confused about "scars"

[girl3900 0]

I thought I had acne scars but apparently not. I don't have any indented, pitted scars...they're just red spots all over. I've patiently waited for them to fade but they're showing no signs of leaving. I went to the the dermatologist yesterday and she didn't even examine me. I just told her I wanted treatment for acne scarring and she prescribed me retin-a and told me to consider microdermabrasion or chemical peels. I keep reading here that people with deep acne scars are the only ones that will benefit from peels, lasers, etc. I'm planning on going through with a chemical peel soon...would it help the red marks?

[Badass912 0]

how long have the red marks been there?

[girl3900 0]

Just about every zit I get leaves it's mark so it's hard to tell. I know i've been trying to cover them for years now. Some fade in a year and some last a lot longer.

[OursFan 3]

What you have is probably post inflamatory hyperpigmentation. Be happy you don't have pitted scarring. Here's som recommendations taken from the FAQ:

Q: How can I get rid of my red marks / hyperpigmentation / brown marks?

A: There are several different approaches that you can take. You may have to experiment to find which works best for you. The effectiveness of these treatments varies and they may have to be used in conjunction with other treatments for best results:

Prescription approach:

* Highly recommended: A Retinoid (i.e. Retin-A) & Hydroquinone*

Non-prescription approaches:

· The tape method of exfoliation

· The vinegar method of exfoliation

. Apply an Alpha Hydroxy Acid peel (i.e. Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, etc.)

· Apply a Beta-Hydroxy Acid solution

· Vita-K for Blotchy Skin

. Mandelic acid serum:

I hope that helps some.

[viKKo 0]

Hydroquinone - that chemical is deadly, it causes liver damage!! do not use it...research on it if you dont believe me.

[OursFan 3]

Hydroquinone - that chemical is deadly, it causes liver damage!! do not use it...research on it if you dont believe me.

From cosmeticscop.com:

"There is concern that hydroquinone is a potentially carcinogenic substance. In vitro, hydroquinone has a toxic effect on cells containing melanin (Source: Biochemical Pharmacology, March 1999, pages 663–672). Aside from the in vitro studies (done in test tubes), the only harmful effects are reported in animal studies where hydroquinone is fed to animals. In these studies tumor creation or DNA damage is noted. However, this is not the case in epidemiological studies in which production workers (meaning those workers involved in the manufacture of hydroquinone) have been shown to have lower death rates and reduced cancer rates when compared with the population as a whole. Adverse effects associated with skin-lightening products that contain hydroquinone in FDA-regulated products have been limited to a small number of cases of hyperpigmentation (Sources: Critical Reviews in Toxicology, May 1999, pages 283–330; and Food and Chemical Toxicology, November 1999, pages 1105–1111). "

[Filipino 0]

I tried the Vinegar..... unfortunatley it did not work for me or the changes were not noticable..... awwww crud...`...