A Comprehensive Guide To Fading Acne Scars
Acne scars naturally fade away with the skin's renewal cycle, which can take up to a year. If you don't have the time or patience, follow these steps on how to fade your zits scars.
Hiding the marks left by acne sometimes can feel like an impossible mission. But, unfortunately, depending on the acne type, severity, and so many other factors, sometimes even the highest quality and expensive concealer can't hide them.
The good news is that you don't need to live with your acne scars for the following years of your life. There are plenty of professional treatments and products available on the market to help minimize acne scars. So with no further ado, here's the guide on how to fade them.
How Do We Get Acne Scars?
Inflammation can leave scars. What causes inflammation is picking and popping zits, untreated acne, and genetic predisposition. However, picking acne accounts for the majority of the acne scars.
Then, according to dermatologists and estheticians, acne scars fall into these categories:
- Rolling Scars
- Boxcar scars
- Keloid scars
- Ice-pick scars
Acne Scars vs. Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Acne scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can occur after a breakout, but they aren't the same thing.
When the acne is gone, and the wound is healing, acne scars might happen when there's too much collagen production. Acne scarring is due to touching and squeezing spots.
On the other hand, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation forms skin hyperpigmentation (which isn't considered an actual scar) due to the trauma the inflammation caused the skin.
Getting Rid Of Acne Scars
Bear in mind that acne scars and hyperpigmentation have different treatments. The two major treatments recommended by experts to rid the skin of acne scars is micro-needling.
The process involves using tiny needles to create micro-punctures in the skin to help the skin kick start its renewal process.
Getting Rid Of Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Chemical peels, products containing retinol, and the use of vitamin C will help lighten dark spots and boost collagen's natural production.
Alpha-hydroxy-acids, mandelic, and lactic work on the cellular level, "unblocking" dead cells and stimulates the renewal process.