I started getting acne when I was 13, was at it's worst when I Was 15 and slowly descended in severity since then.
I had moderate acne at worst, however, due to my extremely fair skin, EVERY pimple I had would leave a redmark, without fail.
I bet at one time I had around 30-50 redmarks on my face. Now I'm down to 10 minor ones if that, plus they heal faster now. Here's what I discovered over the years.
this is advice for EVERYONE, it shouldn't be detrimental to your skin. Be mindful and ask questions though.
FIRST AND FOREMOST. This is very important.
Do not apply unncessasary pressure to breakouts, under any circumstance.
The only time you should pop a zit if it is clear that there is a whitehead that can easily and cleanly be punctured and extracted. Look around for how to do this. Make sure everything you need is sterile.
Papules, cysts, and blackheads should not be touched, only spot treated if it works.
See below for why pressure will make red marks last longer.
There is a difference between hyperpigmentation and red marks
Hyperpigmentation typically occurs within people that have olive colored skin, and usually not lighet skin folks.
Look up hyperpigmentaiton, I'm not going to describe it here.
Red marks, however is NOT hyperpigmentation. NOT HYPERPIGMENTATION.
when your body has an infection, it needs reinforcements to fight it off, therefore, it builds extra blood vessels to bring in extra white blood cells and nutrients and whatnot. This is why infections turn red.
this is also why you should apply minimal pressure to breakouts as well. No need to burst those blood vessels, they'll only be more red and last longer. So what if the zit disapeers faster, the red mark will be there longer.
Your body is a great fighting crew, however not a good cleanup crew. after the zit is gone and the infection is fought off, your body may not bother reabsorbing these blood vessels that were built to fight off the infection, it wants to be lazy about, because really, it doesn't have a purpose to clean them up right away, lets face it.
the above was told to me by a liscened dermatologist and I believe it. I don't get hyperpigmentation, I Get red marks. I have never had hyperpigmentaiton. Period.
If all else fails, peels usualy don't
People don't like peels because they turn their face red and make them break out, I don't blame them. Peels make you break out because they're pulling everything out. Remeber it takes over a week for an infection to even become apparent, peels will speed this up. This also means you will probably go longer without breaking out again. this was the case for me.
I recomend puredemings lactic acid peels. Glycolic was a little intense for me, lactic is good for what it is.
Peels are usually recomended to put all over your face, but don't be affraid to spot treat with peels. If you do this. I recomend diluting your peel and applying it every day to the red mark.
Your face will probably get worse before it gets better
Enough said, it's just how it is and how it's always going to be. Dan's regimen works like this too.
Use a moisturizer, I don't care if you don't like it, use it.
I went a long time (at least a year or two) without using a moisturizer, god that was stupid. A moistuizer will keep your face healthy, and it might help fade red marks. Even if it doesn't, it improvse the overall health of your skin, therefore abling it to heal better. therefore shorter lasting red marks.
Dan's moistuizer is fantastic, it's super light and rubs in well. If you don't like going out after applying moistuizer and least use it at night.
The only way a moistuizer is going to make you break out is you are allergic to something in it, otherwise it's just coincidence.
Sun is bad for hyperpigmention, not necessasarily for red marks
this was also told to me by my dermatologist. Becuase red marks are merely blood vessels, that lie BELOW your melatonin-containing skin, tan skin will help cover up those red marks while they heal. This is also the case for me. I noticed a lot of my friends with tan skin don't get redmarks either.
the above advice is volitile, becuase I know some people will swear that sun is bad for their red marks, and maybe it is, however it hasn't done anything bad to me. Only helped cover them up. Even when I get a breakout, now that I have a deeper skin tone, the redmarks are minimal and fade within a few weeks.
Minocycline and BP are not proven to make redmarks worse
this claim had been around on this board for awhile. I used minocycline and it might make sense that it would make redmarks worse becuase your body probably constructs more blood vessels to deliver the antibiotic to the infection, but I don't know. BP dries out skin so it probably makes your marks look worse but once again, nothing is proven.
Drink water and exercise
this is general health advice and I've found that exercise helps keep my acne away.
Products I recomend:
Cetaphil soap for sensative skin (the only wash you need), if you're really oily go for the regular cetaphil soap)
40% lactic acid from [Removed] - A good light peel for red marks and moderate acne.
Vita-K solution for acne scars. - This stuff reminds me of herbal logix cream that was popular on this board but went out of production. I recently started using it and have had great results. I concentrate it on red marks and mix a little in with moistuizer to put all over my face. Might have to look for it online, even walgreens didn't have it.
Dan's moistuizer - Great stuff, I described it above, it's cheap to. Buy it at the store link above on the blue site banner.
I also use this stuff from Euercin that is a red-reducing night lotion, I like it so far, helps with the inherent flushness I get. It comes in a little jar.
well, go ahead with questions, thanks guys!
