In addressing a reader's question about acne scarring, it seems I did not address possible ways to reduce or remove minimal scarring, such as red marks. So, today I am going to address that question.
To start, I must lead with the caveat that no two people have the same skin. I am listing a couple of different options you can use together or a part, but it will take some trial and error to determine what works best on different levels of sensitive to normal skin.
My skin is rather unsensitive, so I could probably do all of these things to it together, but I wouldn't suggest it for everyone. Perhaps try one or two things and work from there to see how your skin reacts.
Step 1 - identify the red marks and make sure they are scars and not pimples. While my philosophy is that white heads are gross, sometimes I would rather have a painful under-the-skin pimple turn to one because at least I can apply a warm cloth to drain the infection rather than have those stubborn pimples under the skin that take longer to get rid of. One insider tip is that you do have a pimple, white head or not, and your skin is not sensitive, an original formula toothpaste is great for drying up the infection and reducing the pimples size or appearance within a day or two.
Step 2 - Once you have identified the scars as scars, investigate your exfoliating habits. If you are already exfoliating two or three times per week, then don't add any more exfoliating to your whole face. Exfoliating is basically a less intensive way to give your self a facial at home. If you exfoliate too much you will only enlarge pores and make your skin more prone to black heads and pimples. If you are only exfoliating once a week, maybe try a second day or just exfoliate the area with the scaring with your pointer finger or pointer finger and index finger. Just remember, it isn't how hard you exfoliate that makes a difference, it is how long. Apply a gentle pressure to the area moving in a circular pattern.
Step 3 - Once your skin is rinsed and dry, take a warmly soaked chamomile tea bag and press it gently to the mark for a couple of minutes. Or you can use a couple of drops of chamomile oil and just gently apply it to the scarring. You will probably want to do this before you go to bed. If you do it in the morning you can end up trapping oils under your make-up and that will just exacerbate the problem. If you don't have chamomile oil or tea bags, you can also use lemon juice or oil. If you use lemon juice, squeeze a wedge or two into a bowl and apply it to the area using a cotton ball or Q-tip. Both chamomile and lemon juice are good for reducing the discoloration to the skin in a less harmful way compared to the acids that come in other products that may just irritate your skin.
Step 4 - apply Vitamin E. Just like with the chamomile or lemon oil, you want to make sure you do this before going to bed, but also make sure you avoid applying it to close to enlarged pores. You do not want to get more oil trapped in your pores with the exception of what is natural to your skin. Since Vitamin E tablets are best opened using a pin, you can apply it to a Q-tip to gain control of application. The Vitamin E will act as a healing elixir to raised or flat scarring and should reduce the size and color as well.
I am sure there are other items you can find in your house to do the same thing, but these are items I feel are probably the least caustic and damaging. Remember, if you have sensitive skin, be careful. Avoid the acidic items like lemon and maybe opt for chamomile and Vitamin E. If you have really acne-prone skin, you may wish to avoid the chamomile or lemon oil and just use the tea bag or lemon juice. It just really depends on your level of oils in your skin to make the determination on what will probably work best. Good luck and let me know if you have any personal questions for your skin type!
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