Thank you for your question and photos. From the photos, you appear to have mild acne with some red acne spots as well as black and white heads. There may also be some degree of acne scarring.
For mild acne we usually treat with a topical wash, antibiotic gel and a prevention cream such as differin or tretinoin which is effective for the management of black and white heads. If the acne worsens, you can consider stronger oral medicines such as antibiotics or isotretinoin which is highly effective at switching off the activity of oil glands.
You are right that all Asians are at a higher risk of developing post acne marks, which is due to the increased melanin content in our skin. Red spots will often heal leaving a brown mark due to the release of melanin during the inflammatory process.
If you are concerned about acne marks we have lasers to lighten any red or brown marks faster. For red marks, we tend to use the VBEAM laser. For brown marks, we use the Genesis laser to lighten and improve pore size. If you have depressed acne scars, then a much more aggressive approach with a fractional CO2 laser would be most useful.
Hope this helps and your skin gets better soon!
Best regards
Dr Stephanie Ho, Dermatologist
