Acne
If you suffer from acne or acne scars, schedule an appointment to get a custom treatment plan.
What Is Acne?
Acne is the term for pimples and complexion problems that trouble many teenagers, adults and even young children. Pimples mainly develop on the face, but they can also be found on the neck, chest, back and upper arms. Acne is only a skin problem, and typically has no impact on your general health.
What Are the Causes?
Acne develops when a pore in the skin becomes clogged with dead skin cells. Normally, dead skin cells will rise to the surface of a pore, where they are shed by the body. When your body produces a lot of sebum (oil that prevents our skin from drying out), it can cause dead skin cells to stick together. The combined cells then become trapped inside of the pore instead of rising to the surface, causing acne to form on the face or body.
Pores can also become clogged by the bacteria that lives on our skin. Bacteria thrives in pores; once inside it will quickly spread. With enough bacteria inside of a pore, it becomes inflamed and your skin will appear red and swollen. If the inflammation is deep enough, acne cysts or nodules will appear.
What Causes Acne Scars to Form?
Acne scars generally result from inflamed blemishes caused by enlarged skin pores. Skin pores can swell up from excessive oil, bacteria and dead skin cells, causing a break in the follicle wall. Minor breaks in the follicle wall do not take as long to heal, but a major one can cause infected material to spill out into surrounding tissue to create deeper lesions.
Your skin does have its own self-repair technique for lesions. New collagen fibers are formed and attempt to repair them. Unfortunately, as we age, our bodies produce less and less collagen, making it harder for acne scars to fade. And even when the skin repairs itself, it does not look as clear as that original layer.
What Are the Main Types of Acne Scars?
Scars resulting from acne are identified as either hypertrophic/keloid or atrophic/depressed. Hypertrophic/keloid scarring develops when the body produces too much collagen as acne wounds heal. They look like a mass of raised tissue on the surface of the skin.
Atrophic/depressed scars are caused by a loss of tissue. Often referred to as “icepick” scars, they appear as small, visible holes in the skin. “Boxcar” scars are depressions that are commonly round in shape. They can look similar to the scars you can get from the chickenpox.
Acne Treatments in Erie, PA
If you’re interested in an acne treatment, schedule an appointment at our office in Erie, Pennsylvania. Together, we will help you experience more inner and outer beauty. Request an appointment online using the form below or give us a call at (888) 889-5099.