Whether acne is the reason or not, we've all dealt with a scar before. Raised, dark or red mark, this skin trauma can take a very long time to resolve. From a few months to several years, scars require a lot of attention to heal. It is therefore necessary to recognize the type of scar and use the appropriate ingredients to speed up healing.
What are the different types of scars?
A scar can take several forms: it can present relief on the skin in height or depth, be an area of depigmentation or hyperpigmentation .
An almost white scar undergoes depigmentation. When the skin suffers a wound, this wound is covered by a tissue of collagen fibers . This tissue fills the wound to repair the damaged area. If the injury is too deep, regeneration becomes complicated: the skin has difficulty producing pigments and the scar remains white.
A darker pigmented scar generally appears following an imperfection : this is post-acne hyperpigmentation. These spots appear as one or two shades darker than the skin color, in a localized manner.
A red scar is due to inflammation of the blood vessels: the blood vessels have been damaged. It therefore takes time for the skin to repair these vessels. Red marks from scars tend to disappear quickly without doing anything.
Finally, a scar can be a physical depression, like a deep hole. These scars are the most difficult to treat and often take several years, even with treatment, to resolve. It can be circles of a millimeter in diameter but several in depth, a wide but shallow hole and many others.
What are the reflexes to adopt to improve healing?
Since most skin, physical or pigment scars are due to acne , several reflexes should be adopted for better healing.
To prevent the appearance of imperfections, limit infections and the intensity of acne, introducing antibacterial ingredients into your routine is a good solution. Tea tree essential oil is one of them and is active regardless of its concentration. The purifying lotion , the blemish serum or the SOS Spot all contain tea tree oil. This essential oil destroys the bacteria responsible for acne and infections while respecting the skin's microbiome: perfect for getting off to a good start! We also think of bakuchiol to complement the action of the tea tree; This plant-based alternative to retinol is a super-active anti-dark spots to have in your routine.
Hydrating the skin is the second reflex to adopt: a hydrated environment allows the cells to function better and therefore improve any healing. This is particularly true at night when the skin regenerates: our fluid or rich moisturizing cream or a thin layer of our rehydrating mask helps hydrate the skin all night long. Vitamin B5 has been proven to help skin healing. Want to go further ? Apply a few drops of the night oil on top: it supports the vital functions of the skin at rest and seals hydration in your skin to limit transepidermal water loss .
Finally, here are some tips that make the difference:
- Avoid touching your face: you risk introducing bacteria and increasing the risk of infection!
- Before doing your routine, wash your hands with soap: this will limit the introduction of bacteria onto your face and into your products.
- Never pierce your pimples! This significantly increases the risk of scarring.
- Wear sunscreen every morning: the sun is your skin's number one enemy. It worsens all the problems you may face: it is the reflex that will make the most difference in your routine.
What ingredients should you look for to help healing?
In the case of a white scar with depigmentation, there is little that can be done with non-pharmaceutical products: moisturize your skin, wear sunscreen, and see a dermatologist.
In the case of a scar with hyperpigmentation , two categories of ingredients should be looked for: illuminators and AHAs. The vitamin C contained in our radiance booster or the niacinamide in our imperfection serum will brighten the complexion and even out melanin production. This reduces spots due to post-acne hyperpigmentation. AHAs such as lactic or glycolic acid in our peeling mask gently dissolve dead cells from the surface layer of the skin: healthy cells beneath the stain surface more quickly and hyperpigmentation decreases.
In the case of physical, blistered or deep scars, be patient: it takes on average a year to see noticeable results. The only ingredients that can help you in your routine are exfoliating acids, AHAs . Our peeling mask is enriched with lactic, glycolic acid and fruit enzymes: these ingredients will exfoliate the different layers of the skin to smooth the skin texture and reduce differences in relief. Prioritize acids in your evening routine and wear sunscreen the next morning.
