Acne scars treatment

Acne scars are an unpleasant side effect of acne and cause a great deal of distress to the sufferer. Many people who develop acne in their teens find that they are unlucky enough to develop a permanent reminder of this unwelcome condition.

But acne scars are treatable. There are various ways of dealing with these and one of these includes dermaroller.

If you are one of these people then this section is aimed at you. It contains information about acne, the different types of acne scars and how they are treated with dermaroller.

What is acne?

Acne is a very common skin condition especially in adolescents, in which they develop spots, blackheads/whiteheads and pimples on the face, neck and other areas of the body.

These outbreaks are caused by an overproduction of an oily substance called ‘sebum’from the sebaceous glands. The sebaceous glands are located in hair follicles within the skin and their sole purpose is the production of sebum to lubricate hair and skin.

But during puberty, an excess of male hormones causes the sebaceous glands to produce too much sebum which then blocks the skin pores. Plus the outer layer of skin (epidermis) becomes thicker due to these hormones which prevents sebum from flowing away from the glands.

The combination of the two causes the condition we know as acne.

Acne scars

These can be caused by squeezing or picking acne spots but they are also a particular feature of severe forms of acne. Severe cases of acne result in the formation of lesions or cysts which are inflamed and affect deeper layers of skin.

These can also cause scarring.

An acne scar occurs as a result of inflammation in a cyst or nodule which produces an excess of collagen as part of the healing process. This results in a thick growth of tissue on the skin or an indentation which looks similar to a crater.

An acne scar is basically a visible sign of skin damage.

Types of acne scars

There are two categories of scars which are: an overproduction of tissue and tissue loss. Scars caused by an excess of tissue are due to too much collagen.

Scars caused by tissue loss are a result of too little collagen in the skin.

An example of an acne scar caused by too much collagen is ‘keloid scars’. These are thickened, raised scars on the surface of the skin which are unsightly and upsetting to the sufferer.

The following types of acne scars are caused by insufficient collagen in the skin and include:

• ‘Ice pick’ scars (tiny indentations in the skin)
• Fibrotic scars (large, jagged craters in the skin)
• Atrophic macules (small discoloured indentations in the skin)
• Soft scars (small, gentle circular scars in the skin)
• ‘Boxcar’ scars (small, round indentations in the skin)
• Follicular macular atrophy(small lesions on the skin)
• Rolling scars (scars which pull at tissue underneath the skin causing a wave-like or ‘rolling’ appearance).

Treating acne scars with dermaroller

It is important to note that dermaroller treatment is suitable for acne scars only. It is not recommended for acne which is still active. There are several forms of treatment available for active acne which includes medication, laser treatment and dermabrasion. If you are suffering from active acne then visit our complete guide to acne. This forms part of our popular range of medical guides and contains a wide range of information which includes acne treatments.

Dermaroller is a suitable form of treatment for acne scars. It works by stimulating the growth of collagen to fill out any pitted scars, indentations or craters caused by acne. This results in a smooth, plump looking skin and a boost to your confidence and self-esteem.

The reason we have mentioned confidence and self–esteem is that acne scars cause the sufferer to feel self-conscious about their appearance which then impacts upon their quality of life. In many cases this persists from their teenage years and last well into adulthood.

But one of the benefits of dermaroller is an improved skin –even with thick, keloid type scars. Your skin will become thicker and healthier looking as a result.

Dermaroller treatment creates a series of mini channels in your skin which act as a conduit for skincare cream/lotion/gel. These products help to speed up the repair process as well as moisturising your skin to give it a fresh, young looking feel.

Basically, a scar is the result of an inability by the skin to heal itself. What dermaroller does is to give that process a hand by extending the healing process, resulting in a scar free appearance.

Results of acne scars treatment with dermaroller

Small or fine scars will disappear as a result of this treatment. Even thick, keloid scars will show signs of improvement by fading away to almost nothing. They will still be there but will be difficult to see unless close up. This is an important issue: if you have keloid scars or dense ice pick scars then bear in mind that dermaroller cannot guarantee that these will disappear. But what it will do is to lessen their impact.

In other words, your heavy pitted scars will be less noticeable than before.

If dermaroller is used on a regular basis then the improvements will be noticeable after a very short period of time. Most people find that their acne scars improve a month after treatment although a few people have noticed an improvement after just one week following treatment.

This is an individual response: everyone reacts differently to treatment which means that some people will notice improvements more quickly than others. The trick is to be patient and let the results speak for themselves. These results will continue for up to 12 months following your last dermaroller session.