Acne Scars and Stretch Marks Treatments
“ Start treating your acne scars as soon as your acne has healed. Delaying will require more treatment time as the scar tissue will be harder to break down, and collagen regeneration will take longer. ”
Acne Scars - Symptoms and Causes
Acne scars and other scars (surgery scars, accident scars) are areas of tissue that replace normal skin after an injury. These scars result as wounds repair itself and the surrounding skin. With the exception of very minor cuts and bruises, every wound will result in some degree of scarring.
How acne scars and other scars look once healed is determined by the manner in which the collagen produced extends over the damaged skin tissue in the healing process. Excessive collagen produced in the healing process will result in a raised scar. A pitted scar (typically acne scars) will result when the collagen produced in the healing process is insufficient and does not extend over to fully cover the damaged tissue leaving a depression in the skin.
Types of Acne Scars
Atrophic (pitted) scars
Hypertrophic scars
Hypertrophic scars occur when the body overproduces collagen, which causes the scar to be elevated above the surrounding skin. Hypertrophic scars take the form of a raised lump on the skin but the scar tissue will not extend beyond the boundary of the original wound and should reduce with the passage of time.
Keloid scars
In contrast to hypertrophic scars, keloid scars expand beyond the boundary of the original wound and can increase over time as the body continues to produce more and more masses of collagen at the area of the wound. The scar tends to be rubbery and firm to the touch and may be itchy.
Stretch Marks - Symptoms and Causes
Stretch marks (or striae) occur when your body grows quickly, irrespective of the reason, and are a form of scarring. As your skin stretches rapidly it relies on its store of collagen to make your skin more elastic to respond to the stress on the skin. If your skin does not have enough collagen, marks may appear as the skin stretches and the dermis tears. Stretch marks appear as thin, indented streaks generally on the shoulders, abdomen, breasts, hips, buttocks and thighs. They can vary in colour and can appear as pink, red, black, blue or purple streaks.
You can get stretch marks as a result of pregnancy, rapid weight gain, being overweight, childhood growth spurts, breast enlargement procedures, bodybuilding, high cortisone levels, high amount of steroid use, or from certain genetic disorders.
Before and After Treatment Pictures
(Results may vary with each individual and are not guaranteed)
Treatment Options
There are a number of safe options available to reduce the appearance of acne scars and stretch marks and it is important that you seek out treatments and procedures that are suitable for your skin type and condition.
Fractional laser technology is a recommended option to reduce the appearance of acne scars. Pulses of laser light are gently delivered to the treatment area to break down the scar tissue and help generate healthy new skin. This fractional laser technology is also used to target and break down stretch marks, triggering new tissue production underneath the skin. The new collagen generated helps to improve both the texture and color of the stretch marks. Retinoid creams may also improve the appearance of stretch marks if used within a few months of getting stretch marks.