It is estimated that almost 85% people throughout the world face the scourge of acne at some point of life. This traumatic skin disorder is often characterized by zits, pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, inflamed nodules and cysts, etc. In most of the cases symptoms of acne get cured without leaving behind any impression. But in some cases these blemishes leave their trace in the form of ugly
acne redness. For unfortunate acne victims these unsightly marks often become the reason for mental depression and social embarrassment.
How Does it Occur?
Acne is the outcome of the clogging up of hair follicles by the coagulation of excess sebum or body oil and dead skin cells. Often skin dwelling Propionibacterium acnes bacteria invade clogged skin pores to turn them into inflamed acne lesions. During natural healing up of acne lesions they leave their remnants in the form of
acne redness. These dark spots are the result of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH).
PIH is nothing but the discoloration of the affected skin area that follows an inflammatory acne comedo. This pigmentation is an outcome of the natural response of our skin to inflammation and often characterized by flat dark colored skin area. The inflammation in acne lesions triggers our skin to produce excess melanin, which is a protein component of our skin responsible for skin coloration.
Due to the accumulation of surplus melanin the wounded area turns into a dark colored part of the skin which persists even long after the lesion has healed up. PIH is quite frequent among acne sufferers irrespective of sex and origin; however, it is found to be more prevalent among dark skinned people. Fortunately
acne redness is not a true scar and could easily be cured up by following a proper treatment procedure.
Treating Acne Redness
These red marks caused due to PIH would gradually fade away over a longer period. In most of the cases it takes around 3 to 24 months for these postinflammatory marks to get fade away completely. However, for some patients it might take longer period depending on their skin complexion. The more the contrast between your skin tone and redness, the longer time it would take to heal up.
There are a number of home remedies and topical over-the-counter treatment options available for the lightening
acne redness.
Home Remedies
Quite a few homemade remedies are used to heal up postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. A few of them are as follows:
• Take some ice cubes from your freezer and wrap up with a clean cloth. Place the wrapped ice cubes on the redness. Apply this for around 10 minutes and you would find the redness less noticeable.
• Get a cup of fresh lemon juice and mix it well with equal amount of rose water. Apply this mixture on the affected area and leave it on for 30 minutes before you rinse it off. After a regular use for 15 days you would notice that your redness is less noticeable
• Many people use fresh garlic to rub on the affected skin area. This remedy is quite effective in reducing redness.
Topical Treatment
Topical over-the-counter medications are quite effective in assuaging
acne redness. A few popular treatments are as follows:
Hydroquinone: This chemical is widely used to alleviate the red marks caused by inflammatory acne lesions. In OTC products hydroquinone is often used at the strength of 1 to 2%. However, your doctor might prescribe hydroquinone creams with 3 to 4% strength. This application should be used only on the darkened skin areas otherwise it might lighten up the tone of normal skin.
Topical retinoids: Topical retinoids such as tretinoin and tazarotene are quite familiar among acne patients. These topical medications are often used to alleviate acne lesions as well as postinflammatory marks. These work by enhancing the cell turnover, thereby exfoliating the dead skin cells in a faster rate. This helps in clearing up unwanted hyperpigmentation. It might take several weeks to months to find any perceptible result. These medications might call for excessive dryness and irritation of the skin, thereby resulting in redness of skin. If you are experiencing any of these side effects consult your doctor immediately.
Glycolic acid: This chemical could be found as a key component in array of OTC products. This chemical is an excellent exfoliator which helps in lightening
acne redness significantly. It is often available in the form of creams, cleansers, and gels.
Azelaic acid: This unique chemical works by speeding up the natural production of skin cells, thereby facilitating exfoliation. Often available in the form of cream or gel, azelaic acid is used as a suitable alternative for hydroquinone for the treatment of postacne hyperpigmentation.
It is always preferable to see a doctor before going for any of these medications; or else you might end up with severe side effects.
