Acne and scars, two terms that highlight the adolescent plight. Acne leads to different types of scarring, of which scars caused by rolling acne are one of a kind. We shall read more about rolling scars from acne and discuss a bit about the treatment options for the same.
Acne is a skin condition that commonly affects adolescents and continues to cause embarrassment for many right into their adulthood. Acne is thankfully a temporary condition, that many people are usually able to get rid of after months or years of suffering. However, acne does continue to remind the affected person of the past horrors, through scars. Scars occur in place of the damaged skin tissues due to the acne breakouts. There are different types of scars caused dues to acne and pimples like boxcar scars, pitted scars, ice pick scars, and rolling scars.
What are These Scars?
Have you observed someone’s skin or your own skin that has a ‘wave-like’ appearance. If yes, then you scars caused due to rolling acne. These scars occur when the bands of tissue between the skin’s surface and the subcutaneous tissues below are pulled. This pulling causes the skin to appear like a ‘wave’. These can vary in length and give the skin an undulating appearance. These scars are not easily treated with the help of conventional skin resurfacing techniques. The treatment requires one to carry out the breaking up of subcutaneous fibrous bands.
How do These Scars Develop?
These scars occur when the skin and the subcutaneous tissues form a fibrous band of tissue. These tissues tend to pull the epidermis deep within the skin. This pulling causes the skin to appear like a rolling ‘wave’ like appearance.
What is the Treatment?
These marks tend to worsen with age. These scars can be treated by dermatologists to help restore the smoothness of the skin’s surface. Some of the rolling scar treatments are explained below:
Chemical Peel
Chemical peeling is a type of resurfacing method. Here, the doctor applies an acidic chemical to the skin. This causes the skin to peel off and a new skin begins to appear within 2 weeks. In many cases, one needs to follow this treatment for different time periods according to their condition. Also, one may require to follow care as advised by the dermatologist.
Dermabrasion
This is another type of resurfacing method where electrical impulses are used to smoothen the skin. An electrical instrument is used that has a rotating wire brush. This brush helps in scraping away the skin’s surface and the new skin grows over the wound. The time taken for this method to show effect is about 14 days. However, one will continue to see improvement for many months.
Augmentation
The marks can be treated using augmentation. In this method, an injection filled with fillers is used to raise the pitted skin surface. These fillers consist of collagen or fat. However, this is just a temporary solution and one may have to undergo another augmentation procedure every 6 months or so.
Laser Resurfacing
This is a method where lasers are used to remove the top layers of the skin. The lower subcutaneous layers are heated to get rid of the top layers. New skin forms in place of the old skin thus, allowing the scars to disappear. It has been found that this treatment needs to be followed for about 15 to 18 months continuously to see good results.
Surgery
In some cases, the dermatologist may suggest surgery to get rid of the scars. A subcutaneous incision is made and a probe is inserted to help separate the scar tissues from the skin. It causes blood clots that helps in raising the skin above the surface. One maybe able to observe bruising for several weeks after the procedure. This treatment is often used in combination with other scar removal techniques.
It is very embarrassing at times when scars are too evident on the face. It causes one to lose self-confidence. However, if the scars are really bothersome and causing cosmetic flaws, one should speak to their dermatologist for scar removal options.
