Get Rid of Acne Scars Once & For All
1: First & foremost, I’ve seen millions of sources claiming natural remedies for acne scar treatment. To be brutally honest, natural remedies completely on its own would NOT do any good for acne scars. Yes, like we all are different, just like that not all scars are born same so obviously their treatments aren’t meant to be same. I am not saying these remedies don’t work neither do I have anything against natural remedies but what I’m trying to explain that natural remedies completely on its own, are least effective. Think it in this manner, most popular medicines (active ingredient) we use today are originally sourced from these naturally occurring sources but we need a huge quantity of it to source just 1 ml. of the active ingredient. The rest? goes down the drain. So as a natural consequence when we need 3 kg (suppose) of its natural source to get 1 ml of active product; would you expect 3 tsp of the original source in a face mask would do anything at all to your skin? the answer is NO. So what to do about it!
Here we go:
2: Acne scar treatment needs multiple approaches targeting the affected area synergistically. You need to remember that dark spots generated post acne are called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation & is quite hard to fade so get ready to work hard.
3: First we’ll list our natural ingredients that’d help you treat them with varying effectiveness: Sandalwood powder, Lemon, Vinegar, Wheat flour, Bengal Gram Flour, Licorice powder, Turmeric Paste or powder, Milk (liquid or powder), Indian Gooseberry Powder, Coconut water, Rose water, Yoghurt, Honey. You can use these to make a paste & apply on the affected area & wait until it dries. Then wash it off & for optimal results do this every evening. Always remember, natural ingredients in its raw form work very very slowly so frequent application is needed.
4: Do Not skyrocket your expectations. With any kind of treatment, you need to be patient to see results. So you don’t apply a pack & expect to see a lighter scar just after washing it off the first time. Even the most active ingredient in this niche will take 4-6 weeks of consistent application to show you some results & for natural stuffs, this time is obviously longer.
5: Apply Hydroquinone. It’s the gold standard in scar removal but it is effective for a reason & like any other drugs, it comes with a range of side effects that can be easily avoided. Hydroquinone is available OTC * as 2-4% formulation with other two main ingredients: Tretinoin (0.025-0.05%), & one mid-potent steroid such as mometasone furoate. This formula is known as The Kligman’s formula & is considered the most effective in scar treatment. But do not use it for more than 6 months in a row & practice sun protection (otherwise it may cause permanent non reversible damage like ochronosis & even hormonal imbalances). Apply once or twice a day & apply sunscreen & cover the area during the day (even when indoors). Please do not dare to apply hydroquinone without proper sun protection & if any irritation occurs, straight go to your dermatologist.
6:Tr etinoin is effective in scar treatment. In layman’s term, tretinoin is a form of retinoic acid or Vitamin A. It is used to accelerate skin turnover & thus shed dark (scarred) upper layer faster. It also is known as a penetration enhancer meaning it helps other drugs to easily penetrate your skin. Yes, that’s why it is used alongwith hydroquinone in the formula mentioned above because it makes hydroquinone get deep inside through your skin’s epidermal layer & thus hydroquinone is more effective when used with tretinoin.
7:Kojic acid is a safer derivative of hydroquinone but almost equally effective. Kojic acid is less likely to irritate your skin than hydroquinone but it is notorious for being unstable so we have a new kid on the block, meet Kojic acid dipalmitate, another more advanced derivative of kojic acid which is not unstable like its other twin & is widely available over the counter.
8: Arbutin is sometimes considered as effective as hydroquinone & is basically a chemical cousin (wow!!!) of HQ* . Arbutin is a very popular substitute for HQ & a first line of treatment of choice in acne/pimple scars. There’s the fun fact: Do you know our very own pear is the natural source of arbutin? Well, to use it as home remedy, peel the pear’s outer skin & mash it to a thick paste to add to your beauty mask; the outer skin of a pear is where arbutin is available.
9: Glycolic acid (available OTC in 6-12% conc.) is very effective as it rapidly exfoliates the scarred skin, works much like tretinoin. It is among the Alpha Hydroxy Acids & is the lowest molecular weight member of that infamous group of chemexfoliants. You can use glycolic acid cream ideally 12% for severe scarring once before the bed every night.
10: Salicylic Acid is a highly potent beta hydroxy acid & thus it penetrates more than glycolic acid & is considered excellent treatment option for both acne/pimples or scar left by it. There are salicylic acid creams found OTC & in 1-2% concentration is available as face wash. Both are very effective.
11: Mandelic Acid is the gold standard when it comes to treating acne scars in sensitive skin. It causes little irritation if any but equally effective. There was a time I was so obsessed with it, I replaced my night cream with 10% mandelic acid cream & guess what? It worked.
12: Azelaic acid is another treatment option for acne scars & is available as 10% or 20% formulation creams OTC. Some find 20% azelaic acid as effective as 4% HQ (Hydroquinone) in fading scars minus the side effects of HQ. But for some strange reason, it has never worked for me, I don’t know why but since everyone is different, it doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.
13: Always remember, as from my experience I’ve seen the OTC products with above formulations cost much less than the cosmetic versions of these. But for some meds, you need a prescription but trust me friends, it’s worth it even if it means going to the derm rather than buying things randomly because the price difference is not the only matter to think about but the rather very expensive cosmetic formulations aren’t as effective as these OTC versions. I’d give you an example: in India a glycolic acid cream of 12% conc. in a med shop shouldn’t cost you more than Rs. 250 but as a cosmetic formulation available online, it’ll cost you anything from Rs. 1500 /- onwards & that too in a much lower concentration.
14: That’s all I know for now but always remember, you should always exercise sun protection in form of sunscreens & covering up the area with thick clothing. Ideally the sunblock should be SPF 30-50+ & PA+++ or above. To know more about sunscreens, follow : https://thebeautyblogoflove.blogspot.com/2018/06/all-your-sunscreen-questions-answered.html
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15: Above mentioned products are very potent & thus they actually work. But caution comes with potency & everything may not suit everyone. So, its always the best to consult your physician before starting on any such regime. I know, this discourages most of you & you start following only home remedies cuz you think its safe. No, its not. They can cause allergy as much as any OTC product & they are not even 1% effective compared to the above mentioned OTC drugs. So its better to use things that actually work. Most these products not only fade your post pimple/acne scar but also make sure you are never haunted by it in future but the regimen should be suggested by your doc.
You can use one or two of the above together at a time & need to wait for 4-6 weeks to see results with consistent application & if there’s any irritation, consult your doctor immediately as you should before starting these on a regular basis. Get the truth my friends, not the hype.
If you have any further queries, let me know.
*OTC : Over the counter
*HQ: Hydroquinone
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