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A scar is a mark left on the skin after an external injury or wound has healed. The human body was built to endure a variety of injuries, including penetrating trauma, burn trauma, etc. All of these incidents set into motion an orderly sequence of events that are involved in the healing response, in which the normal functional tissue (skin) is substituted by connective tissue (scar) and the curing response is characterized by the movement of specialized cells into the wound site, resulting in a scar.

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

* Regeneration (perfect replacement)

* Normal repair (reestablished equilibrium)

* Exaggerated healing (fibrosis and contractures) and

* Insufficient healing (chronic ulcers)

When a wound occurs; 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 harm. However this innate protective mechanism 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 normally found in the skin's second layer, these scars are the body's method of regenerating itself. Luckily, scars will disappear 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.

The following is a list of things you should and shouldn't do 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 demonstrated that Vitamin E impairs injury healing. (In addition, one-third of the patients tested also showed an allergic reaction).

* Don't expose new scars to the sun. Ultraviolet rays can slow-down the healing process and, since they excite melanocytes (the cells that produce pigment), can cause dark coloration. When you're outdoors, always use 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 impedes the formation of a hard scab and can delay the healing process by as much as 50%. It's advised to treat the damaged area daily with an antibiotic preparation like Neosporin (which will prevent infection, another impediment to healing) and maintain 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 injury.

* Do maintain regular pressure on the injury with special bandages or silicon e sheeting pads. Several studies have shown that accessories like these help to compress scars-even keloids, scars with hard tissue that grow impetuously over their original bounds.