Commonly, the mild form of acne occurring in most people does not produce scars, or if it does, the scarring heals by itself over time. But people suffering from aggressive forms of acne such as nodular cystic acne might be left with deep scarring in the skin.

There are also spots and pigmentation related with acne that are not exactly scars but resemble them in appearance. These disappear with time but are visible enough to cause embarrassment. Macules are such pseudo- scars, which can be a consequence of an inflamed acne lesion. A macule is nothing but a flat, red patch that is the final stage of every inflamed lesion. Unlike a scar, a macule can take time to disappear, but once it does, it leaves no trace behind.

Then there is the skin's discoloration after the healing of any inflamed acne lesion. It is more frequent in dark skinned people, but can take place in white skin also. This is called "Post inflammatory pigmentation." It may need treatment by a dermatologist.

Based on the shape of tissue, acne scars are divided in two groups. The first type of scar consists of augmented skin tissue, and the others are specified by the diminution in tissue on the site of lesion. Overgrowth of scar tissue is called Keloid and is more noticeable in African-Americans. The deep, linear scar formed by acne is called the ice-pick scar. These are very deep and their removal is difficult.

Response to Acne Scars Varies

In some people scars heal quickly while some others carry scars for a lifetime. Psychologically, people show different reactions to acne scarring. Some people think about scarring as something normal, while there are others who are alarmed about even the slightest of scarring and go to great lengths to get them eliminated.

More common are acne scars caused by the loss of tissue. These are similar to scars left by chicken pox. These scars include ice-pick scars, soft tissue scars and depressed fibrotic scars. Ice-pick scars usually occur on the cheek. These are small but with steep, jagged edges which makes their healing or treatment difficult. Sometimes these small scars become quite large and steep, with sharp edges, which are then called depressed fibrotic scars. Then there are soft scars, both superficial and deep. These are small with rolling edges merging with the healthy skin. They are either circular or linear in shape.

Pinching and squeezing acne can also lead to acne scarring. This action spreads the infection to surrounding skin and damages unhealed tissue, resulting in pit-like scars.