Redness from Acne

What is persistent redness from acne?

Long after an acne breakout, our skin can remain blemished. Often in fair skinned individuals, the area where the breakout occurred can remain red for weeks to months. This phenomenon is called postinflammatory erythema (PIE). Often this improves spontaneously over time if no new acne occurs, however many individuals come to us to accelerate the process. 

What treatments are available for this condition?

In this situation, topical treatments are primarily aimed at preventing new acne from forming and leaving areas of PIE. The improvement of areas of PIE can be sped up using a vascular laser. We employ an ExcelV+ laser that uses green laser light that gets absorbed by red structures in the skin only, making it a precise, selective and targeted treatment. Often, 2-3 treatments at a 6-8 week interval are performed to reach the desired outcome. If the acne is under control and no new areas of PIE occur, results are long lasting.