Acne Scars and Marks: How to Get Rid of Them Effectively

Published: 18.03.2026 | Updated: 18.10.2026 | Reading time approx. 17 min.

Do you remember that moment when you finally calmed a spot down – only to find a stubborn mark left in its place? Unfortunately, acne doesn’t always end when the spot does. Acne scars and marks can linger for months, sometimes years, and become just as frustrating as the breakouts themselves. In this article, I’ll take you through it step by step: how to tell the different kinds of marks and scars apart, and what to do to fade them effectively and wisely – before they settle in for good.

Have a question about your own skin? Scroll to the end of this article – I’m happy to advise you by email.

Acne scars and marks – what are they and how do they form?

Let’s start with the basics, because they’re the key to getting results. Post-acne marks are, above all, changes in skin colour, caused either by excess melanin or by damaged blood vessels. Picture this: while inflammation is going on in your skin, melanocytes – the cells that produce pigment – get a signal to work harder. Melanin then builds up unevenly in the tissue and leaves brown marks behind. When the inflammation damages tiny blood vessels instead, the mark is pink or red. What you see on your skin once a spot has healed is the trace of exactly this kind of overreaction.

Acne scars are a different matter altogether – they change the skin’s structure, not its colour. They form when the inflammation was deep and severe enough to damage not only the epidermis but also the deeper layer of the skin, the dermis. In its hurry to close the wound, the body fills it with replacement tissue made of collagen fibres. The skin heals, but this new tissue has a different texture, elasticity and behaviour from the healthy skin around it. The result: dips, raised areas or lasting changes in skin texture.

And one important point: you don’t need severe, pus-filled acne to end up with marks. Sometimes a few blackheads and one failed attempt at squeezing them are enough to leave unsightly marks behind. Marks are easy to get – and, unfortunately, much harder to get rid of.

Types of acne marks: PIE vs PIH

Not every mark left by a spot has the same cause. They may look alike at first glance, but post-acne marks fall into two main types: PIE and PIH. Telling them apart is crucial, because they form in completely different ways – which means each needs a different approach.

Red acne marks – post-inflammatory erythema (PIE)

PIE, or post-inflammatory erythema, is the pink, red or slightly purple mark that stays on the skin after a spot has healed. And here’s the important part: it isn’t “leftover” pigment, so brightening products, unfortunately, won’t work on it.

PIE isn’t caused by melanin but by damaged blood vessels. The strong inflammation that came with the spot dilated, or even damaged, tiny capillaries in the skin. When the spot heals, those vessels don’t always return to their normal tone – and that congestion is what you see as a red mark.

PIE is most common in people with fair skin (Fitzpatrick skin types I–III) and can be remarkably stubborn. It can last for many months if the vessels don’t regain their normal tone, especially when the skin is also exposed to the sun or to new breakouts.

Brown acne marks – post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)

PIH, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, is a darker mark – anything from light brown to deep brown. On darker skin it can even look grey or almost black. Here, the culprit really is melanin: inflammation has pushed melanocytes to overproduce pigment, which has settled unevenly in the tissue. A dark mark exactly where the spot used to be – that’s PIH.

PIH affects people with darker skin (Fitzpatrick skin types IV–VI) more often and more intensely, although it can happen to any of us. These pigment marks are very persistent and can last anywhere from several months to several years. UV light acts as an accelerant here – without daily, uncompromising SPF 50, no product, however good, will give you lasting results.

There’s one more risk worth knowing about: a fresh red PIE mark, if it’s left without the right care and exposed to the sun, can turn into brown PIH over time – and that is much harder and slower to fade. That’s why sun protection is essential from day one, not only once the marks have already darkened.

	PIE	PIH
Colour	Pink, red, purple	Light to dark brown
Cause	Damaged blood vessels	Excess melanin
More common in	Skin types I–III (fair skin)	Skin types IV–VI (darker skin)
Sun risk	Slows healing, can turn into PIH	Darkens and sets existing marks
What helps	Soothing, vessel-supporting ingredients	Melanin-inhibiting ingredients + SPF

Will acne marks go away on their own?

Red marks (PIE) can fade on their own if the blood vessels manage to recover – a process that can take many months. But be careful: without sun protection, it will not only take longer but also get more complicated, because UV light can easily darken a fresh mark and turn it into brown PIH.

Brown marks (PIH) do fade on their own, but without professional treatments it takes years. Every unprotected sun exposure, however brief, stimulates melanocytes all over again, slowing down natural fading and creating a vicious circle. That’s why they need your active support: the right ingredients and consistent sun protection.

