How to get rid of post acne

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

First of all, determine the type of your scars.

What are post-acne

It only seems that acne leaves the same marks on the face. There are actually three types of How to Best Treat Acne Scars.

1. Atrophic (depressed) scars

This is the most common type. It can be recognized by a key factor: such scars always seem to be depressed. Hence the second name - depressed.

Acne, breaking through, seriously injures the skin of the face. Because of this, collagen production often begins to fail (atrophy) at the site of the wound. The skin lacks strength and building materials to recover, and unaesthetic "craters" appear at the place of disappeared acne.

Atrophic post-acne are classified into three types.

Rectangular scars

These elongated scars can be narrow or wide. According to their outlines, experts compare them with "freight wagons", most often following each other. The less deep the "wagons" are, the easier they are amenable to correction.

Chipped scars

These are narrow, V-shaped, irregular scars, as if a tiny climber was diligently gouging the surface of the skin with a small ice pick. In part, chipped scars look like chickenpox marks. Most often, they form on the cheeks and leave them with difficulty: after all, a seemingly small round hole can actually go deep under the skin.

Round scars

In general, they look like chipped, but they have not sharply expressed, but rounded edges. They are both superficial and deep. In the first case, they are easier to treat - they can be dealt with even with home remedies (more on this below).

It is important to get rid of post acne when you are young.

Over the years, the skin loses collagen, and therefore Acne scars become more visible.

2. Hypertrophic (convex) scars

If, in the case of atrophic scars, the skin at the site of acne suffered from a lack of collagen, then in this case, on the contrary, from its excess. Protecting itself from traumatic influences, the epidermis begins to produce a lot of building substances. As a result, protruding keloid scars appear on the surface of the skin.

These bumps are small in diameter, but often red or purple in color. And they often itch and itch.

3. Hyperpigmentation

These are red, brown, and sometimes purple spots that remain on the skin after acne. The reasons for the appearance of pigmentation are simple: injured skin activates all defense mechanisms, including increased production of melanin, a pigment that protects cells from damage by UV rays.

Most often, post-acne hyperpigmentation disappears on its own after a few months. But in some cases, cosmetic manipulations may also be required.

How to get rid of post acne

Before you begin to eradicate scars, it is important to finally defeat acne. Otherwise, acne will break out again, and new acne will form in their place. And the fight will turn into a race in a circle.

A Detailed Guide On How To Get Rid Of Acne →

See a dermatologist. A specialist will help you to accurately identify the type of your acne. And he will prescribe the treatment that will be most effective in a particular case.

If for some reason a dermatologist is not at hand, and your scars are shallow, you can try to smooth the skin yourself.

We hope the text above helped and you have more or less decided on the look of your scars. If so, we proceed to treatment. Here are some well-proven beauty products. Choose those of them (or their combination) that seem to you the most comfortable and effective.

Whichever way you choose to get rid of post acne, during treatment, you should use a sunscreen with a factor of at least SPF50. Otherwise, you run the risk of developing hyperpigmentation.

14 best sunscreens for face and body →

1. Creams and serums with AHA (alpha hydroxy acids)

What are they suitable for:for the treatment of all types of scars.

These products contain an acid that exfoliates the top layer of the skin. This way you can lighten age spots and even out the surface a little.

It is advisable to use such products every day.

Where to get it:

• Face booster from A'PIEU with AHA and BHA, 890 rubles →
• Mask for any skin type from Eva esthetic with AHA acids and papaya extract, 273 rubles →
• Cleansing gel from Aha for the face with fruit acids, 1,045 rubles →
• Tonic with fruit acids from Aravia professional AHA Glycolic Tonic, 841 rubles →
• Cleansing discs with AHA acids from Eunyul, 1 216 rubles →
• Day protective cream with AHA from Holyland Laboratories, 2 700 rubles →

2. Peels with lactic acid for home use

What are they suitable for:for the treatment of all types of post-acne.

These remedies work in much the same way as the AHAs. A small study by Research Letter: Lactic acid peeling in superficial acne scarring in Indian skin showed that peels improve the texture and appearance of the skin, as well as lighten pigmentation. It is enough to use them in a course - once every two weeks for three months.

A simpler and more budgetary option: every evening, wipe your face with apple cider vinegar diluted with water (1: 1). It contains natural lactic acid, which can also smooth the skin.

