Easy Exfoliant for Acne Scars and Blackheads

We updated this article in September 2022 to add more information about each featured product, based on extensive research done by our team, and we consulted additional medical experts to help inform our story.

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After what felt like a century getting rid of your acne, now you've received its parting gift: red, sometimes indented scars. Unfortunately, these spots like to overstay their welcome too. Thankfully, the best acne scar treatments can help fade the pesky remnants of pimples gone by. But, to get the best results, you'll first need to figure out what kind of scar you're dealing with.

Types of acne scars

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), there are two types of acne scars.

Depressed: "There's the pitted scarring that can occur when an inflamed blemish resolves with an ice-pick-like divot in the skin," says Susan Massick, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. There are also two other kinds of depressed acne scars: Rolling (where the skin has indents with sloping edges that make the skin look uneven) and boxcar (indents in the skin that have sharper edges and go pretty deep down).

Raised: This type of acne scar happens when fibrous tissue and collagen (a substance that supports the skin) overgrow, which then causes the scar tissue to rise off the skin, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Those annoying pink spots you may notice after breakouts are "known as post-inflammatory erythema, which is when your acne goes away and you still have a pink area for a few weeks to a few months, much like with a cut or scratch," says Jennifer T. Haley, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Arizona.

So what causes acne scars, exactly?

When acne breakouts penetrate the skin deeply, they can cause damage and affect the tissue beneath it. As the body attempts to repair the damage in the skin, sometimes it can "over-produce collagen, which may result in raised acne scars, also known as hypertrophic scars," explains Rina Allawh, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Pennsylvania. "Under-production of collagen may lead to depressed or pitted scars (a.k.a. atrophic)," Dr. Allawah adds.

Those with deeper complexions can also get post-inflammatory pigmentation (PIH). "It occurs in those with medium-to-dark skin tones, where the inflammation invites pigment cells to the area, and when the acne resolves, a brown spot is left for weeks, months, even years," adds Dr. Haley.

How we chose the best products for getting rid of acne scars

To find the best products for getting rid of and treating acne scars, we tapped a few dermatologists to weigh in on the serums, creams, toners, and pads that they swear by for various types of acne-related scarring. They looked at the science behind the ingredients and formulas to see how well each product performed.

Ready to get bright, even-toned skin? Here, find the best products to help fade your acne scars.

Our top picks

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  Best Overall

  Facial Treatment Set THE ORDINARY

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  best Valaue

  Acne Treatment Gel Differin

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• 

  best for all skin types

  Resurfacing Retinol Serum CeraVe

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• 

  best for raised scars

  Scar Treatment Plus SPF 30 Silicone Scar Gel bioCorneum

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• 

  best for oily skin types

  Brightening Facial Scrub With Vitamin C Peter Thomas Roth

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Best Overall

THE ORDINARY

Facial Treatment Set

best Valaue

Differin

Acne Treatment Gel

best for all skin types

CeraVe

Resurfacing Retinol Serum

best for raised scars

bioCorneum

Scar Treatment Plus SPF 30 Silicone Scar Gel

best for oily skin types

Peter Thomas Roth

Brightening Facial Scrub With Vitamin C

Best glycolic acid at-home treatment

HydroPeptide

5x Power Peel Daily Resurfacing Pads

best toner for acne scars

Neutrogena

Rapid Clear 2-In-1 Fight & Fade Acne Toner

Dr Dennis Gross

Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel

Murad

Environmental Shield Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum

L'Oréal

Revitalift Derm Intensives Vitamin C Serum

GLYTONE

Enhance Brightening Complex

Peter Thomas Roth

Max Complexion Correction Pads

SkinCeuticals

C+AHA Treatment

Drunk Elephant

C-Firma Fresh Day Serum

RoC

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Anti-Aging Night Cream

Jori Daily Leave-On Acne Treatment Mask

CeraVe

CeraVe Vitamin C Serum With Hyaluronic Acid

Bliss

Bliss Vitamin C Serum for Face

Kate Somerville

Kate Somerville D-Scar Scar Diminishing Serum | Acne Scarring Treatment | Flattens & Fades Appearance Of Scars | 0.66 Fl Oz

How to choose at-home home acne scar treatments

There's a wide range of possibilities with acne scars, points out board-certified dermatologist Ife J. Rodney, M.D., founding director of Eternal Dermatology Aesthetics and professor of dermatology at Howard University and George Washington University. "At-home scar treatment can only treat minor scars and blemishes," she says. Still, she recommends looking for products with ingredients like retinol and alpha and beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid, glycolic, and lactic acid, along with hyaluronic acid.

What can at-home acne scar treatments do?

It depends on what you're looking for, says dermatologist Cindy Wassef, M.D., assistant professor at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She suggests considering what you're trying to improve. "Are you trying to fix texture changes and depressed acne scars? If so, you need ingredients that can build collagen like retinoids," she says. "Do you have red and brown scars on your skin? If so, you need ingredients that target discoloration like azelaic acid, vitamin c, retinoids and glycolic acid."

Ultimately, "the best treatment depends on proper identification of the mark itself," says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

There are some limitations.

These treatments won't necessarily erase your acne scars. "At-home acne scar treatments are generally limited to surface-level acne scars," Dr. Rodney says. "They will not adequately treat deeper scars caused by more difficult types of chronic acne bumpiness or deep distressed scars." Those types of scars, she says, "need prescription products, in-office treatments, and both."

At what point should you see a doctor for acne scars?

It depends. "Depressed scars or ice-pick scars are sometimes too deep for retinoids alone—you need other in-office procedures that are more aggressive to build collagen, like laser treatment or microneedling," Dr. Wassef says.

If you've tried treatments for dark and red spots for up to six months with an OTC cream or gel and haven't seen improvement, Dr. Wassef says it's time to seek professional help. "Over the counter products are generally not as strong as prescription for safety reasons and you may benefit from something stronger," she explains.

Krissy Brady Krissy is a regular contributor to Prevention, and she also writes for Cosmopolitan, Weight Watchers, Women's Health, FitnessMagazine.com, Self.com, and Shape.com.

Shauna Beni Shauna Beni is the Associate Commerce Editor at Prevention.

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Source: https://www.prevention.com/beauty/skin-care/g21237048/acne-scar-treatment/