It’s been a while since I had problems with scars, but as my daughter grows older, and scars start to appear I thought I should write an article on pimple scars. I hope you enjoy it.

Acne or commonly known as pimples, is a common facial rash occurring in adolescence and rarely in early or mid-adult life. The cause is multi factorial but the blockage of pilosebaceous units (openings of glands on skin surface) with surrounding inflammation is the main cause and this can be due to a number of different factors which are given below:

Increased level of androgens;

Propionibacterium acnes;

Genetic susceptibility.

Pimples present in areas rich in sebaceous glands such as the face, back and sternal area. The three cardinal features are blackheads or whiteheads, papules and pustules. The skin may be very greasy due to excessive sebum. Rupture of these lesions may result in formation of deep seated nodulocystic lesions resulting in scarring. Once these scars are formed, it is very difficult to get rid of them. So, it is always better to prevent formation of acne or pimple scars by taking appropriate treatment right in time.

Premenstrual exacerbation of acne (pimples) is also noticed in some cases. Pimples usually improve spontaneously over the number of years but can even persist unabated into adult life. There are different types of pimples (acne) like infantile acne (seen in infants), steroid use associated acne, oil acne and many more.

So it is very important to treat the acne (pimples) at right time before scarring develops. Treatment is aimed at decreasing sebum production, decreasing bacteria and decreasing inflammation.

Regular washing with acne soaps specially manufactured to clear pimples by removing excess grease should be encouraged (normal soaps can form black heads). Picking and touching the face should be discouraged as they may result in permanent scarring of the face.

Topical agents are the first line agents used to treat acne (pimples) without scarring e.g. antibiotics like Tetracycline and Clindamycin. Moreover certain agents are used to counter keratinization like Benzoyl peroxide. Topical retinoid and retinoid-like agents are also used to treat acne.

Second line therapy includes low dose oral antibiotics at least for 3 to 4 months and ultraviolet phototherapy.

A potentially new treatment modality is pulse-dye laser therapy which has shown some benefit in mild to moderate acne but is not curative. Further research is going on to establish its effectiveness and long term safety. Pulse dye laser therapy studies have shown very promising results in preventing the scars which occur due to pimples. You should always consult your dermatologist before this therapy.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah