The very first step in preventing acne scars is to get rid of the main problem, the acne! There is no point doing all sorts of things to prevent the scars when acne keep popping up. So, the very first thing to do is to find ways to cure the acne problem.

Having an acne-prone skin does not mean you must resign yourself to it and suffer with it till it goes away one day. Instead, you have to take things in your own hands and find some skin care solution to clear up your acne once and for all.

This does not mean you will have to spend a lot of money on facials or going to beauty salons for treatments. In fact, you only need to know some basic facts on what causes acne in order to prevent it. Sometimes, even over-the-counter skin care products are good enough to clear up your acne.

Acne is caused by blocked pores and bacteria . The blocked pores are due to a combination of sebum and dead skin cells. And then the bacteria comes along and caused it to swell up, thus an acne is formed. It may sound simple enough but there are also a lot of other physiological reasons for the pores to be blocked from hereditary ones to narrowing of hair follicles.

One of the ways to prevent acne is to apply topical creams to unblock the pores such as using products that contains benzoyl peroxide.It is known to remove dead cells which clog pores and it also combats bacteria.

The second step is to keep your hands to yourself, literally.  This means that no matter how huge the acne is or how red it is or how tempting it is, DO NOT POP IT!

The rationale behind this is simple. If you pop it, you are forcibly breaking open that tiny swollen area and all the bacteria within that had caused it to swell up will be out in the open. This means the bacteria will have a fun day out!

Think of it this way. The bacteria that's causing your pimple is under your skin. Locked up. Then you came along and break open the 'door'. So, the bacteria is free and it will go up to the surface together with the sebum you had pressed out. This means, it will somehow go to the other areas and cause more pimples.

And that's not all. By popping a pimple, you increase the chances of causing a scar. When you press your finger against the skin surface, especially the affected area, you are hurting it. And when you break open the skin to release the sebum, you are already making it worse. Chances are, your skin may not heal properly from that stress and that pore will be wider or worse, end up looking like a gaping crater.

So, you have taken steps to prevent acne and you have practically tied your hands from touching the offending pimple but you are still getting acne. Well, now you have to take steps to prevent the acne from causing scars.

Again, you can look for topical treatments and creams to prevent acne scars. Popular creams will be those that contains Vitamin E to speed up the healing process and moisturisers with strong sun block.

When your acne heals, the skin will darken slightly and to prevent it from staying there, you will need to stay out of the sun which will further darken the spot.

Vitamin E skin care products are pretty good to speed up the healing process and reduces as much scar as possible. However, you will need to select those that are non-comedogenic ones in order to prevent more acne from cropping up.

Other than that, if you have a serious acne problem, then you should consult a dermatologist for prescribed medication to reduce inflammation and the severity of your acne. This way, when you acne heals, it won't leave horrifying scars.

1. Benzoyl perozide, an effective skin care product

2. Acne Skin Care and Acne Myths