Here Are The Best Serums To Treat Acne Scars

Written by Urvi Shah25th Feb 2022
Here are the best serums to treat acne scars

Let’s say you’ve figured out a way to treat a recent acne-related breakout on the face. It’s healing without any complications at all; but you can notice it, a trail of scars left behind by a condition that doesn’t seem to go away, no matter what you do. And it’s almost like you’re bound to live with these post-acne blemishes forever. But why do they appear - and how do you free your skin from these marks? Don’t panic - we’ve got you. It’s time to upgrade your skincare routine by adding a scar-fighting serum to your arsenal - and it works! We’ve broken down the condition for you, and rounded up some of the best serums for acne scars.

 

What are acne scars?

Do serums help with these scars?

Let’s start off by learning a little more about the post-acne dented scars on your face. Acne is a common skin-related condition most of us grapple with - and it doesn’t quite have a short-term solution. Typically, acne is triggered by hormonal changes that occur during puberty, menopause, genetics, stress, anxiety, and pregnancy. Even if you’ve treated the breakout, you’re left with indentations on the skin that don’t fade away easily. Acne damages your skin - and the tissue underneath it. When your body attempts to repair this damage, it triggers the production of collagen - a substance that supports the skin. If it produces too much collagen, it leaves behind a ‘raised’ scar. This is classified as a hypertrophic scar. And if it produces too little collagen, you’ll notice a ‘depressed’ scar - pits or depressions on the skin - mark the problematic area. And this is known as an atrophic scar. There are three subtypes of atrophic scars: box-car, ice-pick, and rolling scars. There’s a third type called ‘keloid’ scars that are just like hypertrophic scars, but thicker than the original acne spot. And they can cause itchiness and be painful too. Hypertrophic and keloid scars are more common on the jawline, back, chest, and shoulders.

The risk of developing these scars is higher if you’ve tried popping or fidgeting with the breakout, delayed the treatment of the condition, or have inflammatory acne. And genes play a significant role in scarring as well.

 

Do serums help with these scars?

Do serums help with these scars?

Serums can help lighten the appearance of scars caused by acne over time. You must look out for scar-repelling ingredients in the next serum you buy - vitamin C, niacinamide, salicylic acid, lactic acid, vitamin E, and rosehip oil are a few agents that work toward lightening your scars. Here are 5 of our skincare saviours for acne-related scars.

 

Simple Booster Serum - 10% Niacinamide

Do serums help with these scars?

Enriched with niacinamide, the Simple Booster Serum - 10% Niacinamide is known to repel premature ageing, minimise enlarged pores, and strengthen the barrier of your skin. Because it’s infused with niacinamide, a derivative of vitamin B3, it diminishes the appearance of scars caused by acne, and reduces residual hyperpigmentation triggered by the scars. And it’s a cruelty-free formula formulated for the most sensitive skin - it contains no colour, dyes, parabens, or fragrances!

 

POND’S Bright Beauty Vitamin C Serum

Do serums help with these scars?

Vitamin C is a potent active that improves the appearance of acne-related lesions on the face, and enhances the skin’s repair process. This ingredient is particularly suitable for atrophic scars - the sunken areas on the skin. The POND’S Bright Beauty Vitamin C Serum, infused with excellent sources of vitamin C like pomegranate, green papaya, and lemon brightens, exfoliates, wards off free radicals that cause premature ageing, and reinstates that long-lost glow of yours.

 

Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum

Do serums help with these scars?

Lactic acid is a mild ingredient that can smoothen the texture of your skin, and slough away the dead cells on the surface of your skin. It acts as a gentle peel that lessens the appearance of such scars. The Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum, a medley of chia seed oil, lactic acid, and vitamin C complex repels free radicals that wreak havoc on the skin, sloughs off dead cells, and reduces the appearance of age spots and pigmentation on the face. In other words, the serum brightens, firms, and defends skin from damage as well.

 

Lakmé 9 to 5 Vitamin C+ Face Serum

Do serums help with these scars?

Enriched with kakadu plums - containing a hundred times more amount of vitamin C than oranges - the Lakmé 9 to 5 Vitamin C+ Face Serum is another option on the list. Dermatologically tested, this serum improves the texture of your skin, and hydrates and moisturises your face instantly - apart from reducing the visibility of scars caused by acne.

 

Dermalogica Age Bright Clearing Serum

Do serums help with these scars?

A blend of two of the most powerful scar-clearing ingredients - salicylic acid and niacinamide - the Dermalogica Age Bright Clearing Serum minimises the formation of breakouts on the skin, and brightens your complexion. Because of its ultra-moisturising properties, it protects your skin from dryness, and fights signs of ageing too!

