Coping With Acne: Your Care Plan
Guide to Treating Acne Scars and Skin
Damage
Body Builders do tend to get more acne than others and there's
many ways to prevent and deal with the various causes previously dicsussed on
this forum. However, its when they leave behind scars.
A familiar story
goes like this- The good news is that the pimples that took up residency on your
face, neck ,shoulders or chest for the last the week have finally gone.
But the bad news is that the breakoust left their mark in the form of a
visible scars.
“Even without picking, acne lesions, particularly cysts,
can lead to scarring because of the intense, collagen-damaging skin inflammation
with which they are associated,” says Tina Alster, MD, a clinical professor of
dermatology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Luckily, you don’t have to
grin and bear the telltale signs of a breakout forever. Read on for
dermatologists’ top strategies for healing acne scars and keeping new ones at
bay.
What Does an Acne Scar Look Like?
Acne scars develop in
areas where former cystic blemish lesions have been present. Acne scars come in
three varieties, says Hayes Gladstone, MD, a professor of dermatology at
Stanford University.
skin tones may also notice darkening (or hyperpigmentation) within the scars,
while people with lighter skin tones may show redness (or erythema) within the
scars, says Alster.
What Makes Acne
Worse?
Sun
Exposing scars to the sun can cause them to darken
and slow the healing process, says Alster. How? Ultraviolet rays stimulate
melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), leading to further discoloration. Your
safest bet: Before heading outdoors, slather on a broad-spectrum sunscreen with
an SPF of 15 or higher, with the physical blocker zinc oxide, and reapply every
two hours.
Picking and Squeezing
Scars, which are made mainly
of collagen (a protein
fiber normally found in the skin's second layer), are the body's way of
repairing itself. Acne scars are typically indented because of collagen loss
from intense inflammation, says Alster. Picking leads to further inflammation
and injury of the skin, which adds to the skin’s discoloration and scarring.
Squeezing or trying to pop a pimple causes pus and bacteria to filter deeper into the skin,
resulting in more collagen damage, notes Ron Moy, MD, professor of dermatology
at UCLA.
Vitamin E
You may have heard that applying topical
vitamin E to a scar will help it heal faster. But according to a study from
researchers at the University of Miami, applying the nutrient directly onto a
scar can actually hinder its healing. In the study, vitamin E had no effect (or
made matters worse) for 90% of the patients, and 33% who used topical vitamin E
developed a contact dermatitis.
What Makes Acne Scars
Better?
Cortisone and Fade Creams
First, if the scar is red or
swollen, use an over-the-counter cortisone cream to calm the skin, says Alster.
The cortisone is absorbed by skin cells and reduces inflammation. Next, you’ll
want to concentrate on lightening any hyperpigmentation left from the acne scar.
“Hydroquinone, a popular skin lightener, has recently fallen out of favor and is
now being omitted from many fading creams due to irritation and carcinogenic
concern,” says Alster.
But there are other ingredients to look for
over-the-counter that help lighten hyperpigmentation. Kojic acid (a natural skin
lightener derived from mushroom extract), arbutin (aka bearberry extract), and
even vitamin C (ascorbic acid) are great alternative ingredients to look for in
over-the-counter lightening creams, notes Alster. Unfortunately, there is no
over-the-counter treatment that can fill in the indentations of atrophic acne
scars.
Laser and Filler Treatments
If your acne scars don’t
fade away on their own, it may be time to consider booking an appointment with
your dermatologist. Within one to three sessions, laser skin resurfacing using
fractionated laser technology can even out the skin surface and increase new
collagen formation to help fill in acne scars.
Non-ablative lasers stimulate
the production of collagen without damaging the skin's surface. Meanwhile,
ablative lasers (i.e. CO2 and erbium) vaporize the scar, allowing smoother skin
to take its place. Filler injections can also prove beneficial at filling in the
indentations left behind from deep acne scars, says Moy. But the downside to
fillers is that they need to be repeated every four to six months, as the
product re-absorbs into the skin over time.
Patience along with use of
natural skin products
The main key to seeing acne scars fade is patience. A
few weeks after you break out and subsequently scar, new blood vessels move into
the injured area to provide nourishment to the skin, which is why most early
scars look pink, says Alster. Months later, collagen (the building blocks of the
skin) start to reform, filling in the injured section of skin. Because cystic
acne destroys skin and fat, it can take up to a year for the scars to fade, says
Moy.
