Do you want to know how to get rid of acne marks? Maybe you also need to learn how to get rid of acne at the same time. We’ve got some great tips that will help cure acne marks and live acne at the same time, so read on.
Before we begin you should know that even after pimples and blemishes disappear, they can often leave scars or discoloration. This is especially true in cases of severe or cystic acne, where scars can last years or even a lifetime. The first step in scar reduction is not to pick at your pimples!
Picking can lead to much worse discoloration and scarring. If you pick at a large enough pimple, it may lead to “true” scarring, which will last for the rest of your life. This type of scar is usually “indented” and is most common on the jawline, back, and chest.
In most cases, the discolored spot that remains after a pimple disappears is not actually a true scar. This condition is called “post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation” (try saying that ten times fast), or, more commonly, PIH. These marks will actually disappear on their own, although it can take many months or even years. There are a few ways of speeding up the process:
- Topical treatments
- Laser and Phototherapy Treatments
- Protect yourself from the sun
- Chemical Peels
- Microdermabrasion
This may include retinoids (the same product used to fight active acne), kojic acid, beta hydroxy acid, and hydroquinone. Hydroquinone used to be the most popular treatment, but it has since decreased in popularity when some preliminary studies showed it may be carcinogenic (cancer-causing).
These studies are inconclusive to date, however, and hydroquinone remains a useful treatment for PIH. Products containing azelaic acid, such as Azelex, which are also an anti-acne treatment, can help as well.
Azelaic acid is available by prescription only. You may find there are some products that combine a number of the above mentioned ingredients into one. Talk to your dermatologist about these options.
There are phototherapy treatments available for PIH as well. These involve the use of a non-ablative laser to alter the pigment of the skin. They are usually expensive and may not be suitable for those suffering from active acne. Because this is a procedure that needs to be done by a professional, you should speak to your dermatologist about these sort of options.
Although this isn’t truly a “treatment,” it’s important for people suffering from PIH to stay out of the sun. The dark marks on the skin can become darker and take longer to heal if they’re exposed to large amounts of sunlight.
If you work outside or live in a particularly sunny climate, be sure to wear sunscreen with a high SPF. This applies even to African Americans and people with dark skin, whose hyperpigmentation will still be affected by the sun.
Chemical peels use an acidic agent to exfoliate the top layers of skin. This removes the dead skin cells and decreases the chances of blemishes forming. For those with mild or moderate acne, estheticians may use chemical peels as part of a facial. Those with more serious acne should ask their dermatologist to perform a chemical peel.
This procedure, which is carried out by an esthetician or a dermatologist, involves the use of a small machine to remove the top layers of skin. The removal of the top skin layers helps to remove dead skin cells and debris from within the pores. It’s not painful, but it’s not cheap, either.
Microdermabrasion is usually used to treat patients with numerous whiteheads and blackheads, not with severe acne. It is also commonly used as a post-acne treatment to remove scars.
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