Acne is the most common skin condition in the country, and it doesn’t only affect teenagers. Many adults find that after years of battling with acne, whether they had a severe case or not, their skin will be marked with the scars of a constant struggle in trying to keep their condition under control. At River Region Dermatology and Laser in Montgomery, AL, we see patients every day that are concerned about their acne scarring and are looking for a solution.
The main question on everyone’s mind that comes in is, is there a solution? Is there a way to help with acne scarring? And the answer is a resounding YES. Our dermatologists are ready to help you gain back your youthful glow and self-confidence with our state-of-the-art treatments for acne scars.
What Causes Acne Scarring?
While many people believe that scars are only formed when you pick at your acne or use your fingertips to force the skin to rupture, that is not always the case, though we highly urge you NOT to pick at or pop your cysts! More on that below. Acne by itself can be damaging to the skin because of the pressure and the healing process that occurs afterward.
The Beginning of Acne
The scars that are left behind by acne breakouts are the result of the damage that a cyst or pimple leaves on the healthy skin surrounding it. When dead skin cells mixed with sebum oil get lodged in the skin’s pores and clog it, the impacted pore becomes inflamed and swollen, which is the acne that you see on the surface. The healthy skin around it will rupture due to the pressure. Once the skin ruptures, the healing process begins.
The Scarring Process
It is during this healing process that acne scarring will take place, though by this point it is already too late to prevent it in the majority of cases, as the skin will go through its natural process of restoring the area where the cyst occurred. Many acne spots heal over without any problems, but the slightest complication in the healing process can leave a permanent mark on the skin.
If, for example, the body produces too much collagen to treat the area, you might end up with a raised scar on the skin’s surface. Or, if there was tissue damaged during the rupture, you might experience a loss where the cyst was, leaving a shallow dip in the skin with a depressed scar. Picking at scabs during the process or putting extra pressure by squeezing the cyst will only enhance these issues when the skin is in the healing process.
How Do You Treat Acne Scars?
The best solution for acne scarring is acne chemical peels, which can rejuvenate the skin and minimize the appearance of the scars left behind by your acne battle. Chemical peels are unique in that they are minimally invasive and require no downtime on your part, so you can easily incorporate the treatment into your list of errands during the day.
How Chemical Peels Work
Your dermatologist will examine your skin during your first consultation appointment and decide if a chemical peel is right for you, which chemicals would work best with your skin, and with what intensity the chemicals should be applied, as the treatment can be light, medium, or strong in intensity depending on your needs. One of the advantages of this type of treatment is that it can be tailored to your particular skin in order to see maximum results.
A chemical peel helps to remove the dead skin and oils that build upon the skin’s surface as we age, lifting the top few layers of skin away to reveal a fresher, more youthful skin layer underneath. In this way, the peel will also help with superficial scars left behind by acne, and will deeply exfoliate the skin to improve its texture and tone while also removing any debris in the pores to prevent future acne from forming.
What Can I Do to Prevent Future Scarring?
It can be a little frustrating for those that are already suffering from acne scarring to constantly hear ways that they should have prevented it to begin with, but more scarring can occur if you are still dealing with acne breakouts, even if they are lighter than they use to be.
Breaking Bad Habits
The most difficult and yet effective way to prevent more scarring will be to make a sincere effort to break the bad habits of the past that have led to the scars you see now. We are always so tempted to try to help our acne along and get the healing process started faster by popping our cysts and taking out all the debris that caused it in the first place.
However, this action can actually make the situation much worse! Putting pressure on the cyst from the surface can push the debris deeper into the skin, causing an infection in the underlying layers of tissue. The pressure from squeezing can also damage the healthy skin around the acne and the affected pore itself. The best course of action is to talk with your dermatologist about a treatment that will stop the acne from becoming inflamed, which is when the most damage occurs.
You don’t need to feel self-conscious or hide behind your acne or acne scars any longer, knowing that there is a solution for you that can be completely tailored to your skin’s needs. Call River Region Dermatology and Laser in Montgomery, AL today for your first consultation appointment.