#30dayglowup - Day 25
From suffering from years of acne scarring I've know a thing or two about how to heal them, so here's what I've learnt...
If you’ve
read probably any of my other skincare posts, you’ll know that the main issue I
face with my skin is scarring and pigmentation after years of persistent acne. It
can be so frustrating that even when your skin is clear of blemishes, you’re
still not happy with the way it looks, and it can take a big toll on your
mental health and self-image – something I know from experience.
However
even though the natural process of healing scarring can be very slow, there are
things you can do the speed up the rate of healing and achieve an even skin
tone more quickly. Also, a lot of these things will help your skin in the long
run in terms of anti-ageing and achieving a youthful appearance. If you’re
wanting to learn more about acne scars and how to heal them from my experience
suffering from them for years, then keep on reading.
What are acne scars
I tend to
use ‘acne scars’ as an umbrella term for all of my skin issues resulting from
having persistent acne for many years including discoloration and pigmentation,
however this isn’t really the correct attribution of the phrase.
Acne scars
are actually limited to the changes in your skin texture as a result of severe
acne and normally appear are indentations in the skin. They can look different
depending on your skin and the type of scarring and can include box car, ice pick,
rolling, depressed and hypertrophic scarring. For my information as images as
to each type of scarring I’d recommend checking out this article.
The actual
coloured marks left over after acne are called post-inflammatory
hyperpigmentation or in the case where they’re more purple or red,
post-inflammatory erythema. The former (PIH) is caused when the inflammation in
the layers of skin stimulate the production of melanin which is then trapped
within the skin, making that area darker. The latter (PIE) is a result of the
skin capillaries being damaged, although it is sometimes very difficult to
distinguish between the two.
How can you reduce the chances of getting acne scars?
Unfortunately,
the extent of how much acne affects your skin after it’s healed relies on your
genetics. I know people around me who are so harsh on their spots but their
pigmentation fades within days of them healing, whereas I treat my spots
incredibly gently to reduce their likelihood of scarring and I’m still
affecting by pigmentation from spots I had years ago. However, there are things
you can do to reduce the likelihood of your spots scarring, and I won’t
patronize you hear by saying something like ‘try and stop getting spots in the
first place’. A lot of these tips involve protecting your moisture barrier by
not being to harsh or damaging, and letting your spots heal quickly but
naturally.
Things you can do to reduce the likelihood of acne scarring:
- Use sun cream
- Don’t pick at your spots
- Try a hydrocolloid bandage
- Don’t ‘pop’ spots
- Use a gentle exfoliating treatment
- Don’t use a drying spot cream
Principles of skincare healing acne scars
A lot
things involved in healing acne scars consist of increases the rate of cell
turnover so that your skin is renewing at a much quicker rate, and also
protecting your moisture barrier and preventing further darkening of any
pigmentation you have. In terms of skincare, this means an effective exfoliation
routine without causing too much sensitivity and surface-level damage. For exfoliation
that means using products with ingredients such a:
- AHAs
- BHAs
- Retinoids
- Lactic acid
To look
after your skin, I would also recommend incorporating an SPF into your AM
skincare routine as well as using a good moisturizer.
Product recommendations
The Ordinary Retinol 1% in squalane - £5.80
This is my
absolute favourite product for healing acne scars and I have a full review
here. The retinol increases the rate of cell turnover and I see noticeable results
even just one night after using it. The squalane solution prevents your skin
from drying out because of its oily consistency, leaving you with glowy skin. Retinols
also help to prevent signs of ageing and keep your skin looking more youthful
for longer.
I use it as
part of my PM skincare routine and have never had any issues with sensitivity
because of it. I also recommend starting with a lower concentration of retinol
or using this one less frequently to build up your skin’s tolerance and prevent
any damage to your moisture barrier.
The Ordinary Peeling Solution - £6.30
You can’t
talk about healing acne scarring without mentioning this product – it’s cult
among skincare fanatics and pretty much recommended by anyone who tries it. The
peeling solution is a face mask which acts as a safe, at home chemical peel. It
acts as a deeply exfoliating product to clear out your pores and renew your skin
and is also recommended as an acne treatment as it clears up congestion. I use
it once a week in the evening and don’t use any actives the following day – you
have to be very careful with this product and read the instructions carefully.
