WHY DO ACNE SCARS APPEAR?

Scars are abnormal tissue developments at the site of tissue injury. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body's inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead skin cells that have clogged the skin pore and created a blemish. When the body senses an erupted pimple, white blood cells and other inflammatory molecules sprint to patch up the damaged tissue and fight against possible infection. One way to do this is to speed up the skin's production of collagen. Oftentimes, however, the skin produces too much collagen, which eventually piles up into a firm, fibrous, irregularly shaped overgrowth, called keloid or hypertrophic scar. Other times scars can occur because of a LOSS of tissue and collagen, called ice-pick scars. Not all breakouts result in scarring. Some people are more prone to scarring than others. The best way to decrease the likelihood of acne scarring is to treat acne early. Let the professionals handle the acne. Picking the blemish at home can damage the surrounding tissue. The newest options to treat acne scars are with chemical peels and laser resurfacing. Side effects such as peeling, redness and swelling may occur temporarily.