How to fade acne scars and pigmentation – 5 Best ingredients
If you are wondering how can I fade my acne scars and pigmentation fast and with something that truly works, here are my best tips from experience
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If there is one thing more annoying than a pimple, it is acne scars
Plenty of times, I would have zero active pimples, on my face, but only acne scars left
I would only start to feel better that I am not getting any active pimples, for a whole and
someone around me would point out that I have so many pimples…even though they are just scars!
Have you experienced it too?
On top of that, they take too long to heal…
Acne scars make your face seem filled with acne, even though that might not be the case technically.
I have been through it plenty of times, and I can totally relate to you.
So if you are wondering how can i fade my acne scars and pigmentation
In this post, I will share my best tips to fade acne scars and dark spots that work!
But first, pin it for later!
How can I fade my acne scars and pigmentation?
Before I begin to share with you what helps in fading your scars,
it is important to understand acne scars on a deeper level
As it is easy to get confused and opt for treatments that don’t really work for your type of acne scars
What are acne scars?
In general terms, Acne scars are marks or pigmentation which is left behind after your acne has healed.
When we get acne out on the surface of our skin or under, the round pimple gets smaller or even bursts to result in some blood
After that, what is left on the skin is its scarring
Acne scars are of two types – inflammatory and non-inflammatory.
or in simple words, you can say pigment scarring or physical scarring
Both leave different types of scarring on your skin
Acne scars or hyperpigmentation?
Acne scars and hyperpigmentation are quite different. It is easy to get confused and opt for the wrong treatments.
Acne scars and their type
Acne scars are not pigmented but have uneven texture on the skin. They are physical indentations on your skin.
It is visible on the skin as texture, and depending on its formation, they are different! It may seem like all acne scars are the same, but they differ a lot.
- Rolling acne scars are uneven on the skin and give a rolling appearance
- Boxcar scars are round, and oval may be wide and deep into the skin
- Ice-pick scars: small, deep holes in the skin
- hypertrophic or raised scars: It is a thick raised scar that occurs as a result of the acne healing process.
You can read about all types of acne scars in detail here
This physical acne scarring is a lot more difficult to treat than pigmented ones
How to Treat (Physical) Acne Scars
For these types of acne scars, professional treatments are usually considered the most popular and go to
Which I would say is true, but they are affordable for everyone LIke
- Laser Scarring
- Fillers
- Chemical peels
And so on! It’s important to visit a dermatologist to learn and consult about these professional treatments.
However, few ingredients in improving these types of acne scars to some extent and
1. Chemical Exfoliants :
Chemical exfoliants are great to improve the quality of your skin. What a chemical exfoliant does is,
it removes all the dirt from your skin without removing the good and healthy things your skin already
What I mean by that is, for the longest time, people have opted for physical exfoliants to exfoliate their skin
The physical exfoliant ends up washing away dirt but also the good molecules that are present in our skin and is vital for its health
Whereas a chemical exfoliant only removes the dirt and eventually helps in the healing process of your skin
They can help in healing the physical scarring over time!
I prefer and recommend using a single-ingredient product that can work on your skin deeply.
So for a chemical exfoliant, the ingredients that can work magically are
2. Glycolic Acid:
Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), an amazing product to resurface the texture of your skin, and works, by removing the top layers of dead skin cells.
Moreover, it also helps in reversing the sun damage caused on the skin. By using it for a while the skin can appear smoother and more even.
However, it can be pretty strong, so it is always important to do a patch test before using it.
(GET NOW) The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
3. Mandelic Acid:
If you have physical scarring as well as hyperpigmentation, mandelic acid can help in healing both. It is a good chemical exfoliant and brightening agent.
It is a good ingredient, to begin with, especially for people with Sensitive skin like me.
(GET NOW) Mandelic acid 5% Skin prep water BY WISHTREND
4. Adapalene
Adapalene is a famous medication used to treat acne by a dermatologist. It is usually available through prescriptions.
It is a topical retinoid that helps treat both acne and acne scarring. Please note it is a strong treatment hence it is not easily available without a prescription.
However, Adapalene by Differin is commonly and easily available in every drugstore. IT IS STRONG but effective.
(GET NOW) Acne Treatment Differin Gel, Retinoid Treatment for Face with 0.1% Adapalene
PLEASE NOTE: Physical scarring takes a long to fade, especially with these non-professional treatments. It can take months to even years to completely heal. Consistently is extremely important to see visible results!
Hyperpigmentation or Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation is not scars but dark or brown spots that are left after the acne is gone.
They are pigmented, and that’s why seem like you still have pimples/acne on your face even though you don’t
Hyperpigmentation or post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation can take months to even years to heal depending on how severe your acne is
How to treat or heal Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
Since these inflammatory scars are dark spots or red, brown pigmentation, we need something brightening to help them fade away!
Ingredients that have the brightening effect that can reverse these dark inflamed areas on your skin
The good news is there are plenty of brightening ingredients available in the market that can help in healing post inflammatory Hyperpigmentation!
Please note: Acne scarring usually takes 3 months to even 6 months to start showing results there is no quick overnight magic.
It is always better to start with gentle ingredients on your skin and see their effect and then move on to products with higher concentration ( depending on your skin)
1. Niacinamide
I have used Niacinamide twice, and it is a beautiful ingredient for acne scars.
It will help you control oil production if you have oily skin and as well as help your spots fade away due to its brightening properties.
Niacinamide works well with almost all ingredients and is gentle on the skin!
You can use it in any way you like from a serum or included in different products, or pair it with other ingredients.
I personally like to use it as a serum, so it can stay longer on the skin.
If you don’t have highly sensitive skin like me, You can use the Ordinary niacinamide serum with 10%
It has worked for many people, and I have used it too for months, however, my skin is extremely sensitive.
It gives me a burning sensation, which is why I don’t use it anymore.
If you have sensitive skin as well, Aim for lower-concentration niacinamide products like The Great Barrier relief.
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum for Face
Great Barrier Relief
2.Azelaic Acid
I love azelaic acid and have used it in my entire acne-healing journey. It has helped in healing both my acne and post-inflammatory pigmentation!
When I started using it, I definitely went through the purging phase for a month or more, and then slowly, my acne and scars started healing, and it has been great even now.
It is my go-to ingredient for my acne now! I personally use the azelaic acid 10% gel available in chemists and drugstores. As it’s usually found in prescription-only formulations,
But there are few available in the market such as…
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C, as we all know is a great brightening agent that help is healing acne scars as well as dark spots!
However, Vitamin C is sensitive to the skin, which is why it is better to use it at night and wear sunscreen in the morning.
You can use it in the morning given you are putting in a good amount of sunscreen because it can damage your skin when exposed to the sun.
This is why I recommend using it at night
Vitamin c works magically with hyaluronic acid and brightens up your skin!
4. SPF:
Whether you have physical scarring or hyperpigmentation. Sunscreen is the most important to prevent as well as help from getting your situation worse.
Please make sure you wear SPF every single morning!
Even if you get and apply all the products you want, not putting SPF can do more damage than good!
Final Thoughts on how can I fade my acne scars and pigmentation
At the end of the day, The only two things that will help you are being consistent with the right products and patience
It takes a good amount of time ( 3-6months) to start seeing any result
I know how hard it can be when your skin is suffering from scars or hyperpigmentation! I still to this day have acne scars on my face
It can be hard on your mental health, but it takes time, and the only thing we can do, is being patient and wait for the results!
This Post was all about how can I fade my acne scars and pigmentation
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