Women with acne scarring, what products/ treatments helped reduce scarring for you?

Tretinoin (and retinoids in general) can also help with the visible signs of aging (especially as a preventative measure, though of course genetics and other lifestyle factors play the biggest role) so there's an added bonus! I want to talk to my derm about incorporating it into my skincare routine actually. Big 2nd on making sure you use sunscreen daily if you go this route. Tretinoin makes your skin more sensitive to UV rays as /u/peacockpartypants said, plus if you're not using sunscreen the UV rays can prolong or worsen the scarring/hyperpigmentation. You may also want to read up on different methods of starting a retinoid and speak to your derm about that too. Some people prefer to start with more conservative usage and work their way up to daily use or use a buffer method (like using moisturizer first initially, which may make the product a bit less effective but minimize initial irritation).

There are non-rx retinoids as well. Retinaldehyde (like in Avene's skincare products) is the next closest to tretinoin but sometimes rx is ideal because there can be fewer added ingredients that may irritate your skin (fragrance, etc.).

You didn't mention what kind of scarring you have. If it's post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation you can also use products like AHAs (chemical exfoliants), Vit C serums (I'd research this as you need to make sure you get one that is stable), etc. As with tretinoin sunscreen daily is really important because AHAs can also make your skin more sensitive to the sun as well, and that plus UV rays in general can worsen/prolong scarring.

You won't see overnight results from any of these but with patience it can make a difference in the condition of your skin now and going forward.

/r/AskWomen Thread Parent