Be super careful with the exfoliating pads, using them too intensely too often can make redness worse and produce more acne as a result of irritating your skin. I'd start out at like one or two times per week. It may seem like you're not doing enough, but you really don't want to overdo it, trust me.

I like the Ordinary's Zinc serum for reducing redness and Ollie Henriksen's vitamin C serum since it has collagen to help firmness and old scarring. I'm applying the vitamin C to my own macules and it's been helping a bit already. I HATE macules/PIE as well, they're super embarrassing and make me look disgustingly pock marked even when my skin has actually gotten a lot better in the last few weeks overall.

@cloudydreamer Love seeing your responses  as you see I'm on a mission to get to bottom of it . I am using a 2% pass from nip +fab at least they are alcohol free  and not too strong and doesnt leave my skin dry .   I'm glad the vitamin c serum is working for you I have to look into one . Have you tried vitamin e capsules if they have worked ?

I made a official FAQ at top of the sub forum to discuss PIE and PIH check it out, covers what your dealing with:

[Edited link out]

@beautifulambitionThank you for your post I have been trying to pin point what I have and believe it's PIE, the downside is that there aren't many treatments available except v beam vascular lasers for now and the silicone sheets correct ? I can't use any retinal bc my skin too sensitive ... any other ideas for PIE that can help currently using glycolid acid, ACV, raw organic honey and oils to moisturize.

Do not put any acid on your face, no ACV, no glycolic. You have PIE not PIH. It's the equivalent of open shallow wounds all over your face. The after effects of acne or irritation.  IF you cannot do V-beam which works the best, then a steroid from your doctor, triple antibiotic, or hydrocoritsone only for a week (it thins your skin). If you are going to just wait it out use honey and aloe vera, not ACV. Your skin is very irritated, no rubbing it or any abrasives. I have done v-beam many times and it works the best, otherwise this could take a few months to get better for some people. 
 

Q: What Is Post Inflammatory Erythema (PIE)? 
A: Post Inflammatory Erythema (PIE) describes pink to red discoloration after an inflammatory acne lesion. Patients with lighter skin types (I-III) the post-inflammatory dyspigmentation is often not hyperpigmentation, but instead discrete erythematous macules (PIE). Acne may not be the only cause of post inflammatory erythema, as any resolving cutaneous inflammatory process may have residual erythema.

• Treatments (ranked most effective to least): V-beam (vascular laser can help these areas quickly by making the body dissolve the trapped red blood / surface veins), steroid creams from the derm,  Retin-A Cream, Bactroban cream, Silicone Sheets and topicals (known as scar gels), 2.5% hydrocortisone twice per day (only for a weeks time - it thins the skin), triple antibiotic.

@beautifulambitionThanks so much! Good to know ,will cut down on acv and the glycolic for now. The oil def helps I believe and honey is moisturizing . How does the steroid help will it not irritate the skin ? I have a topical triciminolone ointment that they gave my daughter for eczema wondering if this is ok to use ? I and am currently looking into places near me that offer a V beam....did you have any redness or reactions afterwards from treatment of the laser ?

6 hours ago, swoleMom said:

@beautifulambitionThanks so much! Good to know ,will cut down on acv and the glycolic for now. The oil def helps I believe and honey is moisturizing . How does the steroid help will it not irritate the skin ? I have a topical triciminolone ointment that they gave my daughter for eczema wondering if this is ok to use ? I and am currently looking into places near me that offer a V beam....did you have any redness or reactions afterwards from treatment of the laser ?

I am actually curios myself to, to know how steriod cremes would work for PIE? Can it really kill the blood vessels under the skin?

I would be irresponsible for me to tell you how to use steroids ( a doctor is best for this). What I Can tell you is spot treata small area, and see how you react, do not use it long term. V-beam gives slight bruises that can be treated with vitamin k and arnica montana a herb to heal quickly. Makeup can of course cover this. The blood has to disperse and be absorbed somehow.

First of all steroids are not optimal. It' treats the symptoms not the source. IF I put ice on a swollen area it can make it go down, but will it stay down after that... They treat the inflammation "Topical steroids can reduce inflammation (redness and swelling), suppress the immune system, and narrow the blood vessels in the skin. Their main purpose is to reduce skin inflammation and irritation." ... they do not get rid of (reroute) the red blood cells / veins like V-beam

http://itsan.org/topical-steroids-101/

What are Topical Steroids?

Topical steroids are prescribed for use on particular spots of the skin and are not meant for application to the entire surface of the skin, injection or to be taken by mouth. Some examples of topical steroid preparations used on the skin are: creams, ointments, oils, gels, and lotions.

