How can I get rid of PIH/PIE?

Doctor's Answers 1

You are right, the red/brown post-acne marks are called Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (brown marks) and Post-inflammatory Erythema (red marks). These post-acne marks are formed due to the inflammation and injury to your skin after acne.

Treatment for Post-Inflammatory Erythema

For Post-Acne Red Marks (Post-inflammatory Erythema), Vascular lasers are the best type of lasers to treat these red marks. Vascular Lasers target the haemoglobin in your blood vessels to reduce redness over several treatment sessions (>5 sessions). Examples of vascular lasers include V Beam, Excel V, Pro Yellow and Gold Toning Lasers.

Treatment for Post-Inflammatory Hyper-pigmentation

For Post-Acne Brown Marks (Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation), Pico Lasers such as PicoPlus, PicoSure and Discovery Pico lasers are good lasers to remove the excess pigmentation. Similarly, several treatment sessions (>5 sessions) are required to fade the marks. Each pico laser session can be spaced 2-3 weeks apart.

Apart from Lasers, Topical Retinoid creams such as Differin and Tretinoin will help to lighten these post-acne marks. Chemical peels also increase cell turnover and help to lighten these post-acne marks faster.

Apart from these clinic-based/medical treatments, I highly suggest regular and adequate Sun protection to prevent worsening of your post-acne marks.

You might want to check out these articles for more information on the Best Acne Scar Treatments in Singapore and the Cost of Acne Scar Treatments in Singapore.

Similar Questions

Are there any side effects to regular Kenalog Shots for acne?

I agree with the answers by Dr Winston and Dr Israr. Intralesional injections are mainly recommended for acne cyst. As previously mentioned, frequent steroid injections can caused skin thinning and atrophy and if this happens it may be irreversible! There are many other effective treatments to get the acne under control like oral antibiotics and isotretinoin. So speak to your dermatologist and tell her your concerns and discuss if these other options are suitable for you.

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Answered By

Dr Colin Theng

Dermatologist

How effective is fractional Co2 laser vs Infini RF for acne scars?

Good questions! I agree with Dr Chua’s reply on the pros and cons of Fractional CO2 lasers versus Infini RF. In addition, I would like to address your question on the ideal length of time between subcision and Infini RF treatments. The ideal interval between treatments is 4-6 weeks. This is to allow for adequate skin recovery. Hope that this answers your questions!

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Answered By

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