Scar is the residual impact of acne. To understand it first we need to understand acne. The formation of acne is an indirect outcome of surplus amount of sebum or body oil discharged by the over stimulated oil glands embedded below the epidermal layer of the skin. Also they are connected directly with the hair follicles. Exfoliation is the natural bodily process in which the dead skin cells peel off and newer cells come up to the skin surface. Due to the presence of an excess amount of body oil the dead cells around the hair follicle lining get stuck inside the follicle or skin pore, thereby blocking it up totally or partially. Some bacterial microorganism within the hair follicles starts proliferating within this affected follicle. They feed on the sebum and metabolize it. The metabolized sebum is a kind of substance which generates irritation within the follicles yet remains unable to penetrate through the blocked pore. As an outcome of this, they find their way in deeper skin layer called dermis. But for dermis these are entirely foreign substances. The natural bodily process gets active in order to expel this inflamed debris. Our skin responds back with profound inflammation. This inflammation generates a wound or lesion within the affected region which we see as scars even after the acne is gone.

Scars could be cured by a number of methods, depending on the case history and severity of acne one is suffering from. And for patients with severe acne condition, the most valuable advice from the dermatologists is to take care of scarring simultaneously with treating acne. Laser acne resurfacing: One of the most popular and modern medical technique of acne scar removal is laser resurfacing. This treatment procedure might take 3 to 10 days to provide complete cure. The basic principle of this methodology is to remove the damaged upper surface of the skin layer to unveil the rather undamaged and fresh layer next to it. The whole procedure is conducted in doctor’s office. An initial local anesthesia might be administered to rule out the possibility of any kind of pain. The treatment might involve a number of sessions each of which could range from a few minutes to an hour depending on the severity of the case.

Dermabrasion is another successful acne scar removal technique used extensively by dermatologists all over the world. It is also called “lunch time peel”. In this method, a very superficial layer of the skin is removed with the help of a rotating wire brush or a spinning diamond instrument. Apart from fixing the damaged tissue and evening the skin texture, this technique is also useful in removing pigments generated by acne. Nevertheless, the remedial process might take around 10 days to 3 weeks—a fairly longer time as compared with laser resurfacing. Natural remedy for mild scars: These days, natural or home remedies have won the hearts of many acne patients who are suffering from mild acne scars. Sandalwood, cucumber juice, turmeric, aloe vera, lavender oil, etc. are the names of a few natural ingredients which have been proven to be very effective in removing acne scars.

Juliet Cohen writes articles for Acne Treatment. She also writes articles for Blackheads.