Reduce Acne Scarring

Anyone who has ever suffered from acne knows how embarrassing and horrible it can be to deal with. Acne sufferers try many different ways to treat their acne, and many ways can help. However, even when acne is cleared up people can be left with ugly scars that can be just as embarrassing as the acne.

Acne is common in people of all ages, ethnicities, and genders. Acne is not about dirt or being dirty, but rather it is an infection in the skin. People with active acne have substantial swelling, infection, and red bumps on the infected area. The first thing to do to get rid of acne is to see a dermatologist and get the right treatment for you. Early treatment of acne can help prevent scarring.

People who suffer from acne sometimes feel as though acne scarring cannot be prevented or helped until after the acne is under control and cleared up. This is a misconception. Though acne scarring is quite common in most cases, there are ways to help prevent and reduce scarring. A few little things that can help reduce scarring before the acne is cleared up is to make sure not to pick or pop any of the acne marks on the body or face. This only irritates the acne. Anything that can irritate the skin can make scarring worse. Try avoiding harsh scrubbing of the skin in the infected areas. Though you may feel like your infected area is just dirty, the hard scrubbing can make scarring much worse.

Instead, be gentle when you clean these areas, and use a soft cloth. It is also important not to over wash the areas, because this can cause drying of the skin and irritation. If your acne is on your face, it is also important to keep your hair washed and clean. If your hair is dirty or oily, it can add to the oil on the face and irritate the acne. To make sure that your hair is not affecting your acne, make sure to keep it pulled away from your face.

Once your acne is under control and cleared up, this is the time that scarring will come into sight. Scarring normally can be discolored lesions or crater looking indents in the area that was infected. The discoloration will lighted up over time and start looking more like your normal skin.

Depending on the degree of scarring, there are ways of helping reduce the scarring after the acne is cleared. There are skin products on the market that can help clear up relatively small amounts of scarring. Make sure to choose a skin product with anti-free radical properties when choosing one to help with the scars. If your scarring is more severe or you want a faster fix, there are other options as well.

Chemical peels can be used to help reduce acne scarring. A chemical peel removes the outer layer of skin by applying different chemicals to the scarred areas. The use of chemical peels is not right for everyone and is dependent on the severity of scarring and the skin type of each individual. People with extremely sensitive skin or very severe scarring may not want to try the chemical peel.

Laser resurfacing is another way to help reduce the scarring produced by acne. During this procedure, the top several layers of skin are removed by using high-energy light. This us used for more sever scarring. It helps give the kin a smoother, more pleasing contour. People who did not feel that a chemical peel was right for them may try this method and see that it works quite well.

Another way to help reduce acne scarring is by punch or grafting. During this process, the doctor uses a surgical instrument called a punch to close the scars with tiny skin grafts. People choose this method for severe deep scarring that a chemical peel and laser resurfacing may not be able to improve.

Collagen implantation can help reduce acne scarring as well. This procedure is normally used for people who have a few soft depressed scars. Collagen is a natural protein that is injected under the skin below the lesion. By doing this, the collagen elevates the skin of the scar to the level of the skin around it. This is a pretty simple procedure that can be used for less severe scarring.

Suffering from acne is common for many people, and it is important to get it under control. Acne scarring can occur and may be just as embarrassing as the acne was, but there are ways to help prevent and reduce scarring from acne.