A scar is a mark left on the skin after an external injury or wound has been treated. The human body was built to endure a variety of aggressions, including penetrating trauma, burn trauma, etc. All of these happenings set into action an orderly chain of events that are involved in the healing reaction, in which the healthy functional tissue (skin) is replaced by connective tissue (scar) and the curing reaction is characterized by the migration of specialized cells into the damage site, resulting in a scar.

Healing is the intricate and dynamic process that results in the restitution of anatomical continuity and function. There are some basic responses that can occur after a wound has appeared:

* Regeneration (exact replacement)

* Normal repair (reestablished equilibrium)

* Excessive healing (fibrosis and contractures) and

* Deficient healing (chronic ulcers)

When a wound happens; be it a cut or an acne infection, a variety of different cells come immediately to the aid of the damaged area and the intricate healing process begins. This is the body's biological way of protecting itself from damage. However this innate protective process usually leaves behind scarring evidence, leaving you with a sudden need of getting rid of unwanted acne scarring.

Scars are composed mainly of collagen, a protein fiber usually found in the skin's second layer, these scars are the body's way of regenerating itself. Luckily, scars will fade in time, but for those scars that don't disappear new procedures like laser therapies can minimize them significantly. However your best option is always prevention.

Here is a list of simple tips that you should keep in mind when following any acne scar treatment guide.

* Don't cleanse wounds with hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is known to destroy new skin cells.

* Don't treat your skin with vitamin E. Research done in the University of Miami showed that Vitamin E impedes wound healing. (In addition, one-third of the patients tested also showed an allergic response).

* Don't expose new scars to the sun. UV radiation can slow-down the healing process and, since they excite melanocytes (the cells that produce pigment), can promote dark coloration. When you're outdoors, always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.

* Do cover an injury. It is commonly believed that wounds need to breathe to heal but this isn't true. As a matter of fact, moisture prevents the creation of a hard scab and can delay the healing process by as much as 50%. It's advised to treat the injured area daily with an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin (which will avoid infection, another hindrance to healing) and keep it protected with a bandage. After a week, switch to plain Vaseline petroleum jelly and keep using it below the bandage until new skin grows over the wound.

* Do maintain constant pressure on the wound with special bandages or silicon e sheeting pads. Several studies have demonstrated that products like these help to compress scars-including keloids, scars with hardened tissue that grow impetuously over their original limits.