WHAT CAUSES ACNE?
An acne lesion (pimple) grows when bacteria, oils and dead skin fill up and inflame pores.
the tiny openings in your skin through which oil and sweat rise to the surface. Some 40,000 cells fall off your skin every hour but,
sometimes, those dead cells clog up a pore. Sometimes clogged pores are small and result in “whiteheads or blackheads.”
Sometimes these pores become inflamed and lead to other types of acne.
If you have acne, you’re not alone! Acne is the MOST common skin condition in the world. About 80% of people between the ages of
11 and 40 will have it. Teenagers get acne thanks to their changing hormones. Adults have stress, the environment, menstrual cycles,
oil-based products and birth control pills to blame, although hormones can still play a role.
TYPES OF ACNE AND
WHAT DO THEY LOOK
LIKE?
ACNE PRESENTS AS MANY DIFFERENT FORMS.
Whiteheads and blackheads are typical and tend to heal smoothly more often than not. Then there are the types that can lead to scarring:
- PAPULES Pink to red bumps that hurt when you touch them.
- PUSTULES Pus-filled lesions. They’re red at the base and white or yellow at the top.
- NODULES Solid lesions. They’re larger than papules and pustules and can
hurt more because they extend deeper into the skin. - CYSTS Cysts lie deep within the skin. They’re painful, full of pus and are
most likely to scar.
HOW DOES ACNE CAUSE SCARS?
Acne scars are the result of inflammation of acne blemishes. The acne pore swells and a breakdown occurs in the wall of the pore. Some acne blemishes are small and the scars created are shallow and heal quickly. Sometimes the contents of blemishes spill into the surrounding tissue and cause deeper scars. The skin’s response is to repair the scar by forming new collagen fibers.
Acne scars take on two main forms: either a scar develops when there is a loss of tissue, resulting in an indentation in the surface of the skin; or, a scar develops that is raised on the surface of the skin. This type of acne scar, in fact, is a sign that your skin is doing its job — but, perhaps, too well. Your skin creates collagen (“repair tissue”) to help heal the wound — the acne — but, if it makes too much collagen, raised scars form.
Keep in mind that just because you have acne, that doesn’t mean you’ll get scars. And if you do (one in five people with acne will also have scarring), the good news is that not all acne scars are permanent! Treatments are available. Some treatments nearly remove the scars while others help the skin heal itself with its own collagen.
BOOK A SESSIONTYPES OF ACNE SCARS AND WHAT DO
THEY LOOK LIKE?
An acne lesion (pimple) grows when bacteria, oils and dead skin fill up and inflame pores.
If you have acne scarring, you’re likely to have more than one of the following types. Rarely does someone have just boxcar scars, or
just keloid scars, etc. Each of these can be treated with varying degrees of success.
ICE PICK
AN ICE PICK TOOL HAS A WIDE SHAFT THAT NARROWS DOWN TO THE TIP.
This type of acne scar resembles the tool in that it’s a hole that’s wide at the top and narrows to a point as it goes deeper into the skin. Such an indentation is common and also one of the most challenging scars to heal. You’ll find them on your forehead and upper cheeks, where your skin is thinner.
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HYPERTROPHIC
This type of acne scar resembles the tool in that it’s a hole that’s wide at the top and narrows to a point as it goes deeper into the skin. Such an indentation is common and also one of the most challenging scars to heal. You’ll find them on your forehead and upper cheeks, where your skin is thinner.
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ROLLING
This type of acne scar resembles the tool in that it’s a hole that’s wide at the top and narrows to a point as it goes deeper into the skin. Such an indentation is common and also one of the most challenging scars to heal. You’ll find them on your forehead and upper cheeks, where your skin is thinner.
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BOXCAR
This type of acne scar resembles the tool in that it’s a hole that’s wide at the top and narrows to a point as it goes deeper into the skin. Such an indentation is common and also one of the most challenging scars to heal. You’ll find them on your forehead and upper cheeks, where your skin is thinner.
BOOK A SESSIONTREATMENTS
Over here in Cheongdam Aesthetics Clinic, we have a wide range of treatments available for
acne and acne scars:
SUBCISION
Subcision is a minor in-office surgical procedure that’s used to treat acne scars. It involves inserting a small needle into your skin to release the acne scar from the underlying tissue.
MTS NEEDLING
Microneedling is a skin resurfacing treatment that smooths acne scars, improves skin tone and stimulates new collagen growth and elasticity.
FILLERS FOR SCARS
Dermal Filler is a hyaluronic filler injection that is the best used for rolling and atrophic scars. They have very minimal downtime and the advantage of a prompt improvement.
LASERS AND IPL
Laser and light therapy are used to treat mild active acne and acne scarring. Laser and light therapy provide useful options for patients with acne that persists despite medical therapy, who experience side effects to a medication, or who have difficulty adhering to medical treatments.
SKIN BOOSTERS
Skin boosters rejuvenate the skin from the inside, it restores the skins hydrobalance, improves the elasticity and skin structure, creating a youthful luster and glow. Some skin boosters have anti-inflammatory properties and may improve the condition of inflammatory acne.
STEROID INJECTIONS
Cortisone has anti-inflammatory properties. When injected, it works by reducing inflammation of the swollen acne cyst, helping to decrease redness, swelling and pain. The acne cyst will shrink and flatten noticeably over the next 24 hours.