A Natural Solution For Acne Scarring

Before addressing a treatment for acne scars, it's pertinent to point out that acne red marks that resemble scars are not actually scars because no permanent change has happened. In other words they are not real scarring and disappear in time, however, while they are visible they can cause embarrassment.

Flat, red or reddish spots that appear at the final stage of most inflamed acne lesions are called Macules or "pseudo-scars". After the inflammation of an acne lesion is gone, a macule may remain in the lesion's site for up to 24 more weeks. When a macule finally fades, no trace of it will remain, unlike a scar.

After the inflammation of an acne lesion has passed, skin pigmentation can become dark or discolorated. The lesion's color varies from light brown to black. Lesions may become darker if exposed to sunlight (UV rays). It happens more commonly in darker-skinned people, but is occasionally seen in people with fair skin. Early treatment with a natural skin care product attenuates the occurrence of post-inflammatory pigmentation and also vanishes older marks. If untreated, post-inflammatory pigmentation can even continue for up to 18 months, especially with excessive sunlight exposure.

Causes of Acne Scars

Acne scars occur after inflammation or improper healing of some spots. While for some people scarring seems to depend on hereditary factors or skin color, precautions can be taken to avoid scars along with treatments, which considerably reduce a scarred skin's appearance.

In the simplest terms, scars form at the site of injury and are the visible reminders of wound and tissue repair. In the case of acne, the lesion is originated by the body's inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria, and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. There are two types of true scars:

(1) Depressed areas such as pitted acne scarring or ice-pick scars, and

(2) Raised hardened tissue such as keloids.

When tissue suffers an injury, the body sends in its 'repair kit' to the wound site. The skin activitates all its defensive and repair systems, where elements such as white blood cells, inflammatory molecules, and regenerative elements have the mission of healing tissue and fighting infection. However, when their job is done they can leave a somewhat messy repair patch in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue. It's not always that way.

White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may stay at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. This can result in an acne scar in people who easily scar. More studies about the occurrence and incidence of scarring are needed. There is an important variation in scarring between one person and another, indicating that some people are more susceptible to scarring than others (ex. hereditary factors or skin color). Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodular cystic acne that happens deep in the skin.