Acne treatment

Let’s just say that living with acne is certainly not easy. Unfortunately, for those who finally get rid of it, the problems remain in the form of acne marks and scars on the skin. And in the most severe cases, i.e. in the presence of severe acne, the scars can leave real little craters in the skin.

Acne vulgaris, commonly known as acne, is a common, non-contagious skin condition that involves inflammation and infection of the sebaceous glands. It usually develops during puberty, with hormonal changes, and can persist into adulthood. It is generally distinguished according to its “severity”, subdivided into acne:

1. Mild (Acne Comedonica)
2. Moderate (Acne papulo-pustular)
3. Severe (Acne Conglobata)

Statistically speaking, acne and more generally skin impurity problems mainly affect teenagers, but more and more adults, especially women (who can present the first symptoms even after the age of 25) suffer from this dermatological condition.
Persistent acne or acne that develops in adulthood is also known as late acne. The parts of the body usually affected are

1. 1. Face
   2. Neck
   3. Shoulders
   4. Chest
   5. Back

Acne is not only a skin condition, but it often affects people’s quality of life and how they perceive themselves. This is why physical discomfort is often accompanied by self-esteem issues.

Before we answer the question we asked at the beginning of our article, “What is the best way to get rid of acne scars?”, it is worth understanding what causes impurities. According to some erroneous myths, acne and skin impurities are related to poor hygiene. This is not true.

What are they? We list below the most known of them.

Genetic factors

This is certainly the first factor to consider. It’s no secret that genes determine our skin type. And that means that some people are more prone to inflammation, blemishes and acne breakouts than others.

Often, for example, if both parents have suffered from this condition, there is a high probability that their children will also suffer.

Hormonal Factors

As mentioned earlier, acne is closely linked to hormonal changes. Hormones are responsible for stimulating the formation of sebum produced by the sebaceous glands. They are present on the entire surface of the body, except for the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Excessive sebum production is unfortunately one of the factors that characterize impure skin.

During adolescence, increased hormones often lead to acne. As in adulthood, hormonal changes related to the menstrual cycle are one reason why the problem worsens in women.

Taking medication

Yes, taking certain medications also promotes the development of acne. We are referring to steroids and lithium in particular.

Nutrition

Although not considered the cause of acne breakouts, a correlation between acne and what you eat has been established.

An example? A diet with a high glycemic index and eating a lot of dairy products can make acne worse.

Stress and smoking

Like a chain reaction, stress is capable of stimulating hormones that, in turn, promote the production of sebum that leads to acne breakouts.

Similarly, smoking, according to some studies, can also exacerbate acne, being a cause of oxidative stress and sebum alteration.

The answer is simple. They form when the outermost layer of the skin is damaged and the deeper layers are also affected.

When the skin fails to regenerate properly, the wound is covered with a granular tissue made of collagen fibers. This “regenerated” tissue heals the wound, although it may still be visible.

The most common acne scars are

1.  Atrophic: pitted and deep. They appear when a wound does not heal optimally and there is little connective tissue.
2. Hypertrophic: raised on the skin. Inflamed skin produces an “underlying” tissue that is not structurally the same as healthy tissue and is actually thicker and more visible.
3. Keloids: raised and red/purple in color. They form due to the expansion of the hypertrophic scar into other areas of the skin. However, this scarring is only occasionally caused strictly by acne.

Finally, we answer our question: how can I get rid of acne scars?

Let’s start with prevention. This means preventing the formation of scars. And for this, it is enough not to crush or abuse, with your fingers or other instruments, the black or white spots and other impurities of the body.

And if this is not enough and scars have formed?

There are several treatments depending on the type of scarring.

For pigmented scars, the most effective solution is a peel!

It is an aesthetic treatment which, thanks to the application of exfoliating products, allows the removal of dead cells and their regeneration.

It is ideal to fight against :

• • Aging of the skin
  • Dyschromia
  • Skin blemishes
  • Acne in active phase
  • Hyperseborrhea
  • Dull, matte skin

The peeling is applied by means of a deep massage that follows the elastic tension lines of the tissues. Among the substances used to perform the treatments are salicylic acid, which has great exfoliating properties and is ideal for treating blemishes and thickening of the skin, and pyruvic acid. The latter, in particular, has sebum-regulating properties and helps to unclog pores occupied by blackheads.

For atrophic scars, we can use either medical microneedling or the CO2 laser. In both techniques small holes are made in the skin into the dermis in order to regenerate the skin where the scarring has occurred.
The CO2 laser will allow to go in depth, so it is recommended to patients with severe scars while the microneedling, lighter for more superficial scars.