 

Simple Booster Serum - 3% Hyaluronic Acid + B5

Do serums help with these scars?

Even though hyaluronic acid cannot reduce the appearance of scars, it can soothe acne-prone skin, and eliminate inflammation resulting from the condition. Try out the Simple Booster Serum - 3% Hyaluronic Acid + B5. Infused with hyaluronic acid that nourishes the surface of your skin, it also contains pro-vitamin B5 to maximise hydration. Both these ingredients are 95% naturally-derived. There’s more! Its pentavitin composition — a naturally-derived plant extract filled with hydrating properties — hydrates your skin for 72 hours!

All you have to do is apply a few drops of either of these formulas on your skin during your A.M and P.M routine. Serums, typically, come in after cleansing and toning the skin, and before moisturising. You must massage the serum into your face in soft tapping motions with your fingertips or palms, and avoid rubbing your skin too much. Let the formula absorb into your skin on its own.

 

FAQs

Do serums help with these scars?

1) How do you lighten acne scars?

There are a number of procedures you can opt for to treat acne scars:

a. Chemical peels

You can experiment with dermatologist-administered chemical peels to lighten your scars. You will have to identify the type of scar you’re dealing with because different peels address different concerns. These peels, essentially, remove the topmost layer of your skin to allow new skin to present itself. If you’re trying a peel at home, ensure you’re picking the right acids for yourself - glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid are a few examples of at-home acid-based peels.

b. Microneedling

Microneedling involves inserting needles in areas around the scar to stimulate the production of collagen to smoothen the skin, and reduce the appearance of the scars.

c. Laser treatment

As the name suggests, this procedure doesn’t involve needles or peels. It eliminates the topmost layer of the skin to reveal younger cells that can reduce the visibility of scarring on the skin. The process can contour areas of scars, and lighten inflammation around healed lesions,

d. Dermal fillers

Dermatologists might recommend fillers - with substances like collagen, fat, or hyaluronic acid - to refine the appearance of the scars. A dermal filler works by lifting up depressed scars; however the process doesn’t last you a lifetime because fillers are absorbed into the skin eventually.

There are a number of remedies you can try out at home as well. We’ve listed them in the following FAQs.

2) How long do acne scars and marks last?

There’s a clear distinction between acne ‘scars’ and acne ‘marks’. The latter tend to fade quickly while scars remain on the skin for a longer period of time - sometimes even permanently. Acne marks are caused by breakouts that damage the skin, but not enough to leave behind a scar. They’re relatively easier to treat, and they disappear within a few months through corrective action - mostly over-the-counter medication. On darker complexions, they appear as brown marks, and on lighter complexions, you can expect red marks.

3) Which acne scars are the easiest to treat?

Atrophic scars are an example of sunken impressions on the skin. There are many kinds of scars that are classified as ‘atrophic’ - ice-pick, boxcar, and rolling. Rolling scars are the easiest to treat out of all of them. They’re shallow and soft, and resemble ‘valleys’. They almost make your skin look wavy.

4) How do you get rid of acne scars in 2 days?

It’s not humanly possible to eliminate scars from your face within 2 days - even lighten them. But you can experiment with a few remedies at home. A topical application of green tea, honey-cinnamon paste, and aloe vera, for instance, can fight acne-causing bacteria, and eliminate the issue from the root. A facial wash or lotion containing AHAs and BHAs can reduce the appearance of scars, and eliminate uneven pigmentation too. Even cocoa butter, vitamin C peels and serums, rosewater, almond oil, cucumber, and vitamin E, honey, lemons, shea butter, and coconut oil can heal and lighten scars to a certain extent; but the results show only a few weeks after consistent application. Your skin requires a little time to heal, so don’t rush the process.

 

Do serums help with these scars?

Do serums help with these scars?

Serums can help lighten the appearance of scars caused by acne over time. You must look out for scar-repelling ingredients in the next serum you buy - vitamin C, niacinamide, salicylic acid, lactic acid, vitamin E, and rosehip oil are a few agents that work toward lightening your scars. Here are 5 of our skincare saviours for acne-related scars.

Urvi Shah

Written by

A professional writer by day, and a poet by night, I'm a journalism graduate with experience in the news, travel, and food sectors. A frantic compiler of excerpts from books I've read, you can count on me to incorporate quotes and phrases into everyday conversations without a warning. On days I'm not working, I station myself in front of my laptop, and try to work my way through month-old drafts of my writings.

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