Acne scars vs acne marks – what’s the difference?

A mark is a change in colour: a flat patch caused by excess melanin or by damaged blood vessels. A scar is a change in structure: lasting damage to the deeper layers of the skin that has permanently altered its texture and surface.

You’ll often read that “acne marks” simply means PIH. That’s not quite right. Red marks have nothing to do with melanin – which is exactly why they need different ingredients from brown ones.

Types of acne scars

Acne scarring is common: around one in five people who have had acne develop scars, and most of them have a mix of different types.

• Atrophic (depressed) scars – by far the most common type, and the one most of us deal with. They look like dips, pits or small “nicks” in the skin. They form because, as the spot healed, there simply wasn’t enough connective tissue to fill the gap. There are three main kinds:
  • Ice pick scars – narrow, deep, V-shaped pits that reach far into the skin. They account for 60–70% of atrophic acne scars.
  • Boxcar scars – wider, round or oval dips with sharp, well-defined edges.
  • Rolling scars – wide, shallow dips with sloping edges that give the skin a wavy look. They soften when you gently stretch the skin.
• Hypertrophic (raised) scars – the exact opposite of atrophic ones. These are firm, raised bumps where a spot used to be. They form when the body “overdoes it” and produces too much replacement tissue while healing.
• Keloid scars – a particular, and the most difficult, kind of raised scar. They don’t stay within the borders of the original injury: they spread beyond it, growing into the healthy skin around. At first they’re red to purple, and they need specialist treatment.
• Normotrophic scars – flat, but clearly different from the surrounding skin in texture and colour. They’re neither sunken nor raised, yet their texture is different, often without the skin’s usual fine pattern.

How do acne scars form?

A scar forms whenever inflammation is deep and extensive enough to damage not only the epidermis but also the dermis beneath it. When the damage is too great for the skin to regenerate perfectly, the body – keen to patch the wound as quickly as possible – fills it with lower-quality replacement tissue made of collagen fibres. This scar tissue heals, but it will always look and behave differently from healthy skin: it has no sebaceous or sweat glands, it’s less elastic, it dries out more easily and it has a different texture.

Watch out for:

• Picking and squeezing – the shortest route to scars. Breaking the skin damages the deeper structures and spreads bacteria, making the inflammation worse.
• Untreated or poorly treated acne – the longer and more intense the inflammation, the more deeply it destroys tissue, and the harder and less successful later repair will be.
• No sun protection – UV light doesn’t just set marks; it also slows down the healing of blood vessels and fuels low-grade inflammation, raising the risk that a shallow lesion will turn into a permanent scar.
• Your genes and smoking – how your skin heals is largely down to your DNA, and smoking is linked to more severe acne scarring.

Worth remembering: a mark can be faded with well-chosen skincare. A scar – especially a deep one – usually needs treatment from a dermatologist or an aesthetic doctor.

How to fade acne marks at home: ingredients for PIE and PIH

For red marks (PIE), you need ingredients that soothe the blood vessels, strengthen them and calm inflammation:

• Niacinamide – a true all-rounder. It calms low-grade inflammation, strengthens the skin barrier (by boosting ceramide production) and gradually reduces redness.
• Vitamin C – a powerful antioxidant that supports the repair of damaged tissue and helps reduce redness, while also brightening the skin.
• Ceramides – invaluable during healing. They rebuild and seal the skin barrier, creating the best conditions for the blood vessels to recover.
• Azelaic acid – anti-inflammatory, reduces redness and is an excellent choice for skin prone to both redness and breakouts. Stronger concentrations are prescription-only, so speak to your GP or pharmacist about those.
• Adenosine – a soothing, calming ingredient that helps reduce redness.
• Tranexamic acid – works on two fronts: it limits the formation of new blood vessels (which reduces redness) and lowers melanocyte activity, protecting the mark from darkening.

For brown marks (PIH), you need ingredients that regulate melanin production, block the enzyme tyrosinase and speed up the shedding of pigment-laden skin cells:

• Retinol / retinal – the gold standard for fading pigmentation. They speed up cell turnover, exfoliate dead skin cells and stimulate collagen production.
• AHAs (glycolic, lactic, mandelic acid) – excellent exfoliants that speed up the removal of melanin.
• Tranexamic acid – blocks melanin synthesis, visibly brightening dark marks.
• Arbutin – a natural tyrosinase inhibitor. It reduces melanin production and works more gently, but effectively.
• Kojic acid – a brightening classic with a soothing effect. In its more stable form (kojic dipalmitate), it’s even more effective and longer-lasting.
• Niacinamide – not just for blood vessels! It blocks the transfer of pigment to skin cells, preventing melanin from building up and new marks from forming.
• Azeloglycine – a combination of azelaic acid and glycine. It hydrates, brightens and regulates sebum – ideal for breakout-prone skin with marks.

