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

There are many different types of acne scarring.

Types of Acne Scars:

Here are the different types of acne scars:

• Ice-pick scars – These scars are deep, narrow and pitted.
• Rolling scars – These are broad depressions with sloping edges.
• Boxcar scars – These are broad depressions with sharp edges.
• Atrophic scars – These are flat, thin or depressed scars.
• Hypertrophic or keloid scars – These scars are thick, lumpy and raised on the skin.

  If your scars aren’t indented, as in the examples above, you may simply have leftover red marks from acne.

  Many people have leftover skin discoloration in the form of red, white or other color variations on their skin leftover as acne scarring. Many people also get skin discoloration from sun exposure and other exposure to oxidants and pollutants in the air and from daily life.

  Some people recommend covering your red acne scarring and skin discolorations using makeup such as concealer or other temporary skin color correcting methods. Sure, you can do this, but I personally prefer to correct at the root of the problem and brighten and heal acne scarred skin for a color-correcting glow that comes from having healthy skin as opposed to trying to fake it through make-up, which never ends up looking quite real.

  Ascorbic acid—also known as L-ascorbic acid—has the most skin-related research of any form of vitamin C. This is the most pure form of Vitamin C, and the form that oxidizes most quickly meaning it turns from its natural clear color to a light yellow or orange color in a few weeks or months depending on the amount of preservatives used, which is more quickly than other forms of more processed Vitamin C.

  You want to use Vitamin C serum before it changes color to get the most benefit when it is at its freshest.

  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.

  The best Vitamin C for acne scars is made with the most potent, fresh ingredients, including L-ascorbic acid as purest form of Vitamin C, and is not filled with chemicals or pre-colored with yellow chemicals and packaged to last for years sitting on store shelves.

  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.

  Vitamin C for Red Acne Scars

  In addition to protecting the skin from exposure, Vitamin C can treat discoloration on the skin to brighten and firm skin that already has acne red marks and discoloration.

  Topical application of Vitamin C has been found in numerous studies to promote collagen production, skin healing, and reduce redness and other discoloration of the skin.

  The Pumori study specifically 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.”

  Vitamin C has been studied extensively in the dermatology and skincare realm, and there are many studies including this one by Pumori Saokar Telang that found Vitamin to help fight photoageing and to help treat hyperpigmentation.

  Pumori’s study specifically explains that Vitamin C is an active antioxidant found in nature, and that L-ascorbic acid (LAA) is the chemically active form of Vitamin C, which is also why it works so well and has been so extensively studied by dermatologists and skincare experts.

  It is unstable when exposed to light, which is why it should be used within a few months of opening, and stored in a dark place in a dark container, and the fridge or a lower temperature when possible to keep it in its most stable form.

  The study points out that Vitamin C is more effective when used in conjunction with 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 goes into how Vitamin C also directly activates the transcription of collagen synthesis and stabilizes procollagen mRNA, thereby regulating collagen synthesis.

  This means that Vitamin C regulates and helps promote the skin’s collagen building process, which helps the skin build new healthy collagen in the process of healing all types of skin discoloration and scarring, including acne scarring.

  How much Vitamin C is needed to heal acne red marks?

  The answer is that you want to look for a serum with the maximum 20% Vitamin C for maximum effectiveness.

  The Pumori study explains 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%.”

  The study explains that Vitamin C is half gone from your skin after 4 days of its application, meaning it does stay in the skin for a few days after you put it on. This does not mean you need to apply it every 4 days however, as maximum photoprotection and positive effects can be achieved by applying every 8 hours as the study explains:

  “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.”

  To summarize, you’ll want to get Vitamin C with the maximum effective concentration of 20%, and apply every 8 hours for maximum efficacy in helping heal skin and red acne marks as well as protect the skin from future environment and oxidant damage.

  My personal experience with Vitamin C and red Acne Marks

  I started with very deep, indented acne scarring, and used a combination of 1.5 mm derma-rolling and a light application ofcopper peptides for acne scars each night to help lessen the indentations of my scarring.

  My skin’s discoloration, redness and lighter areas of acne scarring were still very visible even when my indentation had improved, so I started using a Derma-Pen in combination with a potent L-ascorbic acid Vitamin C serum on my red acne scarred areas.

