Why acne leaves scars

Posted on 07 Dec, 2011

Any damage suffered by the skin can result in scarring. Scars are formed when the body tries to repair skin that has been torn or ruptured. While the scars themselves are perfectly normal, the tissue can differ greatly in appearance from the surrounding skin, making them noticeable and difficult to hide.

Acne causes inflamed and infected spots that can cause great damage to the tissue surrounding the affected pore or hair follicle. Once the spot subsides, it can leave in its wake reddened and depressed marks that are almost as visible as the original spot.

Only, the scars will not disappear as quickly as the lesion did. The skin appears red in its post-inflammatory stage, and can appear so for as long as a year. Any colour change or difference in appearance after this period can be considered as a permanent change to the skin.

The only sure-fire way to prevent the formation of acne scars is to prevent the lesions in the first place. This is easier said than done, but there are a range of treatments now available that can get this skin condition under control.

From antibiotics to laser acne treatment, the important thing is to seek treatment for acne early, rather than waiting for the condition to take hold and for the damage to appear.