After an acne breakout, you may be left with marks on your face. Whether these are scars or just temporary marks left over from acne inflammation, only time will tell. In the meantime, it's understandable that you'd wish to speed up the process by which these marks fade. Lemon juice may be one remedy to accomplish this.
About Acne Marks
Following a bout of acne, you may be left with marks on your skin. These marks are called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. They are characterized by dark red or brown spots, which appear in the spots where acne inflammation once was, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is often cited as a home remedy for acne marks. This is due to the fact that citrus fruits like lemons contain alpha hydroxy acid, which helps exfoliate the skin faster and promote new tissue growth. This helps the marks fade at a faster rate than they would without lemon juice, according to Home Remedies.
Effectiveness
Lemon juice may not work on everyone. In fact, if you've had the acne mark for an extended period of time, it is likely permanent and will not respond to the application of lemon juice, according to Home Remedies. Likewise, lemon juice can cause skin irritation. Test it on a small patch of skin--usually on the inside of your elbow--48 hours before applying it to your face. If the skin is red and irritated, you are better off seeking a different treatment option. Since lemon juice can bleach the skin, wear a sunscreen when going outside to prevent burns.
Treatments
If your acne marks are really scars, meaning they are permanent, you should skip home remedies like applying lemon juice to the skin and utilize scar removal treatments instead. Silicon gel sheets can be applied to scars to hasten healing if they're new. However, you may find more benefit out of scar revision. This may involve procedures like chemical peels, dermabrasion, or surgical removal of the scar itself, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
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