I realized I haven’t done a routine video [ever] for you guys, and I know a lot of you message me asking for my exact routine.

Last night I was getting ready for bed and decided I would film a quick video showing you my exact routine.

I find when I stick to my routine on a weekly or monthly basis, I see my skin continually heal and improve, and I feel and look my best.

Over the past few years, this is the routine I’ve seen the best results from, as my skin turns over and heals.

My weekly / monthly routine

One note is since skin takes time to regenerate, turnover and heal, you shouldn’t derma-pen or microneedle more than 1X week lightly, or 1X a month depending on your goals, how deep you go, and your skin sensitivity.

**This is something to start very lightly with and test on your own skin. It is not something to be rushed into and you always have to test lightly with your skin and act with care.

One note is I only do my routine when I know I don’t have any important event within 3-5 days as the first few days my skin is a bit red and healing.

Always start very lightly with both the derma-pen and copper peptides, as all our skins are different and you don’t want to overdo it in any way. A little goes a long way.

My specific routine

1) 1X a week, or 1X a month, I lightly wash my face and rub a light layer of avocado oil onto it.

2) I take a new derma-pen and lightly press the dermapen over the scarred areas in 5 or so different directions

3) Then I take a light layer of copper peptides and use my finger to gently place them on the scarred areas (and over the rest of my face as I desire like a face-mask for the healing benefits).

4) I then put a light layer of derma-e gel over the peptides to lock in the moisture and allow for the full healing under a layer of moisture.

4) In the morning I use ice-cubes to wash the copper peptides off my face as they are a bright blue

5) Each night after I put a light layer of copper peptides + derma-e gel on the area

6) After a few days there is no more redness, and I can continue to layer copper peptides on the skin and allow it to continue to regenerate for the next week or 30 days.

After each process I see substantial improvement in my skin and scarred areas. I see the healing process after each derma-pen + copper peptide session.

I find it is best when I allow my skin a full 30 days inbetween to fully regenerate and heal, which matches with the time it takes to allow the skin to regenerate a full new layer of skin.

The skin takes time to heal

It takes time (!) skin does not magically go from deeply scarred to perfect with one round of derma pen + copper peptides, but I see improvement after each time.

For me, I see the derma pen break up my damaged skin, and allow for deeper penetration of the copper peptides.

The derma pen + the copper peptides kickstart the healing process, and speed up the cell turnover.

Each session I see my skin improve, the dead, damaged scarred skin flake off, and my new skin grow in plumper and smoother.

Over time I’ve seen my scarring go from super deep to smooth and plump, and for the past few years I have been able to put a light moisturizer on and walk outside each day (instead of slathering on makeup and oils to try to hide my scarring as I used to).

Send me a note if you have any questions about my weekly / monthly routine, and I am always happy to help.

Warmly,

Stacy

Acne scars form due to the healing of inflamed acne blemishes. When the acne is small enough, the scars are mild and heal quickly on their own. Other times, the blemish spills into the surrounding tissue and creates deeper scarring.

The two main types of acne scarring is indented and raised. Acne scars are indented when they form due to a tissue deficit, and they are raised when too much collagen is produced during the acne wound repair.

Those with darker skin are more prone to raised scarring, which is more likely to happen to darker skin types as a healing response whether that is to acne or other types of skin injuries.

Vitamin C for Acne Scars

Does Vitamin C help improve acne scarring?

Acne scarring forms more often due to long-term or severe cystic acne, but it can also form from less severe cases as well. Picking at acne and genetic makeup can contribute to whether you get acne scarring as well.

Indented scarring is the result of too little collagen produced, making Vitamin C is a great treatment to help the skin regenerate and produce more collagen to heal.

Raised scarring, however is the result of too much collagen produced during healing, meaning Vitamin C and other topical treatments won’t be much help. In the case of raised scarring you’d need to go to your dermatologist to get their recommendation which may either be surgery, injections, or other types of gel treatments.

Vitamin C Serum for Acne Scars

Healthline explains how Vitamin C helps with the collagen rebuilding process and acne scarring, “Vitamin C treats acne scars by increasing the synthesis of collagen, a protein responsible for your skin’s structure and vital for rebuilding healthy skin. As a result, this vitamin may accelerate the healing of acne wounds.”

Vitamin C plays an important role in skin’s rebuilding of collagen, which is one way it helps the skin rebuild acne scarred areas to help them heal more effectively.

The Wang, Jiang, Li et al study found that, “Normal skin needs high concentrations of vitamin C, which plays many roles in the skin, including the formation of the skin barrier and collagen in the dermis, the ability to counteract skin oxidation, and the modulation of cell signal pathways of cell growth and differentiation.”

Vitamin C is found in high levels normally in the skin and it plays many roles, including oxidant protection, a role in cell growth and the formation of new skin.

This is why Vitamin C is so helpful in getting rid of red acne scarring and discoloration in the skin.

The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology found that Vitamin C protects against photoaging, ultraviolet-induced immunosuppression, and photocarcinogenesis.

These are reasons Vitamin C is known for adding an extra layer to protect skin from the sun, when used in combination with regular sunscreen.

Best Vitamin C Serum for Acne Scars

L-ascorbic acid (LAA) is the most chemically active, naturally occurring, and most potent form of Vitamin C.

L-ascorbic acid is also the form of Vitamin C most susceptible to oxidizing, which means it turns from clear to a yellow-ish color and expires more quickly than other more stable, yet less active forms of Vitamin C.

When looking for a Vitamin C serum, looking for one with L-ascorbic acid is the way to get the naturally occurring, most active form of Vitamin C.

Studies, including the Pumori study, have also found Vitamin C to be the most effective at a higher concentration, up to 20%, so getting a 20% Vitamin C serum has been found to have the most benefits.

The Pumori study also explains the best benefits are achieved by applying the Vitamin C every 8 hours because Vitamin C serum has a half-life of 4 days, and you need a persistent reservoir of Vitamin C in the skin for adequate photo protection, which can be achieved with regular 8 hour applications.

There are different benefits of Vitamin C, including photo protection, but also benefits specific to acne scarring including decreasing inflammation and redness, and giving the skin ingredients to help repair and build collagen.

The acnescar.org Vitamin C serum is one of the best Vitamin C serum for acne scars, due to its use of the most chemically active naturally occurring L-ascorbic acid.

How Does Vitamin C help with acne scarring?

Vitamin C is an ingredient that’s topical application has been found to help with skin healing and collagen production.

Specifically it has been found to help indented acne scarring as well as pigmented red acne scarring, but not raised acne scar types.

How Does Vitamin C Help Indented Acne Scars?

The Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology study by Al-Niaimi and Chiang goes on to explain how Vitamin C helps in the collagen and skin repair process:

The study found Vitamin C’s role in increasing collagen synthesis, stabilizing collagen fibers, and decreasing collagen degradation to have an anti-aging effect.

Vitamin’s role in the collagen formation process is why it can help give the skin what it needs to help indented acne scarring heal by forming new smooth collagen, especially when used in conjunction with micro-needling which also kickstarts the skin’s healing process at a deeper level and opens the skin to receiving healing ingredients.

How Does Vitamin C Help Pigmented Acne Scars?

The Al-Niami and Chiang study found that Vitamin C decreases melanin formation, thereby reducing pigmentation. Vitamin C is the primary replenisher of vitamin E and works synergistically with vitamin E in the protection against oxidative damage.

The study concluded by saying that the topical application of Vitamin C helps the skin with a variety of anti-aging, anti-pigmentation and sun-protective properties.

The Pullar, Carr, Vissers study goes into detail to explain how Vitamin C derivatives work to treat skin hyperpigmentation such as the hyperpigmentation that occurs from certain types of acne scarring, “Vitamin C derivatives, including the magnesium phosophate ascorbyl derivative, have been shown to decrease melanin synthesis both in cultured melanocytes and in vivo.

