Overview
As if suffering from whiteheads, blackheads and inflamed pustules wasn’t enough, acne can also cause black marks to develop on your skin. A result of the inflammation acne incurs on the skin, these black marks usually fade on their own in time. However, they can look like scars and make you feel like all of your hard efforts to get rid of your acne were for nothing. But there’s no need to feel bad; you can remove those black marks caused by acne and get your smooth, flawless face back.
Step 1
Apply an over-the-counter topical skin gel to reduce the appearance of your acne black marks. Look for products that contain retinol or glycolic acid to get the job done. These ingredients work by sloughing off the top layer of skin, thus making black marks fade away faster. They also boost collagen production, which is a key element in speedy scar healing.
Step 2
Visit your dermatologist to have abrasive treatments performed on your skin. A chemical peel is the mildest treatment and works by encouraging the top layer of skin to slough off. The peel is made of acid and can burn or sting a bit when applied. Dermabrasion involves physically sanding off the top layer of skin. Your skin is essentially an open wound, but when it heals, your black marks will be less noticeable. In both cases, these treatments speed skin cell turnover, helping your marks fade at a faster rate.
Step 3
Consult with your dermatologist about laser treatment. Laser treatments can take different approaches toward the same end of removing your black marks. Laser resurfacing burns off the top layer of skin, encouraging new skin growth and a fading away of the black marks over time. Fractional laser treatment targets deeper layers of skin, making no visible wound, but instead stimulating collagen production and the destruction of the pigment cells that form the black marks. After several weeks, your marks should be much less noticeable.
Step 4
Wait for results. As frustrating as it sounds, black marks caused by acne will often fade away on their own in time. Granted, it can take up to a year, but these marks generally are not scars in the truest sense of the word and will go away.