Guide to Treating Acne Scars and Skin
Damage
Body Builders do tend to get more acne than others and there's
many ways to prevent and deal with the various causes previously dicsussed on
this forum. However, its when they leave behind scars.
A familiar story
goes like this- The good news is that the pimples that took up residency on your
face, neck ,shoulders or chest for the last the week have finally gone.
But the bad news is that the breakoust left their mark in the form of a
visible scars.
“Even without picking, acne lesions, particularly cysts,
can lead to scarring because of the intense, collagen-damaging skin inflammation
with which they are associated,” says Tina Alster, MD, a clinical professor of
dermatology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Luckily, you don’t have to
grin and bear the telltale signs of a breakout forever. Read on for
dermatologists’ top strategies for healing acne scars and keeping new ones at
bay.
What Does an Acne Scar Look Like?
Acne scars develop in
areas where former cystic blemish lesions have been present. Acne scars come in
three varieties, says Hayes Gladstone, MD, a professor of dermatology at
Stanford University.
- Atrophic, which are mostly shallow
- Boxcar-shaped
- Ice pick-shaped, which are narrow and deeper.
skin tones may also notice darkening (or hyperpigmentation) within the scars,
while people with lighter skin tones may show redness (or erythema) within the
scars, says Alster.
What Makes Acne
Worse?
Sun
Exposing scars to the sun can cause them to darken
and slow the healing process, says Alster. How? Ultraviolet rays stimulate
melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), leading to further discoloration. Your
safest bet: Before heading outdoors, slather on a broad-spectrum sunscreen with
an SPF of 15 or higher, with the physical blocker zinc oxide, and reapply every
two hours.
Picking and Squeezing
Scars, which are made mainly
of collagen (a protein
fiber normally found in the skin's second layer), are the body's way of
repairing itself. Acne scars are typically indented because of collagen loss
from intense inflammation, says Alster. Picking leads to further inflammation
and injury of the skin, which adds to the skin’s discoloration and scarring.
Squeezing or trying to pop a pimple causes pus and bacteria to filter deeper into the skin,
resulting in more collagen damage, notes Ron Moy, MD, professor of dermatology
at UCLA.
Vitamin E
You may have heard that applying topical
vitamin E to a scar will help it heal faster. But according to a study from
researchers at the University of Miami, applying the nutrient directly onto a
scar can actually hinder its healing. In the study, vitamin E had no effect (or
made matters worse) for 90% of the patients, and 33% who used topical vitamin E
developed a contact dermatitis.
What Makes Acne Scars
Better?
Cortisone and Fade Creams
First, if the scar is red or
swollen, use an over-the-counter cortisone cream to calm the skin, says Alster.
The cortisone is absorbed by skin cells and reduces inflammation. Next, you’ll
want to concentrate on lightening any hyperpigmentation left from the acne scar.
“Hydroquinone, a popular skin lightener, has recently fallen out of favor and is
now being omitted from many fading creams due to irritation and carcinogenic
concern,” says Alster.
But there are other ingredients to look for
over-the-counter that help lighten hyperpigmentation. Kojic acid (a natural skin
lightener derived from mushroom extract), arbutin (aka bearberry extract), and
even vitamin C (ascorbic acid) are great alternative ingredients to look for in
over-the-counter lightening creams, notes Alster. Unfortunately, there is no
over-the-counter treatment that can fill in the indentations of atrophic acne
scars.
Laser and Filler Treatments
If your acne scars don’t
fade away on their own, it may be time to consider booking an appointment with
your dermatologist. Within one to three sessions, laser skin resurfacing using
fractionated laser technology can even out the skin surface and increase new
collagen formation to help fill in acne scars.
Non-ablative lasers stimulate
the production of collagen without damaging the skin's surface. Meanwhile,
ablative lasers (i.e. CO2 and erbium) vaporize the scar, allowing smoother skin
to take its place. Filler injections can also prove beneficial at filling in the
indentations left behind from deep acne scars, says Moy. But the downside to
fillers is that they need to be repeated every four to six months, as the
product re-absorbs into the skin over time.
Patience along with use of
natural skin products
The main key to seeing acne scars fade is patience. A
few weeks after you break out and subsequently scar, new blood vessels move into
the injured area to provide nourishment to the skin, which is why most early
scars look pink, says Alster. Months later, collagen (the building blocks of the
skin) start to reform, filling in the injured section of skin. Because cystic
acne destroys skin and fat, it can take up to a year for the scars to fade, says
Moy.
