Treating Acne Scarring and Stretch Marks Naturally
There are many reasons for why we can end up with a scar on our bodies; post-acne scarring; cuts or other injuries may all result in scar tissue formation. Unfortunately, frequently scars end up being a permanent mark on the landscape of our skin and in particular facial scars resulting from acne can be particularly bothersome.
Treating scarring naturally is not as difficult or complicated as it might seem. There are several essential- and carrier-oils, as well as herbal extracts that come to our rescue. But first, let’s look at how scarring develops and what changes take place in the various skin layers.
Take a look at the video clip, it shows the step-by-step process of how an injury (or for that matter a severe acne lesion) produces a scar.
Depending on the severity of an injury, a scar is inevitable, however, here we'll focus on the scars from acne, and stretch marks resulting from pregnancy.
In either case, prevention is always better than having to cure a problem later on. So, following advice given in previous articles on how to treat and manage acne, is the first step.
Similarly, stretch marks can be minimised if not totally prevented if the woman starts treating her growing breasts and tummy before the stretch marks start to appear.
How do these types of scars form
Basically there are three layers that make up our skin: the epidermis (5 outer layers), the dermis (the elastic, resilient middle layer), and the subcutaneous tissue (the deepest layer).
Formation of Stretch Marks
Stretch marks, also known as striae atrophica and striae distensae or striae gravidarum reflecting their occurrence in pregnancy, form in the dermis. When the dermis is stretched, the connective fibres (collagen and elastin fibres) break, causing microscopic bleeding and tissue inflammation. Usually the skin is quite elastic, however, when it is overstretched, the normal production of collagen is disrupted, resulting in scars called stretch marks. Collagen is the major protein that makes up the connective tissue in your skin.
Formation of Acne Scars
Acne scars are a result of the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the sebaceous follicle of the skin. There are two types of acne scars: (1) depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and (2) raised thickened tissue such as keloids (AAD, 2009). In other words, the first is due to a loss of tissue, while the second is an excessive build up of tissue, namely collagen fibres.
In the process of the body reacting to an injury, such as overstretching of the skin and underlying tissues or a severe acne lesion, the white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules involved in the repair, tend to leave behind a somewhat messy repair site. This takes the form of fibrous scar tissue or eroded tissue (AAD, 2008).
How to treat these types of scars naturally?
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In either case, fibrous or eroded scar tissue can be treated naturally by employing some or all of the following steps.
- Exfoliation: In order to promote new, healthy skin cell growth, using a natural exfoliant is a good and necessary first step. Removing old, dead skin cells promotes the growth of new living cells.
- Use essential oils and herbal extracts that stimulate and promote the growth of new, normal healthy skin cells. Herbs such as Comfrey, Calendula, Chamomile, and essential oils such as Rose, Frankincense, and Lavender, all have rejuvenating effects on skin cells and they promote the normal cells growth.
- Promote formation of elastin and collagen fibres. These fibres make up the matrix of the skin. In addition, they also provide the skin with strength and elasticity. This can be achieved by using the herbs and essential oils mentioned above.
- Make sure you use natural skin care products and follow a daily skin care regime of cleansing, toning and moisturising. In addition to regular exfoliation and using deep cleansing facial clay masks to keep skin pores clean and free of plugs.
- In treating stretch marks, an oil blend using the above mentioned herbs and essential oils will help to (a) prevent stretch marks from occurring, and (b) if you already have stretch marks, these same herbs and essential oils will help to repair and rejuvenate the skin to reduce stretch marks.
The way these oils work on your skin is by helping to rebuild the normal tissue underlying the scar. As you exfoliate the old layers off the top of your scar, and promote new tissue forming below the scare using the herbs and oils, over time it is possible to virtually replace all the scar tissue with new, healthy, normal skin cells.
References:
American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), (2008) Acne Scarring. Web site: http://www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet/scarring.html (last accessed June ’09).