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Acne is a skin condition which is common across the globe. In America alone, it is affecting 40 to 50 million people. The victims of acne are generally younger in age - in the range of 11 to 30 years. This is not a rule though. You maybe affected by acne even if you are in your 30's or even 40's. Acne occurs most often on the face. However it also appears many a times on the chest and the back. While treating acne in itself is a pain, the real pain comes after you get rid of acne - Acne leaves behind superficial to deep ugly scars depending upon the case and the skin treatment. Some cases may respond positively to acne treatment and the acne may get healed without leaving behind any scars. But in majority of people,acne leaves behind acne scars after treatment. It may not be as simple and easy to predict whether your acne will leave behind a scar or not. And if does, then whether it will be superficial or deep. If your acne is severe, inflamed and cystic, it will mostly leave behind acne scars after healing. In some cases even superficially inflamed acne results in acne scars. We shall look at various types of acne scar and acne scar treatment and take you in detail through the most suitable type of acne scar treatment techique for you.

Irrespective of Whether your acne scar is superficial or very deep, the physical and cosmetic result may be quite undesirable or disturbing. Acne scar may lead to you looking several years older. Acne scar problems worsen with age as the skin becomes loose and continues loosing its elasticity

A number of acne scar treatments are available to remove, reduce or improve acne scar. The type and depth of scars influences the choice of treatment to a large degree. Here are some basic facts about acne scars and scar treatment:

Types of Acne Scar
Acne scars result from two types of tissue response to the inflammation of acne: (1) increased tissue formation, and (2) loss of tissue. Both may leave behind acne scar.

Increased Tissue Formation
Scars caused by increased tissue formation are caused by a build up of collagen in the skin. These are called hypertrophic and keloid scars.

Keloids tend to "run in the family"—that is, there is a genetic predisposition to form keloids after tissue injury. African-Americans often have a predisposition to keloid formation. Some families also tend to form hypertrophic or thickened scars.

Acne Scar Resulting from Loss of Tissue
Acne scars resulting from loss of tissue are more common than scars resulting from increased tissue formation. There are several types:

Ice-pick acne scar
They get their name from their appearance. They may be superficial or deep, are usually small in diameter and have steep sides like an ice-pick wound. They may be hard or soft to the touch; the soft scars are usually more superficial and the hard scars deeper. The base of hard scars under the skin may be wider than the scar at the surface of the skin.

Depressed fibrotic acne scar are usually large scars that have sharp margins and steep sides. They are similar in appearance to deep chicken pox scars.

Superficial and deep soft acne scar are variable in size, and have sloping edges that merge with normal skin.

Atrophic macules are soft, flat scars that often have a bluish or violet color on white skin due to underlying blood vessels. Macules tend to fade over time and become less obvious.

Acne Scar treatment
A person may seek (1) Acne scar treatment as a procedure to remove or improve the acne scars, or (2) Acne scar treatment  in conjunction with an overall program of skin rejuvenation.

It is essential for the patient to discuss the desired outcome of the procedure for acne scar treatment with the dermatologist or dermatologic surgeon. Selection of a skin rejuvenation procedure / acne scar treatment procedure may be guided, in part, by the result the patient wishes to have accomplished:

• Chemical peel method

• Dermabrasion method

• Laser or resurfacing of acne scars

• Soft-tissue augmentation method

• Intralesional steroid injection (keloids)

• Acne scar treatment using excisional surgery in selected cases

Chemical peels treatment
They can improve small, depressed scars and some larger scars. Peeling may also be effective in treating any remaining acne by removing comedones (blackheads and whiteheads). Ice-pick scars and deep fibrotic scars are not treated effectively by chemical peels as compared to laser acne scar treatment. Keloids are usually not treated by chemical peels. Repeated and/or deep peels may be necessary for complete acne scar treatment

Dermabrasion
It was originally developed as a procedure for acne scar treatment, and is still a procedure commonly used for that purpose. It can reach deeper layers of skin than a chemical peel and is a possible choice for treating both deeper and hypertrophic scars. In the past, dermabrasion was not considered effective in treating ice-pick scars because removal of the top layer of skin sometimes opened up a wider, fibrotic scar in deeper layers. Today a combination of dermabrasion and "punch" excision of scar tissue make many ice-pick scars treatable by dermabrasion. Next we shall look at laser acne scar  treatment.

Laser acne scar treatment
laser acne scar treatment is a newer technology but one that can be very effective in selected patients. The various energy and tissue-penetrating power of different lasers may be used to treat complex acne scars. For example, the deep tissue penetration of a YAG laser may be used to "sculpt" irregular acne scarring and the infrared beam of the carbon dioxide laser may be used to tighten collagen fibers in the skin and elevate depressed acne scars. laser acne scar  treatment has shown quite good results in several cases. As laser acne scar  treatment is upcoming way of acne scar treatment, it is slowing getting acceptability worldwide. Click here to learn more about laser acne scar treatment

Soft-tissue augmentation
It can correct some atrophic (loss of tissue) scars. Injections of subcutaneous fat or collagen under the scars elevates them to bring the surface of the acne scars even with the surface of surrounding skin. The procedure may have to be repeated from time to time unlike laser acne scar treatment which is generally non repetitive.

Injection of steroids directly into keloid scars can sometimes result in acne scar treatment / improvement. An intralesional injection can be combined with surgery to reduce the size of acne scars in carefully selected patients. Keloid surgery should be performed only by a dermatologic surgeon.

Acne scars are an unwanted reminder of a condition that can cause embarrassment and social isolation. Acne scars can also contribute to an appearance of premature aging. The good news is that acne scars treatment has become quite common and acne scars can usually be treated by a dermatologist or dermatologic surgeon, and do not have to be endured.

This site focuses mainly on acne scar treatment. We also have some information on how acne scar treatment has worked for people and failed for others. We also have some feedback of people how have undergone acne scar laser treatment and their comments on it. This site also provides articles on the same from some credible sources like excerpts from Doctors of American Academy of Dermatology. Feel free to go through all our articles, information and suggestions as provided in the site.

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