CAUSES AND THOSE THAT ARE PRONE TO ACNE SCARS

Causes of Acne Scars

The penetration of acne scars down the skin causes damage to the skin and the tissues beneath. With these, the body will try to repair this damaged skin.

The body uses collagen (a substance that supports the skin) for this repair. If the collagen produced by the body is too little or too much, a scar will appear. The type of scar that appears is dependent on the amount of collagen produced by the body.

Raised acne scars: when the body produces too much collagen to heal the skin and the damaged tissues beneath it, a raised scar is formed. Those with the skin colour like the Asians, African Americans, and the Hispanics are the ones who commonly has this type of scar.

Depressed acne scars: this is the type of scar that is formed when the body produces too little collagen.

Who is Prone to Getting Acne Scars?

Some people have a higher chance of developing acne scars than others after their acne clears. This is dependent on many factors. These factors are

• Picking, popping or squeezing acne. This increases the risk of scarring by increasing inflammation
• Having inflammatory acne (one which is reddish, swollen and painful)
• Genetics. Having a blood relative who had acne scars increases a person’s risk