Fade Blemishes

Skin blemishes can include any type of visible imperfections, but the term usually refers to inflamed pimples (acne) or the dark red or purple marks left behind after a pimple has healed — known as a post-acne mark or post-inflammatory pigmentation. Blemishes on the face are common during adolescence due to hormonal changes, poor hygiene and dietary triggers, but adulthood usually brings some reprieve. Regardless of age, facial blemishes can detract from beauty and cause some embarrassment, so learning how to prevent, eradicate or fade them is valuable information.

Steps

Fading Blemishes with Home Remedies

1. Treat your pimples soon after they appear. Dermatologists don't recommend letting acne run its course, because without treatment, dark spots, blemishes and permanent scars can appear on the skin as the acne clears. As such, address any acne soon after it appears on your face or any other exposed area you don't want blemishes. However, don't prick or squeeze pimples or try to extract black heads forcefully or prematurely. Instead, keep the pores of your skin clean with antibacterial soap and wait until the white-headed pustule (dead white blood cells) or blackhead (compacted oil and dirt) comes closer to the surface of the skin. Once that occurs, gently exfoliate it away with a mildly abrasive moistened facial pad, or carefully squeeze it with the sides of your clean fingers or sanitized metal tool designed for the task.
   • Try to get all of the pus or blackhead material out of the pore, as it will heal quicker.
   • Disinfect the inflamed pore immediately afterwards with some antiseptic solution, preferably one that is alcohol-free.
   • Don't squeeze pimples or blackheads with your fingernails because the surrounding tissue can get damaged and infected — a major cause of post-acne blemishes.
   • Many dermatologists recommend not popping or squeezing your own blemishes. Instead, they suggest leaving it to a skin specialist.
2. Avoid too much sun exposure. Radiation from the sun not only irritates acne in some cases, but it can sunburn sensitive tissue associated with inflamed or healing pimples, causing discoloration (hyperpigmentation) and leading to long-term blemish marks. Hyperpigmentation of the skin occurs due to increased production of melanin, which is responsible for the skins pigment or color. Aside from sun exposure, other common causes of skin hyperpigmentation include pregnancy, hormone imbalance, certain skin diseases and side effects from taking some medications.
   • To combat sun damage and hyperpigmentation, apply an oil-free moisturizer with sunscreen (SPF of at least 15) on your exposed skin, especially your face.
   • To further protect your face, considered wearing a wide-brimmed hat when in the sun, particularly at the beach or near bodies of water.
   • Keep in mind that some acne medications make your skin more susceptible to radiation from the sun. So if you're on medication, consider staying out of the suns direct rays as much as possible.
3. Use over-the-counter skin-lightening agents. In addition to trying to prevent blemishes, there are many types of chemicals that can help fade them. For examples, hydroquinone and 8-hydroxyquinoline are both skin lightening agents that can quickly fade acne marks, dark age spots and hyperpigmentation. Although applying over-the-counter creams with 2% hydroquinone can be effective for fading blemishes fairly quickly (within a few weeks), it can also cause skin sensitivity and lighten normal skin surrounding the blemish. Topical 8-hydroxyquinoline is a good alternative to hydroquinone as it works by targeting pigment clusters and helps lighten blemishes and dark spots without whitening or fading surrounding skin.
   • Topical hydroquinone is sometimes combined with alpha hydroxy acids that exfoliate the skin in order to quicken the lightening process.
   • Benzoyl peroxide also bleaches skin, but it has many other properties that help combat blemishes too (see below).
   • A more natural and inexpensive lightening agent for blemishes is regular 3% hydrogen peroxide, which is widely available in pharmacies. Hydrogen peroxide is also effective at killing bacteria and preventing skin infections, but be prepared for a slight stinging sensation when you apply it.
4. Use over-the-counter exfoliating compounds. In addition to whitening agents, another way to fade blemishes is to exfoliate (remove) the dead skin layers covering the hyperpigmented mark — essentially a type of chemical peel. Exfoliating agents include alpha hydroxy acids, which remove dead skin cells and encourage new cell turnover. As such, the blemish discoloration fades and becomes a little less noticeable each time you exfoliate and reveal newer, clearer skin. Benzoyl peroxide also removes dead skin cells, as well as kills bacteria and removes excess oil from skin pores. Keep in mind that these compounds cause dead skin to be shed from the blemish and very little or no physical scrubbing is needed. Consequently, it's best to apply these products (as ointments, lotions or creams) in the evening before bedtime and let them work overnight.
   • Benzoyl peroxide products are available in strengths from 2.5% - 10% and also sting upon skin application. Common side effects include dry skin, scaling and redness.
   • Alpha hydroxy acids are synthetic compounds derived from citrus fruit. The two alpha hydroxy acids used in nonprescription acne products are glycolic acid and lactic acid.
   • Salicylic acid and sulfur compounds are other exfoliators that also clean pores and prevent them from getting clogged. Nonprescription salicylic acid products are available in strengths from 0.5% - 5%, whereas sulfur compounds are typically combined with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
   • Even when combining compounds that have numerous helpful properties (benzoyl peroxide with salicylic acid, for example), it can still take between 4-8 weeks to see significant fading of blemishes.
5. Use natural plant-based products. Aside from pharmaceutical products, there are numerous herbal or plant-based remedies that have a well-established track record for being able to combat skin blemishes. These natural alternatives can sometimes prevent blemishes (due to antibacterial and immune stimulating properties) or fade existing marks and spots either by lightening the skin, exfoliating it and/or reducing inflammation. Commonly used natural remedies for blemishes include: tea tree oil extract, lemon / lime extracts, azelaic acid cream, licorice root extract, raw (unripe) papaya fruit, green tea extract and aloe vera gel. Apply these products directly to your blemish, preferably at night, and give it a few weeks before making a judgement on effectiveness.
   • For active (acute) and inflamed blemishes, aloe vera may be your best bet because of its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, as well as its powerful ability to heal skin.
   • Anecdotal reports suggest that rubbing a piece of raw potato on your skin blemishes 2-3x daily may lessen pigmentation marks. It's certainly safe, cheap and worth an experiment if you're on a budget.
   • Mixing natural compounds together that have complimenting properties is a smart idea. Try mixing raw honey (antiseptic properties), with fresh squeezed lemon juice (contains natural whitening acids and vitamin C) and turmeric powder (strong anti-oxidant with anti-inflammatory properties). Apply in the evening, cover with a hypoallergenic bandage overnight and wash off in the morning.

