How long does it take for acne scars to fade?
There are multiple steps involved in the tackling of acne, not that this is news to anyone who actually suffers from acne. However, once the initial inflammation or future breakouts have been contained there is often scarring that has to be dealt with. We caught up with Head Trainer at Sukin, Cathy Galileos to learn about how long it takes for acne scars to fade, what could be contributing and how to speed up the process.
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What is the life cycle of a pimple?
While we tend to think pimples just “appear” overnight, the truth is that they actually “[take] seven to 14 days...to fully form underneath the surface,” explains Galileos. When you can see yellow fluid underneath the skin, the blemish is actually already in the final stage of healing, says Galileos. From that point, it usually heals within three to seven days. bh loves: Sukin Blemish Control Pore Perfecting Toner and Sukin Blemish Control Spot Banishing Gel.
What factors contribute to a blemish scarring?
The main contributor to a blemish scarring is trying to pop it, explains Galileos. “We know it’s so hard not to, but when you pop a pimple it can cause the blemish to become more inflamed, swollen and infected. Squeezing can often push bacteria deeper into the skin and cause damage to the surrounding area, scabs can then form, and may leave pits, scars and temporary darkening of skin-pigmentation,” she says. It also usually increases the recovery time of the blemish. One of the easiest solutions here is to avoid “popping, picking and squeezing. Let them heal in their own time." Also investing in good cleansing products will make a huge difference.
So, how long does it take for acne scars to fade?
“Depending on the type of scarring, health and lifestyle, daily skincare routine and letting a blemish run through its life cycle, [scarring from a surface blemish] may take two to six weeks to fade,” say Galileos. However, consistency is key. Ensuring you are removing makeup properly and using a morning and nighttime skincare routine will contribute to stopping blemishes from forming in the first place.
What products should you be looking for to help with acne scarring?
Soothing, decongesting and nourishing products are the way to go when looking to heal acne scars. Natural ingredients include eucalyptus, tea tree and willowherb, which also have “antibacterial properties to calm an irritated blemish,” says Galileos. bh loves: Sukin Rosehip Certified Organic Oil
Vitamin C is another great ingredient for reducing acne scarring and the darkening of skin pigmentation that often comes with it. bh loves: Skinceuticals C E Ferulic (find it at skinceuticals.com.au) and Peter Thomas Roth Potent C Power Serum (find it at sephora.com.au)
Main image credit @juleshough
Do you have any go-to products for helping acne scarring?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
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66 Member Comments
I was cured from HERPES, thank(( Robinsonbucler@ gmail. com ))!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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My acne scars subsided very slowly. It would take several months to fade away, and my red acne marks would turn into black, which makes it more difficult to subside. I can only conceal the acne marks with concealer to cover it, I heard that improving the skin's metabolism can make acne marks disappear faster, so I usually drink a lot of water. Recently, I saw knowledge about accelerating acne healing in this blog, I do n’t know if it is useful, share it to you guys first!
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I think it also depends a lot on your skin type and how much you look after it while recovering
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Not something Ive ever had to worry about thankfully but I did have chicken pox as a child and have a scar from that but thankfully its on my leg and not my face....phew.
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rose hip oil works for me, but i still have scars from teenage years
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my skin is still recovering from those goddamn awful teenage years. The pimples have faded but the scars and pits are still there :(
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I find this to be a never ending battle, especially when you get new pimples, on top of older scars
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The Pimple God is certainly mean!
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Yes I wont be bowing to him
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So true, breakouts are like a battle of lifetime
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I know, regardless of age too!
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Yes talk to my chin!!! Arghhhhhh
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I have some pigmented scarring from my early-teens acne on my forehead - it looks like I have a splash of dirt above one of my eyebrows. I've tried everything and it just gets more prominent not less. I had a cream I used on a huge scar on my chest after a major surgery, and the cream made that huge scar completely disappear - it never did anything for my acne scarring. I've just come to accept it. Some people have beauty spots, some people have freckles, some people blush a lot, some people have acne scars. It's the same to me now!
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If skin is mainly over the worst of the acne, like mine was when i was around 40/39 years old I used this MD Formulations Peel kit that really rejuvenated the look of my skin. It made my skin appear so refreshed and I did do a review on it as it was listed on bh back then. Not sure if it still is listed - will have a look......
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My scars seem to take forever (more than 6 weeks) to fade, I am very fair so any blemish just seems to hang around
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I had acne for about a year in my late twenties, and I think that it was hormonal. These days, my main skin concern is dry skin, wrinkles and the loss of elasticity.
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My pimple scars heal really quickly. If I don't pick at them they don't heal, especially the white filled flat ones, they just grow no matter what acne treatment I use. The ones with the heads are not as bad but they heal faster once picked.
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Same has been my experience. It heals faster once you get rid of the white stuff but blind pimples are worse
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I find some of the bigger pimples leave a scar whether I pop them or not, so I do pop them when they start looking too gross for me to go out with them on my face.
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Takes forever on me for my scars to fade.
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I am still trying to find my ideal remedy, I do rely on pimple stickers overnight to prevent me from picking away.
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I love the Sukin sensitive skin range...
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I swear by azelaic acid.
It reduces redness and hyperpigmentation too...
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Face oils and lots of moisturiser!!!
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