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Main causes of acne scarring.
acne. acnes, faqs, faq, FAQ, FAQS, ACNE, ACNES
A detailed and comprehensive discussion of acne scars starts with
causes of scarring, prevention of scarring, types of scars, and
treatments for scars.
Before talking about scars, a word about spots that may look like scars but are not scars in the sense that a permanent change has occurred. Even though they are not true scars and disappear in time, they are visible and can cause embarrassment.
Macules or “pseudo-scars” are flat, red or reddish spots that are the final stage of most inflamed acne lesions. After an inflamed acne lesion flattens, a macule may remain to “mark the spot” for up to 6 months. When the macule eventually disappears, no trace of it will remain-unlike a scar.
Post-inflammatory pigmentation is discoloration of the skin at the site of a healed or healing inflamed acne lesion. It occurs more frequently in darker-skinned people, but occasionally is seen in people with white skin. Early treatment by a dermatologist may minimize the [Spin] cause| develop| illicit [/Spin]ment of post-inflammatory pigmentation. Some post-inflammatory pigmentation may persist for up to 18 months, especially with excessive sun exposure. Chemical peeling may hasten the disappearance of post-inflammatory pigmentation.
Causes of Acne Scars
In the simplest terms, scars form at the site of an injury to
tissue. They are the visible reminders of injury and tissue
repair. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body’s
inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the
plugged sebaceous follicle. Two types of true scars exist, as
discussed later: (1) depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and
(2) raised thickened tissue such as keloids.
When tissue suffers an injury, the body rushes its repair kit to the injury site. Among the elements of the repair kit are white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules that have the task of repairing tissue and fighting infection. However, when their job is done they may leave a somewhat messy repair site in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue.
White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an acne scar. The occurrence and incidence of scarring is still not well understood, however. There is considerable variation in scarring between one person and another, indicating that some people are more prone to scarring than others. Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occurs deep in the skin. But, scarring also may arise from more superficial inflamed lesions. Nodulocystic acne that is most likely to result in scars is seen in these photos:
(Photos used with permission of the American Academy of
Dermatology
National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides)
The life history of scars also is not well understood. Some people bear their acne scars for a lifetime with little change in the scars, but in other people the skin undergoes some degree of remodeling and acne scars diminish in size.
People also have differing feelings about acne scars. Scars of more or less the same size that may be psychologically distressing to one person may be accepted by another person as “not too bad.” The person who is distressed by scars is more likely to seek treatment to moderate or remove the scars.
Prevention of Acne Scars
As discussed in the previous section on Causes of Acne Scars, the
occurrence of scarring is different in different people. It is
difficult to predict who will scar, how extensive or deep scars
will be, and how long scars will persist. It is also difficult to
predict how successfully scars can be prevented by effective acne
treatment.
Nevertheless, the only sure method of preventing or limiting the extent of scars is to treat acne early in its course, and as long as necessary. The more that inflammation can be prevented or moderated, the more likely it is that scars can be prevented. (Click on Acne Treatments for more information about treatment of mild, moderate and severe acne). Any person with acne who has a tendency to scar should be under the care of a dermatologist. (Click on Find a Dermatologist to locate a dermatologist in your geographic area).
Types of Acne Scars
There are two general types of acne scars, defined by tissue
response to inflammation: (1) scars caused by increased tissue
formation, and (2) scars caused by loss of tissue.
Scars Caused by Increased Tissue Formation
The scars caused by increased tissue formation are called keloids
or hypertrophic scars. The word hypertrophy means “enlargement”
or “overgrowth.” Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are
associated with excessive amounts of the cell substance collagen.
Overproduction of collagen is a response of skin cells to injury.
The excess collagen becomes piled up in fibrous masses, resulting
in a characteristic firm, smooth, usually irregularly-shaped
scar. The photo shows a typical severe acne keloid:
(Photo used with permission of the American Academy of
Dermatology
National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides)
The typical keloid or hypertrophic scar is 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, but some may be 1 centimeter or larger. Keloid scars tend to “run in families”-that is, abnormal growth of scar tissue is more likely to occur in susceptible people, who plastic surgery at Miami are people with relatives who have similar types of scars.
Hypertrophic and keloid scars persist for years, but may diminish in size over time.
Scars Caused by Loss of Tissue
Acne scars associated with loss of tissue-similar to scars that
result from chicken pox-are more common than keloids and
hypertrophic scars. Scars associated with loss of tissue are:
Ice-pick scars usually occur on the cheek. They are usually small, with a somewhat jagged edge and steep sides-like wounds from an ice pick. Ice-pick scars may be shallow or deep, and may be hard or soft to the touch. Soft scars can be improved by stretching the skin; hard ice-pick scars cannot be stretched out.
