How to treat acne scars

Scars are essentially the body’s backup plan to correct an open wound and protect itself. Scar tissue is formed by our body’s connective tissue, and those that suffer from cystic or recurrent acne lesions are at a higher risk of permanent scarring.

How do acne scars form?

Inflamed acne causes the body to mount an immune response and sends white blood cells (WBC’s) to help fight the inflammation. Our most abundant WBC’s are neutrophils, and these little soldiers get called to action at the site of inflammation. They then secrete anti-microbial agents and enzymes at the site to help neutralise an infection⁽¹⁾{, 2015 #1}{, 2015 #1}{, 2015 #1}. Unfortunately, this results in the breakdown of the elastin & collagen matrix due to the damage caused by the enzymes to the tissue around the area and often leads to scars.

Treating & reducing acne scars

It is important to treat scars both from within and without. You need to provide your body with the building blocks to form healthy skin and heal scar tissue, including vitamins A & E, zinc, copper and silica.

The SkinB5 system is designed to aid with healing as well at reducing and eliminating acne lesions. The acne control tablets & caplets contain a therapeutic dose of zinc, as well as copper, vitamin A, pantothenic acid (B5), nicotinamide (B3), folic acid & biotin that are required by the body for healing, repairing and improving biochemical pathways. A 2006 study showed that the combination of zinc, copper, nicotinamide and folic acid can improve acne vulgaris by 79% after only 8 weeks!⁽²⁾

SkinB5’s Acne Control tablets & caplets also contain silica to maintain the integrity of our skin cells. Silica is the most abundant trace element after iron and zinc in our body, and is vital for bone and connective tissue health. Silica is very important to create and repair collagen, and as we age our silica levels tend to decline.

Topically, there are some really powerful natural ingredients that have been shown through scientific studies to improve skin health & aid in scar healing. Green tea, aloe vera and vitamin E have all been found to be effective at healing scars and wounds^(3,4). Natural vitamin E (aka tocopherol or alpha-tocopherol) helps protect tissue from oxidation and is a very important fat-soluble vitamin that has been shown to aid wound healing and increase collagen fibers⁽⁵⁾. SkinB5’s Acne Control Moisturiser contains all the above power-ingredients, which is specifically designed to protect & heal delicate sensitive skin.

Taking a one-two punch approach to reducing and treating acne scars is very important – provide the nutrients your skin needs within AND apply active ingredients externally for a more effective holistic treatment.

References:

1. Neutrophil granulocyte. Wikipedia; 2015; Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrophil_granulocyte.
2. Niren NM, Torok HM. The Nicomide Improvement in Clinical Outcomes Study (NICOS): results of an 8-week trial. Cutis 2006;77(1 Suppl):17-28.
3. Eshghi F, Hosseinimehr SJ, Rahmani N, Khademloo M, Norozi MS, Hojati O. Effects of Aloe vera cream on posthemorrhoidectomy pain and wound healing: results of a randomized, blind, placebo-control study. J Altern Complement Med 2010;16(6):647-50.
4. Park G, Yoon BS, Moon JH, Kim B, Jun EK, Oh S, et al. Green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate suppresses collagen production and proliferation in keloid fibroblasts via inhibition of the STAT3-signaling pathway. J Invest Dermatol 2008;128(10):2429-41.
5. Lin TS, Abd Latiff A, Abd Hamid NA, Wan Ngah WZ, Mazlan M. Evaluation of topical tocopherol cream on cutaneous wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012;2012:491027.

Haley is a passionate Naturopath & nutrition expert, writer, and mum of 2 young children, with years of experience in the industry. She is a known as a real ‘nutrition nerd’ and follows the latest natural health research. As a Paleo and raw food enthusiast, she coaches people in healthy living, beauty and positive mindset. Haley has personally experienced the benefits of the SkinB5 natural acne treatment system and is happy to offer her guidance to help others regain clear skin. Follow her blog at www.aliveinwonderland.com & link with her on facebook at www.facebook.com/aliveinwonderlandhealth