Acne Scars

Sometimes, among fairer-skinned people, acne will leave flat or brown spots that don’t rise off the skins surface and don’t go deeply below the skin. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is probably the culprit and these marks are not really true scars. These “blemishes” have no long-term effect on the skin's collagen structure. Eventually, usually within months, these spots will fade, to the point that they will become virtually invisible. Any skin-lightening product, or a medication like Retin A, can speed up this process.

People with darker complexions tend to show the opposite response to the damage caused by acne. The skin may lighten excessively, in a condition called post-inflammatory hypopigmentation. When acne blemishes become inflamed, and if the sufferer picks or scratches the skin, the pigment cells in the epidermis, one of the uppermost layers of the skin, will be temporarily “banished” from the surface. Such damage will leave white marks that tend to stand out against the normal brown background color of the skin. Gentle skin care and avoiding even mild scratching can lessen the effects. Over an extended period of time, this lack of pigmentation should resolve with only mild, if any, residual effects.

Another type of skin injury that can result from acne is very troublesome the development of large unsightly scars called keloids. Some people produce excess collagen at the site of any minor skin trauma. While the cause is still unknown, this phenomenon has often been observed following even minor procedures like ear piercing or tattooing. African Americans and other darkly pigmented people are most likely to exhibit this response.

Keloids commonly form over the front of the chest. Minor chest acne can produce itchy, pink, fibrous growths which continue to grow. A number of treatments, from simple observation to cortisone injection directly into the scar, are practiced for this hyperactive wound healing response. Triamcinolone, a type of steroid, is often directly injected into the keloids. In some more recently developed treatments, silicone gel is applied to the scars. This method is believed to be most effective if keloid formation has just started. Some more severe cases may call for surgery or laser removal. Still in experimental stages is a new treatment involving injection with interferon.

Articles on Acne Scarring:

• Acne Scar Causes
• Remove Acne Scars