Find What Type of Acne Scars You Have,
and How to Treat of Them

As everyone who has ever suffered from acne knows, getting over the active acne stage is just half the battle (arguably even the easier half). Once a spot or pimple has resolved, it often leaves a mark on the skin that can last a lot longer than the actual pimple itself.

These marks can be either temporary marks or more long-term scars. There are a number of different types of pimple marks and scars, and plenty of highly effective ways to treat them, so don’t despair. We’ll explore why these marks appear and why theymight hang around longer than you’d like, and what your options are for treating them now, so read on.

When skinbecomesinflamed from acne, it will often leave a residual mark when the acne resolves. Just as there are many different types of active acne, there also many different ways a pimple can leave a mark on our skin, and it’s important that we understand what causes these marks and what the treatment options are if we want to speed up the healing process. It’s also important to understand what not to do, as marks and scars on the skin can easily be made worse if you treat them wrong.

While all pimples will leave you with a mark on your skin at least temporarily, not all marks are actually scars, and will generally fade over time.

1. Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) is caused by a reaction in darker skin tones to inflammation caused by a spot or abrasion on the skin’s surface. In cases of hyperpigmentation, the skin produces excess melanin in response to the inflammation,which results in darker brown marks on the affected areas.
   
   
   
2. Post Inflammatory Erythema (PIE) affects lighter skin tones, and this term describes the red, pink, and sometimes purple marks left behind after spots become inactive. This type of marking is particularly common in cases of cystic acne on lighter skin tones.

As most people who are trying to get rid of post-acne marks and light scarring also have some active acne, we recommend using an acne scar treatment regimen that uses several different products that can work together to prevent new spots from forming, heal active acne, reduce the chances of marks and scars developing, and fade existing marks.

You may experience more surface-level hyperpigmentation on the skin’s upper layer (known as the epidermis) or deeper hyperpigmentation on the lower layer (known as the dermis), and here at Brains Street we’d recommend slightly different skincare routines depending on how deep the discolouration is:

• For surface level hyperpigmentation
• For dermal (deep) level hyperpigmentation
• To prevent breakouts, heal pimple marks (erythema), and improve acne scars

Mild acne scars, pimple marks, and normal levels of tanning tend to be responsible for mostly surface level pigmentation, while age spots, injuries (like burns and deep abrasions), birthmarks and melasma are usually deeper.

Topical Retinol should be considered for stubborn atrophic or depressed acne scars, e.g. boxcar, ice pick or rolling scars. Retinol is known for its skin clearing and smoothing benefit as it optimizes skin cell regeneration and improves discolouration.


If you are new to Retinol, start with a lower strength product every second day and slowly increase to daily application. Read our tips for getting started with Retinol treatments, here.

Please note: Retinol can cause your skin to be more sensitive initially and you must wear a sunscreen before sun exposure.

Read our tips for making your post inflammatory hyperpigmentation treatment even more effective, here.

Depending on the severity and type of the post-acne scar or mark, it can take anywhere between 2 months to 2 years to see improvements naturally over time without any intervention. With the help of topical treatments and products like our acne scar treatment set, though, that process can be sped up significantly, and you can hope to see improvements on your skin tone and texture after 4-6 weeks.

It’s important to prevent infection in order to heal scars as quickly as possible, so if you have a wound or area of open acne, make sure to keep changing the dressings to keep it clean and apply an anti-bacterial salve or balm regularly.