acne scars?

[davidLO123]

I've been dealing with ugly acne scars for months: I mean months. 

I went through a**utane. That awful pill ruined my life and left me with severe scarring. 

The scarring is taking forever to fade. It's been 7 months and my scarring is still red. 

Is there any products or recommendation to help fade the scarring?????/

My current routine is:

YTTP Kale Cleanser 2x a day

YTTP Adaptogen Deep Cream 2x a day

COOLA Sun Drops whenever I go out in the sun

YTTP Superfood Oil every other night

Herbivore Blue Tansy  1-2x a week

Kiehl's Clay Mask 1-3x a week. 

[quspork]

For discolorations, @davidLO123, vitamin C serum is your best bet. The type that is most effective for acne scars tends to be straight L-ascorbic acid, as opposed to one of the many derivatives. However, depending on how your skin reacts to vitamin C, the derivative forms can offer a gentler alternative. My preferred L-ascorbic acid is Tiam My Signature C Source which offers is a 20% vitamin C serum. 

[jaijs]

I know someone else asked this but is it just purely hyperpigmentation or also pitted/indented scarring?

Drunk Elephant's TLC mask is a really great/strong exfoliant mask to use 1-2 times a week  Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial™ AHA + BHA Mask 1.69 oz/ 50 mL

Depending on what cleanser you like (I use the Beste Jelly Cleanser by DE, it's great for sensitive skin/acne prone skin and also use Tatcha's Deep Cleanse Exfoliating Cleanser/I rotate), you could follow up with the Tatcha Rice Powder TATCHA - The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder

The rice powder is a very gentle 'exfoliant' and I can't go a night without using it.

I always use a vitamin c serum at night (vitamin c serum should help lighten the scarring and also help reformation of collagen).  The one that I love and use nightly is by Tatcha- Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA 1 oz/ 30 mL

I also follow up with either an oil by Tatcha (I switched to their line about a year ago from DE and I love it) or a moisturizer.  The oil actually sinks into the face and safe to even put in your hair.   Tatcha Gold Camellia Beauty Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL

A few other products that I will incorporate into my skincare (depending on if I have a breakout, scarring) is the Dr. Dennis Gross Pads  Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel Pads 30 Treatments + 5 Bonus

I love using these when I do have acne flare ups and my skin gets red.  I use this and then apply Estee Lauder Advanced Night Serum ESTéE LAUDER - Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II

Anyways, it's good that you're using a sunscreen! The sun definitely can make hyperpigmentation darker.  You'll want to make sure to drink lots of water, keep your skin moist.

I would also recommend looking into dermarolling.  I have a ton of experience with this but please read all safety precautions about it.  Dermarolling has changed my skin entirely. 

When I was a teenager with hormonal breakouts, I would make an egg white mask and add lemon.  You could try googling it but it was cheap, amazing and made my skin feel great!

Also, sorry if this reply sounded liked a Tatcha ad.  I just love their product and I've tried a ton of skincare over the years.

Sorry for the load of info. Hope some of this helps!

[naturalooks15]

@jaijs Lot of good info and very detailed post. Do you have information about pH level of Tatcha Vit-C serum? I have been researching it a bit and I saw somewhere that pH of that is closer to 4 which is not optimal for exfoliation so even though it has AHA & BHA, we might not get great exfoliation benefits. If you have additional info please do let me know as the ingredient list of this serum is pretty awesome. Another one I am researching the DDG IPL serum. 

[jaijs]

I don't have information about the pH level of the Tatcha Vitamin C serum but I don't use it particularly for exfoliation as I use it for other benefits (collagen production/lightening of hyperpigmentation/just an overall glow).  For exfoliation purposes, I use a weekly mask (the babyfacial- which basically has one of the highest levels of AHA/BHA that can be purchased, at least from Sephora that is) or a daily exfoliant (the rice powder) and deep cleanser. 

I have tried a ton of other vitamin c serums that have not worked for me in the past but I will say that all skin will react differently.  I find that with the Tatcha serum, it isn't sitting on my face/sticky and it's the first vitamin c serum that I've found to do anything to my skin.  I've tried the Dr. Dennis Gross  Vitamin C and it was extremely sticky (with a small amount used), it caused breakouts, just didn't work well with my skinDR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE - C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Serum

I've also tried the Drunk Elephant DRUNK ELEPHANT - C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum

While drunk elephant has a huge cult following (and I was one of those people), my skin adapted to their product extremely quick and I wasted this product.  I didn't see any noticeable results but it also didn't give me any bad reactions. 

I live near a Sephora so I often am able to stop by and try samples of things so that way I don't buy/return and so I generally try to get a good idea of how a product will react to my skin. 

For exfoliation purposes, I use a derminator (owndoc.com has a TON of information).  I spent years reading about microneedling/benefits (especially for acne scarring, discoloration, etc) and I am serious when I say that it's transformed my skin, scarring, etc.  I've even had professional lasers, chemical peels (you name it) and nothing has transformed my skin like this.  I do this once every 6-8 weeks.  I would never recommend anything again, without doing your own full research. Sephora does sell dermarollers with smaller needle length and they can actually be used to help product absorb better into the skin.

