Acne can continue to cause distress even long after the inflamed spots have subsided. For in their wake, the infected pustules and papules can leave behind pitted depressions in the skin as well as post-inflammatory changes to colour.
This darker skin can fade gradually over time, although, for some, exposure to the sun can cause the scars to darken even further as time goes on. Those with black skin can be particularly vulnerable to this type of post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation. As the skin tries to repair the damage caused by acne, it can produce an excess of melanin in these localised areas. As a result, the old site of the spot ends up darker than the surrounding skin.
Exposure to the sun simply causes these areas of skin to become darker, making it essential to use a daily form of sun protection in the case of acne scarring on exposed areas of skin such as the face. Pigmentation treatment for black skin can also help to improve the appearance of the skin and to even out the tone.
Both Intense Pulsed Light Treatment and Microdermabrasion combined with Laser Therapy have been shown to offer an effective solution to this type of problem, removing damaged tissue and excess pigments to restore the complexion.
