Few skin conditions torpedo self-esteem the wayacnedoes.
Treating acne is maddening.
What The Heck Are Acne Scars, Anyway?
Depending on the amount of collagen the damaged cells produce, she explained, patients are left with eitheratrophicorhypertrophicscars.
Any dimpled, dented texture you notice after a breakout heals is because of atrophic scarring.
When acne-damaged skin cells overproduce collagen, they leave hypertrophic scars, which are raised and often shiny.
However, whether or not you get hypertrophic scars mostly comes down to genetics.
If your family members tend to develop raised, bumpy scars, you probably will, too.
Generally, only very severe acne leaves scars.
Age and family history influence their development to some extent, but according to board-certified dermatologistDr.
Diane Madfes, the biggest scarring predictors are the acnes depth and duration.
If youre not sure what youre dealing with, gently run your fingers over the spots in question.
If My Dark Spots Arent Acne Scars, What Are They?
Not all breakouts leave scars.
This process is what causes some zits to leave dark or red spots when they heal.
The color of a post-acne mark depends on which cells were damaged.
Dark spots are resulting from damagedmelanocytes, which produce melanin, the pigment that gives our skin its color.
These spots are usually brown, but can be purplish or bluish depending on your skin tone.
This jot down of discoloration is calledhyperpigmentation.
Some breakouts leave red spots when they heal, which is a sign of damaged or irritated surface-level capillaries.
PIE temporarily disappears when pressed because doing so cuts off blood flow to the affected capillaries.
What Can I Do To Prevent Scarring And Pigmentation?
Anything you might do to encourage proper healing, on the other hand, is good.
How Do I Get Rid of Them?
Mild PIH and PIEwith no accompanying active acnewill resolve with on their own within a year.
If thats too long to wait,sunscreenis the surest way to speed up the fading process.
(I use and loveMelazepam, which is a 20% azelaic acid cream.)
Whichever treatment you choose, be patient: topical medications take at least three months to show results.
Moderate to severe acne benefits from professional intervention, and the earlier, the better.
(This also applies to dermatologists, by the way.)
When you request an appointment, specifically ask to see an acne specialist.
If theres a long wait, put your name on the cancellation list and check in every few weeks.
For patients with active acne and pigmentation to address, estheticians favor chemical peels.
If Acne Scars Are Permanent, What Can I Do About the Ones I Have?
There are effective ways to treat acne scars, but they dont come cheap.
This is why laser resurfacing is performed only by specially trained, licensed professionalsand why its often expensive.
Depending on the case, her patients see results after two to four sessions.
Theres someone out there who can help youdont give up until you find them.
