Types of Acne Scars
January 13th, 2009 admin
As we know that acne scars are not actual scars. They will disappear in time but the visibility of the scars may cause embarrassment. You will find lot of information and article about curing acne scars but the first thing we should all keep in mind is the types of the scars. The occurrence of scarring is different in different people and it is also difficult to say that who will have scar, how deep or extensive it will be and things like that.
Generally there are two types of acne scars which are defined by tissue response to inflammation:
- Scars caused by increased tissue formation, and
- Scars caused by loss of tissue.
Scars caused by the increased tissue formation:
The scars which are caused by the increased tissue formation are called keloids or also known as hypertrophic scars. Hypertrophic means “overgrowth” or “enlargement”. Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are combined with too much amounts of the cell substance collagen. Overproduction of collagen causes the skin cell to injury. The excess collagen becomes stacked up in fibrous masses, resulting in a characteristic firm, smooth, usually irregularly-shaped scar. The typical keloid or hypertrophic scar is 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, but some may be 1 centimeter or larger. These keloids scars have behavior of “run in families” which means abnormal growth of scar tissue is more likely to occur in susceptible people, who often are people with relatives who have similar types of scars.
Scars caused by loss of tissue:
Acne scars also can cause by the loss of tissue and the scars are similar to chicken pox. Scars related with loss of tissue are:
Ice-pick scars which usually occur on the check. These scars are usually small, with a somewhat rough edge and steep sides, like wounds from an ice pick. Ice-pick scars may be shallow or deep, and may be hard or soft to the touch. Soft scars can be improved by stretching the skin; hard ice-pick scars cannot be stretched out.
Depressed fibrotic scars are usually bit large and contains sharp edges and steep sides. The bases of these types of the scars are stiff to touch. Ice-pick scars may evolve into depressed fibrotic scars over time.
Soft, superficial or deep scars are soft to touch. They have gently sloping rolled edges that come together with normal skin. These types of scars are usually small, and either circular or linear in shape.
Atrophic scars are naturally quite small when they occurred on the face but it can grow up to a centimeter or larger on the body. These types of scars are soft and often with a little wrinkly base, and may be bluish in appearance due to blood vessels lying just under the scar. However, over the time these scars change from bluish to ivory white in color in white-skinned people, and become much less noticeable.
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