Where to get it:

• Peeling with lactic acid from ARAVIA PROFESSIONAL, 690 rubles →
• Peeling scrub with lactic acid and allantoin, 954 rubles →
• Peeling roll from Librederm Herbal Care with chamomile, 363 rubles →
• Peeling Perfect Milkpeel with lactic acid, 999 rubles →

3. Creams and serums with retinoids

What are they suitable for:for the treatment of atrophic scars.

Retinoids (adapalene, tretinoin) are active substances that accelerate skin regeneration. The young epidermis receives new portions of collagen, the protective properties increase, and, as a result, scars and pigmentation are smoothed out.

Where to get it:

• Rejuvenating mask with blue retinol and tricolor violet extract, 970 rubles →
• Serum Activ Retinol for normal and combination skin from Dermaceutic Laboratoire, 3 933 rubles →
• Elizavecca Milky Piggy Retinol Cream, 1,290 rubles →
• Restoring soap with retinol from Holyland Laboratories, 1,610 rubles →
• Multi-active serum with retinol from Aravia professional, 1 441 rubles →

4. Means with salicylic acid

What are they suitable for: for the treatment of all types of scars.

If you've struggled with acne in the past, then salicylic acid lotions are familiar to you. The acid cleanses the pores, reduces swelling and redness, and exfoliates the skin. It is considered one of the best treatments for acne scars.

Where to get it:

• Toner with salicylic acid from Aravia professional, 477 rubles →
• Cotton pads with lemon extract and salicylic acid, 1 250 rubles →
• Cosrx Cleansing Foam with Salicylic Acid, 1,300 rubles →
• Cream for problem skin Mizon Acence Blemish Control, 1 180 rubles →
• Elizavecca Sesalo Face Control cream mask with salicylic acid, 1,170 rubles →

What to do if home remedies for acne aren't working

If acne scars are deep, topical treatments may not work. In this case, there are no options. You need to contact a dermatologist or cosmetologist. Depending on the condition of your skin, he will select more concentrated peels or hardware procedures.

1. Chemical peels

What are they suitable for: for the treatment of all types of post-acne, including deep ones.

These are chemical products with a high concentration of acids. They dissolve the top layer of the skin. And dead cells either peel off, or come off the face with films - it all depends on the concentration.

The procedure requires a certain amount of skin care and recovery period. Therefore, it can only be carried out by a qualified specialist.

2. Dermabrasion

What is it suitable for: for smoothing superficial scars. Deeper scars can also get smaller.

Dermabrasion is a mechanical resurfacing of the face with a special device with a rotating circular nozzle. The procedure is quite traumatic, and the skin from which the top layer is removed will require rehabilitation.

3. Laser resurfacing

What is it suitable for: for the correction of all types of post-acne. Note that laser resurfacing works best on light skin. On the dark side, the effect may not be as pronounced.

Laser resurfacing is one of the types of dermabrasion, only the top layer of the skin is removed not with a rotating nozzle, but with laser flashes. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia, but the skin heals faster.

4. Fillers

What are they suitable for: for rectangular or rounded atrophic scars.

A special composition based on collagen, hyaluronic acid, fat or other preparations selected specifically for the needs of your face is injected under the skin. Fillers fill the scars and reduce pigmentation.

Unfortunately, most fillers dissolve in 6-18 months. So the procedure will have to be repeated.

5. Microneedling

What is it suitable for: for the treatment of atrophic scars.

Microneedling is a controlled damage to the skin. The goal is to make the epidermis renew and defend itself more actively.

As a rule, the procedure is carried out with a special device - a mesoscooter (this is a roller covered with the finest needles). According to some data, Skin needling as a treatment for acne scarring: An up-to-date review of the literature, such exposure can reduce the depth of scars. True, this will take a considerable period of time - up to nine months of regular, once every few days, the use of a mesoscooter.

6. Injections

What are they suitable for: for the treatment of hypertrophic scars.

A drug with a resorbing effect is injected into the scar. The most commonly used drugs are corticosteroids, chemotherapy drugs fluorouracil (5-FU), and interferons.

Injections are carried out in courses, in a session every few weeks. The duration of the course and the interval between sessions are determined by the cosmetologist.

7. Minor surgery

What is it suitable for: for the treatment of deep atrophic and hypertrophic scars.

This is an extreme method. It is used if the scars are so large that none of the above methods have overcome them. In this case, the plastic surgeon can remove the large scar, leaving a small one instead.