Botox Edmonton | How to Address Acne Scarring with Anti-aging Methods
You may have some lines, wrinkles and skin damage that have shown up over time. Let’s be honest we all do or will eventually. There are so many factors that change how the lines, wrinkles and damage show up on our face. No two of us are the same. Every experience we have changes the outcome of our skin but then there is genetics that also comes into play. Some skin and ethnicities are more prone to issues which can cause scarring. Acne and the scars it leaves behind are no exception.
If you do not have acne scarring then a lot of this information may be foreign to you. However, anyone who has suffered or is still suffering with acne will understand the marks left behind are not pleasant not to mention the physical pain associated with having this skin condition. People with mild acne may not even experience acne scarring but those with moderate to severe are likely to have some or a lot depending on the circumstances around it.
There are different types of scarring
This kind of acne leaves scars and can cover the entire face. It may be cystic or nodular in nature. It is an acne that is deep set in the skin and can become very painful as well as inflamed. The cysts or nodules grow so large they pull the collagen down in that layer of the skin. Keep in mind collagen helps heal the skin by making it grow and replace itself with new healthy skin. Once there, acne manipulates where the collagen is. This changes the healing effect it has on the skin.
If the collagen is pulled in all sorts of awkward directions it heals the skin in awkward, bumpy, and lumpy ways. It is often referred to as mountains and valleys making the surface of the skin an uneven texture. If the person with acne picks at the the acne that further exacerbates the uneven and awkward healing. It can also cause more inflammation. Essentially poking and picking at the acne causes the scarring to become worse.
Heal Acne Scarring with these Anti-aging Methods
The more the affected area is touched the more trauma there is added to it. This causes the collagen to have to work more to heal the traumatized area and collagen is already a slow healer. You must avoid picking at the area to avoid worsening the scars.
After looking at what acne is and learning about the scarring it leaves you are probably now wondering how you might avoid the scarring acne can cause. Truthfully, there is no way to avoid any scarring when it comes to experiencing acne, but you can minimize it and treat it. One thing you will want to do is avoid excessive exfoliation. This level of exfoliation can cause further inflammation which in turn causes scarring. The level of exfoliation referred to is when you exfoliate to the point where your skin is almost bleeding. This will most certainly cause unnecessary scarring.
Main Difference between types of scarring
Many people ask us what the difference between keloid and acne scarring is. What it comes down to with these two types of scarring, is the way the skin tries to heal itself. Cystic acne pulls at the skin and manipulates the collagen in an awkward way and then it heals in a bumpy awkward manner. This makes the surface of your skin uneven and looks like mountains and valleys once the skin heals itself.
Keloid scarring is caused from an overgrowth of collagen in an area. It layers itself upon itself. This makes raised bumps and usually occurs on the back, chest, arms, and legs as well as the neck along the hairline. This is very painful, and ethnicity is a huge factor in this kind of scarring.
Fix your Acne Scarring with Anti-aging Methods
Acne scarring looks like mountains and valleys and goes by the names of ice-pick, boxcar and can even be called linear. Acne scars occur from collagen being pulled around in the healing process and keloid scars are collagen being layered upon itself in an unnatural fashion.
This has already been touched on, but many people worry that if they have acne they will automatically have bad scarring. This is not necessarily true. The truth is if you have moderate to severe acne you will not be able to avoid it completely. There will be some scarring but if you have cystic acne do everything in your power to not pick at it or the scarring will be much worse.
There are no effective over the counter products that can be used to treat acne scars. What is sold to the public must be mild enough for anyone to use. For this reason, it is best to see a dermatologist like the ones at Edmonton Dermatology to treat your acne and acne scars. It is important to have acne treated early on so that scarring is reduced, avoid picking at it and get a prescription from the dermatologist to help with inflammation and sebum production. After those things are taken care of the dermatologist can then treat the acne scars.
Scarring will never fully disappear
When you come to see us at Edmonton Dermatology we can treat your acne scars in such a way that they are reduced by up to 50%. That is a huge improvement. We target the collagen in the skin which is found in the second layer of skin. The treatments are mildly uncomfortable as they cause heat and warmth in the skin. Laser treatment is effective in helping the skin to regrow and replace the scarred skin. The texture will improve and become less noticeable.
Multiple Treatments are necessary
At least four treatments are needed, and the treatment is 2 hours a session. We recommend booking them no more than 4-6 weeks apart for the best results. At the clinic we sit down with each person and decide on how to improve the acne scarring. No two people are treated the same. Once treated the scarring will not return. However, if you have a flare up of new acne you will need to address that like a brand-new case of acne.