Effective Acne Scar and Stretch Marks Treatment by Dr. Satya Saraswat

Acne Scars

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when the hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. It might be the cause of blackheads, whiteheads, or pus lesions, and typically appear on the forehead, chest, face, upper back, and shoulders. Acne mostly affects teenagers, but can affect people of all age groups.

More than 10 million cases of acne are reported annually in India. And as if the problem of acne was not enough, you need to deal with the scars, sometimes so deep that it takes years for them to heal on their own.

Types of Scars

The treatment of Acne is prescribed as per the type of scars.

2. Atrophic or depressed scars: These scars appear as small indentations under the skin. They occur when the skin does not make enough fibroblasts in the healing process. Fibroblasts are cells that play a crucial role in wound healing.
3. Hypertrophic scars: These scars appear when the skin makes excess amount of fibroblasts during the healing process resulting in a raised appearance on the affected area.
4. Keloid Scars:Just like Hypertrophic scars, these have a raised appearance but are typically thicker than the original acne spot.

Acne Scar Treatments

Acne scars can be an unwanted reminder of acne and may lower the self-esteem in some people, but they do not have to be permanent. Dr Saraswat offers several treatments for acne scarring depending on their type and severity.

2. Fractional CO2 laser: Fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers are among the modern advances to achieve skin rejuvenation non surgically. The laser, with its microbeams, generates mini wounds and permits the body to heal them naturally, producing epithelium and collagen to aid the procedure. As your skin heals naturally, the new layer that appears is more radiant and healthier, with the fine lines and acne marks no longer noticeable.
3. Fully ablative CO2 laser:The fully ablative CO2 laser was the forerunner of the relatively newer fractional CO2 laser. Usually, the patients are pretty satisfied with the results but there is a significant amount of downtime for the procedure.
4. Adipose Stem Cells: Stem cells derived from adipose tissue can be used very effectively to treat acne scars. It softens them, makes the skin smoother and also fills up the acne pits. Refer to the fat grafting section for further details on this procedure.
5. Derma Rolling/ Microneedling: Dermarolling, a procedure of microneedling, comprises using a mini wheel enclosed with hundreds of tiny needles to lightly prick on the face. A dermaroller is an instrument that creates micro punctures in the skin for the product to penetrate and get absorbed better. The new skin that grows is radiant, smoother and even plump. This is also used for people who complain of large pore size or loose skin.
6. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP): Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is blood plasma concentrate that approximately contains three to five times the number of platelets found in the circulating blood normally. This therapy makes use of injectionscontaining the platelets of the patient himself/herself to accelerate the process of facial rejuvenation and healing.
7. Chemical Peels: Chemical peels work by removing the top layer of skin thereby allowing new and healthy skin to show up. Although chemical peels show great results in skin rejuvenation, they might not prove very effective in removing deep pitted scars. Depending on the severity of the scar, a glycolic peel, salicylic peel or a lactic acid peel might be recommended to the patient. The best part about peels is that there is no downtime and they are completely non abrasive.

Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are narrow, long, and often irregular lines that grow on the skin. The skin comprises 3 vital layers. Stretch marks start in the middle layer or dermis of the skin when the connective tissue is strained past its elasticity. They occur when the skin is suddenly stretched and are attributed to several factors. Anybody can grow stretch marks, though they mostly affect women than men.

They can form on different body parts including the thighs, stomach, hips, upper arms, breasts, and the lower back. This kind of scarring is seen in cases where the skin is unable to commence normal arrangement after a phase of intensified growth due to weight gain, pregnancy, puberty, or weight loss. They usually appear where there is a huge storage of fat like breast, abdomen, arms, thigh, etc. They don’t cause any danger or harm to the health condition and are not a cause for alarm.

Underlying Causes

The most common causes of stretch marks are:

1. Pregnancy: 50 to 90 percent of women experience stretch marks post pregnancy.
2. Puberty: Rapid growth is mostly seen in young people going through puberty. It can often lead to stretch marks.
3. Rapid weight gain or loss: It is observed that rapid weight gain or loss can lead to stretch marks.
4. Medical Conditions: Some conditions can be the reason for stretch marks, such as Cushing’s syndrome and Marfan syndrome. Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder that can lead to reduced elasticity in the skin tissue. Cushing’s syndrome is a disorder that can lead to excessive production of the hormone cortisol over a long period and can lead to rapid weight gain and skin fragility.
5. Collagen Reduction: Collagen strengthens and supports the skin, and a reduced amount can increase the risk of stretch marks.

Prevention

Prevention is always better than cure, especially in the case of stretch marks where there is no foolproof evidence that applying creams, lotions, or oils to the skin can help.

1. Try to maintain a healthy and consistent weight.
2. Avoid crash diets, which can lead to sudden weight loss and eventually loosening of the skin.
3. Eat a balanced diet rich in vitaminsand minerals. Consuming the required amount of vitamins A and C, and minerals zinc and silicon can support the skin.
4. Weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable. Try to keep it gradual.
5. Keep your body hydrated, which alone can lead to a plump and youthful skin.
6. Use proper sun protection.

Treatments

1. Laser therapy: While stretch marks can’t be cured completely, laser removal may make the affected skin smoother, thereby reducing their appearance. Pulsed dye lasers and intense pulsed light are used to improve the appearance of stretch marks and increase the production of collagen over time. A person may need up to 20 treatments to normally get a 20 to 60 percent improvement in their stretch marks. Treatments are often costly.
2. RETIN A: RETIN A or Tretinoin can penetrate through the upper layer of skin and reconstruct collagen, which explains how it improves stretchmarks in certain people. It can, however, cause side effects such as redness and peeling. Pregnant or nursing women should not use this drug. Tretinoin is available only by prescription. Its benefits appear to be the strongest when used on new stretch marks, so people should seek treatment as early as possible. However, once the marks have faded, tretinoin may not be beneficial.
3. Cosmetic surgery: Cosmetic surgery for stretch marks is costly and therefore, rarely recommended. If one has stretch marks on the abdomen or tummy and an outsized amount of loose skin, it is advised to have an operation such as tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. The procedure removes excess fat and skin from your abdomen and gets rid of the stretch marks below your belly button.