When you have acne it is important that you get it treated as soon as possible.
Acne that is left untreated can develop permanent scars that will affect you the rest of your life.
Did you know there are different types of acne scars? Read on to learn about these scars so you will know how to treat them.
Acne can cause a condition called post inflammatory pigmentation which is the discoloration that follows an inflammatory wound.
This discoloration is not an acne scar, and it will fade over time.
It will present itself as an area of pink, purple, red or black.
Sometimes it may take as long as a year for the discoloration to fade.
A lot of times, individuals will mistake this discoloration for acne scars, but they are two different skin conditions.
Usually post inflammatory pigmentation requires no treatment, but you can find over the counter treatments that will help to fade the discoloration.
You must be free of your acne before you start to treat this skin condition, or it will not be effective.
There are actually four types of acne scars.
The first type we will discuss is an ice pick scar.
These types of scars are very deep and narrow.
The skin will look like it has been pierced by a sharp instrument such as an ice pick.
These types of scars will develop after a prolonged cyst infection that destroys the skin tissue.
The types are boxcar scars.
These scars look like round or oval depressions that have steep vertical sides.
These types of scars are wider than ice pick scars.
They will give the skin a pitted appearance.
The inflammatory condition of acne will destroy collagen.
This will create the depressed area.
Boxcar scars can range from superficial to severe, which will depend upon the amount of tissue that is lost.
Rolling scars cause a rolling or wave like appearance to the skin.
This happens when fibrous bands of tissue develop between the outer layer of skin and the subcutaneous layer of skin.
These bands will pull the epidermis tissue from within which creates the rolling look to the skin.
The final type of scars that can form as the result of acne are hypertrophic or keloid scars.
This type of scar looks like a raised mass of firm tissue.
Hypertrophic scars can actually grow to be bigger than the original wound.
These types of scars are usually found on the torso.
Men are especially susceptible to hypertrophic scars.
These scars are not caused by a loss of tissue but rather by an overproduction of collagen.
So there you have the different types of acne scars that can occur.
If you have acne scars, it is a good idea to identify the type of scar you have before you begin treatment.
Some scars will be more difficult to get rid of than others.
However, if you find a great natural acne scar treatment system you should be able to decrease the appearance of these scars.
It may take some time, and it will take dedication but it can be done.