Some people may be under the misconception that acne scars only occur when you’ve picked at a pimple, blackhead or other acne lesion. In fact, acne scars are a serious condition for many people, and anyone who has acne is at risk for acne scars. There are, however, some situations in which acne scars are more likely to occur. Guarding against scarring in those situations and more aggressively treating the acne becomes even more important.

Cystic acne is one of the conditions in which acne scars are a very real possibility. Cystic acne is the name for acne that appears as nodules or cysts. One of the defining characteristics of this condition is that the acne never forms a true whitehead above the skin’s surface. There’s an infection just as there is with any acne, but this time the infection gathers and erupts below the surface. It’s possible to have a few cystic acne points while still having other types of acne breakouts, or the person with cystic acne may have no whiteheads, blackheads or pimples. While those cystic acne points are painful, there’s also a real potential for scarring. The stress to the skin and discoloration make acne scars a real possibility.

The person suffering from adult acne is a prime candidate for acne scars. The reason acne scars can be more serious as a result of adult acne has nothing to do with the severity of breakouts. Instead, it has everything to do with the regenerative powers of your skin. Older people have older skin, and that older skin doesn’t spring back the way youthful skin is prone to do.

Finally, it’s true that picking at acne can increase the risk of acne scars. It’s a simple concept to understand. You make a sore when you pick at acne, and sores are prone to leave marks – in this case acne scars.

The potential for acne scars is prevalent whenever there’s a case of acne, but more so in some situations. An aggressive acne treatment program is your best defense against acne scars – you’ll be on your way to better skin in no time.

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Acne scar removal in the older days can be as simple as applying salves made from plant juices on affected areas. Come to think of it, a lot of people in the early era are probably not as worried about scars as we are now. The good thing about living in the 21st century is that almost every kind of skin problem has a solution. Thanks in no small part to technology.

Modern acne scar removal techniques are now available to eradicate the marks left by severe zits with just but a few sessions. Arguably, the most popular method of removing scars nowadays is with the use of laser. Laser therapy is not only for scar eradication but is now also being employed to cure acne before it can cause scarring.

One of the procedures of scar removal using laser is the localized type. This involves a hand-piece laser which looks like a pen. The doctor uses this device to burn away the damaged part of the skin to give it a chance to regenerate and replace the burned part with a fresh, smoother surface. The advantage of this procedure is that it has a higher level of precision. The handheld device can zero-in on affected areas without much risk of damaging the surrounding skin.

Another way of using laser to remove scars is through nonablative method. In contrast to the handheld technique, this method works underneath the scar with the aim of stimulating skin tissues to produce collagen to replace the scarred or damaged part. This procedure, though, is more sensitive than the handheld laser and must not be done unless the doctor is absolutely sure that this is the treatment that a particular condition requires.

In some cases, more than one procedure is required to eliminate the scars. One commonly used combination is excision/grafting. The first step is removing the subcutaneous fat layer of the scarred area surgically. This is called punch excision. This method can leave a hole on the skin where the scarred part has been removed. The hole is then filled up or repaired by skin grafting; a method that uses fresh, healthy skin to close the hole caused by the excision.

There are types of scars, keloids in particular, that do not respond well to surgical procedures. Surgery is not highly recommended to keloidal people since any type of surgery will likely create another mark on the skin and leave a different form of scar. For keloids, one option that is often considered by skin specialists is steroids. Steroidal drugs are injected directly to the scar to lessen its appearance. However, most doctors are worried about the effects of procedures on keloidal scars and often suggest that the patient just leave it alone.

Acne scar removal is far easier now than it was, say, 20 or 50 years ago. However, we really should not let the condition reaches this stage. Early pimple prevention is still needed so that we don’t need to go through these expensive, worrying procedures.

I have still struggled with adult acne for the last decade or so, starting after the pregancy of my last child.  I was never acne-prone as a teenager, in fact, I can remember vividly so many times that girlfriends would have flare-ups just in perfect time for pictures, prom, a first date and they would tell me how very lucky I was to never have that nasty zit or two before a big event!

Well, those days have been replaced with embarrassing acne flare ups, always at the worst time, and I have truly tried so many product lines that I just felt that I would kind of have to “live with it”, hiding and camoflauging the breakouts the best I could with great makeup.  I am too sensitive to the antibiolics that work best to address adult acne, I also deal with rosacea, so I cannot use the more “hard core” kind of products that can address acne as they would leave my skin literally raw, red, and looking even worse. 

Recently, I visited Euro Day Spa, in Laguna Niguel, California and got an amazing facial treatment and received some fantastic recommendations for products that could help to impact my skin.  At first, I thougth, “Nope…not going to do it…not yet ANOTHER product line!”.  But I took the risk, and purchased the products that she recommended for my skin type and for my occasional acne flareups.  And, the risk was really mitigated by two factors:  Euro Day Spa is a day spa founded by Dr. Lorrie Klein, my dermatologist (and dermatologist to my entire family!), and the esthetician did not recommend the entire store to me.  Instead, she truly listened to my concerns, closely examined my skin and took into consideration my skin sensitivities and the acne protocol that I have followed in the past.  She took care to select only a few key products that were effective, yet gentle, that had more natural ingredients and that she stated she could stand behind and put her professional reputation behind.  How refreshing, right?!

One of the products that was recommended to me was Epicuren’s Acidophilus Probiotic.  The Acidophilus Probiotic works by mildly, and I do say very mildly, exfoliating skin to help blemish-prone skin and skin types.  While it exfoliates, it also moisturizes so you do not get the red, dry, flaky skin from other types of exfoliators.  The ingredients also help to create a healthy “flora balance” on the skin so the bad acne-causing bacteria does not have an environment in which to thrive. 

Please note that this product can make you sun sensitive, and you should always follow up with sunscreen and limit sun exposure.  But we are all careful with sunscreen and sun exposure anyway, right?!

I have truly seen a profound difference in my skin, the condition of my skin, and how dramatically fewer breakouts I do get.  When I do get breakouts, they are much smaller, and certainly not the cystic type of acne that I was experiencing.   Overall, the condition of my skin felt smoother, more clear and almost brighter.   The gentle effects of the exfoliating were truly impacting my skin overall.

I am not here to say that I am like completely cured, my skin is now completely flawless or that any product has worked some amazing magic, and I would not believe that hype if I read it somewhere else.  However, I am thrilled and excited to say that indeed this product has surpassed my expecations, and I have had friends and family comment on how fantastic my skin looks. 

While I still get the occasional breakout, I have found yet another product to address that beautifully!  Another product that was recommended to me is NeoCeuticals by NeoStrata’s Acne Spot Treatment Gel.  Love, love, love this gel!

I have used many acne spot treatment products, most of which completely dry me out and I end up with a huge dry spot on my face instead of a small, manageable pimple!  Ugh!  Not this treatment gel, this is a total gem.

The Acne Spot Treatment Gel has 2% Salicylic Acid and works more gently than any other spot acne treatment that I have ever used.  I apply it on a problem area both morning and night, and typically I can see results the very next day.  I have even put this onto problem areas before going to bed, or a spot that looks like it is going to become a breakout, and upon waking up, I have no breakout, I have no problem area.

So, I have found that I have been able to really manage the majority of my adult acne issues with two fantastic products.  I recommend that you discuss these products and other options with your dermatologist as there are products out there that can truly work, without any hype, and help to impact the effects of your adult acne symptoms.  There is no “miracle cure”, however, there are products that can work for your skin, your skin type, your lifestyle and your expectations.  Good luck, and feel free to share your success stories, so we can all help each other find real world skin care solutions!