If your brown marks are part of a wider issue with patchy skin, you’ll find more in my guide to uneven skin tone.

Retinol and retinal for acne marks and shallow scars

Retinol and its younger, stronger sibling, retinal, deserve a section of their own. Their power against post-acne marks lies in a unique cell-renewal mechanism: they speed up the shedding of dead skin cells in which melanin has built up, while prompting the skin to build new, healthy cells.

What’s more, retinoids work deeper too. They stimulate collagen and elastin production, improving the skin’s structure and density – which helps reduce not only post-inflammatory marks but also shallower acne scars. Introduce them gradually and sensibly, though. Start with a low concentration (e.g. 0.025–0.05% retinal or 0.1–0.3% retinol) and use it in the evening only. Retinoids make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so SPF 50 every morning is non-negotiable!

If you’re still dealing with active breakouts, retinal (retinaldehyde) is a particularly good choice. It works faster than retinol and also has antibacterial properties – a big plus for breakout-prone skin.

A morning skincare routine for acne marks

The most important rule when choosing products – especially while your skin is recovering after acne – is to go for hypoallergenic, gentle, barrier-repairing formulas. They mustn’t irritate skin that’s already weakened. With them, healing goes more smoothly and safely.

Step 1 – Cleanse
Start your day with Smoothing Cleanser – a rich, creamy cleansing gel that doesn’t just wash the skin but also gently smooths it. It contains two kinds of microparticles – rice powder and bamboo – one under 100 μm, the other under 50 μm. This lets them cleanse and smooth the skin thoroughly, gently polishing it without disrupting the skin barrier, so your skin tone becomes more even. An instrumental test showed that after just one week of use, skin tone improved by an average of 20.9% and smoothness by an average of 16.8%. A calm but sure step towards a more even complexion.

Step 2 – Thermal spring water
Instead of a toner, reach for thermal spring water, such as Avène. It’s a gentle, soothing dose of minerals that supports recovery, calms any irritation and preps the skin for serum without upsetting its natural pH.

Step 3 – Serum with an active ingredient
This is the moment for a targeted step. Apply a serum matched to your type of marks – with niacinamide, azelaic acid, vitamin C or tranexamic acid. The simpler and shorter the ingredient list, the better: there’s less risk of irritation.

Step 4 – Moisturiser
Finish your morning routine with Cream – a hypoallergenic, rich, nourishing face cream. Its job is to hydrate and nourish the skin deeply, so it has the strength to recover. An instrumental test showed that after 4 weeks of use, skin unevenness was reduced by an average of 11% and hydration increased by an average of 35%.

Step 5 – SPF
And finally, the cherry on top – an absolutely crucial step. I recommend Laboratoires de Biarritz Certified Organic Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF50. It’s a mineral, certified organic sunscreen with a light, tinted texture that evens out skin tone beautifully without leaving a white cast. It’s hypoallergenic and suitable even during pregnancy. Thanks to its tint, it can stand in for foundation – one product doing two jobs: protecting your skin from the sun and perfecting it. You can order it from the brand’s online shop.

An evening routine with retinoids and acids

Evening is the best time for stronger active ingredients that exfoliate and rebuild the skin while it rests.

Step 1 – Cleanse (and remove make-up)
If you wear make-up, start with a gentle micellar water. Then wash your face with Smoothing Cleanser. You can also use the cleanser on its own, applying a little more than in the morning – it copes well with traces of make-up and impurities.

Step 2 – Acid exfoliant (2–3 times a week)
On the evenings you’re not using retinol, reach for an acid exfoliant. AHAs (glycolic, lactic, mandelic acid) remove dead skin cells, clearing the way for new, healthy ones. For sensitive and breakout-prone skin, I particularly recommend gentle yet effective mandelic acid. You’ll find great formulas from brands such as Paula’s Choice.

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Step 3 – Brightening serum
On the other evenings, apply a retinol or retinal serum, such as Medik8 Crystal Retinal, in a strength that’s right for you. It will not only help fade PIH marks but also improve your skin’s texture.