Hi, I read a definition for hyperpigmentation but I still don't know whether I have that or red marks. How do I tell? I'm caucasian and my skin is fair, so I don't know if that means anything.
Also, I was wondering about whether to use lactic acid or glycolic acid. You said glycolic acid was too intense for you, but I've tried Retin-A, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, and the baby brush method and none of that has worked for me, so I was wondering if you had any idea whether I need something more intensive like glycolic acid?
Here's a good test.
If your marks are more skin-toned, it's probably hyperpigmentation.
Pigmentation is what darkens skin tone. skin tone is not red. Push on your redmark. See how it becomes light for a brief moment but then the redness returns? You're pushing those blood vessels away and then they're filling again.
If your marks get darker with your skin, then it is hyperpigmention. If not, they're macules (left over blood vessels).
try [Removed]'s 40% lactic acid, it's quite mild and I had good results. I even used it three days in a row and then let my skin turnover for a week or two before doing another three day cycle. You'll notice it's quite mild. If you're skin can take it you can do multiple applications over a few days.
jsbee said:Here's a good test.If your marks are more skin-toned, it's probably hyperpigmentation.
Pigmentation is what darkens skin tone. skin tone is not red. Push on your redmark. See how it becomes light for a brief moment but then the redness returns? You're pushing those blood vessels away and then they're filling again.
If your marks get darker with your skin, then it is hyperpigmention. If not, they're macules (left over blood vessels).
try [Removed]'s 40% lactic acid, it's quite mild and I had good results. I even used it three days in a row and then let my skin turnover for a week or two before doing another three day cycle. You'll notice it's quite mild. If you're skin can take it you can do multiple applications over a few days.
So just put it on once a day for 3 days and then wait a week or so and do that again? How long does it take to see results?
And, does it work on active acne? And is it okay to put on just one area of your face rather than your whole face?
jsbee said:Here's a good test.If your marks are more skin-toned, it's probably hyperpigmentation.
Pigmentation is what darkens skin tone. skin tone is not red. Push on your redmark. See how it becomes light for a brief moment but then the redness returns? You're pushing those blood vessels away and then they're filling again.
If your marks get darker with your skin, then it is hyperpigmention. If not, they're macules (left over blood vessels).
try [Removed]'s 40% lactic acid, it's quite mild and I had good results. I even used it three days in a row and then let my skin turnover for a week or two before doing another three day cycle. You'll notice it's quite mild. If you're skin can take it you can do multiple applications over a few days.
good post thanks a lot!! a lot of what you said has made perfect sence. i have had a recent breakout staring like 3 months ago and have big noticeable red marks left behind. i believe you are right about applying pressure because i use the zeno and i apply way to much pressure on it and am paying the price now. every zit if not caught early enough that i used zeno on and pressed real hard n thinking it would treat the zit better is now a flipping red mark. i am going to try that peel. i have seen a lot of good reviews on here. i have had some serious irritation using saylic acid and glycolic acid and acv trying to get rid of these f'n marks.
the only thing i'm not sure about is that sun doesn't hurt the marks. for some reason i truly think that tanning or to much sun exposure takes longer to heal the marks. i consider myself pretty much a tanaholic, lol and while my skin looks a lot better and the marks are a hell of a lot less noticable. did your derm give you all this info or have you read about it somewhere? also what did he recomend was the best treatmen? I do appreciate the advice. i am definitley no longer going to press down so hard with the zeno. the thing about the zeno is that it has kept several zits in the past from ever forming so i don't really want to give it up. i just wish i had this info before i scarred up my face. 
this post provides useful info. Thank you!
Here's what i've discovered based on my own acne experience.
Being also a fair skinned myself, everytime i have a pimple, it leaves a damn red mark there...and yeah, i've lost count how many redmarks are there on both my cheeks now...
And worse! .....I don't pop it nor touch it or anything, just maybe spot treat it and in the end, not only RED MARKS remain..... the red marks are SCARS as well....
Why is tht so. sigh
how sensitive would you say your skin is? i guess more specifically: how does it react to various cleansers, moisturizers, BP of course, etc...
I don't think my skin is very sensitive. I guess my skin reacts to various cleansers and stuff quite normally, expected reaction, for example bp and such when applied will sting for awhile, but none that i couldn't handle.
that's why, weird stupid skin that leaves red marks and scars at the same time. 
....
will upload pics soon after i hesitated for quite some time. really depressed when i check out my skin in the mirror.
This post is great...thanks for the information, i only found out recently the difference between hyper pigmentation and red marks, i unfortunately have red marks...that have lasted far too long! but i do think the sun doesn't do much to them, they just stay the same, which is good news! as i'm most in the sun, been taking vitamin k2 supplements and have seen little results, not sure why, but a friend recommended it to me.
Vitamin K2 helps with the blood flow, so that might be it?