Dermatologist tells you why acne leaves red and darks spots- and what to do

The main cause of redness and PIH from acne is inflammation - redness in those with increased melanin, results in PIH over time and with UV exposure.

When the skin is still red, ingredients such as niacinamide can help with the inflammation. Dark spots can be faded using topical agents. ingredients to look for are licorice, azelaic acid, retinol, vitamin c. Your dermatologist may prescribe you hydroquinone to lighten the hyperpigmentation as well. Chemical peels help with dark spots as well, as the darker skin is peeled away.

OTC products that contain exfoliating agents such as retinol, azelaic acid, salcylic acid and AHA help the skin exfoliate, this results in tricking the skin into thinking it is continuously being wounded. Collagen is produced and acne scars are decreased as the red or hyperpigmented skin is sloughed off slowly. Glycolic acid, Ferulic Acid, vitamin c and tea tree oil are safe to use for acne when pregnant- these key ingredients are in Visha Skincare Mommy Brightener and Mommy Purifying Cleansers.

• Visha Skincare’s Advanced Correcting Serum was formulated to address these types of dark scars as they contain Illumenotex, a natural lightening agent (with licorice, azeleic acid and vit c) as well as retinol, vit e , ferrulic acid and AHAs to exfoliate the dark skin away.
• Azelaic acid is a naturally produced acid that causes skin lightening as it shrinks melanocytes.  it helps exfoliate the skin and helps lighten skin darkening that can happen.

Diet is important! We all need six glasses of water, eight hours of sleep, a multi-vitamin and a probiotic to help with skin health.Take a probiotic- the skin is the largest immune organ of the body, but the gut is the second. Calming the gut, calms inflammation in the body, and helps with the inflammation of acne. This regimen helps the skin overall from the inside out and can help augment a good acne skincare regimen. A low sugar diet, low dairy and low gluten diet, is also important, as it will decrease inflammation in the gut, and this helps with the inflammatory component of acne. Other than picking at skin, try these things to avoid to help reduce redness and/or PIH?

Chemical and manual exfoliants can make PIH worse if they cause too much inflammation.

No sugar and no dairy help to decrease inflammation in the skin to combat hyperpigmentation and redness.