  The Derma-Pen helps the Vitamin C absorb more fully into the skin and into the deeper layers of skin, while stimulating the skin’s healing process on its own. Together, the Derma-Pen and Vitamin C helped the red acne scarred layers of my face and the lighter side of my face acne scars boost their collagen production and become smooth, healthy, level skin again.

  I currently use the Vitamin C serum in my everyday protectant and healing skincare routine, and I love having bright, smooth skin again without the red acne mark scars that used to be present on my cheeks and other areas of my face.

  Vitamin C was the only thing that helped brighten my skin and reduce its redness, as well as help heal the lighter indentations on the site of my face, and I love using it now in my everyday skincare routine.

  Here is my face before and after using the Derma-Pen and Vitamin C on the lighter rolling scars and red scars on the side of my face:

  

  I have found the Vitamin C to help the most with skin redness and discoloration. I also had many deep, rolling and pitted scars, and found using a derma-roller and copper peptides specifically helped me get rid of my deeper acne scarring.

  ]]> https://acnescar.org/how-to-get-rid-of-red-acne-scars/feed/ 0 https://acnescar.org/how-to-heal-acne-scars/ https://acnescar.org/how-to-heal-acne-scars/#comments Mon, 03 Feb 2020 17:30:31 +0000 https://acnescar.org/?p=178 How to Heal Acne Scars with the Best Products for Acne Scars

  

  The past 4 years I’ve completely hated myself due to my acne scarring.

  I’ve always been good at making friends. But I’ve literally made no new friends since my scarring. People go out of their way to reject and avoid me.

  12 months ago I wanted to do something more than the creams I had been trying that only made my face white and oily, not changing the indentation amounts or actual scar appearances.

  So I went to a professional clinic for a $300 micro-needling session still skeptical but at this point willing to do (& at this point spend) whatever it would take.

  After the session I saw my red skin start to heal and I realized there was actually hope for my skin to heal before I thought maybe there was no hope.

  How to Heal Acne Scars: At-Home Microneedling

  After seeing my skin’s immediate improvement from my professional micro-needling session, I decided to do more research so I could capitalize on my skin’s healing by ordering the best topical healing ingredients to pair with the micro-needling sessions.

  I used the professional clinic’s list of recommended healing topicals which included copper peptides, among a few other ingredients, as what I should look for in products to support the healing process & skin regeneration. I started doing research on all the products on the list, and ran into home acne scar remedy, micro-needling, during the research.

  I’ve been using the best of the best acne scar removal products and home micro-needling for the past 12 months and my skin is finally healing and where I’ve wanted it to be for the longest time.

  I’ve found my home micro-needling to be more effective than professional sessions when used slightly more aggressively in combo with the copper peptides – I can target areas more specifically and be a bit more aggressive than a professional clinic is able to.

  How does Micro-Needling Work to Reduce Acne Scars?

  Micro-needling can be done at home using a microneedling roller or a Derma Pen, and I’ve found success with both on different areas of my face, some have been more responsive to a roller, and some more so to a pen.

  When my scars were incredibly deep, from a combination of huge inflammation and picking at them when new, the 1.5 mm microneedling roller and copper peptides at night and using Vitamin C during the day, to help brighten my skin and smooth out the lighter indents and redness on my face.

  Here is how Vitamin C Serum specifically works:

  Vitamin C aids wound healing, protects against sun damage, evens skin tone, reduces wrinkles as well as lines and indents in the face and works to boost skin’s healing capabilities through collagen and other natural skin healing functions.

  This is why it is so helpful for use on discolored areas of the face and areas of the face that have indentations.

  I have personally seen great results on areas of my acne scarring that were discolored on my face and had light indentations when using a concentrated, L-ascorbic acid based, Vitamin C serum in combination with a Derma pen in my at-home treatment.

  Here is how copper peptides work specifically:

  Copper peptides’ effects on skin and healing have also been researched in-depth scientifically and have been found to, in a study by Pickhart and Margolino “stimulate 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”

  This means Copper Peptides are able to assist with tissue repair and are great to pair with micro-needling, because the micro-needling gives your skin micro-damages it is able to easily repair in a controlled way that promotes healthy skin healing. The copper peptides give your skin the proteins it needs to repair its skin in an effective manner and most aesthetic way possible.

