Acne scars, pigmented scars on the legs, surgical scars and keloids are the most common types of scars. Inflammatory acne characterised by predominantly inflamed spots as opposed to non-inflamed whiteheads and blackheads will result in scarring even if the spots have not been squeezed or picked at. Inflamed spots appear as red bumps, pustules, nodules (large red bumps) and cysts.

Squeezing, picking and inappropriate beauty ‘therapy’ of inflamed spots will worsen scarring. Pigmented scars on the legs are usually due to scratching caused by itchy rashes or insect bites. Pigmentation is a normal response to skin injury among Asians. The pigmentation may lighten on its own if the scratching stops. Surgical scars result from surgery such as surgical excision of lumps and stitching after cuts to the skin.

Scars are normally confined to the site of injury. Those that extend beyond it are known as keloids. For example, vaccinations are often delivered via a single puncture in the skin with a fine needle, yet the keloids that arise from some vaccination sites are larger than the puncture wound left by the needle. Keloids occur only in those predisposed to them and sometimes runs in families.

See our Singapore Dermatology section here.