How to Heal all 3 Types of Acne Scars
Just when you thought your acne problems were over when your pimples finally disappeared, they left you with a series of scars to remember them by - some brown, some red, and some that look like little craters in your skin. In this post I’ll teach you how to get rid of acne scars overnight! Just kidding, unfortunately there’s no way to heal acne scars over night but there are some treatments you can use that will speed up the process and understanding what causes each type of acne scar is the first step!
Post inflammatory erythema (PIE)
Post inflammatory erythema (PIE) are are the pink and red marks leftover after acne that people with lighter skin tones are prone to. Fortunately, they’re not actually scars because they aren’t permanent and eventually will fade on their own with a little time and patience! These post inflammatory erythema marks are caused by damage to capillaries in the skin from the trauma of inflamed acne, or picking and popping acne.
Post inflammatory erythema can last anywhere from a few days to a year depending on how severe the damage is to your capillaries and the tone of your skin. For pesky PIE marks that just doesn’t seem to fade after waiting and waiting, you may consider seeing a dermatologist and asking about their vascular laser options. Vascular lasers fade post inflammatory erythema marks by reaching deep into the skin and dispersing the damaged blood vessels that cause visible redness. However, these lasers tend to be quite expensive and there are cheaper topical options available that will speed up the PIE fading process. Unfortunately, there’s not a ton of science that backs up topical products when it comes to fading PIE but I'll tell you the products that others and myself have seen improvement with.
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C): almost all forms of vitamin C are great at protecting your skin from environmental factors like UV rays but in order really see a difference in PIE fading, you’ll have the best luck using it in its purest ascorbic acid form in concentrations around 15-20%.
Retinoids: using a retinoid will speed up the cell turnover process so that your acne wound will heal more quickly and help the redness to fade.
Azelaic Acid: this chemical exfoliant that has properties of both AHAs and BHAs and works really well against post-acne redness and preventing acne in the first place.
Niacinamide: this is usually used as a PIH warrior but as an anti-inflammatory ingredient, it’s definitely made a difference in fading my PIE marks too.
Honey: this is a natural anti-inflammatory, skin soothing ingredient that’s been used throughout ancient history as a treatment for wounds. It’s helped me to calm my short-term PIE redness.
Snail Mucin: there’s not a lot of research to back up the wonders of snail mucin but I promise, it works. Anytime I pop a pimple at night I always make sure to incorporate some snail mucin into my routine afterward. When I do so, I wake up with significantly less redness in the area than if I had gone without.
Sunscreen: this one’s really important! While sunscreen won't actually fade any of your PIE marks, it will prevent them from getting worse. When your skin is inflamed with PIE it’s much more susceptible to harmful UV rays that cause PIE to persevere.
Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)
Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) marks are dark spots caused by an excess of melanin production to an area of the skin. Excess melanin production occurs as a way for your skin to protect itself after it experiences trauma whether from UV rays or acne. Those with darker skin tones who naturally have more melanin in their skin are most prone to PIH.
The quickest way to get rid of PIH marks are with professional treatments from a dermatologist but again, those are expensive. So the cheaper, topical way to treat these marks is by using ingredients that either have melanin-inhibiting properties or ingredients that speed up the cell turnover process so that the marks will fade quicker. Here are some ingredients to look for and their applicable PIH fighting capabilities:
Retinoids: speeds up cell turnover
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C): inhibits melanin production
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): speeds up cell turnover
Azelaic Acid: inhibits melanin production & speeds up cell turnover
Arbutin: inhibits melanin production
Sunscreen: UV rays cause serious PIH so prevent yourself from getting any more by wearing an SPF
Atrophic Scarring
Atrophic scars occur after more severe acne flare-ups that are so inflamed that they damage the skins underlying collagen and fat structure. As these types of scars are the most difficult to get rid of, I definitely recommend seeing a dermatologist to discuss. They will probably prescribe you a prescription retinoid to stimulate collagen production and recommend micro-needling treatments.