Will Clearing Up Acne Help Appearance of Scars?
- A scar occurs when tissue and skin cells in healing skin multiply, and fills the wound with denser layer of skin cells than in the rest of your skin. Scars vary in size and appearance, and can be caused by any number of things: acne, injury, or chemical burns, for example.
- Acne occurs when follicles in the skin become clogged. The oil travelling to the surface of the skin becomes trapped and causes bacteria to grow underneath the skin. Non-inflammatory acne, such as whiteheads and blackheads, must rupture and release the contained bacteria or else turn into inflammatory acne. Inflammatory acne, such as a postule (pimple or zit) or cyst, are more painful and noticeable, and, if treated incorrectly, is more likely to turn into a permanent scar.
- Outside of subjective opinion, there is no evidence to show that the appearance of scars and the appearance of acne interact with one another. Acne can cause scars, but since they are actually different conditions with different kinds of skin cells, reducing acne will not necessarily make scars look better. However, inflammatory acne could potentially make a scar more noticeable if it occurs on or near a facial scar, since inflamed skin could cause the scar to bump from the skin or turn a reddish/pinkish color.
- According to DERMAdoctor, 95 percent of acne patients become the victim of sort of scarring, so seeking treatment for acne--either through trial-and-error by trying different products from a pharmacy, or receiving expert advice from a dermatologist--is the best way to avoid getting acne scars. Some companies such as Nu Skin offer products such as Clear Action, which claims to help prevent acne and reduce the appearance of scars simultaneously. A dermatologist will recommend different solutions for different types of facial scars (such as collagen injections for pockmarks, and silicone sheeting for raised scars). Your dermatologist will most likely recommend two separate solutions to treat your acne and your scars.
