What they are
When a pimple inflames the skin, it can leave extra pigment behind as it heals: a flat mark, brown or darker than your skin, where the spot used to be. They’re often called dark marks or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. They’re not scars: the skin is flat and smooth, and the colour is what lingers. People with medium and deeper skin tones tend to get them more often and keep them longer.
Pink or red marks that stay are different, and so are dents or raised scars. Those are worth asking a dermatologist about.
Sunscreen comes first
Sun makes dark marks darker and slower to fade, so daily sunscreen does more than any serum. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ every day; a tinted sunscreen with iron oxide also helps block visible light, which can darken marks too. Reapply every two hours outdoors, and after swimming or sweating.
What helps them fade
The AAD lists these ingredients as able to fade existing dark spots:
- Azelaic acid: also helps with spots, which makes it a useful two-in-one.
- Vitamin C: usually as a morning serum under sunscreen.
- Retinoids: such as retinol or adapalene, at night. They also help prevent new spots.
- Glycolic acid and kojic acid.
Pick one to start, use it consistently, and add a second only after a few weeks. Stacking several strong ingredients at once mostly causes irritation, and irritation can cause more dark marks.
How long it takes
Marks a few shades darker than your skin often fade within 6 to 12 months; deeper ones can take years, according to the AAD. A treatment won’t make a visible difference in a week, so compare photos taken in the same light a month or two apart. If you’re not happy with progress after a fair try, a dermatologist has stronger options.
Stopping new ones
- Don’t pick or squeeze spots: more inflammation means more marks.
- Treat the spots themselves, since every new spot can leave a new mark.
- Keep sunscreen daily, even when it’s cloudy.
Not sure where to start?
Dark marks, active spots and redness can look alike in a mirror. FacialStack looks at three photos of your face (front, left and right), describes what’s visible and suggests a simple morning and night routine, with what each step is for. The report is free with a free sign-in, for adults 18+. It’s cosmetic guidance from what a photo shows, not a diagnosis. You can see an example report first.
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- A simple skincare routine for oily skin
- Blackheads on your nose: what actually helps
- A simple skincare routine for men (beard included)
- AI skin analysis from a photo: what it can and can’t tell you
Source: American Academy of Dermatology, guidance on fading dark spots (aad.org). General information only, not medical advice.