2 replies to this topic

[Epicness]

Well, I have these dark acne marks all over my face after the inflation calms down cus of acne. I have been applying a Cleanser>Toner>Moisturizer morning and night. I still get a couple of break outs but not that severe anymore. So I am wondering how can I get rid off those dark spots effectively with out me breaking out. PLEASE I NEED AN ADVICE. <3 I'm new here so I hope to get answers eventually
Thank you and God Bless everyone~

[officialglamwarrior16]

I Use Bio-Oil For Dark Spots & Acne Scars...I'd Get The Small ottle It Lasts Forever. Not Literally, Though. & It Won't Break You Out.

[ijpinilla]

It's called postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and the process that fades these marks is shedding of skin cells (i.e. exfoliation, be it natural process of shedding skin cells or accelerated via chemical/manual exfoliation). With this and in theory, the faster skin cells shed, the faster PIH fades. Now here is the kicker, trying to accelerate skin cell shedding via harsh chemicals (chemical peels, for example) or harsh scrubbing could actually prolong the duration of the marks.

How can there be such an oxymoron? Well, let's just look at the name first: postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. It's a healing process that results from inflammation--more specifically to us, inflammation from acne lesions. So why do chemicals/methods meant to speed up skin cell shedding actual prolong their duration? This applies to particularly harsh chemicals and harsh manual exfoliation, because these methods run a risk of irritating your skin. What's the human body's common reaction to irritation? Inflammation. So if we look at it this way, we can begin to understand why harsh methods can be very counterproductive and prolong the situation we're trying to eliminate.

What you can do if you haven't, is start replacing your night moisturizer with AHA about 3 times a week. AHA is an effective mild chemical exfoliate, but it's great for acne too since it's job is to prevent dead skin cells from hanging out on your face (and more importantly, clogging your pores) Most AHA lotions come in a dose of 10% AHA, which is all well and good if your skin is tolerant. If not, there are lotions with lower percentages of AHA you could try.

Bottom line: increasing the rate of fading PIH is a delicate balance of accelerating skin cell shredding without going overboard and causing more irritation/inflammation. Even if you choose not to chemically/manually exfoliate, PIH is not permanent and will fade eventually as skin cells naturally shed.