How to Treat Acne Scars

As a general rule, the darker your skin, the darker the spots will look and the longer they'll last. Persistent red spots can be more of a problem for fair-skinned people. Some degree of discoloration after a zit is inevitable, but picking and squeezing can make it linger longer. The easiest temporary solution is to cover spots with a good yellow-based concealer until they fade on their own. To speed things up a bit, try products that contain exfoliating ingredients like alphahydroxy acids, retinoids, or salicylic acid. They slough away dead cells from the top layer of skin, bringing new, spot-free skin to the surface. Dermatologists can also help fade dark spots with prescription medicines, in-office skin micro-peels, or laser skin treatments. No matter how you treat dark spots, it's a good idea to stay out of the sun as much as possible. UV rays can make dark spots even darker.

As a general rule, the darker your skin, the darker the spots will look and the longer they'll last. Persistent red spots can be more of a problem for fair-skinned people. Some degree of discoloration after a pimple is inevitable, but picking and squeezing can make it linger longer.


Real scars, actual depressions or pits in the skin are rare and are usually caused by deep, cystic acne. Shallower scars can be minimized by a chemical peel, in which a dermatologist applies concentrated exfoliants that remove the scarred top layer of skin. Deeper scars have traditionally been treated by doctors with dermabrasion (a high-intensity electric skin-buffing), but some dermatologists are now using lasers to "vaporize" scarred skin. Both cause some swelling and irritation while skin heals, but the new laser treatments tend to be more precise in the treatment of acne scars.