Step 4 – Moisturiser
Finally, whether you’ve used acids or retinol, seal everything in with Cream. Its rich formula with shea butter, cocoa butter and baobab seed oil forms a protective film on the skin. It prevents water loss overnight and gives your skin ideal, calm conditions to recover and rebuild.

Acne scar treatment: professional options

At-home care is the foundation and can work wonders, but it has its limits. When marks are deep-set and established, and scars are clearly visible, it’s worth putting your skin in a specialist’s hands and turning to aesthetic medicine. Professional treatments work faster and more precisely, and reach where no cream can.

Chemical peels for acne marks and scars

A chemical peel is a controlled, precise exfoliation of the skin using acids. It signals the skin to rebuild, revealing a new, smoother layer of cells with a more even tone.

• Superficial peels (AHA/BHA) – with glycolic, lactic, salicylic or mandelic acid. Ideal for fresh PIE and PIH marks, and for skin with blackheads and excess oil. They need a course of treatments, and the results are gradual and natural.
• Medium-depth peels (e.g. TCA) – penetrate deeper and stimulate remodelling more strongly. They’re used for established, stubborn PIH and shallower scars.
• TCA CROSS – a specialist technique in which a doctor applies high-strength TCA precisely into individual scars. It’s used mainly for ice pick scars.
• Dermamelan – not a classic peel but an advanced, multi-ingredient depigmentation protocol. It works at cellular level, blocking melanin production while improving skin density. It’s an option for extensive, truly stubborn PIH, as well as hormonal and post-acne pigmentation.

Important: chemical peels aren’t done on active breakouts, during a course of retinoid treatment or just before a sunny holiday.

Laser treatment for acne marks and scars

A laser is a precise beam of light that can tackle the problem at its source without damaging the surrounding tissue.

• Vascular lasers (e.g. PDL, Nd:YAG) – target haemoglobin in dilated blood vessels. They’re the most effective option for red PIE marks and reduce post-inflammatory redness quickly.
• Fractional and CO2 lasers – create controlled micro-injuries in the skin that trigger intense new collagen production. This is the method of choice for acne scars and deeper marks.

Safety and recovery – for a few days after treatment, the skin may be red, swollen and peeling. The new, exposed skin is very sensitive and absolutely needs strict SPF 50 protection. Laser treatments are safe when carried out by an experienced specialist. Contraindications, such as pregnancy, a recent tan or active skin inflammation, are always assessed by a doctor during the consultation.

Other acne scar treatments

This topic deserves an article of its own, but for completeness, here are the most popular options:

• Microdermabrasion – mechanical, controlled resurfacing of the skin. It works for milder unevenness and improving overall texture.
• Microneedling – tiny punctures stimulate collagen and elastin production. It can be combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for a stronger regenerative effect.
• IPL (intense pulsed light) – works on mixed marks, both vascular and pigment.
• Surgical techniques (subcision, punch excision, hyaluronic acid fillers) – reserved for deep atrophic scars where other methods fail.
• For raised scars and keloids – a doctor may use steroid injections or silicone gel and sheets.

Before any scar treatment, your active acne needs to be under control – treatments for breakouts and for scars can interfere with each other.

Remember that each of these methods needs an individual consultation with a dermatologist or an aesthetic doctor. There’s no single answer that works for every skin. And whichever you choose, don’t forget the basics at home – gentle cleansing, thermal water, a moisturiser and daily SPF. They’re the foundation that success is built on.

Can you get acne scar treatment on the NHS?

In the UK, the first step is your GP. The NHS advises seeing a GP if your spots are deep, painful or causing scars – they can prescribe treatment for active acne or refer you to a dermatologist. Treatment for the scars themselves, however, is not readily available on the NHS, as the British Association of Dermatologists’ Acne Support service points out. In practice, most people have procedures such as peels, lasers or microneedling at a private clinic – so check the practitioner’s qualifications and ask for a consultation before you book.

Acne scars and marks: what to remember

Acne scars and marks are certainly among the tougher skincare challenges – but they’re not a challenge you can’t meet. The key to success is, first and foremost, understanding what you’re dealing with: a red mark, a brown mark or a scar. That decides every step that follows. Then comes patience and consistency – choosing the right active ingredients and sticking to your daily routine. And finally, the most important point of all: daily, non-negotiable SPF 50. Without it, no treatment, however expensive, stands a chance of lasting results.

If you feel you need a personal eye and help putting together a plan that fits your skin perfectly, write to me. I’ll be glad to guide you through the process and help you enjoy looking in the mirror again.

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Aleksandra Kubas-Maliszewska

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