Beauty Tips for Men and Women

3 Ways To Get Rid Of Stubborn Post-Acne Pigmentation Spots

6 March 2015 by Vincent Wallace

One of the biggest problems you likely face if you get frequent acne breakouts or even just an occasional large pimple is the red mark that often stays on your face long after the acne is gone. Some of these spots, called PIH or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, can take months to fade naturally. Thankfully, there are several ways to make them fade much faster, and you can even combine several of these methods for super-fast fading. 

1. Wear Sunscreen Daily

While post-acne dark spots are not caused by sun exposure, sunlight cannot only make these spots fade more slowly, but it can actually cause them to darken. These spots are composed partly of excess melanin, and sun exposure triggers your skin to produce more. Also, many treatments that lighten PIH also make your skin even more sensitive to the sun, so skipping sunscreen can increase your chances of getting sunburn when using other PIH fading treatments. 

For best results, find a sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30 and wear it daily at least until your PIH fades. (Of course, you should wear it every day even when not battling pigmentation problems!)

2. Apply a Vitamin C Serum Every Morning

A vitamin C serum has many skin benefits, and one is the fact that it can help fade skin pigmentation. It also has photoprotective aspects because of its antioxidant content, meaning it protects your skin from the sun. That does not mean that you can skip sunscreen when using it, though! It just adds a little extra protection. 

For best results, apply vitamin C serum first thing after cleansing your face in the morning. Then, wait 15-20 minutes (if possible) before applying sunscreen and any moisturizers you use. This waiting period helps ensure the serum is absorbed completely before applying other products and is not diluted by products you place on top. 

3. Ask Your Dermatologist to Prescribe Hydroquinone

A topical cream containing hydroquinone is considered by dermatologists to be the absolute best product for fading pigmentation spots. While you can purchase products containing 2-percent hydroquinone in drugstores, your spots will fade much more quickly when using a solution containing 4-percent hydroquinone, such as Obagi Blender, which is available through companies like Premierlook.

Hydroquinone also works the best when used along with prescription tretinoin cream, which is also only available with a prescription from a dermatologist. This combination is much more potent than a 2-percent OTC cream, and it is the best choice if you want the spots to fade fast. 

Post-acne spots can often be even more difficult to get rid of than the acne itself. Follow these tips to help them fade very quickly instead of waiting months for them to fade naturally. 

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