Topical steroids are also called topical corticosteroids, glucocorticosteroids, and cortisone. Topical steroids act in a complicated way with the endocrine system, immune system and blood vessels in the skin to treat inflammation.

What exactly is a steroid? Are steroids hormones?

Corticosteroids, often known as steroids, are an anti-inflammatory medication prescribed for a wide range of conditions. They are a synthetic, or man-made, version of hormones normally produced by the adrenal glands (two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys).

The adrenal hormones of topical steroids are not related to theandrogenichormones ofanabolic steroids(often abused by body-builders to increase muscle mass).

Topical steroids can reduce inflammation (redness and swelling), suppress the immune system, and narrow the blood vessels in the skin. Their main purpose is to reduce skin inflammation and irritation.

How do they work?

Topical steroids are absorbed into the cells of the skin. The mechanism of the anti-inflammatory activity of the topical steroids, in general, is unclear. (source: paragraph 12.1 Mechanism of Action)

It is believed that topical steroids stop skin cells from producing various inflammation-causing chemicals that are normally released when the skin reacts to allergens or irritation.

These inflammation-causing chemicals, including prostaglandins and leukotrienes, cause blood vessels to widen (vasodilate) and signal other inflammatory substances to arrive. This results in the affected area of skin becoming red, swollen and itchy.

By preventing these inflammatory chemicals from being released in the skin, topical steroids reduce inflammation and relieve related symptoms such as itchiness.Learn more about how corticosteroids workhere.

@beautifulambition Do you know if th gentlemax pro laser is equal to the v beam I looked it up and the esthetics an I plan on seeing says it should help with redness from PIE . Online it says the gentlemax pro can target multiple things and is a combo between an alexandrite laser for lighter skin tones and a NG yag laser  any thoughts ?

The GentleMax Pro can treat many of your skin care needs, including:

• rosacea
• hair removal
• facial and spider veins
• hemangiomas
• beard bumps
• pigmented lesions
• diffuse redness

Gentlemax is used for tattoo removal, it can also be used in one of the laser modes for colors. I have seen it used on browns. Also reds but the vbeam is better which is simply a vascular laser (vascular means veins). There are several others that make similar ones now. But all I see is vbeams. Picosure is gaining popularity now and makes a vascular laser. IPL of course and BBL use light instead of a laser to do these treatments. They tend to take more treatments 6-10 sometimes. I had gentlemax do a 1064 non ablative procedure (they call these photo facials sometimes), which does not touch the top of the skin like ablative co2 which vaporizes skin. IT can be used, for many things, tattoo removal again the best. It's made by the same company that makes vbeam, just different optics and delivery system.

@beautifulambitionThanks again I wanted to be sure before I book a procedure and it's the wrong laser . I will just stick to vbeam problem is it's so hard to find someone close to me who uses it .

@swoleMomThe gentlemax pro will work if that's what is availible around you ...

Look for: Pulse Dye Laser (Vbeam & Cynergy is good too) or a combination PDL and Nd:YAG(Excel V Gentelmax), other brands: Sciton BBL is good too but uses light bursts, and picosure has a laser too for veins.

@beautifulambitionThanks so much for your input . I am seeing mostly a lot of the candela ng yag laser but mainly targeting veins and broken capillaries so don't know if that would target the PIE. Dumb question but would it make a difference to have it done in dermatologist office vs medspa or one of those laser/aesthetics centers. I don't have insurance so I'm shopping around as you know deems can be very pricey

Makes no diffrence, and the one for veins is fine. Just ask and make sure they have done PIE (they will have no idea what that is, point at your spots) before and ask how many. It takes some people 3 or more treatments. IPL can also work on the spots. I have had success with Vbeam after my treatments / acne. But there are several other vascular ones,

Hey BA, but would PIE fade on its own, even in long times? Or are lasers necessary?

@confused96PIE "can" for some fade on it's own (there have been more severe cases). Its a wound. But some people are waiting a year or more and want something done about it. Laser just speeds up healing. Again it's best to start with honey and aloe vera or triple antibiotic to see how you heal. The more you breakout, the more you will get these after spots. Many like retain a cream you can find anywhere online to buy, this speeds up healing, but cannot be used on accutane.

2 hours ago, beautifulambition said:

@confused96PIE "can" for some fade on it's own (there have been more severe cases). Its a wound. But some people are waiting a year or more and want something done about it. Laser just speeds up healing. Again it's best to start with honey and aloe vera or triple antibiotic to see how you heal. The more you breakout, the more you will get these after spots. Many like retain a cream you can find anywhere online to buy, this speeds up healing, but cannot be used on accutane.

ok thanks!