What fades dark spots and acne marks?
Post-acne marks fade on their own over months, and everything that works accelerates rather than magically erases. The proven trio: daily sunscreen, because sun re-darkens every mark; azelaic acid or niacinamide for gentle brightening; retinoids to speed cell turnover.
Give any routine twelve weeks before judging, and treat the acne itself first or new marks will replace the old.
Melasma, the symmetric facial pigment of hormones and sun, is a marathon condition needing strict sunscreen and often prescription creams. Skip harsh home acids and unregulated bleaching creams, which scar and sometimes contain harmful mercury or steroids.
Source: American Academy of Dermatology, how to fade dark spots
See a doctor promptly if
- Deep, painful lumps under the skin that heal leaving pits or raised scars
- Acne that appears fast over weeks, with a deepening voice or new coarse facial hair
- Sudden severe acne with fever, joint pain, or feeling unwell
- Acne with no periods for three months, when you are not pregnant
- Low mood, avoiding people, or thoughts of harming yourself because of your skin
- A single spot that bleeds, crusts, or fails to heal after several weeks
Try the symptom diary10 seconds a day, free, nothing to installSkin follows what you touched, ate and changed. A dated week shows the pattern a photograph cannot.
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
The one skin product doctors push
Broad-spectrum SPF 50, worn daily, does more against skin aging and skin cancer risk than any cream sold above it. The best sunscreen is the one you will actually wear every morning.
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