Depressed fibrotic scars are usually quite large, with sharp edges and steep sides. The base of these scars is firm to the touch. Ice-pick scars may evolve into depressed fibrotic scars over time.
Soft scars, superficial or deep are soft to the touch. They have gently sloping rolled edges that merge with normal skin. They are usually small, and either circular or linear in shape.
Atrophic macules are usually fairly small when they occur on the face, but may be a centimeter or larger on the body. They are soft, plastic surgery at Miami with a slightly wrinkled base, and may be bluish in appearance due to blood vessels lying just under the scar. Over time, these scars change from bluish to ivory white in color in white-skinned people, and become much less obvious.
Follicular macular atrophy is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne. These are small, white, soft lesions, plastic surgery at Miami barely raised above the surface of the skin-somewhat like whiteheads that didn’t fully [Spin] cause| develop| illicit [/Spin]. This condition is sometimes also called “perifollicular elastolysis.” The lesions may persist for months to years.
Treatments for Acne Scars
A number of treatments are available for acne scars through
dermatologic surgery. The type of treatment selected should be
the one that is best for you in terms of your type of skin, the
cost, what you want the treatment to accomplish, and the
possibility that some types of treatment may result in more
scarring if you are very susceptible to scar formation.
A decision to seek dermatologic surgical treatment for acne scars also depends on:
* The way you feel about scars. Do acne scars psychologically or emotionally affect your life? Are you willing to “live with your scars” and wait for them to fade over time? These are personal decisions only you can make.
* The severity of your scars. Is scarring substantially disfiguring, even by objective assessment?
* A dermatologist’s expert opinion as to whether scar treatment is justified in your particular case, and what scar treatment will be most effective for you.
Before committing to treatment of acne scars, you should have a frank discussion with your dermatologist regarding those questions, and any others you feel are important. You need to tell the dermatologist how you feel about your scars. The dermatologist needs to [Spin] conduct| carry out| execute [/Spin] a full examination and determine whether treatment can, or should, be undertaken.
The objective of scar treatment is to give the skin a more acceptable physical appearance. Total restoration of the skin, to the way it looked before you had acne, is plastic surgery at Miami not possible, but scar treatment does usually improve the appearance of your skin.
The scar treatments that are currently available include:
Collagen injection. Collagen, a normal substance of the body, is injected under the skin to “stretch” and “fill out” certain types of superficial and deep soft scars. Collagen treatment usually does not work as well for ice-pick scars and keloids. Collagen derived from cows or other non-human sources cannot be used in people with autoimmune diseases. Human collagen or fascia is helpful for those allergic to cow-derived collagen. Cosmetic benefit from collagen injection usually lasts 3 to 6 months. Additional collagen injections to maintain the cosmetic benefit are done at additional cost.
Autologous fat transfer. Fat is taken from another site on your own body and prepared for injection into your skin. The fat is injected beneath the surface of the skin to elevate depressed scars. This method of autologous (from your own body) fat transfer is usually used to correct deep contour defects caused by scarring from nodulocystic acne. Because the fat is reabsorbed into the skin over a period of 6 to 18 months, the procedure usually must be repeated. Longer lasting results may be achieved with multiple fat-transfer procedures.
Dermabrasion. This is thought to be the most effective treatment for acne scars. Under local anesthetic, a high-speed brush or fraise used to remove surface skin and alter the contour of scars. Superficial scars may be removed altogether, and deeper scars may be reduced in depth. Dermabrasion does not work for all kinds of scars; for example, it may make ice-pick scars more noticeable if the scars are wider under the skin than at the surface. In darker-skinned people, dermabrasion may cause changes in pigmentation that require additional treatment.
Microdermabrasion. This new technique is a surface form of dermabrasion. Rather than a high-speed brush, microdermabrasion uses aluminum oxide crystals passing through a vacuum tube to remove surface skin. Only the very surface cells of the skin are removed, so no additional wound is created. Multiple procedures are plastic surgery at Miami required but scars may not be significantly improved.
Laser Treatment. Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used to recontour scar tissue and reduce the redness of skin around healed acne lesions. The type of laser used is determined by the results that the laser treatment aims to accomplish. Tissue may actually be removed with more powerful instruments such as the carbon dioxide laser. In some cases, a single treatment is all that will be necessary to achieve permanent results. Because the skin absorbs powerful bursts of energy from the laser, there may be post-treatment redness for several months.
