Color Me Bonita - How to Fix Acne Scarring

We've got another post from Daniela today! This was a personal request of mine because I have some pesky spots that I can't ditch.

How do I get rid of the scarring on my face from acne?

Well, we have to be specific on what we mean by “scarring”.

There’s scarring where the skin collapses after a cyst has healed, which are called "pock marks" in lay vernacular. 

Then there are pores whose openings got stretched out so they look like large empty holes, called "ice-pick scars".  

And then there is hyperpigmentation, which laypeople call scarring but really is just small massive tans that are a way the skin deals with trauma.  They’re also what are now being called “dark marks”.

Hyperpigmentation occurs by the exact same mechanism as what happens when the sun damages your skin. In essence, the pores, having been irritated by infection and picking of blemishes and blackheads (who can help picking, I can't even help that! :)), have created massive tans as part of the healing process. If left to go away by themselves, these dark marks would take as long to go away as a really dark tan.  Sometimes, however, the damage to the cells pigmented by melanin can be bad enough for the pigmentation to be permanent.  Either way, the remedy is the same.

So, three things need to become a part of your routine:

    1)    Exfoliation inside and outside pores using AHA or Salicylic Acid to get rid of cells darkened by pigment.

    2)    Topical antioxidants to help skin heal and to keep pigment from spilling into cells so easily.

    3)    Prevention of further damage by using sunscreen AT ALL TIMES.  Sunscreen must be non-pore-clogging so breakouts don't recur.  Remember, sun exposure without protection ***will make the marks darker ***.

Product suggestions:

1) BHAEnzyme Peel or Alphaplex

2) Strataserum

3) Day Creams

Use discount code “colormestyled” for 10% off either of these products.