Looking to get rid of the hyperpigmentation from your acne? Tired of looking in the mirror at your scarred skin? Feel like giving up on your hopes of having clear skin? The vicious cycle of picking and scarring your precious skin is nearly impossible to escape. We’ve compiled the top ten ways to get rid of the hyperpigmentation from your acne.
What Causes Hyperpigmentation and Dark Spots?
Before going through the million and one articles you will find online explaining how to get rid of those nasty little dark patches of skin, you should know what they are caused by. There is more than one reason as to why hyperpigmentation occurs. Discovering the underlying cause may increase your chances of depleting those scars. The main reason for these little spots is skin trauma of some form. Hormonal and hereditary issues may also be the cause. Here are a few other reasons, in no specific order…
Melasma: Melasma makes itself known during pregnancy! The term means, “mask of pregnancy,” but is also know to affect men. It appears as brown patches of skin on the cheeks, nose, or forehead.
Freckles: freckles are the most common form of hyperpigmentation and primarily affects fair skin. Freckles are often hereditary and appear with sun exposure.
Hormonal Imbalances: a hormonal imbalance happens when the body goes through a change whether that is medication, stress, sickness, or other natural changes. This is often an extreme reason for hyperpigmentation. If you are female, your monthly cycle is notorious for causing spots. Pregnancy as well as hormonal medications will cause hormonal imbalances, therefore causing hyperpigmentation. If you are extremely stressed out, not sleeping well, or eating poorly, your skin will be effected by those things and often outbreak with hyperpigmentation spots.
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation: these are also known as acne scars! Acne can leave extremely significant scarring on nearly any part of the body. If you happen to fall into this category of hyperpigmentation, you know all too well that the constant flares of acne are an endless cycle of trauma and repair. Because the cycle is consistently ongoing, it leads to scarring and it is an extremely difficult form to repair and get rid of. Your best bet is to treat the acne bouts before attempting to remove scarring. Recurring bouts can be due to your skin, diet, hormonal imbalances, cycles within the body, lifestyle, etc.
Have you discovered the cause of your hyperpigmentation? Now it is time to address those little spots! Below are some suggestions on how to get rid of that hyperpigmentation! And remember, do your best to give each suggestion an attempt, persevere, and know that even top dollar clinical treatments will not be an instant fix. Here are ten ways to approach healing your skin and getting rid of hyperpigmentation scars:
How to Get Rid of Unsightly Scars and Spots from Hyperpigmentation
Laser Treatment: Acne scars are depressed craters and may often only respond to lasers.
Sun Protection: This is more of a preventative approach. Red spots are often left after red pimples heal and they usually fade with time. Protecting them from the sun will ensure they do not leave darker spots.
Medication: There are a few medications that can be prescribed to you from a dermatologist that help with hyperpigmentation. Be sure to research the side effects: niacinamide, kojic acid, licorice, retinoids, hydroquinone are all fairly popular skin lightening agents used to combat this condition.
Chemical Peels: There are chemical peels that your dermatologist could discuss with you.
Vitamin E Oil: You can purchase this at your local pharmacy over the counter. Vitamin E Oil can come in a liquid form or capsules. If purchased as liquid, use a cotton ball and rub over the dark spots. If purchased as capsules, snip the end and squeeze the concentrated oil onto your scars.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Drink this 2 times a day, suggested morning and night. Add 2 TBSP of the vinegar to a half cup of warm water. You can add some honey to sweeten the taste! You can also apply it to the darker skin spots with a cotton ball, one time a day.
Dark Spot Correctors: There are so many of these! After researching dozens of these products our team recommends using Alchimie Forever’s Pigment Lightening Serum or Meladerm for quick, safe, and effective results. These creams target the melanin within the skin, reduce its production, and help to correct uneven skin tones, diminish dark spots, and give you a healthy, radiant glow altogether.
Lemon or Lime: Lemon or lime juice is known to lighten scars! But if your skin is sensitive, be careful, it could sting. You could try diluting it with water. Either squeeze the juice out and apply or lay slices on your hyperpigmentation.
Oatmeal Face Mask: These have great enzymes and minerals for your skin. Leave it on for 30 minutes and rinse off with warm water. Recipe: 1 cup cooked oats with a little bit of natural yogurt plus 1 TBSP lemon juice.
Diet: Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables! Drink more water than you think you need. Cut back on junk food, chocolate, alcohol, and caffeine.
We hope these suggestions helped you and you are able to successfully rid of those pesky marks caused by hyperpigmentation! Let us know what worked for you and what didn’t.