“Lighter-color skin tones or skin that sunburns more easily will often produce red marks after acne, whereas darker-color skin tones or skin that tans more easily will often produce brown marks after acne,” explains Wesley.
"The discoloration from dark marks will usually fade over time," says dermatologist Sejal Shah, MD, who notes that they tend to take between 3-6 months to go away on their own. "But, there are a number of treatment options to help speed up the process."
Acne scars range in appearance from shallow, mottled depressions, sometimes called rolling scars, to deep and narrow depressions.
Hypertrophic scars: These occur when the skin makes too many fibroblasts as the acne spot heals, causing a raised scar. Keloid scars: These are similar to hypertrophic scars but are typically much thicker than the original acne spot. They are usually darker than the surrounding skin and can be red or brown.
Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent. With its lightening properties, it can be used to lighten the pimple marks easily. Take the lemon juice and rub it gently on your pimple marks and other affected areas. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon.
As a pimple heals, your body sometimes produces cells with too much melanin in them to replace the damaged skin. This results in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which we sometimes just call a dark spot.
Surface scars may be completely removed, and deeper acne scars may appear less noticeable. Potential severe side effects include scarring and changes in skin color. Chemical peel. Your doctor applies a chemical solution to the scar tissue to remove the top layer of skin and minimize the appearance of deeper scars.
Combining vitamin C serums with other brightening agents like iontophoresis can significantly enhance the results. It improves the appearance of scars caused by acne. Your skin can take a while to heal after an acne breakout.
Laser therapy, dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels can help improve the appearance of acne scars that aren't very deep. They all involve removing layers of skin cells to encourage skin to produce new cells.
If you have a red or brownish mark on your face that you got from a bad zit, it should eventually fade. However, it may take 12 months or longer. If you're upset about acne marks, talk to your doctor, who might have advice on what you can do.
How long does it take for hyperpigmentation to fade? Once what's causing the dark spots or patches is found and stopped, fading can take time. A spot that is a few shades darker than your natural skin color will usually fade within 6 to 12 months. If the color lies deep in your skin, however, fading can take years.
Might Lighten Dark Spots
Vitamin C-based skin care products may lighten patches that are darker than the rest of your skin, called hyperpigmentation. In one study, vitamin C applied to the skin for 16 weeks significantly cut down on these spots.
How common is acne scarring? Very common. About 80% of people between the ages of 11 and 30 will have acne, and one out of five of that population will have scarring.
Reduces the appearance of acne scars
Some skin bleaching treatments may help fade acne scars. They won't help with active inflammation and redness caused by a breakout, but they may reduce red or dark areas that linger after acne has healed.
Dermatologists at NYU Langone determine the type of scar by evaluating its size, location, and texture during a physical exam. Scar tissue, which consists of a tough, fibrous protein called collagen, forms when the body repairs a wound. Common causes of scars include injury, surgery, and infection.
Scars can be more sensitive to ultraviolet light for more than a year. An inability to respond to 'photodamage' may lead to worsening inflammation and altered pigmentation. The latter phenomenon may make a scar more conspicuous relative to its surroundings.
When a scar first develops on lighter skin, it's usually pink or red. Over time, the pinkish color fades, and the scar becomes slightly darker or lighter than the color of the skin. In people with dark skin, scars often appear as dark spots. Sometimes scars itch, and they may be painful or tender.
Dark spots from acne (or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) are often referred to as acne scars. However, since they don't deal with an excess or loss of tissue, they aren't technically scars. These spots are simply a discoloration of the skin.
It can even remove dark spots and pimples or acne scars. The key difference between any benzoyl peroxide product and other topical antibiotics for acne like clindamycin is that our bodies do not build up an antibiotic resistance to the product.