How to Get Rid of Old Acne Scars

Couldn’t resist popping that pimple and now you’re stuck with a scar to remind you of the acne you once had? Whether it was two months ago or two years ago, you don’t have to live with the scars of old pimples forever. Here are a few tricks to get your even complexion back.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Skin lightening cream
• Exfoliating scrub
• Cocoa butter stick
• Moisturizer

How to Get Rid of Old Acne Scars

1. Exfoliate your skin with a very gentle, fine grained scrub. Gently work it into the skin with warm water in small circles, before rinsing and patting dry. Do this once or twice a week.
2. Keep the skin conditioned with a light, non-oily moisturizer to aid in skin’s health, elasticity and ability to get over a scar by regenerating new skin.
3. Apply a skin lightening or bleaching cream to the scar every morning and every night. Don’t let drastic words like “bleaching” scare you. You won’t end up with a white-washed face. The active ingredient in these over-the-counter products is the same as you’d get from a dermatologist, just in a smaller amount. What you find on your grocery and drug store shelves should contain 2% hydroquinone.
4. Condition your skin once a week with 100% cocoa butter. The product is sold in a hard stick. Just rub the stick onto your face, and blend with your fingertips. Let it sit for about 20 minutes before wiping away, but don’t wash it off.

Tips & Warnings

• Cream-form skin lighteners work more gradually than gel-form skin lighteners. The gel kind is absorbed more quickly into the skin. If this is your first time using a skin lightening product, choose the cream form for more predictable and controllable results.
• At night, apply the cream with thick dabs and let it sit as you sleep. In the morning apply a thinner layer on the mark, rubbing it in so it doesn’t show.