Acne Scar / Ice Pick Scar

Why do we have this?

How Does Scarring Happen?

Most people will incur an unsightly physical scar at some point in their lives. Whether it is related to a skin condition, injury, surgery, burn or cut, scars can be small and barely noticeable. On the other hand, they can also be larger, and aesthetically unpleasant and even disfiguring. For many patients, scars can be emotionally upsetting and embarrassing. Scars may also result in development of post-traumatic stress reactions, loss of self-esteem and being stigmatized, leading to a diminished quality of life.

Scars occur after an injury and essentially occur as part of the healing process. The size and appearance of the scar will depend on the size of the wound and it’s location. Patient factors, such as age, genetics and ethnicity can also impact the scar’s appearance and healing. Scars affect people of all ages and never completely go away. However, they can be treated to diminish their size and appearance. All scars are unique and selecting an appropriate Scar Therapy and treatment options are based upon the physician and patients scar therapeutic goals.

How Do Scars Form?

Scars form when the dermis (deep, thick layer of skin) is damaged. The body forms new collagen fibers (a naturally occurring protein in the body) to mend the damage, resulting in a scar. The new scar tissue will have a different texture and quality than the surrounding tissue. Scars form after a wound is completely healed.

There are different kinds of scars. Most scars are flat and pale. However, in cases when the body produces too much collagen, scars can be raised. Raised scars are called hypertrophic scars or keloid scars. Both of these kinds of scars are more common in younger and dark-skinned people.

Some scars can have a sunken or pitted appearance. This kind of scarring occurs when underlying structures supporting the skin (for example, fat or muscle) are lost. Some surgical scars have this appearance, as do some scars from ance .

Scars also can appear as stretched skin. Such scars result when the skin stretches rapidly (for example, as in growth spurts or during pregnancy). In addition, this type of scar can occur when the skin is under tension (near a joint, for example) during the healing process.

Different types of scars

Acne scars:

Acne scars can have a severe impact on patients, depending on the severity of the scar. Acne scars can be deep pits within the skin or skin discoloration and unevenness. If you've had severe ance, you probably have the scars to prove it. There are many types of ance scars, ranging from deep pits to scars that are angular or wavelike in appearance. Treatment options depend on the types of ance scars you have.

Keloid scars:

Keloid scars occur as part of the healing process and normally are larger than the actual site of the injury. They can be heavy dense skin patches that can require surgery to remove, depending on their size. Smaller keloid scars that do not require surgery may also be treated with transdermal medications, steroid injections , cryotherapy or electrocautery.

Hypertrophic scars:

Hypertrophic scars are red, raised scars that resemble keloids but do not get any larger than the boundary of the injury.

Contracture scars:

These scars commonly occur with burn injuries, and can cause the skin to feel tight and pulled and may impair a patients ability to move. These scars can also affect nerves and muscles, depending on how deep they are.

Four Kinds of Acne Scars Shape

Acne scars come in many different shapes, sizes and even colors.

(Pitted) Acne Scars

Types of (Pitted) Acne Scars

Depressed scars are the most common type of scarring that results from inflammatory acne. In general, all the depression scars rest on top of a patch of fibrous, collagen rich scar tissue.This fibrous tissue anchors the base (bottom) of the scar to the sub-cutaneous tissue, maintaining the depression and preventing the regrowth of healthy tissue.

Effective treatments for depressed acne scars usually involve disrupting or removing this scar tissue to allow its replacement with functional, healthy tissue.

There are three main kinds of depressed acne scars shape:

ROLLING SCARS

Rolling Acne Scars on Cheeks

Rolling acne scars are relatively broad depressions in the skin that have rounded, sloping edges.The combination of several of these types of scars in a region of skin gives it a rolling appearance, hence the name.

Rolling scars are common for in individuals who have had patches of skin that have been afflicted by long-term inflammatory acne.They tend to become more pronounced as the skin ages and loses its original elasticity and fullness.

Because rolling scars have sloping edges, many of the available scar treatment techniques are capable of producing positive results. Laser resurfacing (ablative and non-ablative), chemical peels, micro-dermabrasion, Microneedle therapy system, subcision and even red light phototherapy can produce improvements in the appearance of rolling scars.

BOXCAR SCARS

Boxcar Acne Scars on Temple

Boxcar acne scars are also relatively broad depressions, but they have steep, defined edges.

Because box car scars have steeper edges than rolling scars, it is more difficult to smooth them out and blend them into the surrounding skin. Growth and reconstruction system, reconstruction particularly Microneedle therapy system (eg. Repid Reconstuction of Scar Regeneration Therapy/Repid Skin Rgeneration MTS 5 All PRO Integrated Therapy) often produces good results.

Box car scars often cover smaller areas than rolling scars .Shallow box car scars can be treated with chemical peels and/or micro-dermabrasion, but these treatments are not very effective for deep scars. 。Treatment options include punch- out excisions, Microneedle therapy system and surgical subcisions.

ICEPICK SCARS

Icepick acne scars are deep and narrow scars.In many cases, icepick scars resemble a large, empty pore in the skin.

Ice pick scars are often the most difficult type of acne scar to treat without surgical procedures.Ice pick scars are often quite deep, making them very difficult to treat with standard resurfacing techniques.Chemical peels, micro-dermabrasion and many types of laser resurfacing are unlikely to have a significant impact on ice pick scars because those techniques do not remove enough tissue to be effective.

Some forms of laser therapy may be effective at disrupting the underlying scar tissue.Because ice pick scars are quite narrow, Microneedle therapy system excisions are a popular, mildly invasive and effective treatment technique.

Suggested treatment:

(Click on the following items to learn more)

*Repid Reconstruction of Scar Regeneration Therapy (SRC)

*Repid Skin Regeneration MTS 5 All PRO Integrated Therapy (MTS 5 All PRO)