top layer of skin cells so that they new, clear skin underneath is then visible.
Prevention is always better than cure.
Very simple precautions that include staying away from strong sunshine, using medications such as tretinoin and alpha hydroxyl acids, avoiding picking scabs, regular working out and dietary control go a long way in avoiding acne scars and saving lots of humiliation and expenses.
Those who are unfortunate enough to suffer from this condition may also be unfortunate enough to be left with awful scarring as a result.
If scarring isn't treated soon enough they can become permanent and can really do damage to a person's self confidence.
There are different types of acne scars that are classified by shape, size and appearance.
The different types known as Icepick, Boxcar and Rolling.
If you start treatment early enough then the scarring can respond really well to medications.
However if the scars are older and more permanent they may require surgical treatment.
A combination of treatments involving topical skincare medication along with either surgical or skin resurfacing treatments, can be very effective.
There are a number of surgical options that can be used to treat acne scarring and they all have their positive aspects and negative aspects.
A doctor will treat a patient based on their age, sex, medical history, their skin type and most importantly the severity of the scarring.
Cost is also an issue as some of the procedures can be quite expensive.
One option is to use dermal fillers.
With this treatment a surgeon will inject fillers like collagen or hyaluronic acid derivatives into the skin.
As a result the base of the scar is raised to the same level as the normal skin, reducing the appearance of scarring.
Another treatment option is the 'punch excision' treatment that is usually used in icepick and boxcar scarring.
This treatment requires making incisions in the skin using a punch biopsy instrument and then the edges are stitched together.
The aim is for the new scar to heal nicely and leave a less noticeable scar than the one that was there.
Another variation of this treatment is punch excision with skin graft replacement which uses a skin graft to mend the incision instead of suturing the edges together.
The next treatment option we are going to discuss is punch elevation and this is usually used on boxcar type scars that have well defined edges and regular bases.
With this treatment the bottom of the scar is excised and then elevated to the top of the skin level.
Sutures or glue are then used to join the sides together.
Subcutaneous incision is another treatment that is used for rolling scars and with this treatment a beveled needle is inserted beneath the skin and then used to cut the binding tissue within the scar.
There is some bruising after this procedure which will fade in around one week.
Laser resurfacing is a popular treatment and this involves burning off the top layer of skin cells so that they new, clear skin underneath is then visible.
Prevention is always better than cure.
Very simple precautions that include staying away from strong sunshine, using medications such as tretinoin and alpha hydroxyl acids, avoiding picking scabs, regular working out and dietary control go a long way in avoiding acne scars and saving lots of humiliation and expenses.
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