Below is something I read about on treating acne scars, and think it would be useful to share here.

Scars are indications that the body has repaired itself in one way or another, either due to injury or infection. Once these events occur, white blood cells from the body accumulate at the site to fight further infection and repair the damage that has taken place.

Once that process is complete, scars often form. This process can be compared to a seam being sewn into a piece of torn fabric. The skin (or seam) will never be quite as smooth as it was before the damage.

There are different types of acne scars and different degrees of each type. Some people may develop worse scars than others, depending on their individual tendencies.

Types of acne scars

There are two different types of scars caused by acne. The first type, depressed scarring, is caused by tissue loss and the second type, keloids, is caused by tissue formation.

1) Depressed Scarring

This type of scar is caused by the dermis being attacked by toxins escaping the skin. Once a cyst ruptures, it expels pus, oil, bacteria, and other poisons into the surrounding areas.

White blood cells rush to the site of infection to repair the skin and, in the process, valuable collagen is lost, causing skin recesses or depressions. The skin above the injury will then develop scars most commonly called ice pick scars. Other scar types are soft, mascular, and fibrotic.

2) Keloids

This type of scarring results from fibroblasts being triggered by the body during the repair process. Once collagen starts decreasing, the fibroblasts produce excessive collagen, resulting in tissues called keloids. They usually form on the male body and are sometimes called hypertrophic scars.

Treating the scars of acne

Consult your dermatologist about the best treatment for your individual scars. Be prepared to discuss your feelings about the scarring, the cost of treatment, and what you want the end result of the treatment to be. The physician will need to consult with you regarding the severity and location of the scars, as well as what type of treatments are available.

Commonly requested scar treatments include laser, collagen, and dermabrasion. Skin surgery and/or grafting are also considerations if the scars run deep. Keloids are sometimes left alone if the physician feels that treatment will cause other keloids to form.

In this event, keloids can sometimes be effectively remedied by using steroid injections.

Click here to learn the top 5 secrets to clearing your skin!

Before you reach for the next acne cream or antibiotic pills to stop your acne problem, may be you want to also consider natural ways to cure your acne. First, you have to identify the underlying reason that is causing your acne, so that you can eliminate the causative factor(s).

For example, acne flair-ups are usually the result of the Propioniform bacteria blocking the pores, leading to inflammation and formation of cysts or lesions. This type of bacteria can be found on the surface of everyone’s skin. So what you need to do is to eliminate the factor that is promoting the growth of propioniform bacteria on your skin. And that very important factor is…. your diet!

Yes, diet has everything to do with acne.

If you are prone to forming acne lesions, then eating a diet that causes an insulin surge in your body will trigger acne. Eating refined carbohydrates and sugar can cause the insulin levels to rise. This in turn leads to excess production of male hormones, which encourage your pores to secrete sebum that attracts acne-promoting bacteria.

The solution to this is rather simple - reduce the intake of foods that cause your body to make insulin. The foods are mainly sugar and grain carbohydrates (e.g. bread, rice, potatoes, cereal, pasta, corn). Note that whether a whole wheat bread is organic or not, it’s still a carbohydrate, it will still cause acne problem for you. You also have to watch out for fruits that are likely to increase the insulin production in your body.

A better carbohydrate option is vegetable carbohydrates, which are metabolized slowly and less likely to cause a surge in your insulin production.

So, this is a simple way to cure your acne naturally, that is by modifying your diet. Try it out and see if it works for you!

Besides using OTC or cosmetic brand acne treatment products, there are many natural ways to cure your acne.

Listed below are several natural acne remedies (e.g. things you can find in your kitchen!) that people have used to treat their acne. The methods may or may not effective for your acne problem. You might want to consult your skin specialist, if you have one, before you try any of these.

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1. Pat distilled and diluted white vinegar on areas of the skin affected by acne. Allow it to stay on skin for up to 10 minutes, and then rinse gently with cool water.

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2. Apply lemon juice to areas of the face affected by pimples, zits and other skin conditions. Let the juice stay on the face for up to 10 minutes, then rinse off with cool water. Other citrus juices may be used and diluted if they cause stinging sensations. This solution will work as a natural exfoliate by rubbing off dead skin tissue.

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3. Take dandelion or red clover supplements daily to clear the liver off toxins.

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4. Vitamin A supplements are helpful for severe acne. Consult your physician to determine the correct dosage because overly large amounts can be toxic.

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5. Take Zinc supplements to encourage tissue repair and prevent scarring of the skin.

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6. Follow a well-balanced diet and take vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent nutritional deficiencies. Keeping your body healthy will encourage natural healing of your tissues.

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7. Drink plenty of water daily to flush out toxins and to keep the body hydrated.

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