Stop! Before you even think about picking at your pimples, consider the consequences. You know the cycle: a fresh pimple emerges, you pop it, it leaves a scar that you frequently pick at, and boom—now you have a dark spot. The more you repeat this cycle, the more damage you cause to your skin. In which case, you may need some of these.
“Acne scars are the result of inflammation from acne blemishes,” says Alabama-based board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Corey L. Hartman. “Acne scarring may be rolling (superficial, longer depression in the skin), ice pick (very small but deep), atrophic (very superficial but very thin), or hypertrophic (thick scars raised above the skin),” adds NY-based board-certified derm, Dr. Elyse Love.
InvisiScar Resurfacing Treatment Murad Read More
Advanced Skincare Wand with Red Light Therapy Solawave Read More
Faded Brightening & Clearing Mist Topicals Read More
Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Read More
Best Affordable Treatment
Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% The Ordinary Read MoreBright Idea Vitamin C + Tri-Peptide Serum Bliss Read More
Best Preventative Cleanser
Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser CeraVe Read More
Now, I am not one to judge. I have picked my fair share of blemishes and have suffered the consequences. Actually, I’m still dealing with the consequences. So if you’ve gotten down and dirty with a zit or have just noticed post-acne dark spots, I am with you. Thankfully, ingredients like retinol, lactic acid, and kojic acid can help to brighten the area, while evening the texture of the skin to diminish the overall appearance of the pesky dark spots. Acne-fighting cleansers and fun LED devices can also help treat these areas. Scroll on for 24 of the best products for treating acne scars, according to dermatologists.
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1 InvisiScar Resurfacing Treatment
2 Advanced Skincare Wand with Red Light Therapy
3 Faded Brightening & Clearing Mist
4
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare
Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel5
Best Affordable Treatment
Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%7 Bright Idea Vitamin C + Tri-Peptide Serum
8
Best Preventative Cleanser
Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser10 Hydro-Stars Starter Pack
11 Retinol Skin Brightener 1%
12
Best For All-Over Brightening
Brightening Dark Spot Vitamin C Serum13 Niacinamide Dark Spot Corrector
14 Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Topical Retinoid Acne Treatment
15 AlphaRet Overnight Cream
16 Detox Pads Complexion Perfecting Pads
17
Best Clean Vitamin C Serum
All Bright C Serum18 Acne Triple Clear Exfoliating Facial Scrub
21
Best At-Home Spa Treatment
Gold Roll-Cit23 CeraVe Hydrating Sunscreen Face Sheer Tint SPF 30
24 Advanced Correcting Serum
How can I remove acne scars?
Topical treatments are great temporary fixes, but Dr. Elyse Love advises seeing a professional to begin your journey of permanently removing acne scars. “Treatment of rolling, ice pick, and atrophic scars require procedures that increase collagen production such as CO2 laser, fraxel, and/or microneedling with radiofrequency,” she explains. Meanwhile, hypertrophic scars require more attention: “Hypertrophic scars are classically treated with injections to soften the scars but laser treatments such as PDL, excel v, laser genesis, and CO2 laser can also be helpful.”
Can acne scars be permanently removed?
“The results of scar treatments are permanent (pending the acne is under control),” Love says. It will also take several treatments to bring you closer to the clear, even-toned skin of your dreams. Not to be confused with hyperpigmentation, acne scars are the “textural changes that develop as a result of severely inflamed acne nodules and cysts that occur deep in the dermis,” says Dr. Nassif.
What are the best products for acne scars?
When shopping for topical products to help treat your scars, Nassif says to check ingredient labels for exfoliating agents. “Look for a product with good concentrations of AHAs and BHAs like glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acid. A good retinol product would be a close second, to help boost skin cell turnover and collagen to help fill in the scarring,” he explains. Just be sure to always follow up with sunscreen.
Dr. Corey L. Hartman, Board-Certified Dermatologist and Founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology
Dr. Elyse Love, Board-Certified Dermatologist at GlamDerm Gramercy
Dr. Paul Nassif, Board-Certified Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon of
Nerisha Penrose is the Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Since joining ELLE.com in 2017, she has interviewed countless skincare professionals and has personally tested the latest and greatest products across makeup, skincare, and hair care.