How to defeat pigment spots caused by acne.

Why do pigment spots appear after acne?

This reminder of that pimply period of our lives is called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and is essentially a kind of acne scarring. It is one of the various types of hyperpigmentation, which differ in their origins, which in this case is inflammation on the skin.

“Pigment spots caused by acne, which we officially call hyperpigmentation, mainly affect people with a higher phototype, i.e. darker skin. Unlike other forms of pigmentation, UV radiation, i.e. the sun, only partly contributes towards their appearance. On the whole, they tend to get lighter on their own, but this usually takes months, or even years,” explains Dr. Gréta Wohlová, a dermatologist from the Anděl Laser Centre in Prague. She adds that the most effective tools for fighting acne are prescription only, meaning a visit to the dermatologist.

How can I prevent marks left by acne?

To avoid spots and acne scars, you simply need to follow a couple of basic rules and exercise a dose of self-control. Your skin is worth it!

• Don’t touch or squeeze. Whether you have been fighting acne for a long time or just get a couple of pimples now and then, don’t try and improve the situation like this. It can exacerbate the inflammation and your skin will look even worse than before you touched it.
• Don’t irritate your skin unnecessarily with treatments and procedures which could disturb it, such as mechanical peeling.
• Use products with SPF, even if you’re not at the beach. You should take advantage of SPF protection all year round, whenever you head outdoors. UV radiation makes the appearance of scars and pigment spots worse and you should particularly protect your skin when the scars are fresh. Therefore your day cream should contain SPF or you should supplement with a product designed for sun exposure, ideally SPF 50 or higher.
• Stay hydrated. Acne-prone skin really needs to stay hydrated in order to keep inflammation at bay.

How to brighten dark spots caused by acne

Look for cosmetics with active ingredients which help reduce pigmentation. “Reach for medical skincare – sold over the counter – such as creams and serums which contain ingredients to block melanin creation, or cause it to fade. These include fruit acids (glycolic acid), azelaic, kojic, salicylic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B3, N-acetylglucosamine, retinoids, rucinol and similar,” is how our dermatologist summed it up. 

She also vouched for the effectiveness of chemical peeling treatments and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment. There are also special lasers which remove pigmentation (for example a Q-switched alexandrite laser), but a vascular laser can also do the trick, since the vascular component can also contribute to a darker colour. “It’s important to note that treating inflammatory pigmentation is tough, and none of the things I’ve mentioned are guaranteed to work; often it’s a case of combining methods,” concludes Dr. Greta Wohlová from LC Anděl.

Try our tips and the tips of a dermatologist. Dealing with pigment spots caused by acne doesn’t have to be hard if you have the right information.