Alright, today, let’s address the elephant in the room. The topic that we wish to stay away from as long as possible. Let’s talk about “acne scars”. I know that acne scars not only affect the look of your skin but also your self-confidence.
If you are currently struggling with “acne scars”, please first know that you are not alone because many people suffer from acne scars. And that is why today I am going to help you understand how to treat, improve, and get rid of acne scars and blemishes. “I want you to regain confidence in your skin and yourself, for you to feel as beautiful as you are. So let’s get right onto it shall we?”
ACNE SCAR REMOVAL METHODS
Acne scar laser treatments are up to this day one of the best solutions to eliminate acne scars and pigmentation in the most professional way. However, laser is expensive and sometimes requires numerous sessions and time to heal, so I understand that for many, this is not their number one option.
BUT, no need for despair! Laser treatment is not the only way out of acne scars. A good acne scar treatment at home is the next best thing you can do. Nowadays there are many good products that can help you minimize and even eliminate a big part of any possible scarring that you might have. All you need to do is to choose and use the right products for your specific needs.
In order to build the best acne scar treatment for your specific case, it is important that you understand the difference between three main concepts: Acne scars, pigmentation, and blemishes. Since those three terms even when slightly related are separate issues that require specific treatments. Let’s start by saying that the main difference between these three probably lays in how they form. So let’s get some background info on them:
BLEMISHES
We first have blemishes, some of the most common forms being:
• Moles
• Acne
• Eczema
• Sunspots
• Blackheads
• Open injuries
• Even pigmentation among others can be considered a form of blemish.
PIGMENTATION
Pigmentation in both of its varieties, hypo or hyper. One being blemishes or areas of a lighter color and the other one being darker than the own skin tone, can also appear as a result of acne scarring when the scarring ends up affecting the melanin production.
Pigmentation has also many other causes from the sun, to medication or even pregnancy, but basically, the main difference is that the discoloration from pigmentation comes from the melanin production. Meaning it usually comes from a cellular level.
ACNE SCARS
Whereas acne scars are the effect of blemishes that due to lack of the proper treatment or their improper manipulation, they have ended up leaving a dent or mark on the skin. There are many types of scarring that can occur due to acne but some of the most common types are:
• Icepick scars
• Keloids scars
• Boxcar scars
• Rolling scars
• And hyper-pigmentation
If you want to know more about the specific types of scars and how to help treat them, here you have an in-depth video about this part of the subject.
ACNE SCAR TREATMENT
As you have seen all the previous terms are related, but at the same time, they are all different. Blemishes can cause both pigmentation and scarring, but not all pigmentation is scaring, and not all scaring is pigmentation. And pigmentation and scaring do not always have to come forcefully from blemishes.
But do not worry because, proper blemish treatment, and prevention, will significantly reduce the possibilities of developing acne scars and pigmentation.
HOW TO GET RID OF ACNE SCARS?
In order to provide the perfect acne scar treatment, first, you need to pinpoint where the acne scars are coming from to treat them properly. The three key points to give proper treatment to scarring are to regenerate, to hydrate, and to treat. And this are some of the best things you can do to achieve proper results.
1. Avoid and Treat Blemishes Properly
This will help minimize the possibilities of developing scars and hyper-pigmentation. Treat your face well before they show up but also during and after the blemishes are already there.
• Create a routine suited to your skin needs to prevent daily damage.
• If blemishes arise, the way to avoid more damage is to try not to touch them and work on treating the blemish properly instead.
• The way to avoid blemishes after the pimple is fading is to address the skin with ingredients and methods that will help the skin recover
A good routine is very important because as you will be able to see in this video, applying regenerating ingredients will not highly minimize the appearance of the current scars and hyper-pigmentation but also prevent many new ones from forming.
2. Give Proper Treatment to the Current Scarring
As we already went through there are many types of scars that you could develop. If the scars happen to affect your texture, along with the regenerating ingredients used on the previous step (like Centella Asiatica), you might want to also search for highly moisturizing ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E or Allantoin.
These ingredients will plump up your skin to help minimize the appearance of those scars and if you use them together with ingredients that target pigmentation, the treatment will be double as effective. Niacinamide or some types of acids can help with that, by minimizing the melanin production, brightening the skin and helping exfoliate the outer layers of skin.
The Top Star
If you want to help the hyper-pigmentation while boosting the collagen production, a good dose of Vitamin C can help you reduce both the texture and discoloration of acne scars while also providing a slight exfoliation. Using a combo of mixtures like vitamin C and E together will be one of the best acne scar treatments you can get for your skin since both vitamins maximize each other´s effects. When using Vitamin C remember the following:
• Do not mix Vitamin C with other strong actives.
• Stick to a dosage that suits your skin type.
• Slowly add the active ingredients into your skincare when you are starting out.
• Always wear sunscreen when you are using any type of actives.
3. Avoid Sun Damage at All Costs
Along with all the other prevention steps, preventing sun damage is another huge way to avoid skin scarring and hyper-pigmentation. As I already mentioned many times before, you should always do proper sun care, especially if you are going to be using Vitamin C.
I know that finding the right sunscreen that does not trigger skin is tricky but make sure you use a sunscreen that fits your skin type. Especially if your skin is sensitive. “Choose products light enough to not clog the pores while being strong enough to protect the skin.” My recommendation is to always search for sunscreens that fit your specific skin type and necessities.
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL ALREADY, SCARING OR NOT
Lastly, I want to tell you that if you are struggling with any of these skin conditions, do not despair. Slowly incorporating these habits will make a big difference in your skin, but in the meantime just remember that you are more, much more than just your skin. You are more than beautiful already, scaring or not. So keep your head up hun and have a beautiful day!
This article was originally written for and posted on Wishtrend. If you want to check the full article with product recommendations from the brand click on the link.
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