Post Inflammatory Hyper Pigmentation Treatment

You’ve finally managed to effectively treat your acne and your skin appears to being improving each day. Then you notice dark red or pink spots left on your skin where an acne lesion was present. This is called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and it can take several months for these discolored areas of skin to completely disappear.

What Causes Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation?

PIH is the skin’s response to inflammation and the discoloration can range from red to pink, brown and purple.

This condition will develop when an acne lesion, rash or wound causes inflammation, which will trigger the skin to produce more melanin than necessary. This excess amount of melanin will discolor and darken the injured area and will remain even after the wound or lesion has healed. This condition is very common among individuals with chronic acne or people with darker complexions.

PIH will fade away on its own over a long period of time, without treatment. It can take up to two years for the discolored areas to fade, depending on how dark the discolored area is compared to your natural skin tone.

There are some effective treatments that can work to fade the PIH more quickly. However, you should have your acne under control before you begin treatment for post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Each new acne lesions can cause another area of discoloration, which in turn will reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. Whatever type of treatment option you end up choosing, you should understand that results will take time.

Milder cases of PIH can respond well to over the counter treatments. There are a number of bleaching creams on the market today. Many people will use these skin lightening creams in combination with skin exfoliating in order to speed up the recovery process.

Hydroquinone is widely used to treat this condition and it can be purchased over the counter, or you’ll need a prescription for a higher strength. This cream works by blocking the melanin production, which in turn lightens the skin. This cream should be applied carefully to the darkened areas only because the cream will bleach any area of the skin it touches which can leave your skin looking blotchy.

Retinoids are commonly used by acne sufferers. This chemical will help to clear acne by speeding up the cell turnover rate. Retinoids will lessen PIH while also preventing new lesions from occurring.

Gentle Home Treatment Products for PIH

Another hydroxy acid found in a number of skin care products is glycolic acid, which is available over the counter. Glycolic acid can effectively exfoliate the skin, working to lighten discolored areas. This chemical is available in gels, cleansers and creams and it not only works to improve PIH but it also leaves the skin soft and smooth. Stronger creams containing glycolic acid are only available by prescription. As with all medications that are designed to treat PIH, you may not see results for several months.