The causes of acne scars

Acne scars generally result from inflamed blemishes that are caused by engorged 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 actually has 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 our skin repairs itself, it does not look as pristine as that original dermal layer.

The 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 chickenpox.

At Canadian Beauty Boutique we provide a few treatments for acne scarring. Treatment selection is dependent on the type of scarring and combination treatments may be recommended depending on the condition of your skin.