The decrease in melanin synthesis has an ability to interfere with the action of tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme in melanogenesis.

Agents that decrease melanogenesis are used to treat skin hyperpigmentation in conditions such as melisma or age spots.”

In simple terms, Vitamin C can interfere with an enzyme called tyrosinase which is responsible for the production of melanin, a natural skin pigment.

This process is what allows Vitamin C to help brighten skin dark spots and hyperpigmentation spots caused by acne scarring.

Micro-needling and Vitamin C for Acne Scars

Vitamin C alone is a great way to fully treat discolored and pigmented acne scarring and can be effective when treating mild cases of indented scarring.

When scarring is deeper and affects more layers of skin, it is helpful to use other treatments in combination with Vitamin C to reach the deeper layers of scarring.

A 4 week PubMed study of 30 people by Simran Chawla found moderate improvement in acne scarring of the majority of participants. Specifically 23 of the 27 participants who finished the study saw improvement in their acne scarring of either one or two full grades. 3 of the original participants are not counted in this analysis as 2 participants were lost to follow up and 1 dropped out due to pregnancy hypertension.

Very good results were found with micro-needling and Vitamin C, however even better results were found when micro-needling was combined with PRP, making both effective acne scar treatments.

The study found that “Vitamin C combined with micro-needling also showed improvement with respect to firmness and smoothness of skin; as well as post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation.”

The deeper the scarring, the harder it is to fully treat, however micro-needling, Vitamin C and PRP all had positive effects on all types of indented and hyperpigmentation scarring.

Micro-needling has been found in other studies including El-Domyati et al to kickstart collagen production and improve the appearance of acne scars. It also has the benefit of opening skin up to better receive healing ingredients including Vitamin C which also contributes to the skin’s healing and collagen production processes.

The study found a statistically signifiant increase in collagen types I, III, and VII as well as an increase in newly synthesized collagen as well as improvement in the atrophic acne scarring.

Compared to the baseline, patients’ evaluations revealed noticeable clinical improvement in atrophic post-acne scars in response to skin microneedling. There was a statistically significant increase (p<0.05) in the mean of collagen types I, III, and VII and newly synthesized collagen, while total elastin was significantly decreased (p<0.05) after the end of treatment. The takeaway is that both micro-needling and Vitamin C have been found alone and together in clinical studies to increase the skin's healing and collagen production process as well as to improve the appearance of indented and discolored acne scars.

Does Vitamin C Help Active Acne?

Vitamin C is known for its anti-inflammatory property, which may help decrease swelling and redness when applied to acne.

A 12 week PubMed study of 50 people found that, “61% of participants who used a lotion containing 5% sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) — experienced significant improvements in acne lesions, compared with a control group.”

Another 8 week, 30 person PubMed Study found that, “those who used 5% SAP had a 48.8% reduction in acne lesions. What’s more, those who used a combination of SAP and 2% retinol — a vitamin A derivative — had a 63.1% reduction.”

These studies indicate that for about half of people the topical application Vitamin C as well a combination Vitamin A will improve acne lesions, while for half it while not.

In conclusion if you have active acne it could be something to try to see if you are one of the ones it will work for.

Vitamin C Acne Scar Before and After Results

I’ve suffered from very severe indented acne scars as well as some discolored acne scarring for years after I had deep cystic acne.

I tried a ton of creams and nothing worked for me for years until I finally worked up the courage to go to the dermatologist and get a professional opinion.

They recommended I do micro-needling as well as apply copper peptides and Vitamin C for skin healing.

I did one professional micro-needling session and saw some improvement. It was then I started researching more, and started at-home micro-needling 1-2X a month with the daily application of copper peptides for acne scars at night and Vitamin C serum for acne scars in the morning.

Every month I would see improvement in my skin’s indentations as damaged layers came off, and new skin repaired itself underneath.

I’ve been treating my skin this way for over a year and my scarring has improved to the point it is either all the way gone in some areas or almost gone in the areas that were the deepest originally.

Here is a view of my forehead, which contained the deepest most severe scarring, before and after my year of at-home micro-needling, Vitamin C and copper peptide treatments:

Here is the side of my face, which had mild to moderate indented scarring as well as discolaration scarring, before and after as well:

You can view more acne scar before and after images here as well.

Acne scars come in two main forms, depressed scarring, and raised scarring. Both of these types are permanent skin structure changes that don’t go away on their own over time unless treatment is used.

Additionally, some people get discoloration and red marks on their face after acne, which is another form of acne scarring, although it is not technically classified as “scarring”, and is more likely to fade on its own without treatment. One of the easiest forms of acne scarring to get rid of is red acne scarring, since it usually only affects the top layer of skin.

Treatment will help both types of scarring. This post focuses on how to help depressed, indented scarring as well as acne scar discoloration. To treat raised acne scarring you can go into your dermatologist and ask for their recommendations, as the below methods are effective on indented and discoloration scarring, not raised acne scarring.

The process of fading acne scars can be speeded along with various products and treatment types.

All three types of acne scarring can be treated by a professional dermatologist as well, so making time to get a professional opinion and recommendations is always a good idea.

Why do Acne Scars form?

Acne scars form when deep or cystic acne is healing and the body makes either too much collagen to form a raised scar, or too little collagen to form an indented scar.

The body rushes healing acne wounds because it is trying to avoid bacteria or an infection forming in the skin, which is why the skin heals less smoothly than your original healthy skin. This textural change in the skin that results from acne healing is what is known as an acne scar.

Indented acne scarring:

When too little collagen is produced by the body, the acne scar is indented and depressed into the skin, looking like a little indent or hole in the skin, or a collection of indents next to each other.

Raised acne scarring:

Raised scarring forms when the body produces more collagen than necessary during acne healing, and this type of acne scar is more common for African American, Hispanic and Asian skin types.

Red or Discolored Acne Scarring:

When some acne heals it leaves behind a red mark or discoloration, which is the easiest type of acne scarring to treat and often fades on its own over time, but can be helped to fade more quickly with treatment.

How to Fade Acne Scars Fast

How to Fade Discolored Acne Scars Fast:

There are several ways to fade discolored acne scarring with at-home treatments including:

• Vitamin C serums: Vitamin C is an ingredient found naturally in the skin and is part of the collagen production process, accelerating skin repair and healing. This is why it is so helpful in helping skin repair and heal acne scarring, particularly discolored scarring, but can also be used in combination with micro-needling to help heal indented acne scarring.
• Salicylic acid: Products that contain salicylic acid helps surface level dead skin slough off which helps improve the appearance of discolored scarring by assisting in taking off the top layers of discolored skin so the newer healthy, non-discolored skin can start to emerge underneath. This method is best used in combination with other methods as it is not strong or fast on its own.
• Exfoliation creams: Exfoliation creams work to loosen and remove the utmost top layer of damaged acne scarred skin so it can come off to reveal new non-discolored skin underneath and are great to use to assist skin turnover and see improvement over time.
• Natural oils: Oils including argan oil and coconut oil can help moisturize the skin so it has the moisture it needs to use its own natural repair processes and will help improve the appearance of skin over time, especially when used in conjunction with exfoliation and Vitamin C serum methods.

How to Fade Indented Acne Scars Fast:

Indented acne scars take longer to heal and deeper treatments to see improvement, since they have changed the skin more deeply at a structural level and affect more layers of skin than a superficial top layer discoloration mark.

The good news is there are at-home and in-clinic methods to fade indented acne scarring quickly including the following methods:

At-Home Treatments to Fade Indented Acne Scars Fast:

There are several home remedies for acne scars that work quite well:

• Microneedling: Microneedling has been found effective in numerous skincare studies in helping stimulate skin repair in regard to acne scarring. It can be done professionally in-clinic or at home with shorter needles using a 1mm or 1.5mm derma-roller or a .5mm derma-pen.

