Acne Scarring

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There are many different types of acne scarring. The most common ones include:

• Depressed scars also known as pitted, atrophic or ice pick scars - these are caused when the body fails to make enough collagen while the body is repairing. The appearance of these scars are of narrow recessed holes in the skin. 
  

• Raised scars / hypertrophic scars / Keloid scars - these are the remains of excess collagen after the area has repaired. Raised scars are most common on the back and chest, and appear as think or lumpy uneven skin. 
  

• Dark spots or discoloured pigmented skin may occur when damaged skin remains too deep for the body to remove after acne scarring. This is also known as PIH (post inflammatory hypo-pigmentation). 

Acne scars are usually the result of inflamed blemishes caused by skin pores, dead skin cells and bacteria. The pores swell, causing a break in the follicle wall.

Shallow lesions are usually minor and heal quickly, but if there is a deep break in the wall of the pore, infected material can spread into surrounding pores, creating deeper lesions. The skin attempts to repair these by forming new collagen fibres.

If acne is not treated as soon as possible, or you scratch and pick the area, you're highly likely to have acne scarring in the tissue on the affected area. The good news is that acne scars can be effectively treated - book your consultation today.

Hormonal imbalance

Teenage acne is caused by an increased level of testosterone produced in puberty. The sebaceous gland is sensitive to hormones which cause the gland to produce more oil.

Family links

If your parents had acne, it's more likely you'll suffer too. Children whose parents have both experienced acne are more likely to experience acne at a younger age and into adulthood.

Women

80% of acne occurs in women, which is believed to be caused by the many changes of hormone levels i.e periods, pregnancy and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Other triggers

• Certain medications, steroids, lithium, anti-epileptic drugs 
• Stress
• Lack of right nutrition
• Pollutants

We recommend the following to help control acne problems

• Use a good skin care regime recommended by one of our experienced consultants
• Take clinical treatments to keep acne under control
• Mineral makeup is better for acne prone people
• Don't pick your spots or pop your pimples
• Try not to scratch the area spreading the acne bacteria
• Change your face towel and pillow case daily to improve bacteria control