The skin?s sebaceous glands, also known as oil-producing glands are always associated with hair follicles, into which they percolate their sebum oil. The sebum or oil goes all the way up to protect and guard the skin?s surface, lubricating both the outermost layer of the skin and hair, since they need continuos supply of lubricants to be able to maintain their flexibility and smoothness. This oil serves as a protective shield against the harmful effects of the sun?s ultra violet rays, bringing the skin to dry, break and/or chap.

To have a more comprehensive understanding of acne scar, one who is suffering from them must define its causes, prevention, types and ways on how to treat them. First of all, acne spots are not acne scars. They may look like scars, but really, they are not acne scars in the sense that a stable change took place. Spots that are often mistakenly identified as acne scars are called ?macules? or pseudo-scars. These spots are characterized by flat, reddish marks that have reached the finishing stage of an inflamed acne. Macules may remain to leave a spot for as long as 5 to 6 months. When it finally disappears on the skin, macules will not leave even a single trace, unlike that of acne scars. Acne scars may stay for awhile before they finally disappear in time, having such marks can lead to depression, embarrassment and social anxiety.

Acne scars can be seen where an inflamed acne is in the process of healing or has already been healed, leaving post inflammatory pigmentation and discoloration of the skin. In a more basic explanation, we refer to acne scars as the result of an injured skin tissue. Acne scars are common among people with darker skin, but is more visible in people with whiter skin. It is advisable to seek the help of a skin specialist or dermatologist for early treatment of acne scars, as the post inflammatory pigmentation and discoloration of skin may last up to 18 months. With excessive exposure to sun?s harmful ultra violet rays, acne scars may stay for more than 18 months. The sight of these scars are reminders that we should take charge of our own injuries that need urgent attention.

After knowing the causes of acne scars, it’s now time to identify their types. Acne scar or a true scar is categorized as (a) ice-pick scar, which appears and exists in depressed areas, and (b) keloids, also known as the stitch-like raised thickened tissue.

When our skin tissues are inflicted with injury, the skin seeks to urgent repair and treatment. The fundamentals to skin treatment are white blood cells and many other forms of skin components that aid in the healing process and that is responsible for battling bacterial infections and repairing the injured tissue. But after performing a simple, basic task, they may leave an untidy and cluttered operational repair site characterized by a fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue. These helpful white blood cells and inflammatory molecules may stay on at the repair site of an active acne healing for several days. But people who are more prone to scars can eventually acquire deep acne scars. Acne scars may diminish or experience a change in size, but they don’t totally disappear.

No one, not even science and skin experts can tell exactly the causes and effects of different acne scars to different people. Men and women, young and old, is a prospect victim of acne and acne scars. However, the very key to prevention is an urgent respond to a certain injury.