  Microneedling is one of the best ways to help fade indented acne scarring fast because it goes past the top layer of skin to stimulate the body’s natural healing process in the deeper layers of the scarring. This allows the body to have another chance to heal the scarred area, this time leaving the skin smoother. Microneedling also helps the body remove the top damaged layers of skin more quickly while also stimulating the skin’s healing process at the same time.

  The last benefit of at-home microneedling is it opens the skin up to receive healing product ingredients deeper into the skin so they can work at a deeper layer and be more effective to speed up the healing process.

• Copper Peptide Cream: Copper peptide cream is one of the building blocks of skin and assists the skin in the healing process. It has been found in many studies to help the healing process of skin, and is great to use on its own, and especially in combination with microneedling so it can go deeper into the skin for maximum effectiveness, to help indented acne scarring heal. It is best used at nighttime due to its bright blue color.
• Vitamin C Serum: Vitamin C can’t be used layered on top of copper peptide cream because the copper peptides would oxidize the Vitamin C and take away its effectiveness. Instead, the most effective way to use the Vitamin C to heal indented scarring is to apply it directly after microneedling as well as in the morning, or apply copper peptides at night after microneedling as your nightly skincare routine, then in the morning apply Vitamin C as part of your daily morning skincare routine. Vitamin C is great for boosting collagen and skin repair so it is also helpful in improving the appearance of indented scarring, especially when paired with microneedling.
• Exfoliation Cream: Exfoliation creams can also help with indented scar improvement, when applied as part of the morning skincare routine, it helps damaged skin turnover and come off more quickly. The skin heals layer by layer, so the more damaged layers that come off, the more the skin fades acne scarring and starts to show the healthy new skin underneath.

In-Clinic Only Treatments to Fade Indented Acne Scars:

• In-Clinic Microneedling: To remove the top layer of damaged skin and stimulate skin healing underneath using deeper needle tools in a professional clinic setting.
• Fillers, a filler is where a dermatologist injects your skin with collagen to lift indented skin, however the effects are only cosmetic and temporary.
• Subcision, subcision is where a trained punctures your skin with a needle to release the tether in your scarred skin for an attempt to heal it at the root.
• Lasers, including Fraxel and others, are where a professional uses a laser to remove the top layer of your scarred skin which can removed damaged scarring as well as encourage new tissue growth in the days to come.
• Chemical Peels, chemical peels work similarly to lasers in that they remove the top layer of damaged skin which also encourages new healthier skin growth underneath

Fading Acne Scars Fast with Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a great topical serum you can use daily either alone, or in conjunction with micro-needling to fade acne scarring.

Studies have found Vitamin C to be a “potent antioxidant drug that can be used topically in dermatology to treat and prevent changes associated with photoageing. It can also be used for the treatment of hyperpigmentation.”

Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that is also already found in plentiful supply in your skin and is an important part of your body’s collagen production process.

It’s important role in skin repair is part of why it is so great at fading discoloration including acne scars, and at treating other skin discoloration issues such as hyperpigmentation.

Vitamin C serums that contain Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Ferulic Acid, have been found to be the most effective, so choose a serum that contains all three ingredients to get the maximum effects.

Copper Peptides & Fading Acne Scars

Copper Peptides are skin building blocks, and have been shown to help the skin heal in several wound-healing studies. They also support the production of collagen and elastin in the body, two necessary skin reparation elements.

Studies, including the Pickhart Margolina study found Copper Peptides to possess these properties that help with skin healing:

• Tighten skin that is loose
• Reverse thinning of aged skin
• Repair protective skin barrier proteins
• Increase skin firmness, elasticity, and clarity
• Decrease fine lines, depth of wrinkles, and improve structure of aged skin
• Smooth rough skin
• Decrease photodamage, mottled hyperpigmentation, skin spots and lesions
• Improve overall skin appearance and look
• Help stimulate wound healing
• Protect skin cells from UV radiation
• Decrease inflammation and free radical damage
• Increase hair growth and thickness, enlarge hair follicle size

Copper peptides help the skin repair itself, and can be used to help with wrinkles and aging skin, as well as help with wound healing and fading acne scarring.

The Pickhart study explains that “The human peptide GHK (glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine) has multiple biological actions […] It stimulates blood vessel and nerve outgrowth, increases collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycan synthesis, as well as supports the function of dermal fibroblasts. GHK’s ability to improve tissue repair has been demonstrated for skin, lung connective tissue, boney tissue, liver, and stomach lining.”

GHK copper peptides have been proven to increase collagen, elastin, glycosaminoglycan synthesis, and even improve tissue repair both inside the body and on the body’s skin.

Due to its powerful ability to stimulate skin repair, it is a useful cream to include into your acne scar healing and fading routine, especially when used alongside micro-needling to help give your skin what it needs to repair at the root of your scarring and remove damaged layers over time.

The Skin Biology copper peptide study site explains specifically how copper peptides work to promote skin healing:

“Studies have shown that copper peptide promotes the production of collagen and elastin in your skin. It also acts as an antioxidant and promotes production of glycosaminoglycans (such as hyaluronic acid).

Studies have also shown that copper-dependent enzymes help firm, smooth, and soften the skin quicker than most other anti-aging skin care products. In addition, copper peptides have been shown to remove damaged collagen and elastin from the skin and scar tissue.”

They promote collagen and elastin growth in skin and help to firm and smooth the skin as well as help take out damaged collagen and elastin from the skin’s scar tissue.

The Regene Pure site explains that copper peptides help increase oxygen in blood vessels so they can produce new blood vessels to aid in the skin healing process, something that is also associated with aerobic exercise, which when done leads to better circulation and bodily healing:

“Copper peptides assist in this increase of oxygen with their ability to produce new blood vessels from previous vessels. This process is known as angiogenesis and is often associated with certain forms of exercise. Similarly to our bodies when we perform aerobic and endurance exercises, when copper peptides increase the amount of blood vessels in our hair follicles, the amount of nutrients and oxygen is also increased, ultimately leading to healthier circulation and hair growth.”

Copper peptides effect on oxygen and blood vessels help increase circulation which help hair and skin be able to grow and repair which is helpful for those who want to help their body repair acne scar damaged skin.

“Copper peptides are also popularly known for repairing skin. Not only are copper peptides supposed to assist with hair growth and microcirculation, but they have also been shown to encourage the production of collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are both structural proteins that can be found in connective tissue. As we age, we start to lose both of these which results in saggy skin and wrinkles. This is probably one of the main reasons why you will be able to find copper peptides on the ingredient list on many anti-aging products.”

In addition to their effects on blood vessels, copper peptides are known to increase collagen and elastin production, both skin structural proteins that help the skin repair, including the repair and fading of acne scarred skin.

Fading Acne Scars with Micro-needling

The Derma Health Institute explains that micro-needling is effective in part because it helps the skin remove its top layer, and at the same time stimulates collagen production and new skin cell development.

Even when used on its own, micro-needling can be a powerful acne scar fading and healing tool. You can only micro-needle once every 3 weeks or so because you need to give the skin time to heal and produce new skin cells in-between each session.

It is even more effective when you microneedle, and then put a copper peptide healing serum on as your nighttime routine and use a Vitamin C serum as part of your morning routine, so you are giving your skin what extra ingredients that promote healing so you can see the best results from your micro-needling.

The Health Institute goes on to talk about how you see the benefits of micro-needling over time as the skin heals and collagen begins to build in the skin. The Institute explains that when you combine that with good sun protection and exfoliation, you’ll start to see the best results.

Micro-needling is a great tool to help skin heal from and fade the appearance of acne scarring because it is able to stimulate your skin’s healing and collagen production response, kickstarting a process into gear that will continue healing and improving skin texture for months after you do your at-home or in-clinic treatment.

It’s a great acne scar healing tool, and the one shown to be most effective in many acne scar skin healing studies. It’s also my personal favorite acne scar healing tool.

