Acne Scars..?

Acne is the expression for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, zits and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms or legs. Acne affects mostly teenagers, but the disease is not restricted to any age range; adults in their 20s – even into their 40s – can get acne. Although acne is not a life threatening condition, acne can be frustrating, disfiguring and annoying. When severe or if you pop your pimples, acne can turn to serious and permanent acne scars. Even less severe cases can end up with acne scars.

Acne Scarring

A complete discussion of acne scars starts with causes of scarring, prevention of scarring, types of scars, and treatments for scars.

Before talking about acne scars, there are spots that may look like acne scars but are not, even though they are not true acne 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 for up to 6 months. When the macule eventually disappears, no trace of it will remain, unlike an acne scar.

Post-inflammatory pigmentation is a 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 may minimize the development of post-inflammatory pigmentation. Some post-inflammatory pigmentation may persist for up to 18 months, especially with excessive sun exposure. Chemical peeling may speed up the disappearance of post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Acne Formation Diagram

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