13th August 2021

Getting To Grips With Acne Scarring Treatment

No one likes acne, that’s a universally acknowledged fact. After all, who enjoys waking up in the morning only to find that another spot has taken up residence on their face? This can make the eventual disappearance of said spot cause for celebration, unless it leaves behind a scar, of course. 

Acne scarring is a common phenomenon that many people are plagued with and it does nothing more than make a challenging time even worse. However, scarring is much more complex than it might seem on the surface. There are a lot of factors that come into play when we’re talking about this particular concern. 

If you’ve ever wondered why your friend never gets a single scar after a spot or why some scars are flat and others bumpy, then fear not! All of your questions are about to be answered. If you’re relatively new to the acne scarring treatment world, you might want to check out this recent blog post that details some key terms and phrases that might help you in the future.

What’s The Deal With Acne Scarring Treatment

Acne scarring isn’t something that everyone who develops acne will experience, but there are several factors that are likely to give scars a helping hand once a spot has healed.

For example, if you have severe, inflammatory acne, such as cysts, you will be more at risk. This is because these types of spots penetrate more layers of skin than smaller spots and if they burst without acne scarring treatment, they can cause a lot of damage. That’s why it’s incredibly important to seek professional help if you’re suffering from severe acne.

You may have been told not to squeeze your spots in the past, and this really isn’t an old wives’ tale. When you squeeze your spots, you force the infection deeper into the layers of your skin and, in turn, the spot itself will become more inflamed, as will the skin surrounding it.

Another important factor to consider is your family history. If one of your parents has been particularly affected by acne scarring over the course of their lives, there’s a higher chance you will follow in their footsteps. Your genetics are responsible for more things than you might think when it comes to your skin. That being said, your genetics are unlikely to be the only contributing factor when it comes to whether or not you’re prone to acne scarring.

Why Exactly Do Different Types Of Acne Scars Form?

There are two fundamental reasons as to why acne scars form. When your skin is in the process of healing itself – one of two things can happen. Your skin might produce too much or too little tissue. If it produces too much, you will end up with a raised, or hypertrophic scar. These are often the result of deep cysts that have taken a long time to heal. A keloid scar is a more severe type of hypertrophic scar. These scars are often bigger than the wound itself and can even continue to grow after the skin has healed. They are more common in those under the age of thirty, those who have darker skin tones and much like acne, your predisposition to them might run in the family. They also may not occur as a result of acne. For some people, they can develop following a surgical incision or even a simple scratch.

On the other end of the spectrum are atrophic scars, which form when the body doesn’t produce enough tissue in response to a spot. Sometimes you just can’t win! You might be familiar with these scars if you had a bad case of chickenpox as a child. Atrophic scars fall into three categories: ice pick scars, boxcar scars and rolling scars.

Ice pick scars are small, narrow and often look like very deep pores, whereas boxcar scars have a larger surface area with defined borders. Rolling scars, on the other hand, do not have distinct edges but tend to be longer than ice pick scars and less wide than boxcar scars.

What’s The Difference Between Scarring and Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation?

If you have darker skin, you might have noticed that after you get a spot, you’re left with a dark mark. These marks are often confused with scarring but they’re not quite the same. If you develop a flat mark that is darker than the rest of your skin, it’s highly likely that you’re experiencing something called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) instead.

PIH is often confused with scarring but it is usually easier to treat. It forms as a result of excess melanin production in the aftermath of a wound. Any type of trauma to the skin can result in PIH, spots are just its most common cause. PIH can fade without intervention, however, it can also get worse.

Failing to wear sunscreen on a regular basis can make PIH even darker and more noticeable if left untreated. As you probably already know, you should be wearing sunscreen every single day – not just when you’re trying to get rid of PIH. There is no situation in which wearing sunscreen could possibly be a bad idea. If you want to find out more about the benefits of sunscreen, there’s no need to trawl through the blog archives – simply click here.

There are other things you can do to help PIH and scarring, such as using a mild chemical exfoliant toner or other products containing active ingredients to help boost skin cell turnover. Yet, there is only so much that can be done on your own and some scars will require professional help.

Getting Acne Scarring Treatment

Acne scarring shouldn’t be something that brings you down, but if you’re no stranger to it, you probably know that this isn’t the case.

Dr Firas Al-Niaimi has over twenty years of experience and knows how to treat every type of scar there is. Following a consultation, he will be able to formulate an acne scarring treatment plan to best suit your skin and boost your confidence. 

To find out more, get in touch with Dr Firas today by calling 0208 191 8871, emailing info@drfirasalniaimi.co.uk or visiting his website. You can also follow him on Facebook and Instagram.