One study, Phuong Pham Thi Minh et al study, found derma-rolling improved the appearance of indented acne scars in all 31 people included in the study who derma-rolled each week for a three month time period.

My experience combining at-home micro-needling and copper peptides has changed my entire face and skin texture for the better. Here is a before, process, and after picture that illustrates how the two have helped my skin:

The left images shows my scarring, the top shows the bright blue copper peptide cream which I apply after micro-needling, and as part of my nighttime routine, and the after photos show how my skin has improved throughout the process. More acne scar before/after photos can be viewed here.

Note: it is important to keep inflammation as low as possible during the acne and acne scar healing process. This is why occasionally I like to ice on my inflamed active acne to calm its inflammtion, as well as ice my acne scarring to keep inflammation down during the healing process. I know some of you have asked, is ice good for acne scars? The answer is yes, in the sense you will see a temporary reduction in acne scar size when you ice it and for a bit after, and it helps keep inflammation down which does help during the healing process. It is not a permanent solution, and is best used in combination with other types of treatment.

Fading Acne Scars with Exfoliation

In addition to micro-needling once every few weeks, applying copper peptides at night, and Vitamin C during the day, using an exfoliating cream daily and lightly exfoliating once every few days can do a lot to help fade acne scarring.

Damaged skin will come off faster when you put on a light layer of exfoliation cream, such as LacSal cream, daily to help it loosen.

Putting a layer of exfoliating cream on skin and letting it sit is the least abrasive exfoliation method and will encourage damaged scar tissue and skin to come off faster over time, resulting in the fading appearance of acne scarring, especially when used in conjunction with the other methods mentioned above.

The Skin Biology site talks about how exfoliation creams help dissolve and loosen damaged skin to expose healthy skin underneath, an important process when you’re looking to improve the appearance of skin including acne scarring:

“Hydroxy acids, such as salicylic acid and glycolic acid, are widely used as exfoliating agents and for skin peels. They remove dead skin cells and also loosen and slowly dissolve skin lesions such as acne scars, keloid scars, surgical scars, burn scars, moles, skin tags, stretch marks, age spots, and sun damage marks.”

Personally I love using exfoliation cream daily on top of my Vitamin C serum and see my damaged skin loosen and come off more quickly. The results are very apparent over time, and putting the cream on makes skin look smoother and gives your skin a healthy smooth glow immediately as well.

The Nature Science Journal talks about why exfoliation works so well to improve skin. The Journal explains that damaged skin is weaker in structure than healthy skin, which is why exfoliation works so well in removing weaker, damaged scar tissue skin, while leaving healthy smooth skin on the face.

When you use exfoliation creams and exfoliate using other methods, you’re able to more easily remove the damaged acne scar tissue skin from your face while the rest of your healthy, smooth skin stays intact, due to the weaker structure of the scarred skin.

Acne Scar Fading Pictures

I personally have used at-home microneedling, copper peptides at night, and Vitamin C + Exfoliation creams during the day for the past year, and have seen huge improvements in my acne scarring.

My scarring has faded to the point I don’t think other people even notice it now, and I finally feel comfortable in my skin again.

Here is a before and after image of my scarring and how it has faded with these at-home treatments over the past year:

Acne Scar Fading Results

Personally I have used at-home micro-needling, copper peptides at night, and Vitamin C as well as LacSal exfoliation cream during each day, and these are the acne scar fading results I’ve seen in a little over a year timeline:

Here are a few more photos that show my skin healing over this time period:

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I am very grateful to have found this at-home scar healing process that includes micro-needling, copper peptide serum, Vitamin C serum, and exfoliation cream, and my skin has benefited tremendously from following this process for over a year now.

Here are the specific acne scar fading products I’ve used this past year.

More before and after of my acne scar photos are here to look at as well.

What does icing skin do?

Icing constricts your blood vessels and reduces inflammation. This is why when you ice your skin your face gets a nice glow, you look less tired, and your blood flow improves which brightens your complexion and gives you the icing “glow”.

This is why some people ice their face every morning as part of their skincare routine, or right before they go out to a big event to get a nice glow.

Does Icing help acne?

Icing active acne helps when the pimples are the inflammatory type of acne, because icing the area helps reduce swelling and inflammation. Reducing swelling and inflammation helps the cystic acne calm down, and inflammation increases the chance of scarring so anything you can do to reduce that will help your skin long-term.

Emma Craythorne Consultant Dermatologist who specializes in acne scarring treatment at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and 152 Harley Street said in a Glamour interview that ice is a very helpful acne treatment.

She explained that ice helps acne by “reducing the swelling, redness and calming the inflammation and that will reduce the risk of scarring and post-inflammatory colour change on the skin.”

When acne is inflamed, icing helps make the acne color less red and it calms the inflammation on the skin, which also decreases the chance of getting an acne scar in the future.

Inflammatory acne types that icing can help include:

• Cystic acne
• Nodule acne
• Pustule acne
• Papule acne

Ice won’t help as much on non-inflammatory acne such as blackheads, since its main benefit for acne is reducing the inflammation and swelling. When you decrease your acne’s inflammation using ice, you are decreasing the size which in theory could help it heal faster and go away more quickly.

Additionally icing active inflammatory acne can decrease its redness and make your acne less visible on your face. It can also help ease pain the acne is causing due to the short-term numbing effect ice creates.

Does Icing help acne scars?

Icing decreases pore size and helps reduce inflammation. This means that it can make your acne scarring temporarily look better, but the positive visual effect will go away once the numbing effect from the icing goes away.

If you ice your active inflammatory acne, however, this has a positive short-term effect on the active acne and a positive long-term effect in regard to acne scarring.

This is because the icing reduces inflammation, and since inflammation interferes with your skin’s healing process and makes it more likely for your acne to leave a scar, icing and decreasing the inflammation is a good way to treat your active acne to decrease the chances it will end up leaving a scar.

In conclusion, icing is a good acne scar prevention method you can use on active acne to help calm their inflammation so they are less likely to leave a scar as they heal.

My experience icing acne and acne scars

I have tried ice as a treatment for both my active cystic acne and acne scarring before, and the research cited above was also true in my own experience.

When I’ve iced my active inflamed acne cysts and pustules or active red acne areas, I’ve immediately felt the cool numbing effect that takes away pain, immediately seen a decrease in the acne redness, swelling, and inflammation, as well as seen a healthy glow on my face after removing the ice.

Based on my experience it’s easy for me to see how treating active inflamed acne with ice can help both in the moment as well as long-term help decrease the risk of that acne scarring by decreasing its inflammation so that doesn’t interfere as much with the acne healing process.

I’ve also tried icing acne scar areas, and the ice does decrease the pore size temporarily and make skin look better, but that positive effect does go away after a few hours when the ice numbing effect is no longer there.

I will definitely keep icing any areas of active acne that I get to help decrease the inflammation and chance of future scarring, and I will use ice before big events to get a nice facial glow.

Let us know your experience with icing and acne as well as acne scarring in the comments below!

When your acne is gone, often you still have left behind red marks or even deep rolling or pitted indents. There are many products you can buy pre-made that you can use to treat your acne scarring, and there are also DIY methods you can use to help improve it.

One of the best ways to help boost skin collagen production so skin can renew to improve the appearance of acne marks and scarring is to put a Vitamin C serum on the skin.

You can purchase Vitamin C serums pre-made and order them to be delivered to your doorstep, or, if you have extra time and want to experiment on your own, you can create your own DIY Vitamin C serum from scratch.

The Beauty Science Blog LabMuffin, run by a Chemistry PhD, created a great DIY Vitamin C serum that you can make at home and use as a DIY acne scar treatment.

Her DIY serum is simple to create, however note that it only lasts a few weeks, so once it starts to change color from clear to yellow, you’ll know it has oxidized and is past its short life span.

If you prefer to buy already formulated acne scar treatments, you can do that as well, and it can work out to be cheaper in the long run to purchase pre-made treatments, since you don’t have to buy your own ingredients to mix together, and you’ll save on time as well.

