Post-Acne Marks & Scars
A flat mark and a scar are not the same thing, and do not behave the same way.
About this concern
Flat discolouration after acne is different from a depressed or raised scar, and your assessment identifies the type of change before a suitable treatment is discussed. A flat mark — red, brown or darker than the skin around it — is a change in colour where the skin surface is intact. Many of these fade on their own over months, and sun exposure is the main thing that makes them last longer. A scar is a change in the structure of the skin: a dent, a pit, or raised tissue. It does not fade, because there is nothing to fade. The two are often side by side on the same cheek, which is why a plan that treats one does not necessarily do anything for the other, and why the first thing worth establishing is which you are looking at.
Why the causes differ
- Whether the surface of the skin is smooth where the mark is, or dented or raised.
- How long it has been there, and whether it has faded at all.
- Sun exposure, which prolongs flat discolouration more than anything else.
- Whether the acne itself is still active — marks keep forming while it is.
- Your skin tone, which affects how marks appear and how they are best approached.
Questions worth asking at your consultation
- Is what I am seeing a mark or a scar — or both, in different places?
- Would any of this fade on its own if I left it alone and protected it from the sun?
- Does the active acne need to be settled before anything else is considered?
- Which of these would you not treat, and what would you do instead?
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