A scar is a mark left on the skin after a surface 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 happenings set into motion an orchestrated sequence of events that are involved in the healing reaction, in which the normal functional tissue (skin) is replaced by connective tissue (scar) and the healing reaction is characterized by the movement of specialized cells into the wound site, resulting in a scar.

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

* Regeneration (exact replacement)

* Average 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 wounded area and the intricate healing process starts. This is the body's natural way of protecting itself from damage. However this innate defensive process usually leaves behind scarring evidence, leaving you with a sudden need of removing scars or getting rid of acne scars.

Scars are composed mainly of collagen, a protein fiber usually found in the skin's middle layer, these scars are the body's way of regenerating itself. Fortunately, 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 bet is always prevention.

The next list of things you should and shouldn't do when following any acne scar treatment guide.

* Don't cleanse injuries 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 injury healing. (In addition, one out of three 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 secrete pigment), can cause dark coloration. When you're outdoors, always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.

* Do cover a wound. There is a popular misconception that wounds need to 'breathe' in order to heal, but this isn't true. As a matter of fact, moisture prevents the formation of a hard scab and can delay the healing process by as much as 50%. It's recommended to treat the damaged area daily with an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin (which will prevent infection, another hindrance to healing) and maintain it protected with a bandage. After a week, switch to plain Vaseline petroleum jelly and continue using it underneath the bandage until new skin grows over the injury.

* Do keep 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-including keloids, scars with hard tissue that grow impetuously over their original bounds.