DIY Acne Scar Serum Ingredients

The LabMuffin home-made Vitamin C Serum recipe is easy to make because it only requires a few ingredients:

• L-Ascorbic acid powder:
  L-Ascorbic acid powder can be bought as a dry solid powder, and is pretty stable and inexpensive. You can order it in a supplement store or on a site like iHerb, which Michelle did in her original recipe. She says that some powders have issues dissolving, but her NutriBiotic powder didn’t have this problem. She mentions powder is better than crushed tablets for this recipe because the tablets cost more and you can end up with more random powder chunks on your face.
• Distilled water
  Michelle explains that, “Metal ions in your water can speed up the rate of LAA decomposition.” This is why you should use distilled or deionised water to make your homemade Vitamin C serum. Another option is to get a nanofilter that filters your water through a thin filter to take out metal ions. If you want you can also simply use tap water, and know you’ll need to re-make your serum more often due to a quicker expiry.
• Baking soda
  If you mix only ascorbic acid and water, the pH is too low (too acidic), which causes irritation on the skin that isn’t needed. That’s why the next ingredient is baking soda, which is alkaline, and is used to increase the pH so it is closer to skin’s natural pH for less irritation.
• pH strips
  You’ll need to get pH strips so you can measure the pH of your serum. The pH doesn’t have to be a super exact number, but you will need to measure the pH so don’t skip this step. Michelle recommends a four-square indicator because they are easier to read.
• 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon
  Michelle explains how you’ll need to measure the ingredients when mixing, “1/4 teaspoon is 1.23 or 1.48 mL (depending if it’s US or Imperial), which translates to ~1 g ascorbic acid.” She says that it is better to use a weighted scale if you have one but that you don’t need to be super exact when measuring for this recipe if you don’t have a weighted scale.
• An airtight container to put the serum in
  You’ll need an airtight container to put your finished serum into. The more airtight, the longer the serum will last. You can wash and re-use a cleaned serum bottle you have already or buy a bottle to use online.

DIY acne scar serum directions

The LabMuffin DIY acne scar Vitamin C serum is easy to make once you have the ingredients above.

1. First you’ll need to calculate how much serum will be able to fit into your container in millilitres. You can look at the packaging to determine how many millilitres fit inside.
2. Next, you will need to calculate how many grams of LAA you need:

   For a 5% serum, multiply the volume of your container in mL by 0.05 to get the LAA required in grams. (grams = mL x 0.05)
   For a 10% serum, multiply the volume of your container by 0.1 to get the LAA required in grams. (grams = mL x 0.1)
   For a 20% serum, multiply the volume of your container by 0.2 to get the LAA required in grams. (grams = mL x 0.2)

   For example, Michelle made 20 mL of a 10% vitamin C serum: grams = 20 x 0.1 = 2 grams LAA.

3. Make sure to clean your container. Wash it thoroughly then rinse it with alcohol (methylated spirits) and let it dry. After that rinse it a few times with your distilled water. If you’re short on time you can skip the alcohol wash but know this could cause the serum to yellow and expire more quickly.
4. Next put the right amount of L-Ascorbic Acid into your container. You can use a scale to weigh to the nearest 0.1 g or you can use your 1/4 teaspoon measure and assume that a level teaspoon is approximately 1.5 g. No need to be super exact – your skin won’t respond very differently to 5% ascorbic acid vs 7% ascorbic acid.
5. Dissolve the LAA powder in half the distilled water. Put the lid on the container and shake it until the powder dissolves.
6. Add all the water then shake it more to fully mix and dissolve it.
7. Next adjust the pH. Put a drop of the serum on your pH strip to check the pH. The pH will likely be too low. Add tiny bits of baking soda and check the pH each time. You want the pH to end between 3 and 4.

   Michelle used 20 mL container and wanted a 10% serum, and she ended up needing around 3 rice grains’ worth of baking soda to get her pH to ~3.5.

8. Now you need to protect the bottle from light. To do this make sure you used a dark container and now you can also wrap your container in foil to protect it from the light.

How long does this DIY acne mark serum last?

Even when you protect this serum from light by using a dark bottle or wrapping the bottle in tinfoil, Michelle explains that this serum will slightly yellow after a week, and get very noticeably yellow after 2 weeks, so she says 2 weeks is the longest the DIY serum could last.

At that point you’d need to remake the serum so you could use it agian.

Michelle explains, “The pH is low enough that most bacteria won’t be able to thrive so microbial growth isn’t a big worry, especially when you won’t be keeping the serum for very long.”

Michelle’s blog LabMuffin has a bunch of cool beauty DIY recipes and facts, so I’d recommend checking it out if that type of project interests you.

Let me know in the comments if you end up making the DIY Vitamin C serum and if you see any improvement in your acne marks after doing so! Also comment if you prefer a DIY Vitamin C serum, of if you prefer to buy one pre-made and simply have it shipped to you.

Acne scarring is the cause of too little or too much collagen production when acne is healing, and it results in permanent skin textural changes.

Luckily, there are products you can use to help aid your skin’s natural healing process and improve the appearance of scarring.

My personal acne scar journey has been a long, multi-year process, but I’ve found products that have helped me on the journey to healing, and greatly helped with the appearance of my scarring, mostly at-home microneedling tools, copper peptide serum at night, and Vitamin C serum during the day.

The 8 Best Acne Scar Removal Products

There are quite a few acne scar removal products, and most work by removing the top layer of damaged skin and/or helping the skin have the ingredients it needs to repair itself underneath.

The skin heals in layers, and regenerates a new top layer once every 27 days.

Here are the best ones you can use at home to help treat acne scarring.

1. Micro-needling Derma-Roller: The acnescar.org acne scar microneedling roller is hands-down my favorite acne scar removal and treatment product.

   The microneedling roller can only be used once every few weeks, because you have to give skin time to repair and heal inbetween each use. It works by stimulating the skin’s healing response and helping remove top layers of damaged scarred skin. It also opens the skin up to better receive healing serums and product so it works great in conjunction with nightly copper peptide use, and morning Vitamin C use to promote more effective healing.

2. Vitamin C Serum: Using Vitamin C serum as part of your morning routine, especially when you microneedled at home or in-clinic the night or few days before, is a great way to help your skin boost collagen production and help the healing process. Vitamin C is also great for helping with discoloration due to acne scarring, sun spots and other causes.
3. Super Copper Peptide Serum:Copper Peptides are great to use at night, due to their bright blue color, to give the skin healing ingredients. They are especially effective when used in conjunction with microneedling, which allows them to penetrate deeper into the skin. If you are using Copper Peptides and Vitamin C at the same time, note that you should use them separately, with the Vitamin C in the morning as part of your routine, and the Copper Peptides at night as part of your routine since the Copper Peptides oxidize the Vitamin C reducing its effectiveness when used on top of each other.
4. Moisturizing Gels: Derma E, Arnica, and other gels that provide and lock in moisture are helpful to use to keep moisture in while your skin is healing from micro-needling to ensure optimal smooth skin healing. I like to layer a moisturizing gel on top of my copper peptide cream at night, and on top of my Vitamin C serum mornings after microneedling to help lock in the ingredients and moisture to promote healing.
5. Moisturizing Oils: Using a moisturizing oil instead of a thick moisturizer is helpful for those with acne and acne scarring, and it is more natural and can even be a cheaper option than many traditional moisturizers. I like using Argan Oil as my morning moisturizer, which I apply alongside the Vitamin C each morning and after I shower. I see good results right away, and it helps my skin stay healthy and moisturized over time.

