Ace & Acne Scars
Acne. If you have it, you know the frustration of trying to get rid of it. It affects your self-esteem, mood, and creates social isolation. You may have tried numerous treatments that have had little effect. There is help. Dr. Norcom has done an enormous amount of research in this area and has compiled a number of effective treatments.
What Causes Acne?
To understand acne, one needs to understand how our skin works. Sebaceous glands in our skin are triggered by a hormone named androgen to produce a substance known as sebum. Sebum is needed to act as the lubricant for our skin. During the adolescent years, our bodies produce more androgen, which in turn produces more sebum. Normally, this substance just spills onto the skin. But it can become trapped beneath the skin when cells from the lining of your hair follicles shed too quickly and clump together, which clogs the follicle. As a result, comedones (whiteheads and blackheads) form.
Levels of acne range from mild and moderate (small and medium-sized whiteheads and blackheads), to severe acne (large and painful lumps and cysts) which can lead to scarring.
What causes Acne Scarring?
Acne scars typically occur from severe acne. The inflamed lesion or cyst makes the follicle swell to the point where there is a break deep within the follicle wall. The infected material seeps out and destroys the healthy tissue around it.
The body then tries to repair this damage by producing new collagen fibers, which are rougher and cross-hatched as opposed to the smooth collagen that was there before.