Since I prefer
the results of the retinol to any daily AHAs or BHAs I’ve tried, this is the
only product with those ingredients that I frequently use. However, since they
as so effective at exfoliation you may want to consider incorporating them into
your skincare routine – for me The Ordinary Glycolic Acid toner works amazingly
on the texture on my upper arms for example, although I digress.
Biore Watery Rich Essence Sun Cream - £12.00
Even if you’re
not regularly using actives in your skincare routine, you should be using SPF every
day. The pigmentation in acne scarring may deepen in colour from sun exposure
and if your skin isn’t protected it fades a lot more slowly. Although I’m using
Cerave AM moisturizer with SPF now to use it up, the Biore watery rich essence
sun cream is my absolute favourite for not having that ‘sun cream-like’ feel.
In fact, most Korean sun creams are very effective and have a really nice
texture, but it is a nuisance that you have to order most of them online in the
UK. When I run out of my current SPF, I will definitely be repurchasing this
one.
Paula’s Choice Vitamin C Booster - £47.00
As much as
the price tag pains me for this product, it has been my favourite vitamin C
serum I’ve tried, even over the cheaper The Ordinary alternatives. I got it for
my birthday the winter after just coming off Accutane and I saw amazing results
before unfortunate running out. It made my skin glowy and did help to lighten
my pigmentation, which I was able to tell because I had so recently come off of
Accutane and so wasn’t using any actives at the time. It isn’t drying unlike many
vitamin C products and it was so easy to mix in with any moisturizer due to its
serum consistency. If I’m wanting to treat myself at some point and do a big
skincare splurge this would be my first choice, however with the price tag it’s
not very sustainable for me to keep repurchasing.
The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid and Alpha Arbutin - £10
This
product is one of the lesser talked about The Ordinary skincare products, but
it has been very effective for me at reducing my scarring. It has an oil-like
consistency and leaves my skin feeling hydrated, and the two active ingredients
together have really helped me in reducing the deepness of my scarring since
trying it out.
The Ordinary Niacinamide and Zinc - £5.00
Another
cult favourite, I’ve found that niacinamide and zinc have really helped to even
out my skin tone and help reduce my pigmentation. Most people rave about this
product and I see why – when I ran out recently, I really saw that it was not
only helping to reduce the redness in my skin, but also preventing further
breakouts. Although it’s normally sold out and pretty difficult to get your
hands on due to everyone raving about it, I highly recommend giving it a try
for a whole range of skincare issues because it is just that effective.
Treatments I’ve done
A note on acne scars and mental health
Having skin
that has lasting pigmentation long after your acne has healed can be really
difficult to deal with. Since going through Accutane I’ve had a lot less
breakouts and most of the time now my skin is blemish free, but due to the red
marks all over my face I’m still so self-conscious of my skin. It can be really
hard to go through taking years to find ways that work for combatting acne and
finally finding something that’s effective, to then not have the clear skin you
were hoping for. For example, I remember reading through a lot of people’s
accounts and seeing progress pictures of their Accutane journeys, and they’d
start with severe, cystic acne but by month 5 it would be completely cleared
up. For me even with not a spot on my skin by month 8, I still wasn’t happy
with how it looked.
Try not to
compare yourself to other people or resent your skin. Everyone is different and
your skincare journey is yours alone and you understand your skin better than
anyone. Something that helps me is remembering that even though it seems like I’m
having to do more work than people around me now but still have bad skin, in
the long run all the actives and SPF will pay off because of their anti-ageing
properties. Thinking of it as a marathon and not a sprint makes me feel like
all this work and grief will be worth it, so just don’t lose hope.
In conclusion
Acne scars
and pigmentation suck. There’s no way around that one, but they are curable,
and you can do many things to heal them more quickly including treatments and taking
care of your skin. I know a lot of my posts have all been skincare-focused
recently but it’s the thing that affects my self-image and limits my glow up
journey the most.
I find it a
difficult balance between learning to love the skin I have now but still
wanting to improve my complexion as much as possible, but I’ve found enjoying
the process of learning more about my skin and why it does what it does
valuable in order to come to terms with it. If you’re dealing with bad skin know
that you’re not alone and can always reach out to me to talk.
Thank you
for reading, we’re on the home straight now in terms of my 30 days of posting.
If you have any requests for things you want to talk about comment below, and
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