  Here is how microneedling rollers and Derma-Pens work:

  Microneedling in the form of Derma-Rolling and Derma-Penning has been shown in scientific studies to reduce acne scarring and I have seen incredible results in my own personal experience as well.

  The micro-needling works so well because it takes off the top layer of your damaged skin, allowing your newer, healthy skin a chance to be revealed underneath.

  The micro-needling also allows the copper peptides to penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin to deliver its healing ingredients more effectively.

  After 12 months of intensive micro-needling with copper peptides I’m finally loving and accepting my skin again, and it’s nice to be able to confidently look at and interact with people again, something I never knew if I was going to ever be able to do during the 4 years I had my deep acne scarring.

  Here I’m sharing the exact process I’ve used to heal my scarred skin and how you can do the same. This is simply the process that has worked for me and is not medical advice or advice of any kind. You can consult a doctor to get official advice etc.

  Best Products for Acne Scars

  Here are the 9 best products for healing acne scars. These are the products I use in my routine and are the reason my acne scarring has healed.

  Here are the best acne scar products along with explanations of how they work and why they are the best products for healing acne scars:

  • Vitamin C Serum For Acne Scars: Vitamin C boosts collagen production and is great for lightening red acne scarring and removing discolorations from skin. It is great to use as a daily skin protectant that also draws out negative oxidants in the skin, and you can use it alongside a derma pen or derma roller for deeper results or on its own in your daily skin routine.
  • Copper Peptide Cream:Note: You can’t use copper peptides and Vitamin C at the same time, you need to alternate days or use one at night and one in the morning, because their ingredients cancel each other out. I personally used copper peptides on my deeper scarred areas at night and then switched to Vitamin C in the morning as well as on more lightly scarred areas of my face and areas that needed color correction.

    Copper peptides are skin building blocks and decrease in number in our skin as we age. Copper peptides have been clinically shown to increase skin healing, and I have found them to help my scarred, damaged skin both heal and peel off, as well as heal more effectively after microneedling either at home or at a dermatologist’s office.

  • Derma E Gel: Derma E gel is a clear, thick gel that is formulated to help scars heal. I have found it to be great at keeping skin moisturized during the healing process post-microneedling, whether you micro-needle at a dermatologist’s or at-home.:
  • Rosehip Oil: Rosehip Oil contains Vitamin A and is known for helping sun damaged and otherwise damaged skin heal. I love using rosehip oil in my daily moisturizing routine as well as to help keep skin moisturized during the micro-needling healing process
  • Coconut Oil: I use coconut oil similarly to rosehip oil, for moisture during the microneedling healing process.
  • Exfoliating Creams & Serums: Exfoliating creams like the Lac Sal acne scar cream help loosen damaged skin on the top layer and help the scarred skin slough off more easily. I like to use this cream when my skin is not in the micro-needling or microneedling healing process, but during the days during days or weeks I am not microneedling to help smooth and soften my acne scarring.
  • Exfoliating Sprays: The ORG Mineral exfoliating spray helps peel off damaged skin layers to reveal healthier skin underneath. A week or so after fully healing from micro-needling, I like to use this spray to take off the extra damaged skin on my face to reveal much more smooth and beautiful skin underneath.
  • Derma-roller and Derma-Pen for Microneedling: At homedermarollers for acne scars are the most effective at-home acne scar healing tool I use, alongside the copper peptide serum. My scars were very deep, so I needed the 1.5 mm derma-roller to break up the damaged scar tissue and help remove the damaged layers of skin so healthier skin could emerge underneath.
• The Acne Scar Treatment Kit: combines a Derma Pen, the Derma Pen cleaning ingredients, Vitamin C Serum specifically for acne scars, and a Derma E scar healing gel to give you everything you need to heal and improve acne scarring in one kit. It’s great for anyone who wants to make one purchase without having to worry about buying a ton of separate ingredients and time testing, and start to see improvement in their skin.

Combined, these are the most effective products for treating acne scars, and you can use them fully at-home or with a combination of in-person micro-needling appointments to help keep your skin moisturized and give it the nutrients it needs for the most effective skin healing.

I explain my full routine and how to use the products below.

