Acne Scars Brown Skin
There are several causes of acne breakouts, and many possible causes of acne scars and brown skin discoloration. Your skin’s dark color is caused by the Melanin in it. Pigmented scarring is the most common with acne scars brown skin or brown marks, and can take weeks to months to clear, but it’s not permanent. Pitted scarring is from damage to the lower layers of skin by the acne.
You may have darker skin with acne scars, and don’t know how to treat it. Treating acne scars and marks for people with dark skin has always been a challenge. “Hyperpigmentation” (darkening of the skin) and “Hypopigmentation” (loss of skin color) can occur in people of any skin color, but it’s much more common in those with darker complexions; particularly people of Hispanic descent and African-Americans. But, there are ways to correct it by bringing the new, undamaged skin tissue to the surface.
“Melasma” is a condition that causes skin discoloration, especially on the face. It’s also known as "Chloasma" or "mask of pregnancy" (hormone change). Melasma is fairly common, and usually causes skin discoloration on the face, particularly the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip. It’s commonly associated with pregnancy, but anyone can get it.
Some things that can cause Melasma are:
- Hormone changes
- Oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Over-exposure to the sun (brown spots)
- Medicine or products that make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. Medicines should indicate on the label whether you should avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Some make-up can also cause Melasma.
Following a pregnancy, you’ll find that within a few months of giving birth, your hormones will stabilize, and the Melasma will begin to diminish. Once you stop taking oral contraceptives or HRT, it will usually fade. And, if you protect your skin with a sun blocker, this will also help minimize it.

There are some inexpensive natural treatments you can use at home to help minimize acne scars and/or brown spots:
Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants that help heal acne scars, but don’t overdo it. 2-3 cups a day is all you should need.
Real Lemon Juice: Leave it on your face 10-15 minutes, and rinse it off.
Natural Oils: Many natural oils moisturize, tone and smoothe your skin. Some like Vitamin E Oil, Olive Oil, Tea Tree Oil and Omega 3 Oils (fish oils) help get rid of acne scars. Tea Tree oil also fights the bacteria, helps heal irritated skin, reduces swelling, and is great for those with sensitive skin. You can take many of the natural oils as supplements, and add them to your diet to help your skin and general health. Nuts and Flaxseed help, as well, to absorb the needed nutrients.
Tomato: Tomatoes have a lot of Vitamin A and antioxidants, so put a tomato slice on your acne scar!
Ice: If you want to reduce the appearance of acne scars, rub an ice cube on them. It tightens the pores, soothes the irritated skin, and gives your skin an even texture.
There are other high quality acne scar treatments available today. You can learn more about these quality, Top Selling acne scar treatments here: "Solutions for Acne Scars" category to see which one(s) you might prefer.
Acne scars and brown skin or brown spots can be embarrassing, and affect your self esteem. However, you can minimize and lighten them, so don’t let it get you down.
By: Julie Eley 3/31/2009
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