   I also don’t use harsh soap based cleansers anymore that strip the skin of natural oils and have seen a huge skin improvement. I like to use an avocado based moisturizing oil to take off makeup and clean skin at the end of each day because it doesn’t dry my skin out and strip it of essential oils like soap-based cleansers do. Instead it cleans and adds natural moisture that helps my skin stay acne and scar free

6. Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is great to use on skin before micro-needling at home, and it also works as a skin cleanser and moisturizer.
7. Exfoliating Creams: Exfoliation helps remove damaged layers of skin, and exfoliation creams including LacSal exfoliation cream can be applied each morning and sits on the skin to loosen damaged scarred skin on the top. Scarred skin has a weaker structure than healthy skin which is why exfoliation is so effective in removing damaged scarred areas while keeping healthy skin intact.
8. Acne Scar Treatment Kit: This acnescar.org kit is great for anyone unsure of where to start but wants a light intro to using a Derma-pen at-home along with Vitamin C to help boost collagen production while the skin is healing. The kit contains a Derma Pen, 70% Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning the derma pen after using each time, Vitamin C Serum to help the skin heal, as well as Derma-E scar gel to help the Vitamin C and moisture stay on the skin while it heals.

How to use the Acne Scar Removal Products

The acne scar removal products mentioned above can be used on their own, or together for maximum results. Here is a process of how the products are meant to be used:

The acne scar removal product process:

1. Before bed, lightly roll the derma-roller with an even pressure back and forth 5 times in different directions over each scarred area. Don’t roll on areas with active acne or open wounds.
2. Put the derma-roller in 70% isopropyl alcohol solution for 5 minutes after using it to clean and disinfect it for the next use.
3. After rolling the derma-roller over each area, put a light layer of copper peptide cream over each area and let it dry for a few minutes before going to sleep.
4. In the morning, rinse it off and use moisturizing oils and Vitamin C serum as part of your skincare routine.
5. Every night after put the copper peptide cream on as a thin layer.
6. Wait 2-3 weeks before using the derma-roller again, to give skin time to rebuild.
7. Only use the specific derma-roller 5 times, then you’ll want to get a new one to avoid dullness and don’t use it if you see a bent blade.

This is the routine I’ve used the past few months and years, and here are some of the before/after results I’ve seen as my skin has been able to start naturally healing over time:

Acne Scars are permanent structural changes in the skin that need treatment to improve and go away.

This is why indentation and raised acne scarring are both defined as acne scarring, but red or brown discoloration leftover from acne scars is classified as discoloration as opposed to scarring because it is less severe.

The good news is both indented and raised acne scarring can be improved with both professional in-clinic as well as at-home acne scar treatments, and so can red and brown discoloration marks and scars leftover from acne.

What are Acne Scars?

Acne scars are the result of deep acne healing and the body either producing too little or too much collagen, which creates a textural change in the skin called a scar.

Depressed acne scarring:

When the body makes too little collagen, the scar forms as an indent or pit in the skin.

Raised acne scarring:

When the body makes too much collagen while the acne is healing, the scar can become raised. This type of scar is more common for those with African American, Hispanic and Asian skin.

Acne Scar Discoloration: The last type of acne scarring is the least severe as it only affects the top layer of skin and is technically not classified as an acne scar. This is the discoloration that can be left over from acne and acne marks. This is the easiest type of scarring to heal and will also often improve in time on its own.

The good news is there are in-clinic and at-home treatments you can use to improve the appearnce of all types of acne scarring, including fading acne scar discoloration and indents.

What Fades Acne Scars?

When you have discoloration acne scars such as red marks or brown marks, these will often improve over time, and the improvement can be accelerated with a topical treatment including the following:

• Topical Vitamin C: Vitamin C serum helps the skin produce more collagen and gives the skin what it needs to fade, brighten and improve acne scars caused by discoloration of the skin.
• Salicylic acid: Salicylic acid encourages dead and damaged skin to turnover, making way for newer skin underneath which can also help the skin’s discoloration due to acne scar marks improve.
• Exfoliation creams: Exfoliation creams also help the top layer of dead and damaged skin to come off of the skin to make way for newer healthier skin underneath to fade and improve the appearance of superficial discoloration that is on the top layer of skin.
• Natural oil topical application: Applying natural oils to the face such as coconut oil and argan oil can help the skin moisturize and improve the appearance of any discolored acne scar spots

What fades acne scars? When your acne scars are more severe, deeper or indented, you may have to combine at-home topical treatments with either in-clinic treatments or at-home microneedling treatments and topical treatments to see the best results.

Vitamin C to Fade Acne Scars

Vitamin C is a natural way to protect the skin from oxidative stress and improve discoloration acne scarring on the skin’s surface.

The Pumori Telang Vitamin C study abstract states, “Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant drug that can be used topically in dermatology to treat and prevent changes associated with photoageing. It can also be used for the treatment of hyperpigmentation.”

The study found Vitamin C to be effective in treating hyperpigmentation, which is one reason it is great to use to help acne scars fade, both the less severe discolored red mark acne scarring, and the deeper indented scars when used in combination with an at-home derma-roller or derma-pen or a professional in-clinic micro-needling session.

When choosing a Vitamin C serum, try to find one that combines Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid, and Vitamin C to bring out the highest efficacy of the Vitamin C.

The Pumori study found that alone Vitamin C is still effective, but that when used in conjunction wtih Vitamin E, the action of Vitamin C potentiates four-fold. The study explains that Vitamin C and Vitamin E synergistically limit chronic UV damage by significantly reducing both cell apoptosis and thymine dimer formation.

Choosing a Vitamin C serum with both Vitamin E, and Ferulic acid is important and the study explains its findings that using .5% Ferulic acid in combinatino with 15% Vitamin C and 1% Vitamin E, can increase how effective the Vitamin C is eight-fold.

The study explains that the reason Vitamin C is effective in aiding skin reparation and healing is that it is already present in the skin and is directly impacting collagen transcription and synthesis.

This is why Vitamin C is so effective when applied topically to the skin to help fade acne scar marks fast by aiding the collagen and skin healing process.

Fading Acne Scar Before and After

My before and after using Vitamin C to fade acne scarring.

I had both indented atrophic scarring as well as discoloration from acne scarring.

For the past few years I have done at-home derma-rolling and used copper peptides to target my deepest scarred areas at night, and then applied Vitamin & an exfoliation cream on my skin in the morning. After a few years my indented scarring has improved substantially to the point it is barely noticeable in some areas and not noticeable at all in others.

At that point I noticed my skin still had some discoloration so I started using a shorter needle derma pen, and Vitamin C serum to target and fade my skin discoloration and give skin a healthy glow.

I keep getting compliments on my skin, something I never thought would happen a few years ago, and I love the way it has been improving using my at-home derma-roller and copper peptides, and now using the Vitamin C serum each morning.

Vitamin C is also a great part of an everyday skinare routine even once scarring is faded and healed, and I plan on using it everyday for many more years to come.

Here is my before and after as my acne scarring has faded over the past few months:

There are many different types of acne scarring.

What are Acne Scars?

Acne scars are textural changes and indents that happen when the skin is healing from severe acne, usually cystic acne.

Technically only indented scarring is categorized as “acne scarring”, the other discoloration or smaller changes that result after acne heals are less severe and have more of a chance of improving over time even without treatment which is why they are not categorized as “acne scars”.

This means when you have scars that are discolored and red, for example, technically they are simply categorized as “discoloration” and not “acne scarring”.

The good news is there are treatments and ways to help both discolored and red acne scarring and regular indented acne scarring improve and heal.

What causes acne scarring?

Acne scarring is caused when pus-filled acne cysts heal and skin tissue is destroyed and not replaced smoothly during the healing process. Often the healing process does not result in smooth skin over a deep acne cyst because the skin is trying to heal too quickly to avoid getting a bacterial infection from the open wound so it produces a rougher form of collagen that is indented or protruding and is not as smooth as regular skin.

Indented scarring is known as “atrophic scarring”, while raised scarring is known as “hypertrophic or keloid scarring”.

Discolored acne scarring is simply known as discoloration, which will improve over time, and you can improve more quickly with different at-home serums and treatments.

