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How Can Scars After Acne Break-outs Be Reduced?
Question: Scars following temporary acne break-outs are forming on my 23-year-old niece's skin, and the skin pigment at the scars is unpleasantly different after the scars heal. The acne break-outs tend to happen during or just after her menstrual cycle. Can you help us guess what might be happening to her system, suggest what might be used to help return her skim pigment at the healed scars to its original color? Thanks in advance.
Brief Answer:
Acne and acne scars, Proper care of face
Detailed Answer:
Hi
I understand your concern regarding the skin problem and I hope I am able to help you in the same.
Your niece is having lesions of acne along with post acne scars. Acne can be due to many causes like hormonal imbalance etc.
I would advise the following:
It is important for her to take proper care of skin by using oil free products since acne lesions tend to develop in people with oily skin. The sunscreen should be of spf-26 atleast.
She should keep her face clean using a salicylic acid based face wash twice a day. This will help in bringing down the oil secretion and will help in reducing both pimples and the scars.
As much as possible, she should avoid touching or squeezing of the lesions.
Using an oil free sunscreen is very essential as sunlight darkens the acne scars further.
For local treatment of pimples, she can use a clindamycin gel twice a day. For the scars, kojic acid four percent gel application twice a day will help.
She should avoid eating nuts.
Including things like citrus fruits and salads in diet will help her.
I am sure the above measures will help her.
Please ask if you need any further clarifications
Dr Geetika Paul
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
A BIG thanks to you Dr. XXXXXXX I will pass your very helpful information to her mother ASAP. I take it that once the scars have left skin patches showing unusual pigmentation, there is no route to removing the new pigment, and that all she can do is avoid allowing the sun to make the problem worse.
Again, thanks a lot.
I want to keep our dialogue open until her mother and my niece discuss your information, as I expect they will have a follow up.
My impression is that she does eat a good diet of nuts and her diet is very short on fresh green vegetables.
Cheers!
Brief Answer:
Treatment of acne scars and acne lesions
Detailed Answer:
Hi again
The measures that I told you were basically precautions to be taken to prevent any further damage.
We do have many ways to get rid of the scars and the pigmentation that has already developed. Using a kojic acid based cream and a salicylic acid based face wash will surely help ,both in bringing down the development of new acne lesions and in improving the pigmentation that has developed.
I will be happy to address any more concerns
Dr Geetika Paul
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Thanks a lot, Dr. XXXXXXX My follow-up is delayed for a day or so because her mother wants to see me for a confidential discussion, as she is embroiled in a debate with her daughter about the problem.
Your additional information will be warmly greeted by them, I am sure. They are trying to get to a dermatologist through her family doctor but that meeting will be many weeks away, so your help is greatly valued.
I hope to get back to no later than Monday, with the follow-up.
Brief Answer:
Best of health
Detailed Answer:
You can get back to me whenever you see your niece.
I am sure I will be able to help you better once you see me with more details.
Waiting for your response
Dr Geetika Paul
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Dear Dr. Paul!
My niece's mom and I consulted today, and she is extremely grateful to you. She took detailed notes from your information, no doubt to take them home for application.
She has one follow-up question, and it relates to the debate between her and her daughter. The daughter has been taking Saw Palmetto tablets because she has found testimony that it helps some people with acne problems, and her mother is worried about side effects in the short or long term. If you have any observations about Saw Palmetto usage in this context, we will be grateful. Thanks in advance.
Brief Answer:
Use of saw palmetto in acne
Detailed Answer:
Hi again
There are certain things about using saw palmetto.
First of all, it has surely been seen to have beneficial effects in certain people with acne but this finding is not found in all people.
If however your niece has been using these capsules and has been feeling better with these, she can continue to take these.
As far as the side effects of long term usage are concerned, it mainly has hormonal interactions
. So the main interaction it has is with oral contraceptive pills which tend to loose their efficacy if taken with saw palmetto. So this issue is mainly a problem after marriage.
The second most important thing is that it has be avoided in people who are anemic .
Also in case she is going for any surgery, both major or minor, then she might have to discontinue using them for atleast two weeks.
Other than the above mentioned side effects ,nothing major has really been reported with its long term use.
Hope it helps
Dr Geetika Paul
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Your response is a big help, Dr. XXXXXXX I will pass it along ASAP.
Cheers!
Brief Answer:
best wishes
Detailed Answer:
You are welcome
You can follow up in case of any problem
Dr Geetika Paul
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
M Dr. XXXXXXX your replies have been so prompt and well informed that I wish to close our dialogue and write a review.
At the same time, I would like to know if there is some way that I can be in touch with in particular at a future date if either my niece or I need new advice.
This is an important question because there are about three dermatologists in my community and the last time I had appointment it was months away from the date that the appointment was made, and when I finally saw him I got zero information in the area of self-care.
Brief Answer:
Best wishes
Detailed Answer:
Hi
You can always get in touch with me through this forum.
WWW.WWWW.WW The link above is my profile page link. You can ask me a question anytime if needed and I will be available to answer your questions.
Hoping to see you again
Dr Geetika Paul
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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