Getting Medical Help for Blemishes

1. Consult with your doctor about prescription retinoids. Retinoid medications are derived from vitamin A and include tretinoin (Avita, Retin-A), adapalene (Differin) and tazarotene (Tazorac, Avage). Retinoids work on blemishes by increasing cell turn-over and by preventing clogging of skin pores and hair follicles. Retinoid drugs come as creams, gels and lotions (in various strengths), and are applied in the evening beginning with 3x per week, then daily as your skin becomes accustomed to it.
   • Research suggests that tazarotene (0.1% cream) may be most effective for treating pustules (white heads).
   • Tretinoin is recommended to help reverse photodamage or age spots from the sun, as well as freckles.
   • Retinoids should never be combined with products that contain benzoic acid — it creates too many side effects.
2. Ask about prescription antibiotics. Bacterial growth within skin pores is a primary cause of white-headed pimples or pustules. As such, the application of topical antibiotic creams or ointments can be helpful in treating acute inflamed pimples or longer-term blemishes that still are triggering an immune response. In many cases, when topical antibiotics kill bacteria within an inflamed pore, the redness of the blemish reduces. Topical antibiotics are often combined with retinoids during the first few months of treatments — sort of a 1-2 punch for skin blemishes. When combined together, the topical antibiotic is applied in the morning and the topical retinoid in the evening.
   • Topical antibiotics are often combined with benzoyl peroxide in order to reduce the risk of developing antibiotic resistance.
   • Combo products include clindamycin with benzoyl peroxide (Benzaclin, Duac, Acanya) and erythromycin with benzoyl peroxide (Benzamycin).
   • Oral antibiotics (in pill form) are often prescribed for moderate-to-severe acne, with the most common type being tetracyclines, such as minocycline and doxycycline.
   • Keep in mind that antibiotic use (topical and oral) for acne makes your skin much more sensitive to sun exposure and (perhaps ironically) more susceptible to other types of blemishes such as sun spots, freckles and age spots.
3. Try laser treatment. A variety of light-based therapies have been tried on different types of skin blemishes with well-documented success. The type of laser and dose that's most effective depends on the cause of the blemish, so consult with a dermatologist to get the most current advice. Some forms of laser therapy target the bacteria that cause acne inflammation, whereas other types either remove (burn off) the top layer of skin (epidermis) or heat the underlying dermis layer of the skin and cause new tissue to form — often referred to as laser resurfacing. After several treatments, acne blemishes and scars typically appear far less noticeable.
   • Some types of light therapy are only done in a doctor's office (usually a dermatologist), whereas other types are done in beauty salons or can be purchased for home use (such as blue-light therapy).
   • Not all light therapy is hot or produces burning sensations; some are pulsed (less heat) or cold lasers that produce no heat.
   • Apply numbing cream to your blemish at least 45 minutes prior to getting hot laser therapy, as it will greatly reduce the discomfort, and don't forget to always wear protective glasses with any type of light therapy.
   • Potential side effects of laser therapy include pain, temporary redness and increased sensitivity to sunlight.
4. Consider steroid injections as a last resort. For more serious and deeper acne blemishes, such as nodular and cystic lesions, injections of corticosteroid drugs directly into them can significantly improve the appearance without the need for invasive extraction. Corticosteroids (such as prednisolone, dexamethasone and triamcinolone) are powerful anti-inflammatory agents that reduce swelling, redness and pain. However, the needle itself may cause redness and scarring where it pierces the skin, so injections are usually only reserved for large, deep and painful acne-related blemishes, cysts or carbuncles.
   • Side effects of corticosteroid injections include thinning of the skin, lighter skin pigmentation around the blemish and the appearance of small blood vessels on the treated area.
   • Repeated use of corticosteroid injections can reduce immune functions and lead to greater risk of infections.

Tips

• If you're not sure which acne product to start with, then go with one that contains benzoyl peroxide. It's effective and well-tolerated by most people and some results can be seen within a few days or so.
• Wash blemished areas twice daily with a gentle cleanser, but don't overdo it because excessive washing and scrubbing can make blemishes worse and more inflamed.
• Dermabrasion (sanding the skin with a small rotating brush) is usually reserved for severe acne scarring, but it may also be helpful to fade blemishes.

Related Articles

• Get Rid of Large Pores and Blemishes
• Get Rid of Acne Scars at Home Without Chemicals
• Get Rid of Acne Scars
• Cover Up Blemishes

Sources and Citations

See also

• Reduce Pimple Redness and Size (Aspirin Method)
• Clear Blackheads with Toothpaste
• Get Rid of a Pimple
• Get Rid of Chest Acne
• Stop or Cure Pimples
• Get Rid of Large Pores and Blemishes
• Hide Pimples
• Prevent Acne
• Get Rid of a Zit Overnight
• Get Rid of Bacne

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