The Best Creams To Remove Acne Scars?
I think I would somehow be the right person to answer this coz I have gone through that phase..
To begin with there's a big difference in Acne scars and acne marks or PIH(post inflammatory hyperpigmentation) which happens when acne is gone.
If by acne scars you mean the actual scars where you have slight or deep pitting on your face ,which is a result of skin's defense mechanism by healing the skin and producing excess of collagen and thereby creating pits on the skin.
Acne scars are of many types :
- Rolling scars
- Box scars
- Ice pick scars
- Depressed scars
And now coming to your question best cream to remove acne scars..
Though topical ointments and cream don't completely treat the scars, however they just help in increasing the rate of cell renewal and producing more collagen, there by pluming up the pits of the skin. While they do show some effect after long term use but the result is not sheer perfection.
1. Retinol or Tretenion is the only cream/ointment I know, which can help with mild acne scars not the deep pitted ones. ( Its a prescription medicine)
Starting with a lower concentration of 0.025 once or twice a week and then if your skin tolerates it then use it thrice a week. Make sure you wait for good 20 minutes before applying it and use it only at night and follow up with sunscreen next morning , coz it makes your skin photosensitive.
After trying Tretenion I sought help of my Dermatologist and she recommended I go for microdermabrasion and I did take 2 sessions with not much of visible improvement, then I was suggested by a friend to try Derma roller or Micro needling. And I have to say it has been the best decision so far, its not a ablative procedure and takes about 5-6 sessions depending on the intensity of scars. But along with it you have to use healing serums/gels/creams. Serums containing Vit C, Hyaluronic acid and copper peptides are the best. One can continue using Tretenion along with the treatment but the usage frequency has to be less.
Incase your question was about acne marks or PIH then here's a list of the creams you can try. These creams/gels take about 4-5 weeks or more to show noticeable effect. If you want quick action and have fair amount of budget in hand than you may consider Microdermabrasion or Chemical peels.
- Creams/gel containing Vit C help to lighten marks.
- Creams/gel with Niacinamide ( Vit B3) helps with pigmentation and spots.
- Creams/gel with Kojic acid/ liquorice extract help fade dark spots and marks.
- Creams/gel containing Azelaic acid helps to lighten skin and spots.
- Tretenion/ retinol also help in dark spots and marks removal.
These ingredients facilitate in the removal of dark spots, marks and pigmentation.
I Don't want to include hydroquinone in the list coz it's long term usage can be harmful for your body. I remember my Derma said hydroquinone should not be used longer than 4-5 months and for face she wont recommend hydroquinone at all.
PS: I a not a Dermatologist by profession, but have quite a bit of knowledge and understanding of it, after lot of research and talks.
Also I am not trying to promote any product/procedure here, these are my own personal observations of things that worked for me and might work for others too. I would still suggest you to see a Dermatologist and figure out what would work for you..
If you wanna know more read this book: The Skincare Bible: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Great Skin
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