Treatment Techniques For Acne Scars

Writen by Paul Heitman

Statistics say that approximately 80% of people suffer from acne between the age of 14 and 21. For most, it is a phase that, though temporary, causes pain and problems to a teenager. It may even cause unwanted changes to your face. This is just about the whole problem in a nutshell. It isn't the end of the world. However, this is just one kind of acne. The other type is far more painful and can even leave acne scars. Scars maybe caused by both mild and severe acne, but it is the latter that the chance of scarring gets multiplied.

Just like any scar, an acne scar is also the result of either tissue damage or tissue loss. Tissue damage scars take place when our body tries to mend wounded tissue or safeguard it from infections. It sends a special chemical called collagen to the affected region. However, the same chemical when produced in excess transforms into a fibrous mass that is coarse to the touch. In the case of tissue loss, which is another regular cause of acne scarring, the scars themselves may be of many types. For example, depressed scars, atrophic macules, "ice pick" scars, soft scars, etc.

Acne scars can be treated effectively by choosing from a wide array of treatment procedures. These techniques help to almost return the skin back to its normal look. Even then, restoring the skin to its former glory may not be always possible. The number of acne scar treatments is over-whelming. Selection of the treatment technique depends on the type of acne you have, acuteness of scarring and your budget. A dermatologist is the best judge of which technique to use for the acne scar treatment.

The most prevalent acne scar treatment is to inject collagen under the surface of the scarred area of skin. This causes the skin to puff up slightly and diminishes the appearance of the scar. Another common acne scar treatment is to extract fat from some other part of the body and inject it into the affected skin. This fills up the depression in the scarred area. This technique is known as "autologus fat transfer". The downside to this practice is that it needs to be repeated from time to time, as fat is absorbed into the body, thus rendering the treatment temporary.

Dermatologists may also suggest "dermabrasion" or laser techniques, both of which are highly effective. Other techniques like skin grafting and surgery are often resorted to in acute cases.

Hence, we have an overview of various acne scar treatment techniques.

Paul Heitman is the owner of http://www.facing-acne.com The website that contains information and resources on acne cures.