How to Lighten Acne Scars

Different ways to lighten discolored acne scars:

• Vitamin C serum: Vitamin C serum boosts collagen production in skin and helps with sun protection, brightening and improving discoloration in skin and is great for lightening discolored spots including discolored acne mark spots
• Salicylic acid: Salicylic acid helps skin turnover and exfoliation and in doing so can help improve the appearance of discolored acne marks
• Exfoliation and exfoliation creams and serums: Exfoliating using an exfoliation spray, cream, serum or wash helps skin cell turnover which helps improve discolored marks on the skin. Make sure not to over-exfoliate and wait a few days in-between each time.
• Natural oils including coconut oil, argan oil: Natural oils help skin moisturize and repair and can help improve. discolored spots

After acne, some people are left with discolored marks in the skin, most commonly red or other colors that are not the color of their normal skin.

As explained above, this type of discoloration is not as severe as an indented acne scar and has a better chance of healing even if left alone as time passes.

You can also speed up the healing process by using any of the exfoliation methods above, or serums that help your skin repair and boost collagen production including Vitamin C serum.

I personally prefer to help skin exfoliate the damaged cells as well as apply healing serums to my skin instead of trying to only cover up discolored spots with makeup since I like to go makeup free most of the time. For me, exfoliating creams including LacSal, and applying a Vitamin C serum every morning and night dramatically helped improve my acne mark skin discoloration from red marks to a glowing and smooth complexion.

Why does Vitamin C Lighten Acne Scars?

Vitamin C helps promote the synthesis of collagen, making it an ideal way to speed up the healing of acne marks on the skin.

Many studies support that applying Vitamin C serums to the skin helps promote collagen, healing as well as decrease skin redness and discoloration.

The Pumori study found that Vitamin C helps combat photoageing, hyperpigmentation, tissue inflammation and promotion of tissue healing, all of which help lighten the appearance of acne red marks, and other skin appearance issues.

The Pumori’s study focus is on L-ascorbic acid which is the most natural form of Vitamin C and was what the study looked at specifically and found to be effective. It is also the type of Vitamin C that expires most quickly when exposed to air, so it is best to use it within a few months when purchased, and make sure you keep it in a dark cool place.

The study also found that Vitamin C is the most effective when also used alongside the ingredients such as Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid:

“Although Vit. C alone can provide photoprotection, it works best in conjunction with Vitamin E, which potentiates the action of Vitamin C four-fold. Hydrophilic Vitamin C helps regenerate Vitamin E, a liphophilic antioxidant. Thus, Vitamin C and Vitamin E together protect the hydrophilic and lipophilic compartments of the cell, respectively. Vitamin C and Vitamin E synergistically limit chronic UV damage by significantly reducing both cell apoptosis and thymine dimer formation.

A combination of 0.5% Ferulic acid (a potent antioxidant of plant origin) with 15% Vitamin C and 1% Vitamin E can increase the efficacy of Vitamin C eight-fold.”

The Pumori study explains how Vitamin C directly impacts collagen transcription, collagen synthensis, and stabilizing procollagen mRNA which also helps regulate collagen synthesis.

Using Vitamin C on acne scar red marks will help lighten them by promoting the collagen repair process in the skin, and is a great way to speed up the skin’s healing process.

In addition to helping discolored skin heal, Vitamin C is a great addition to your daily skincare routine as it can help protect the skin from daily sun when used in combination with sunscreen as well, and studies have found it can help heal signs of skin discoloration caused by sun damage:

“Studies have shown that using sunscreen with Vitamin C protects the skin from further photo damage caused by ultra-violet rays,” Chang said. “This information is important because most people don’t know that you can protect your skin even further than just sunscreen.”

How to Lighten Acne Scars with Vitamin C

1. To lighten acne scars using Vitamin C, you’ll want to find one that has 20% Vitamin C to get the maximum effectiveness from the Vitamin C concentration.

   The Pumori study found that “Having a higher concentration of Vitamin From a clinical point of view, it is important to note that the efficacy of the Vitamin C serum is proportional to the concentration, but only up to 20%.”

2. Once you find your Vitamin C serum that also contains Vitamin E & Ferulic acid to bring out the maximum effectiveness of the Vitamin C, you’ll want to apply it every 8 hours regularly.

   The Pumori study explains that “The half-life in the skin after achieving maximum concentration is 4 days. A persistent reservoir of Vitamin C is important for adequate photo-protection, and can be achieved by regular 8-hourly applications.”

   This means with the 4 day half-life of Vitamin C, you’ll get the most benefit from regular 8 hour applications. Doing this will help the skin protect from the sun when you also apply it with sunscreen, and help protect from oxidants and pollution in the air, as well as aid collagen process in the skin to help repair and heal discolored acne scar marks.

Lighten Acne Scar Results

After acne, I had both indented scarring and red discoloration. The discoloration was even more visible after my indented scarring had improved so at that point I switched from using a 1.5mm dermaroller and copper peptides to using a .5-1mm derma pen and Vitamin C serum to focus on lightening my acne scar discoloration.

I’ve found I prefer using copper peptides as my nighttime skincare routine, and then Vitamin C and exfoliation cream as my morning skincare routine.

When you use a derma-pen once every week or 2 weeks, in combination with the Vitamin C every day, you allow the Vitamin C to absorb deeper into your skin and have more effectiveness for quicker healing.

I have found copper peptides to be the most effective in helping my indented scarring improve in combination with micro-needling, and Vitamin C to be the most effective to help my discolored and red acne scarring improve.

Doing this helped me personally improve the red acne marks to lighten my skin for a nice glow.

I still use Vitamin C daily in the morning in my skincare routine to protect my skin from the sun and elements, and give it a nice healthy glow while also giving it the ingredients to heal more effectively each day. Personally I’ve noticed a great difference in my skin color and appearance and don’t plan on stopping my Vitamin C use anytime soon.

Here is my derma-pen Vitamin C before and after as well:

There are quite a few overnight acne scar treatments.

Many treatments are simply applying serums onto the skin overnight and letting the serum work to help the skin heal:

1. Overnight Copper Peptide application, such as Super Cop 2X
2. Vitamin C Serum application Morning and/or Night
3. Exfoliation Creams, such as LacSal, Morning and/or Night application
4. Coconut Oil & other natural oil applications
5. Salicylic acid application

All of these serums are methods you can use to help heal acne scars due to their beneficial ingredients and effects on the skin including acne scarring, especially if the scarring is not very deep.

For deeper atrophic indented acne scarring, overnight at-home remedies will be more effective when they involve a treatment able to reach more deeply into the skin such as one that includes at-home microneedling in the form of either derma-rolling or derma-pen use, followed by one of the different types of scar healing serums.

Using a microneedling device at home before applying a copper peptide or Vitamin C serum is one of the most effective overnight acne scar remedies.

I personally use microneedling 1-2X a month, and use the Super Cop copper peptide cream each night, and then Vitamin C serum + exfoliation cream each morning. I have found that to be the most effective overnight + morning acne scar healing combination.

It works well because the microneedling device is able to help loosen the top layer of damaged skin to encourage it to come off.

Additionally, the microneedling device creates tiny micro-injuries in the skin that stimulate the skin’s healing response in an easily repairable way so it can effectively and smoothly heal the skin that currently has acne scar damage.

The last benefit of at-home micro-needling before going to bed as an acne scar home remedy is that it also opens up the skin so it can receive the serum put on it at a deeper level to more effectively treat the skin and scarring.

This means the serum is able to reach deeper into the skin and deliver its healing ingredients, being more effective on skin that has just been microneedled.

To help heal deeper acne scars overnight at home, one of the most effective options is using an at-home microneedling tool and then applying a serum that delivers healing, collagen boosting ingredients to the skin to help it heal.

Below I’ll explain the microneedling + copper peptide serum I’ve used to help my acne scarring heal at home overnight in an easily followable process.

