How to Stop Acne - Post-acne Blemishes and Scars – Part 1

How to Stop Acne

Post-acne Blemishes and Scars – Part 1
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Even after the active acne has subsided, post-acne blemishes may remain, including redness, pigmentation and scarring. These are more pronounced in poorly treated acne, or after self-manipulation like picking and squeezing. These blemishes often cause patients much concern and distress long after the active acne has subsided.

Post-acne Redness
After the inflammatory acne subsides, the area often turns a little red. This is normal, although it may last weeks to months for some patients. The redness results from the fine blood vessels that occur under the skin as part of the normal healing process, and appears more pronounced after the patient has been out in the sun on a hot day, and after he has used certain creams that may irritate the skin, such as topical tretinoin.

There are no creams that will effectively make the redness go away faster, although daily application of a sunscreen, sun protection (like hats), and avoidance of aggravating factors to will minimize it. The good news is that post-acne redness clear on its own and patients is all that is required. However, for those who are disturbed by the redness and want it to clear faster, the vascular specific laser – pulsed dye laser, or intense pulse light (IPL) therapy – may speed up the process. However, several sessions may be needed and treatment is often costly.

How to Stop Acne

Post-acne Pigmentation
For some patients, there may be pigmentation over sites of previous inflammation. The tendency to form pigmentation varies between each individual, although deeper and larger acne tends to leave more pigmentation as compared to more superficial and smaller lesions. The pigmentation may be aggravated by picking and squeezing, and by the use of certain oral medication such as the antibiotic minocycline.

Currently available lightening creams are only minimally effective in hastening the clearance of post-acne pigmentation, which can be rather deep. However, the pigmentation will gradually clear over the following weeks to months, and patients should concentrate on controlling their acne to minimize further post-inflammatory pigmentation. Chemical peeling, intense pulse light (IPL) therapy, and lasers should be avoided as they offer no additional benefit, and may in fact injure the skin and cause further pigmentation.

How to Stop Acne