Acne scars have always been the bane of the existence of teenagers, performers, actors, or almost anybody. With the face being the first thing a person fixes their eyes on, it is almost impossible not to shy away from any onlooker.
But what is it exactly that turns acne into acne craters, acne pockmarks and acne scars? And what can people do about them? Is there any truth that acne scars are permanent?
Before diving deep into the effects or the aftermath of having acne, let us acquaint ourselves with the causes of acne first. Acne is generally caused by four different reasons: most common is the extra oil that our face or body produces, clogged pores, bacteria, and inflammation. That is why people who are oily or those who tend to get exposed to pollution or dirt have acne problems, and from acne come acne scars, acne pockmarks, and acne craters.
Acne Scars:
Acne scars are sort of the battle mark that people get for having them. After such time of getting acne, it turns into acne scars because the damage the acne did affected or damaged the deeper layer of the skin, the dermis. The marks that are left behind from the acne are actually caused by collagen, which are fibrous protein that tries to repair the damaged area. However, the collagen can only go so far as to repair the damage done and not resemble how the skin looked before the acne.
For those who fear that it might be permanent, is there any way to get rid of acne scars or at least prevent them from ever happening? Since prevention is better than cure, acne prevention is much easier than actually solving the problem it leaves behind.
– Have acne treated immediately so as to avoid it from becoming too severe or inflamed, making it leave the mark
– Do not touch, handle, pop, or squeeze out the acne as it may actually make it worse and may make the healing period longer
– Use sun block; this is because the suns ultraviolet rays damage the skin making acne and acne scars worse
– Dermatologist prescribed topical cream may also help prevent acne scars
For those who already have acne scars, over-the-counter topical cream, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels prescribed or done by a dermatologist are recommended.
Acne Pockmarks and Acne Craters:
As for acne pockmarks, they occur when the acne is too severe, and when the inflammation has reached deeper layers of the skin. Unfortunately, pockmarks are permanent, but there are treatments that may help to make them less visible.
Treatment for acne pockmarks include non-invasive laser treatment, skin filling, ablative laser resurfacing, dermabrasion or microdermabrasion, and chemical peels which all must be done by a dermatologist so as to guarantee proper treatment.
As for acne craters, it is a depressed acne scar that got its name because the damage it does resembles that of a crater. Though some may be shallow or mild, some may go very deep the reason why people seek treatment.
Surprisingly, even with the permanent physical damage it does, there are some varying treatments. For shallow acne craters, simple over-the-counter treatments can do the trick, however for deeper ones, collagen treatments administered by a dermatologist to plump up the crater or reduce the spot are an option.