How to use a Derma-Roller

Here’s what my micro-needling copper peptide process looks like.

You can see how bright blue the copper peptides are, and you can see the progress my skin’s scars have made from where they started (which the pictures are not even of their worse points) to where my skin is so much more healed and healthy today, with so many damaged layers gone and new skin healed thanks to this routine.

I had no hope for my acne scars before I started doing this and now people tell me all the time how good my skin looks and I finally feel confident again.



1. At night, start with a 1mm roller if it’s your first time. Once your skin gets used to it and you know it’s working, you can move up to the 1.5mm, which is the deepest you’re supposed to use for at-home sessions. Roll the micro-needling derma roller device over the skin areas you wish to improve in all directions, from the side, top, bottom, diagonally, keeping the pressure steady and rolling back and forth around 5 times in each direction. Your face will be a little red at this point. Remember not to overdo it.
2. After rolling the device your skin now has micro-tears and is starting to heal itself. It is also more receptive to topical ingredients at this point. Now you can put a thin layer of copper peptide cream onto the areas you derma-rolled. Don’t put too much, less is more at this point. It may sting a little, so be patient if it does. It will also be bright blue so this is best done while you are alone and before bed. Copper peptides are able to break down damaged collagen and help it come off to reveal healthy skin underneath, and it also has the skin building block ingredients that give your skin the boost it needs to repair itself by growing new skin and hair follicles. I see new white baby hairs on the areas of my face I use copper peptides on because my skin starts growing new skin and hair cells in these areas.
3. Put your derma-roller into a 70% or more isopropyl alcohol cleaning solution overnight so you can use it again, up to 4 or 5 times before you need to unwrap a new one
4. The morning after I wash my face and put Vitamin C serum and Derma E Gel on the areas that are healing so they stay moist and are able to continue healing at their optimal level. While my skin is healing I make sure to take extra good care of it so it has the optimal chance of healing as perfectly as possible.
5. Every night I then put a thin layer of the copper peptide cream onto the healing areas to help the healing process as well, and put a Vitamin C serum on each morning.
6. Depending on the size of the needle you used, how much pressure you applied and how deep you went, your skin may be red for a few days or more. Wait until your skin redness heals before doing any derma-rolling again. You should see improvement right away, even while your skin is still red, and while it starts to heal. It may take up to a month to start seeing real, marked improvements. After a few months you will start to see even more improved skin and positive changes. Be patient because you are working real-time with your skin’s healing schedule and trying to rush it will only make it harder for your skin to be able to fully heal in the long-run. The skin takes 27 days to turn over a full cycle of new skin cells, meaning you need to work on your skin’s timeline and not against it.
7. Once my skin is no longer red, I put Lac Sal cream or serum depending on how thick I want the cream to be on it during the day and night for a few days to encourage damaged skin to slough off and exfoliate. Damaged skin is made up of a weaker structure than healthy skin, meaning when Lactic acid cream, like Lac Sal cream is placed over your entire face, the damaged skin is more affected and starts to come off, while the strong healthy skin stays put, which is what makes exfoliation so effective.
8. Then I use O.R.G. exfoliating spray to literally take off layers of the dead, damaged skin, and you can see it coming off of your face.
9. Finally you have a fresh new layer of skin, one layer closer to taking off all your damaged scar tissue and revealing your healthy face underneath. The skin heals in layers so each time a damaged layer peels off, you’re one layer closer to revealing your new healthy skin underneath as it continues to grow and regenerate.
10. Then I repeat the derma-rolling copper peptide process outlined above to keep taking the damaged layers off my skin and giving it the nutrients it needs to heal the scarred areas on my face

Note: It is important you don’t have active acne on your face when you derma-roll, and don’t derma-roll on areas that are open wounds.

Final acne scar healing pic

Here is another healing pic, using just this derma-rolling and copper peptide / exfoliation treatment.

The picture is a side view of the healing from the rolling acne scars on my cheek, the side of my face, and my chin. This healing took ~ 2 months, the side of my face started out way worse but at that point I was trying to avoid taking pictures of it because I didn’t think it would ever heal and having pictures just made the scarring that much more real.

Crazy to see the progress from how bad it was in the first mirror selfie to how much better in just a few months.



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