Skin Surgery. Some ice-pick scars may be removed by “punch” excision of each individual scar. In this procedure each scar is excised down to the layer of subcutaneous fat; the resulting hole in the skin may be repaired with sutures or with a small skin graft. Subcision is a technique in which a surgical probe is used to lift the scar tissue away from unscarred skin, thus elevating a depressed scar.
Skin grafting may be necessary under certain conditions-for example, sometimes dermabrasion unroofs massive and extensive tunnels (also called sinus tracts) caused by inflammatory reaction to sebum and bacteria in sebaceous follicles. Skin grafting may be needed to close the defect of the unroofed sinus tracts.
Treatment of keloids. Surgical removal is seldom if ever used to treat keloids. A person whose skin has a tendency to form keloids from acne damage may also form keloids in response to skin surgery. Sometimes keloids are treated by injecting steroid drugs into the skin around the keloid. Topical retinoic acid may be applied directly on the keloid. In some cases the best treatment for keloids in a highly susceptible person is no treatment at all.
In summary, acne scars are caused by the body’s inflammatory response to acne lesions. The best way to prevent scars is to treat acne early, and as long as necessary. If scars form, a number of effective treatments are available. Dermatologic surgery treatments should be discussed with a dermatologist.
The most common cause of hair loss, especially in men, is
androgenetic, or male pattern baldness. Mid-teens or puberty
starts the ‘balding?process for individuals whose genetics
predispose them to baldness.
baldness cures, balding
The most common cause of hair loss, especially in men, is
androgenetic, or male pattern baldness. Mid-teens or puberty
starts the ‘balding?process for individuals whose genetics
predispose them to baldness.
The normal production of hair by the follicle is altered by the pubertal increase in testosterone production resulting in an increased production of DiHydroTestosterone. Hair strands become thinner, grow slower and fall out at shorter lengths with each cycle until eventually the follicle stops production altogether. The case becomes severe when the follicle is lost permanently and hair production literally comes to a halt.
In an attempt to obtain a normal looking head of hair or to slow hair loss, American male population alone reportedly spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on lotions and potions, tonics and aerosol spray cover-ups, toupees, and hair-plug transplantation. And then there are the more sensitive procedures like hair transplant and scalp surgery. The great lengths of search for baldness cure goes on. As such, the U.S. economy generates something close to dollarsignr1 billion annually in revenue generated by the treatment of baldness.
Indeed, the great hair cure has been sought for centuries, however, until recently men has come to their senses that when they age between 18 and 80 they loose their hair at a rate closely related with their age. This is no hair fluke, so to speak. Research revealed that 12% to 80% of men ranging in ages from 18 to 80 experience cosmetically moderate to significant hair loss from the front to rear crown area of their head. Of the respondents, younger men where in early stages of hair loss, while older men were completely bald over the entire crown area of their heads. In this regard, “It comes with age?appears to be a qualified statement.
And so, over the last 40 years, medical doctors have sequentially stumbled upon several hair loss cures and treatments loss.
Exotic topical creams and liquids in the form of lotions and potions, even shampoos and conditioners with ‘natural ingredient?claims may simply regenerate hair growth.
Aerosol hair spray cover-ups are merely colored powders or fibers
that simply color the scalp and thicken thinning hair. The
appearance of an almost natural thick-looking hair is temporary
and deceiving. Its name actually says it all ?cover-up!
Several highly publicized alternatives offer real potential
promise. One potent alternative is a topical drug called
Minoxidil?which has been proclaimed to somewhat slow hair loss
and in very few cases, to stimulate hair regeneration, albeit
limited. Very recently the brand Rogaine?– a topical alcohol
mixture consisting Minoxidil?is demonstrating relative
effectiveness. Sufficient scalp penetration is advised to achieve
best results.
The latest hair loss product is generically called Finasteride, an antiandrogen that inhibits the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. It is being branded in the market as PROPECIA?and PROCAR? The pill taken orally/once a day claims that it can regenerate hair growth on bald or balding areas of the scalp.
Another alternative discovery that is slowly gaining popularity is rather procedural and involves meticulous process. The technique uses surgical scalp transplants to redistribute remaining hair on the scalp to balding or completely bald areas of the scalp. But the procedure, however credible, is not easily accessible to majority of the balding population because of its high cost and maintenance.
With the still growing concern for hair loss, a more realistic and easier to achieve method [Spin] at once| now| immediately [/Spin] runs on prevention rather than cure. This observation is regarded as more practical approach since most cases of progressive baldness can be identified at an early stage.