Hey everyone,
earlier this school year i had moderate acne that was inflamed but that went down once i got prescrived epiduo. However, i still had hyperpigmentation and the epiduo wasnt taking that away so i saw abother derm and he prescribed me aczone, minocycline, twice a day and .025% tretinoin at night. I have been on these for about 1-1.5 months and the hyperpigmentation is looking a little lighter but is still noticable. I have heard people saying it takes around 6 weeks to clear but ive been on the meds for about that long now and am starting to get discouraged. I know i have to be patient but i really dont know much about how long it will take these meds to clear it up as most people talk more about acne than hyperpigmentation. Please respond and give me some helpful advice and tips. Thanks!!!
Hyper pigmentation is kind of tricky. Post inflammatory hyper pigmentation is often mistaken for post inflammatory erythema. PIH is a brown/tan coloring that can occur from sun damage, hormones, acne scars, etc. PIE is the 'red mark' that an acne lesion leaves behind. If you are caucasian or have light skin, it is more common to suffer from PIE, which subsides within a month usually after the acne lesion. However, if this discoloration has lasted this long, it may very well be PIH. You should talk to your dermatologist about an anti-pigment agent. When I was dealing with PIH from a bad laser facial, she offered me either hydroquinone or azelaic acid. I opted for the latter in the form of Finacea. It worked really well for me! After most of it was cleared up I kept up with it by using SkinMedica AHA/BHA cream in my moisturizer and ever since I started using that I haven't had a permanent mark! Talk to your doc and best wishes 
10% glycolic acid is the best treatment I've found to help speed up fading of PIH. My son had a ton of PIH on his forehead, now you can hardly tell he had acne here! Cheek PIH can sometimes take longer. Give it a try!
The fading process can vary from person to person, so please hang in there although I can sympathize! PIH is no fun and can sometimes take quite awhile to see improvement! 
Though the spots are red, they have remained for around 6 months now. They are taking a while to lighten (even though they are very slowly), so im not sure whether its PIH or PIE (i am fair skinned btw). I found a new derm about 1.5 months ago and have been taking the meds since then. I have been using murad post acne spot lightening gel sometimes (without my derm's consent) but this doesnt seem to be doing a whole lot. However I was just reminded by my derm that i shouldnt take more than he prescribed or it could irritate it. Are there any tests that he could do to find out exactly what it is and what treatment i need. Thanks again!