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One of the biggest misconceptions you might face is thinking hyperpigmentation is the same as a scar. When the skin is wounded, with an acne spot for example, it inflames and triggers melanocyte production, which can lead to excessive melanin coming to the surface, causing those dark or red marks.
Melanin can also spread to the surrounding area near the injury, meaning it doesn’t matter how small the spot is, it has the potential to leave behind a larger mark after the infection has cleared, which could linger for weeks, months or, in some cases, even years.
How can it be treated?
The good news is that post-acne hyperpigmentation can naturally fade over time, but how quickly varies person-to-person. A treatment and homecare routine that helps them achieve skin health will aid the process, using the right ingredients to boost cell turnover without causing excessive inflammation or damage to the skin’s barrier function.
Niacinamide and certain mushroom extracts are also good at reducing pigment, while vitamin C is cited as another wonder ingredient.
Retinol can also help stimulate cell renewal and improve texture. Using sunscreen daily is also crucial because UVA and UVB rays can make discolouration of hyperpigmentation much worse.
What causes acne scarring?
Adult acne can also leave scars, which most commonly occur when the serious types of spots (nodules and cysts) burst and damage the nearby skin.
Acne scars also come in different types, with the most common being ice pick, which appear as small, deep holes that look like the skin has been punctured with a sharp object.
How can it be treated?
We recommend microneedling, such as Dermatude Meta Therapy and specialised peels as effective scar treatments to help to rebuild the dermal scaffolding and plump out the skin.
Vitamin A taken orally, topically and in treatment can also help reduce scarring. Skin that is vitamin A-deprived will become less active and damage to DNA will not be repaired, which means melanin distribution will be irregular and collagen and elastin production will decline with poor-quality production.
The success of the client’s skin journey will rely on their homecare and lifestyle choices as much as the in-salon treatments. One way to deal with acne scars is to help prevent their appearance in the first place – need to know that picking at the skin leads to scars and that sun exposure can aggravate them.