Hope that helps and sorry that I don't have the info on tatcha vita C serum.  I just have been using it for months now and it's been working for me!

[naturalooks15]

Thanks @jaijs  I just saw it today as there was no tag or notification. This information is helpful. I am too scared to try microneedling as I have broken capillaries etc. Maybe I should first try it in an office setting. I am exploring these options because I feel C-Firma is not helping much with hyperpigmentation I have and I might have to start to branch out. 

[davidLO123]

Everyone raves about the Babyfacial? Is it any good from your experience, also

how about the Tatcha serum? I use their cream, but I'm hesitant about the serum because a lot of the reviews are sponsored and the ones that are not sponsored have bad reviews saying the serum caused acne and irritation.  

[jaijs]

I'm generally weary about cult following on products because I get confused on if it's just what's popular or kind of like you, a lot of reviews are from people who got the product free.

For me, babyfacial works wonders.  It is the only mask that I feel like is actually exfoliating/regenerating my face to the full extent and I'm actually quite happy that, even though I have extremely sensitive skin, this product is able to give me results without harming it. 

I will say, I recently incorporated retinol into my skincare (not sure why, just wanted to try out DE's new retinol) and forgetting that retinol should never be in conjunction with the babyfacial, my skin peeled....for days... (but it did give me a nice exfoliation lol-- would not recommend).

My face is amazingly softer, it helps clear up any current acne that I have and it also makes it smooth.  I sound like an ad but it really does work on my skin.  If you are ever able to get a sample at a store close by, I would say try it first. I generally try samples before purchasing products because I never know how my skin will truly act.

As far as the Tatcha Vitamin C serum-- I love it.  When this was first released, I saw a ton of good reviews and as I was reading, I noticed almost 90% of the reviews were because they received the product, with the essence, for free.  I went to a local store, got a sample of it and tried it out.  This was the first and only vitamin c serum that actually sunk into my skin, didn't sit on top/feel sticky, and I actually woke up to plump/brighter skin.  I decided later to get a sample of the essence to try it out and hated that it worked so well.  It is actually almost like a primer for product.  I wouldn't say the essence is necessary but it's more of a luxury to have, if you ever want to incorporate something like that into your skincare.

I did respond to someone else on this thread about what vitamin c serums I've used but again, from my exprience actually paying for the product (twice now and plan to repurchase), I love it and think it's a great vitamin c serum.

I almost always breakout with product so when I discovered the Tatcha line (after the drunk elephant line, which my skin adapted to quickly and the product wasn't as effective), I was pleasantly surprised that I finally found a vitamin c serum that I was happy with.

I also hate recommending this product because it's SOOO freaking expensive but I do own la mer's the treatment lotion, moisturizing soft cream and creme de la mer and their concentrate and use this product during the week that I dermaroll and my skin recovers so, so well.  This has another cult following and the price honestly hurts my soul but for what I use it for- it gives amazing results.

Sephora sells dermarollers on the site and they help product sink in.  If you are ever interested in benefits of microneedling, I've checked out owndoc.com for years (I'm 30, have been studying skincare/acne scarring since I was 18 because of cystic acne from when I was a teen) and I am happy to have found the website.  I've had lasers, chemical peels, etc. and have realized after spending thousands of dollars that there are much less, evasive ways to help skin clear up from acne, hyperpigmentation and scarring!

[jaijs]

Also, love the belif BELIF - The True Cream Aqua Bomb

This is my absolute favorite moisturizer to use after any type of mask.

I also like glamglow GLAMGLOW - SUPERMUD® Activated Charcoal Treatment Mask

Anyways, sorry for so much info overload!

[makeitup305]

@davidLO123 Skin takes a long time to heal, especially from something as intense as accutane. You can try incorporating some of the Dr. Jart Cicapair products, which help combat inflammation and redness. You could use the DR. JART+ - Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Re.Pair Serumunder the Indigo cream for example or see if one of the masks works for you. I'd suggest that you make sure that your cleanser is alcohol free so that you don't further irritate your skin. Depending on what kind of scarring you have, a Vitamin C serum might also help fade older spots. If you have scars that are more indented, those will take a long time and may never be "perfect”.

[davidLO123]

Thanks for the information! I'll check to see if my cleanser has alcohol or not.

I'll also look into those Tiger Grass products. 

[makeitup305]

@davidLO123 the Dr. Jart products can be pretty pricey so if that turns you off, look into other Korean brands. They're usually made with quality ingredients and are pretty affordable 🙂

[DianaHuynh]

@davidLO123 What kind of scarring do you have? Is it darking of the skin? Indentations? or just the redness?

[LittleEduarda]

Mine is darkening of the skin. And I have no idea what to do cause I have a very special event coming on in less than 2 weeks