5 Pieces of Advice for having Skin Free of Acne Marks

Acne marks are more common than you might think.  In fact, it’s likely that all of us, at some time or another, have had to face these types of marks.  Depending on how serious your acne was, they could disappear in a matter of days or moths, but often times it can affect your self-esteem.

What are acne marks?

Whenever you have an acne outbreak that goes away, it could leave a mark in its stead.  It might be a different color than the rest of your skin.  We’re not talking about scars, but rather hyperpigmentation that occurs due to excessive melanin that occurs after the injury.  This is what gives the skin color.

These marks disappear in most cases within a matter of days or months, but sometimes they can be permanent and quite disturbing.

Preventing acne marks

One good way of controlling acne marks is to first off, prevent the outbreaks.  Daily facial cleansing, a healthy, fiber-rich diet, fruits and vegetables and enough liquids can help reduce acne outbreaks.

We also recommend that you don’t rub, scratch, or try to squeeze your acne.  This can increase inflammation and increases likelihood of leaving a mark.

Try to consume foods rich in vitamin C, which help synthesize collagen and heal skin.

Natural remedies for acne marks

Fortunately you can treat the marks that appear after acne with natural options.  But you need to remember that the process could still take time, and these remedies require consistency in order to work.

Apply a cream with sunscreen in it daily while treating the acne marks.  The effects of sunlight can slow the effectiveness of these remedies by stimulating the production of melanin.

1. Papaya against acne marks

This is a beneficial remedy against acne marks and for skin hyperpigmentation.  The enzyme papain can increase cellular regeneration, resulting in de-pigmentation.

To use papaya against acne marks you need to crush the pulp, add a few drops of fresh lemon juice and apply to the acne marks.  Try to to apply it to other areas.  Allow to set for 15 minutes and rinse with arm water.  Dry your skin.  If you don’t have any papaya you could also use pineapple.  Apply this remedy until the marks have disappeared.

Note: Avoid using this remedy before going out under the sun, because it could worsen the problem.  Anything that has lemon drops added to it generally causes a reaction to sunlight, staining the skin.  If you want to use this remedy without running the risk of further staining, don’t add the lemon juice.  Whenever your skin gets stained by lemon juice reacting to sunlight, this is only a temporary effect.

2. Licorice for acne marks

Licorice extract can be a good ally against marks that won’t go away after an acne outbreak.  Dilute 12 drops of licorice extract into one ounce of water and use a Q-tip to apply the mixture to your acne marks.  Apply once daily before going to bed and allow to dry.

If your marks still won’t go away, you can also compliment this treatment with circular facial massages with vitamin E.  Use your fingertip to rub a drop of vitamin E oil into the mark.  Do not scrub.  Do this two or three times a day, and at night apply the licorice.

3. Remove acne marks with aloe vera

Aloe vera is one of the most commonly used natural ingredients for skin health.  This is due to its ability to accelerate healing, and thereby helping to improve the state and health of skin.  If you have acne marks, you can take advantage of these properties.

Cut off a piece of the aloe vera plant and rub the gel into the marks.  Allow to act overnight, and during the day do this two or three times more.  Allow to act around 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

4. Vitamin E and Lemon

You can also use vitamin E to treat acne marks.  Open a capsule and mix the contents along with a few drops of fresh lemon juice.  Use the mixture to give yourself a gentle massage.  Massage the marks before going to bed, then repeat the following day.  Avoid going out under the sun immediately after.

5. Other treatments

In addition to these natural options, there are other conventional treatments from peelings, to creams, and even laser applications to eliminate marks.  These treatments can also provide results, especially for more persistent marks, or scars.

References

1. Swanson, D. L. Medlineplus, 2018. Acne Self-care. Medlineplus
2. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 2018. Acne in-depth
3. Cao, H., Yang, G., Wang, Y., Liu, J. P., Smith, C. A., Luo, H., & Liu, Y. (2015). Complementary therapies for acne vulgaris. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1, CD009436.
4. Dall’oglio, F., Tedeschi, A., Fabbrocini, G., Veraldi, S., Picardo, M., & Micali, G. (2015). Cosmetics for acne: indications and recommendations for an evidence-based approach. Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia e Venereologia : Organo Ufficiale, Societa Italiana Di Dermatologia e Sifilografia, 150(1), 1–11.
5. Martin, K. W., & Ernst, E. (2003). Herbal medicines for treatment of bacterial infections: a review of controlled clinical trials. The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 51(2), 241–246.
6. Hajheydari, Z., Saeedi, M., Morteza-Semnani, K., & Soltani, A. (2014). Effect of Aloe vera topical gel combined with tretinoin in treatment of mild and  moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind, prospective trial. The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 25(2), 123–129.
7. d’Alessio, P. A., Mirshahi, M., Bisson, J.-F., & Bene, M. C. (2014). Skin repair properties of d-Limonene and perillyl alcohol in murine models. Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 13(1), 29–35.
8. Pazyar, N., Yaghoobi, R., Rafiee, E., Mehrabian, A., & Feily, A. (2014). Skin wound healing and phytomedicine: a review. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 27(6), 303–310.

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 07/31/2021

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