Hey lizardanne, sorry to hear you're having such a tough time with the Regimen at the moment. Unfortunately this is one of those teething problems that everybody seems to get. I'm sure you're probably already diligently using moisturiser and jojoba oil but if not that's really important for helping with the dry redness from BP.

I know it probably doesn't feel like it to you right now but 4 weeks is still pretty early on in Regimen terms so I think you can fully expect it to improve if you persevere with it. Your main concern at this point should still be getting the active acne under control. I know those red hyperpigmentation marks can really get you down but if you're starting to notice those so much already that suggests to me that the Regimen is actually working for you. The only way to prevent hyperpigmentation at the end of the day is to stop new acne forming and leaving these marks behind, which for most people the BP is very effective at doing.

As far as permanently damaging your skin goes my personal experience is that this won't happen to you. I had huge problems with the Regimen because my skin was just too sensitive for it but even though my skin felt completely destroyed by the time I finally admitted defeat and discontinued the Regimen it only took 2 months of moisturing to get it back to its original state. The Regimen has not left me with any permanent skin damage despite how damaged the Regimen made it look at the time.

So if your problem is mainly hyperpigmentation now then I would advise you to continue with the Regimen and get all that active acne cleared up fully. Once that's happened the AHA should be able to deal relatively effectively with the marks left behind as it will no longer be accumulating more of them and they will begin to fade given a bit of time. Good luck!

Thank you for your reply, I feel so relieved after reading that. I am doing everything I'm supposed to, so you're right, I should persevere. Phew, really needed that reality check/encouragement.

Good, I'm glad to have helped! There is some truth to the cliche "nothing worth having comes easy". I'm sure if you persevere with it you will get the results you want in the end. Stay positive!

Don't pop your pimples whatever you do. It's better to go through bad days with the pimples then popping them. Trust me!

Try 2 full pumps of bp day and night 2 pumps of cetaphil and 30 drops of jojoba oil. This stopped all my breakouts the first time I tried it.

I found that I started noticing hyper pigmentation marks mostly because I was getting less and less acne. If I didn't have active acne to focus on, then I just switched to the red marks that were left behind.

I agree with everything Moonlit River has said...... just keep going, the pigmentation will fade in time and if you can stop breaking out in the first place, no new red marks will form. Anyway, its far easier to cover red marks with makeup than it is to cover active acne.

As far as popping and picking at your skin, of course its far far better if you leave it all alone to heal by itself but I know for myself that I used to pick and squeeze the life force out of my acne, and the only reason I managed to stop was because I now no longer have anything to squeeze. My point it, even though I used to pick and squeeze, all my pigmentation marks disappeared within 6 months or so. There is light at the end of the tunnel, just try and enjoy the journey.

Don't pop your pimples whatever you do. It's better to go through bad days with the pimples then popping them. Trust me!

Try 2 full pumps of bp day and night 2 pumps of cetaphil and 30 drops of jojoba oil. This stopped all my breakouts the first time I tried it.

You're probably right. I actually went through my first few weeks on the Regimen without extracting at all, but eventually caved because I like the flatter look for when I have to wear makeup. It's also really satisfying to get everything out and have the BP heal/close the pore, but if my concern is red marks then I should probably abstain. Interesting regimen you used! I want to finish this one first, but I'll keep that in mind Glad that worked for you.

I found that I started noticing hyper pigmentation marks mostly because I was getting less and less acne. If I didn't have active acne to focus on, then I just switched to the red marks that were left behind.

I agree with everything Moonlit River has said...... just keep going, the pigmentation will fade in time and if you can stop breaking out in the first place, no new red marks will form. Anyway, its far easier to cover red marks with makeup than it is to cover active acne.

As far as popping and picking at your skin, of course its far far better if you leave it all alone to heal by itself but I know for myself that I used to pick and squeeze the life force out of my acne, and the only reason I managed to stop was because I now no longer have anything to squeeze. My point it, even though I used to pick and squeeze, all my pigmentation marks disappeared within 6 months or so. There is light at the end of the tunnel, just try and enjoy the journey.

That's a really good point, and I think I'm in the same situation. I'm freaking out about hp marks because that's what's most prevalent right now! And that's a good sign Hopefully the pigmentation really does fade. It'll probably take a longer time because my skin is very sensitive and scar-prone, but that's alright. Thanks for your support!

As a person who used the regimen for a long time: stop using BP, it prolongs redness. Get on retin a, it's amazing!

As a person who used the regimen for a long time: stop using BP, it prolongs redness. Get on retin a, it's amazing!

How long were you on the Regimen for? I'm afraid of retin a because I've used it in the past (Tretinoin cream) but it was way too irritating. I expect that the AHA will help with redness. If it doesn't, I plan to return to Tretinoin post-Regimen.

Like 4 months. This was in my teens about 5 years ago. Also, do lactic acid peels for the redness. They work great!

Going into my 7th month on the regimen and my face has cleared up pretty well. After a few months, with the help of AHA, the red spots have slowly faded and because I rarely get any more acne now...*knock on wood*...I don't have any new red marks either. Once you get clear and stay clear, red marks won't be an issue anymore, just be patient. What Ayeaye posted was right, it is so much easier to cover up red marks than active acne.