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.
Dark spots may appear on the skin after a pimple resolves because the skin produces extra melanin. Melanin is the substance that gives the skin color. The overproduction of melanin in one spot or patch on the surface of the skin can cause it to appear tan, brown, or dark brown.
Epidermal PIH can last for 6 to 12 months or more. Dermal PIH can take years to fade, and spots may be permanent. There is also a chance new spots can show up, or that your PIH will come back again after fading. Treatment for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation often involves more than one method.
Experts say dark spots on the upper layers of the skin, or epidermal PIH, may last for 6–12 months. However, it can take years for deeper, or dermal, spots to go away. People should maintain their skin care and treatment routines to accelerate the healing process.
Most dark spots will then fade on their own over time, but it may take a long time. Skin injury: As the wound heals, you may see a dark spot or patch. In time, the hyperpigmentation will fade if you don't re-injure your skin.
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.
Vitamin E is widely used to treat scarring, which can help lighten dark spots.
Dark spots on the face can result from hyperpigmentation, which is a common skin condition that occurs when the skin produces too much melanin. Hyperpigmentation can be due to sun exposure, scarring, aging, and more. Many dark spots are harmless.
The condition is called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and it's insanely common among all skin tones. The spots typically appear after your skin has experienced some type of inflammation (acne, mosquito bites, or other traumas).
This is because an ice facial improves blood circulation, brightens skin and makes it appear radiant. This is why, with prolonged use, ice massages could lead to reducing dark spots and hyperpigmentation.
Sounds weird but true, that toothpaste can lighten dark spots and reduce pimples. Toothpaste contains antibacterial and bleaching agents that kills bacteria t...
Apply fresh aloe vera gel on the dark spots before bedtime. Rinse the face in the morning with warm water. Licorice extract: Glabridin in licorice inhibits the activity of melanocytes, therefore helping in skin lightening. Creams containing licorice are available as over-the-counter (OTC) topical products.
Using ice on acne can help reduce the redness and inflammation by improving blood flow and by shrinking the pores and curbing excessive oil production. Rubbing ice before applying your skincare products can help the products you're using to reach the deeper layers of the skin and absorb better.
Applying ice on the face has been known as a good way to reduce puffiness and swelling of the skin, especially around the eyes. It also helps to ease pain by countering the effects of inflammation. That's why rubbing ice on the face can also help to soothe sunburn.
Hyperpigmentation may seem like a summer thing and a nonissue during the fall and winter months, but this isn't the case. Dry weather, cold temperatures, and decreased humidity can cause dry patches on the skin and worsen skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and eczema, leaving behind persistent dark spots.
Doctors usually prescribe a 4% hydroquinone cream, and a 2% version is available over the counter. "Hydroquinone can be irritating and can actually increase pigmentation if used for too long, so I have patients take a 'holiday' every 3 months and use other lightening agents," Tanzi says.
It can take a while, but dark spots tend to become lighter over time, and eventually go away completely. It can take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years for them to vanish from view.