Copper Peptide Microneedling Acne Scar Overnight Remedy How to:

Here’s how to execute the at-home microneedling and copper peptide acne scar overnight remedy process:

1. Before bed-time, use a 1mm or 1.5mm derma-roller, or a .5mm or 1mm derma pen, and start with a lower needle length if it is your first time doing it at home.

   You can only use each roller or pen a handful of times before you need to replace it, so you can purchase a longer length needle the next time you do it if you want to go deeper the next time.

   Take the derma-roller and keeping the pressure light and steady, lightly roll back and forth 5 times at different angles on the scarred areas. If you’re using the derma-pen, lightly press 5 times at different angles into the scarred areas.

   Your face will be a little red after this but remember not to overdo it. After rolling or using the derma pen your skin now has small micro-injuries that are easy for your skin to heal and that cause your skin to kickstart its own healing process, regrowing collagen to smooth over the area you used the derma-roller or derma-pen on.

2. The second benefit of the at-home derma-roller or pen use is now your skin is opened up and more receptive to healing ingredients that will go deeper into the skin and be more beneficial.

   Now is the time to put a thin layer of bright blue copper peptide cream (one reason this is better to do at night is that copper peptides are naturally bright blue so you can’t exactly walk around during the day with bright blue cream on your face), Super Cop 2X cream onto the areas you microneedled on.

   Copper peptides help the at home microneedling process because they also help break down thicker scarred skin areas so it comes off more easily, and it is a skin building block that gives the skin ingredients to repair and re-grow healthy new skin underneath.

   Here is a photo of me at night with bright blue copper peptide cream on after microneedling.

   

3. Next you need to put your used derma-roller or pen into 70% isopropyl alcohol to soak for 5 minutes to clean the bacteria from it so you can use it again. You’ll only be able to use your derma-roller or pen a handful of times, 5 maximum before it becomes dull and you need to get an new one, but it is essential to clean inbetween each use.
4. The next morning you can wash your face and continue with your normal skincare routine. You don’t want to put makeup on right after derma-rolling, but 8 hours after the next day is fine. I like to put Vitamin C serum on after washing my face the next morning because that is also an ingredient that promotes collagen production, reduces discoloration and helps skin heal.
5. Then every night for the next 2-3 weeks, keep applying copper peptide cream to the areas of your face you used the derma-roller or pen on to help the healing process continue.
6. You’ll want to wait 3-6 weeks before using the at-home microneedling roller or pen again so your skin has a chance to heal and rebuild collagen and skin turnover inbetween each use. Each time you do this you will see small improvements and after a few months the improvement will be much more noticeable.

Note: Make sure you never use a derma-roller or pen on areas with active acne or areas that are open wounds.

Overnight Acne Scar Treatment Results

Here is a result picture from following this at-home overnight acne scar remedy:



I posted more of my before and after acne scar photos here as well.

]]> https://acnescar.org/home-remedies-for-acne-scars-overnight/feed/ 0 https://acnescar.org/red-acne-scars/ https://acnescar.org/red-acne-scars/#respond Sat, 02 Jan 2021 01:53:10 +0000 https://acnescar.org/?p=897 What are Red Acne Scars?

There are many types of acne scarring. Most acne scars are indented, which is known as atrophic scarring, and form due to inflammation and collagen issues while the acne wound is healing.

Cystic acne is more likely than other acne types to cause indented rolling and boxcar scarring, especially when it is picked at aggressively or before it is ready according to clinical aesthetician Pamela Marshall.

Red acne scarring is actually simply a form a skin pigmentation, which means it is not technically acne scarring in the traditional sense. There are different ways to lighten acne scars, specifically red acne scarring, and make the healing process much quicker than if you leave your skin alone to its own devices.

Red acne marks are simply a skin color change called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that is leftover from some acne types. Since it doesn’t damage the follicle, it isn’t considered a true form of scarring.

That doesn’t make it any less real, or any less able to be treated. Red acne marks happen to many who have had acne, and there are ways to treat it and get rid of red acne scarring.

Red Acne Scar Treatment

To reduce and get rid of red acne marks and scars there are several at-home treatments you can use to help both the appearance and the underlying causes of the red marks.

There are a lot of people, even those who never suffered from acne or acne scarring, who suffer from skin discoloration and changes including those with sun damage or red marks from other forms of environmental exposure or pollution.

There are a handful of ways to treat this type of skin discoloration, including red acne scars:

• Makeup: You can put concealer or foundation onto the skin to lessen or fully hide the skin’s red scarring or discoloration.
• Vitamin C: Vitamin C strengthens the lining of skin capillaries, making it anti-inflammatory and great for decreasing red discoloration marks caused by acne on the skin.

  When properly formulated at a pH of less than 4 (2.6-3.2 is the ideal range), Vitamin C is an ingredient that helps create younger-looking, firmer-feeling skin while fading signs of uneven skin tone and spots. L-ascorbic acid also helps skin’s surface defend itself from free radicals and external stressors, which decreases the negative effects of exposure to the elements including the sun and other pollutants.
  Healthy skin contains high levels of Vitamin C, and this acts as a barrier between the skin and harmful outside elements, making it a great protectant from getting skin discoloration and aging.

• Salicylic acid: helps clear pores, decrease redness, decrease swelling, and exfoliates the skin. These properties make it a good skincare ingredient to use to help decrease leftover red acne marks and scars and help reveal new skin underneath
• Exfoliation cream such as LacSal cream: Exfoliation cream helps the skin turnover new cells and shed old ones including ones with leftover red acne scars, making it a good choice when trying to decrease red skin hyper-pigmentation

Vitamin C for Red Acne Scars

My personal favorite treatment for red acne marks that helped my skin, is the topical application of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C not only protects the skin from sun and pollutants, it can help treat discoloration and firm the skin.

Many studies have found that the topical application of Vitamin C helps increase collagen production, skin healing, and reduce redness and other discoloration of the skin.

The Pumori study is one that found that, “Vitamin C is a naturally occurring drug with multiple desirable effects. With an excellent safety profile, it finds increasing use in photoageing, hyperpigmentation, tissue inflammation and promotion of tissue healing.”

The Pumori Saokar Telang study found Vitamin C helps combat photoageing and helps treat hyperpigmentation.

Pumori’s study says that Vitamin C is an antioxidant found in nature, and that L-ascorbic acid is the chemically active form of Vitamin C. This is why it works so well to help protect skin and promote healing.

One downside to Vitamin C is that in its natural form, L-ascorbic acid, it is unstable and will turn from clear to slightly yellow in a few months from oxygen exposure, meaning you have to use it quickly.

The study also mentions that Vitamin C is most effective when used with Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid:

“Although Vit. C alone can provide photoprotection, it works best in conjunction with Vitamin E, which potentiates the action of Vitamin C four-fold. Hydrophilic Vitamin C helps regenerate Vitamin E, a liphophilic antioxidant. Thus, Vitamin C and Vitamin E together protect the hydrophilic and lipophilic compartments of the cell, respectively. Vitamin C and Vitamin E synergistically limit chronic UV damage by significantly reducing both cell apoptosis and thymine dimer formation.

This means you can look for combinations that include these ngredients in your Vitamin C serum for maximum effectiveness in healing red acne scars: 0.5% Ferulic acid (a potent antioxidant of plant origin) with 15% Vitamin C and 1% Vitamin E. Doing this can increase the efficacy of Vitamin C eight-fold.

The Pumori study explains that Vitamin C activates the transcription of collagen synthesis and stabilizes procollagen mRNA, which regulates collagen synthesis.

This means Vitamin C application helps the skin’s collagen building process to help new skin build up and replace discolored acne scarred skin.

Indented acne scars can be helped by Vitamin C as well, but even more so when used in combination with micro-needling. I’ve personally found micro-needling once a week and using copper peptides each night, and then using Vitamin C serum in the morning, to be the most effective acne scar treatment for my indented acne scars.

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