Acne Scar Removal

This Guide dedicated to Breaking Down the Scar Tissue and introduces many scar reduction ingredients as well as detailed explanation on how to properly choose products that are right and effective for you. This Step 2 Guide is a continuation from Part 1- Scar Tissue Causes: First Step in Successful Scar Treatment Skin Care.Breaking down the tough collagen structure in your scar tissue is key to winning the acne scar removal challenge.Skin lightening agents, nutritional ingredients, and collagen synthesizing agents will NOT work fast on your scars unless it could penetrate through the tough scar tissue... which is highly unlikely. You have to first soften, breakdown, dissolve, or remove the scar tissue for any other healing treatment products to be effective.Check My About Me Page or read the Preceeding Step 1: Acne Scar Treatment and Scar Removal Introductory Guide .My experiences will help you cut through the trial and error and learn how to choose the right scar removal treatment. However, this is not medical advice. Consult an experienced, knowledgable medical practitioner when in doubt. Get smart, take the right steps, you CAN recover your skin to its original perfection!Step 2: Scar Tissue Removal for Hyperpigmented Red SpotsScar tissue removal is easiest for hyperpigmented dark spots, red marks, and some cases of SLIGHTLY indented scarring.If you have evaluated your specific scar condition to be the above, the fastest way to help your skin heal is to exfoliate... in a very specific way. Your own skin's natural mechanisms cannot penetrate, dissolve and
metabolize scar tissue on their own in the fast way that you want it. So,
you have to bring in some external helpers to do the job. This is best done
with exfoliants... but not the usual facial scrubs or facial polish
products you see everywhere. KEY POINT: Any gemonplace whole-face exfoliation or polishing products will NOT work for removing specific spots and scars.Let's take a look at my experiences, gemon to many people attempting to remove their scars and improve overall eveness of skin tone. I've been faithfully using 2%, properly formulated salicylic acid (Beta Hydroxy Acid) exfoliants, refined jojoba beads facial polishes, lightening products, and copper peptide serums (supposed to stimulate scar removal and collagen synthesis) for years with no effect on dark spots and red marks from scarring. The red acne spots and dark mole-removal marks never budged. These scars are post inflammatory hyperpigmented and are possibly the lightest form of scarring, but evidently they were still "too tough" for the mild daily exfoliants and did not diminish from the above mentioned skin care products for almost a year.Most exfoliating products and facial polish are too weak to do the real mechanical work required to dissolve or break-down tough scar tissue spots. On the other hand, stronger exfoliating systems such as clinical dermabrasion sessions, professional microdermabrasion kits or extra strength chemical peels administered over larger skin areas are overkill and may not be safe. Such ggressive exfoliating devices will only irritate the heck out of
your whole face, maybe even drastically damage your skin with at best, marginal results on the scar itself. The expense, the aftercare and down time required on aggressive professional-grade exfoliation systems is not worth it and you are only hurting and irritating the rest of your face unnecessarily.What you need is a very strong, yet safe SPOT EXFOLIATING PRODUCT that will cause the LEAST IRRITATION possible to your skin.These include:AHA (alpha hydroxy acids) like glycolic or lactic acids above 10%, at least 8%, pH 3.5~4BHA (beta hydroxy acid) aka Salicylic Acid above 2%, pH 4~4.5Tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova, Differin, and other drug-like Vitamin A derivatives) Requires prescription.If you have sensitive skin and the above ingredients will definitely irritate you, there are formulas containing anti-irritants, soothing agents, and healing agents to help make your skin more receptive and less reactive to the strong chemical exfoliating agents. Some of the soothing agents you may find in AHA and BHA exfoliation formulas include: green tea extractchamomile extract or bisabololother herbal and phyto (plant-based) extracts like aloe vera, ginko biloba, ginseng, cucumber, soy, calendula, licorice, willowherb, pine bark (pycnogenol), witch hazel... etc.vitamin B5, natural vitamin E (tocopherols, NO acetates) and other soothing, antioxidant vitaminsmoisturizing agents like hyalauronic acid, collagen, polysaccharides (sugar-derivatives), and glycerinallantoinbeta glucansMSMpure natural oils and healthy fatty acids like squalene, olive, shea butter, jojoba, evening primrose, borage, or shark liver.NOTE: many cosmetics formulas containing the above ingredients actually have MICRO amounts that do not have any beneficial effects for your skin. When in doubt, check the gepany's literature to see if potency and concentration is guaranteed.Again, polishing clothes, facial scrubs, and daily-use, mild whole face exfoliants WILL NOT WORK on ACNE SCARS and FACIAL SCARS - especially the raised and depressed scars. By mild I mean 1%
Salicylic Acid (Beta Hydroxy Acid) or low concentration Glycolic Acid creams
(~ 4% Alpha Hydroxy Acids) for general exfoliating purposes. These will NOT do the
trick. The treatments strong enough to improve sun damage and advertised to improve cell turnover might still be too mild and too slow for scar treatment purposes. I suggest getting a stronger exfoliant, like an 10% ~ 15%
Glycolic Acid or 10% L-Lactic Acid product with the CORRECT pH of around
3 (so that the acid will actually work!).



It's even better if you get products containing chirally correct active ingredients. E.g., for Lactic Acid it's best to go with L-Lactic Acid (the l-isomer).
With the chirally correct version, you do not need a high concentration
like 15% and above, chirally correct and bio-available ingredients will work beautifully even at mild concentrations
like 8%.If you have an ultrasound device, you can also use lower concentration acid products and Retin-A to deliver the active ingredients deeper into your skin layers for faster, more visible results.The high acidity in strong concentration systems could easily
burn your delicate skin and leave more scarring if not administered
carefully. For example, there are 20% Glycolic acid products available but...
people who easily scar generally don't tolerate such strong treatments well in
the first place and may get more inflammatory pigment scarring from it. Post microdermabrasion hyperpigmentation and post-peel hyperpigmentation are gemon side effects of getting aggressive exfoliation. If you have very sensitive skin go with the BHA (salicylic acid). BHA is a natural anti-inflammatory and effective BHA solutions are not as acidic as they have a higher pH.With these acid exfoliants, do not administer to your whole face
and aim for spot treatment. The amount you're buying will definitely
be way more than you need. Remember that facial skin is very delicate
so you should always test slowly, move from lower concentrations then
ease into the higher concentrations. You can lower the concentration of a potent formula by mixing it with a toner or another non-acidic cream. Once you know your skin can handle the high concentration, then "dab" it with a spot-applicator like a cotton swab on the scar area only. Consult a professional clinic carefully to evaluate all possibe side effects and adverse reactions. Enzyme based
exfoliants, including rice enzymes and fruit enzymes, are very weak and do not work consistently on scars. These include papaya or pineapple enzymes called papain and
bromelain, respectively. Enzyme peels are okay for general exfoliating purposes that renew your cells, but it won't penetrate scar tissue. Best to go with the AHA, the effects will be the quickest and most visible.



WARNING: Do NOT put the strong exfoliating product all over your face.
It will burn you and cause all kinds of adverse reactions. Use a
cotton swab and carefully spot-treat the scars with a strong exfoliant of your choice.This will work well for hyperpigmented scars (i.e., red acne marks, small brown patches and spots) to speed up the dissolution of scar tissue, which keeps pigments and debris trapped in its tough collagen structures.In my next guide I will address HEALING and REJEUVENATING AGENTS that will help rebuild your collagen structure and even out your skin smoothness and skin tone once you have addressed the breaking-down of scar tissue.