Types of Acne Scar Removal Treatments Available Today

It is still unknown how acne forms into the different acne types. What science can tell us right now is that when the sebaceous glands produce excess sebum (oil), it can mix with the dead skin cells and dirt in the skin. This mixture becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. The dead skin cells, dirt and sebum clog up the skin pores. They the manifest themselves as reddish blemish on the skin surface, and this is what we know as acne.

Acne that is close to skin surface are what we know as whiteheads and blackhead, non-inflammatory type of acne. Acne that is painful to the touch and swell up, on the other hand, is the inflammatory type of acne. These are the pimples or zits and they can leave scars since they go beyond the top layer of the skin.

Acne scars vary from person to person. This is because people have different facial topology. Thus, one person with acne scars can have just shallow imperfections (acne scars that are not so deep), another person may have "ice pick" scars (acne scars that look like chickenpox scars), and another person may have deep acne scars.

To date, there is still not a lot of information and research done on acne scars and how they form. Thus, acne scar treatments are not surprisingly limited. Acne scars and their treatment then needs to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. There is not a single acne scar treatment that works for everyone. If you have acne scars, you'll need to talk to your dermatologist or a cosmetic surgeon to find out what procedure or treatment is most appropriate for you.

A number of treatments for removing acne scar are available, and the treatment type depends on the type of acne scarring. Again, it's best to talk to your dermatologist and find out which acne scar removal treatment (or even a combination of treatments) is the best for you.

Below are a few of the acne scar removal treatments available today:

* Dermabrasion
With this treatment, the skin is numbed or frozen. A machine removes damaged skin to make way for new skin growth. Dermabrasion is not the same as microdermabrasion. The latter wont remove acne scars.

* Laser resurfacing
This acne scar removal treatment uses laser to remove old skin that has been damaged to allow new skin to grow. Laser resurfacing is becoming very popular, and is promising to surpass dermabrasion as the treatment of choice when it comes to acne scar removal.


* Chemical peel
Chemical peeling is an acne scar removal method wherein the top layer of the skin is removed by applying acid or chemical. The procedure allows for a new smoother skin layer to grow.

* Punch
This acne scar removal method is recommended for people who have deep, pitted scars. The procedure involves removing the scar and the wound closed so that it can heal. This method has three techniques: punch excision, punch replacement and punch elevation.

* Subcision
This acne scar removal method involves detaching the acne scar from the deeper tissues. This lets a pool of blood to form under the acne scar and clot. The blood basically helps in the formation of connective tissues under the scar so that the acne scar area comes up level with the skin surface.

* Augmentation
In this acne scar removal method, the acne scar is injected with a material, either collagen or one's own fat, with the goal of bringing the scarred skin to surface level.

Acne Tips - Must Read Blacklist of Skin Care Products

It will shock you to find out that many popular skin care brands that are targeted towards people who suffer from acne, not only aren't helping you eliminate your breakouts but are causing your acne to become worse! Find out now what you could be using that's bad for your skin.

In an effort to save you money and a lot of disappointment, here are some of the top skin care brands that are telling you less than the truth when it comes to how well their products treat acne.

Clean & Clear: Continuous Control Acne Cleanser, Continuous Control Acne Wash Oil Free, Deep Action Cleansing Wipes Oil Free, Deep Action Cream Cleanser, Clarifying Toner, Oil Fighting Deep Cleaning Astringent, Sensitive Skin Astringent, Moisturizing Mist, Invisible Blemish Treatment and Overnight Acne Patches.

Clinique: Antibacterial Facial Soap, Acne Solutions Body Treatment Spray, Acne Solutions Night Treatment Gel, Acne Solutions Daytime Shield, Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel, Facial Soap Extra Mild, Mild and Oily Skin Formula Soaps, Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser, Wash-Away Gel Cleanser, 7 Day Scrub Cream, Exfoliating Scrub, Clarifying Lotions 1, 2, 3 & 4, Sheer Matteness T-Zone Shine Control, Deep Cleansing Emergency Masque.

ProActive: Advanced Blemish Treatment, Daily Oil Control, Refining Mask.

Propaph: Foaming Face Wash, Astringent Cleanser Maximum Strength, Astringent Cleanser Acne Medication and Moisturizer Normal to Sensitive Skin.

Prescriptives: All Clean Sparkling Gel, Px Purifying Scrub, Flight Mist, Immediate Matte Skin Conditioning Tonic, Immediate Glow Skin Conditioning Tonic, Px Blemish Specialist Fast Acting Lotion Spot Treatment for Acne.

Also all products from Clearasil and Ella Bache.

What makes all of these products so bad for your skin? All of these products either contain potently irritating ingredients, alcohol, ingredients that badly clog pores and/or contain effective acne fighting ingredients that for various reasons their formulations have rendered useless.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients that these products contain and explanations as to why they are so bad for your skin and for treating acne.

Irritating Ingredients: Peppermint, camphor, resorcinol, sulphur, isopropyl myristate, menthol, fragrance, phthalate (a harmful toxin) and coloring agents.

Many of these products contain peppermint and menthol which is terribly irritating. Fragrance is also listed as the number one skin irritant in any skin care product. Irritation caused by ingredients like peppermint cause the skin to become red, angry and inflamed which makes acne look far worse. It also prevents the skin healing as well as it could making acne last longer and prolonging the red marks left after pimples heal.

Alcohol: This is very common in acne targeted products, it ruthlessly strips the surface of the skin of moisture causing damage, irritation, redness, dryness and flakiness. Stripping oil from the surface of your skin by using this highly irritating ingredient causes no good, and great harm.

Pore Clogging Ingredients: Vaseline, mineral oil, lanolin and all cleansers in soap form will clog your pores which will cause more pimples and magnify the severity of your breakouts.

As you can see there are many problematic skin care products that are being advertised to treat acne when in fact they only make matters worse.

The best thing you can do is to find out the truth about what causes and how it can really be treated. You need to make it your mission to study facts about acne and skin from un-bias sources like dermatologists, doctors or skin care specialists, none of whom sell their own products. Good luck!