Say Goodbye to Acne Scars With These Dermatologist-Approved Treatments

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So you’ve finally gotten rid of your angry, stubborn pimples with the best acne spot treatments and benzoyl peroxide products...only to receive a parting gift of red, indented scars. Unfortunately, these spots like to overstay their welcome. But the good news is that the best treatments for acne scars can help fade the pesky remnants of pimples past.

Meet the experts: Board-certified dermatologists Tsippora Shainhouse, M.D., Susan Massick, M.D., Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip, M.D., Jackelyn Tanios Beshir, M.D., Rina Allawh, M.D., Joshua Zeichner, M.D., Emmanuel Loucas, M.D., Jennifer T. Haley, M.D., and more.

But what causes acne scars in the first place? When acne breakouts penetrate the skin deeply, they can cause damage and affect the tissue beneath it. As the body attempts to repair the damage in the skin, sometimes it can “over-produce collagen, which may result in raised acne scars, also known as hypertrophic scars,” explains Rina Allawh, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Pennsylvania. “Under-production of collagen may lead to depressed or pitted scars (a.k.a. atrophic).”

Those with deeper complexions can also get post-inflammatory pigmentation (PIH). “It occurs in those with medium-to-dark skin tones, where the inflammation invites pigment cells to the area, and when the acne resolves, a brown spot is left for weeks, months, even years,” adds Jennifer T. Haley, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Arizona.

Using acne scar treatments can help brighten dark spots and diminish discoloration. Here, we’ve rounded up the best creams, serums, and face pads to treat acne scars, as recommended by top dermatologists.

Our top picks

Ready to reveal brighter, more even-toned skin? Ahead, find the best products to help fade your acne scars.

Facial Treatment Set

Recommended by Tsippora Shainhouse, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in CA, this top pick includes three products: a vitamin C cream, a hyaluronic acid serum, and niacinamide serum. The vitamin C cream includes azelaic acid, an ingredient that “prevents acne scars from getting darker and helps to fade dark and pink spots over time,” says Dr. Shainhouse. “Azelaic acid is particularly well-tolerated in patients with sensitive skin and rosacea,” adds Susan Massick, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

• Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid

• Benefits: Hydrating, brightening

• Who it’s for: People with dark and pink spots; people with sensitive skin and rosacea

Acne Treatment Gel

“Prescription-strength retinoids increase cell turnover, decrease sebum production, and diminish breakouts that can lead to PIH,” says Dr. Massick. This gel has a prescription-strength retinoid that can prevent new blemishes from forming and strengthen damaged skin by restoring its texture and tone.

• Active Ingredients: Adapalene 0.1%

• Benefits: Acne-clearing, brightening

• Who it’s for: People with active acne

Resurfacing Retinol Serum

Ideal for all skin types, CeraVe’s Resurfacing Retinol Serum is formulated with ceramides to restore the protective skin barrier and heal damage, niacinamide to reduce inflammation and redness, and retinol to speed skin cell turnover for brighter, healthier-looking skin. Major bonus: It’s fragrance-free and noncomedogenic. “I’ve been looking on the market for an acne scar treatment,” one reviewer wrote. “This product is proof you don’t need to spend half of your paycheck to get a quality product.”

• Active Ingredients: Retinol, ceramides

• Benefits: Smoothing, brightening

• Who it’s for: People with post-acne marks and visible pores

Scar Treatment Plus SPF 30 Silicone Scar Gel

Rarely, acne will cause a keloid scar (a raised scar that can grow larger than the original area), but it can happen. If you know your skin reacts in this way, try using a liquid silicone gel like this one, says Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Vibrant Dermatology in Massachusetts. “The silicone puts pressure on the scar as it’s healing, making it hard for excessive collagen to form,” she says.

• Active Ingredients: Silicone, SPF

• Benefits: Smoothing, sun protection

• Who it’s for: People with raised keloid scars

5x Power Peel Daily Resurfacing Pads

This peel has a blend of glycolic acid, lactic acid (to soften the skin), and salicylic acid. It also contains mushroom enzymes, which will gently exfoliate the skin and lighten spots without irritating, says Dr. Imahiyerobo-Ip. Each peel is individually packaged, so you can easily throw them into your travel bag.

• Active Ingredients: Glycolic acid, lactic acid

• Benefits: Exfoliating, brightening, smoothing

• Who it’s for: People who want a gentle exfoliating treatment that won’t cause irritation or inflammation

Environmental Shield Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum

Not only does this serum combine vitamin C with tranexamic acid to help fade dark spots, it prevents future pigment formation as it brightens your complexion, earning a recommendation from

Emmanuel Loucas, M.D., Manhattan-based board-certified dermatologist. It also contains glycolic acid to exfoliate the skin, leading to a smoother, more radiant skin tone.

• Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, tranexamic acid, glycolic acid acid

• Benefits: Exfoliating, smoothing, brightening

• Who it’s for: People with dark spots and dull skin

Brightening Facial Scrub With Vitamin C

“This is better for an oilier skin type, but I like it because it’s a safe acid to use on all skin tones, including darker skin tones, without running the risk of hyperpigmentation,” says Jackelyn Tanios Beshir, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Santa Monica, CA. “It will improve skin texture, help treat acne, and fade discoloration over time,” she adds.

• Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid

• Benefits: Exfoliating, brightening

• Who it’s for: People with more oily skin types

Rapid Clear 2-In-1 Fight & Fade Acne Toner

This toner’s formula works to reduce dark spots and hyperpigmentation, thanks to its salicylic acid ingredient. Not only does it brighten the skin, but it also helps prevent acne by breaking down dead skin cells, helping to fade the appearance of post-acne marks. “I have been using this toner twice a day for 2 weeks and my acne scars have almost completely disappeared,” one reviewer wrote.

• Active Ingredients: Salicylic acid

• Benefits: Exfoliating, brightening

• Who it’s for: People with more oily skin types

Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel

These pre-soaked pads contain glycolic acid (combats pigmentation), salicylic acid (treats acne), and citric acid to help even out the skin tone. The formula also minimizes fine lines and boosts your overall glow (trust us—you’ll notice a difference). The first pad exfoliates, while the second neutralizes the acids to bring back balance, thanks to soothing green tea and chamomile ingredients. It’s also earned a stamp of approval from Prevention’s assistant editor, Shannen Zitz, who says she wakes up the next morning with a noticeably smoother, clearer, brighter complexion.

• Active Ingredients: Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, retinol, green tea extract

• Benefits: Exfoliating, brightening, smoothing

• Who it’s for: People with uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles, and enlarged pores

D-Scar Scar Diminishing Serum

This serum treatment allows you to target scars directly, thanks to its innovative rollerball applicator that you can use to massage over your skin. The soothing formula contains DS-7, a microencapsulated peptide, to help fade spots. “I have been using this product for about a week, and my acne scars started becoming less visible from the first day I used it,” one reviewer wrote.

• Active Ingredients: Peptides, botanical extracts

• Benefits: Smoothing

• Who it’s for: People who want to spot-target their acne scars and blemishes

Active Scar Primer

This acne scar treatment and makeup primer hybrid works double duty to improve the look of scars immediately and over time. It fills in and smooths out scars with medical grade silicone and is formulated with peptides and retinol to target scars with continued use. “This primer does an impressive job of filling in and smoothing the look of indented acne scars and large pores,” one reviewer wrote. “But what truly sets this primer apart is its long-term benefits. With daily use, I’ve noticed a reduction in the depth of my acne scars.”

• Active Ingredients: Peptides, silicone, retinol

• Benefits: Smoothing, blurring

• Who it’s for: People with indented acne scars; people who want a treatment that doubles as a makeup primer

Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum

This noncomedogenic serum has a unique formula with retinol, magnesium (calms the skin), and zinc (reduces oil), to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and bring newer skin to the surface. “It helps lighten dark spots, remodel acne scar tissue, and smooth the skin,” says Dr. Loucas. Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai also recommends the night cream from the brand’s same line, the Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Anti-Aging Night Cream; it “contains a stabilized form of retinol and a hydrating base that can improve the appearance of the skin without causing dryness or irritation,” he says.

• Active Ingredients: Retinol

• Benefits: Brightening, smoothing

• Who it’s for: People with dark spots who also want to address wrinkles and fine lines

Revitalift Derm Intensives Pure Vitamin-C Face Serum

When it comes to treating dark spots, there’s one key ingredient that Dr. Zeichner recommends. “Your go-to ingredient is vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that both neutralizes free radicals and blocks the production of abnormal pigmentation,” he says.

Dr. Shainhouse recommends this face serum from L’Oréal, which is is packed with 10% pure vitamin C concentrate. It visibly boosts skin’s radiance in just one week, with the cream formula quickly absorbing to even out hyperpigmentation. It’s also been tested on all skin types, including sensitive complexions, and doesn’t clog pores.

• Active Ingredients: Vitamin C

• Benefits: Brightening, smoothing

• Who it’s for: People with dull skin looking to boost radiance

C+AHA Treatment

“This treatment pairs vitamin C with alpha-hydroxy acids, which help to lighten dark spots and smooth the skin,” says Dr. Loucas. The 15% concentration of vitamin C works to prevent UV damage and boosts collagen production, while the 10% dose of hydroxy acids gently exfoliates, revealing a brighter complexion.

• Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, glycolic acid, lactic acid

• Benefits: Brightening, smoothing, exfoliating

• Who it’s for: People with dark spots who also want to address wrinkles and fine lines

C-Firma Fresh Day Serum

This super-potent serum contains vitamin C (to help rebuild collagen), vitamin E (to seal cracks in the skin), and pumpkin ferment extract (helps brighten), which all work together to exfoliate and soothe the complexion. “Its ingredients are safe and effective, and gentle for patients with sensitive, dry, and acne-prone skin,” says Dr. Allawh.

• Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid

• Benefits: Brightening, smoothing

• Who it’s for: People with sensitive or dry skin

Lactic Acid AHA Exfoliating Serum

This gentle yet potent serum exfoliates and smooths the skin with lactic acid, targeting acne and fading acne scars and hyperpigmentation over time. Thanks to soothing green tea, aloe, and hyaluronic acid, it’s also suitable for all skin types. “Holy grail skincare product for me. This lactic acid by Shani Darden gave me noticeably brighter, smoother skin overnight,” one reviewer wrote.

• Active Ingredients: Lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, aloe, green tea

• Benefits: Smoothing, brightening, hydrating

• Who it’s for: People with uneven skin texture

Blemish Defeat’r BHA Spot-Targeting Gel

This salicylic acid- infused spot treatment creates an invisible seal over blemishes and acne scars for a seamless look, with or without makeup. It is a quick- drying formula that offers a matte finish and soothes the skin while smoothing out texture and scars over time, per the brand. “Love, love, love this product. It hides my blemishes/spots within a couple days and layers smoothly with the rest of my skincare,” wrote one reviewer.

• Active Ingredients: Lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, green tea, aloe

• Benefits: Smoothing, hydrating

• Who it’s for: People who want to spot-target their acne scars and blemishes

How to choose the best treatments for acne scars

There’s a wide range of possibilities with acne scars, points out board-certified dermatologist Ife J. Rodney, M.D., founding director of Eternal Dermatology Aesthetics and professor of dermatology at Howard University and George Washington University. “At-home scar treatment can only treat minor scars and blemishes,” she says. Still, she recommends looking for products with ingredients like retinol and alpha and beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid, glycolic, and lactic acid, along with hyaluronic acid.

Types of acne scars

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), there are two types of acne scars.

Depressed: “There’s the pitted scarring that can occur when an inflamed blemish resolves with an ice-pick-like divot in the skin,” says Dr. Massick. There are also two other kinds of depressed acne scars: Rolling (where the skin has indents with sloping edges that make the skin look uneven) and boxcar (indents in the skin that have sharper edges and go pretty deep down).

Raised: This type of acne scar happens when fibrous tissue and collagen (a substance that supports the skin) overgrow, which then causes the scar tissue to rise off the skin, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Those annoying pink spots you may notice after breakouts are “known as post-inflammatory erythema, which is when your acne goes away and you still have a pink area for a few weeks to a few months, much like with a cut or scratch,” says Dr. Haley.

What can at-home acne scar treatments do?

It depends on what you’re looking for, says dermatologist Cindy Wassef, M.D., assistant professor at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She suggests considering what you’re trying to improve. “Are you trying to fix texture changes and depressed acne scars? If so, you need ingredients that can build collagen like retinoids,” she says. “Do you have red and brown scars on your skin? If so, you need ingredients that target discoloration like azelaic acid, vitamin c, retinoids, and glycolic acid.”

Ultimately, “the best treatment depends on proper identification of the mark itself,” says Dr. Zeichner.

These treatments won’t necessarily erase your acne scars. “At-home acne scar treatments are generally limited to surface-level acne scars,” Dr. Rodney says. “They will not adequately treat deeper scars caused by more difficult types of chronic acne bumpiness or deep distressed scars.” Those types of scars, she says, “need prescription products, in-office treatments, and both.”

When to see your doctor for acne scars

If you have deep or severe scarring that doesn’t improve with consistent use of at-home treatments, it may be best to consult your dermatologist. “Depressed scars or ice-pick scars are sometimes too deep for retinoids alone—you need other in-office procedures that are more aggressive to build collagen, like laser treatment or microneedling,” Dr. Wassef says.

If you’ve tried treatments for dark and red spots for up to six months with an OTC cream or gel and haven’t seen improvement, Dr. Wassef says it’s time to seek professional help. “Over-the-counter products are generally not as strong as prescription for safety reasons and you may benefit from something stronger,” she explains.

Can you permanently remove acne scars?

Generally, yes, it is possible to permanently get rid of acne scars. Depending on the type and extent of your scarring, at-home treatments—including gels, creams, serums, and face pads—can greatly improve and reduce acne scars, though you’ll need to use them consistently for noticeable results.

However, to get rid of deeper or more severe scarring, you may need to undergo professional treatment from a dermatologist. Some common in-office treatments include chemical peels, laser treatments, microneedling, microdermabrasion, fillers, and more. Ultimately, it’s best to consult your dermatologist for the best acne scar treatment that’s right for you.

How we chose the best treatments for acne scars

We spoke with:

• Rina Allawh, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in PA
  

• Tsippora Shainhouse, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in CA

• Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Vibrant Dermatology in Massachusetts

• Susan Massick, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

• Jennifer T. Haley, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in AZ

• Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

• J. Rodney, M.D., founding director of Eternal Dermatology Aesthetics

• Cindy Wassef, M.D., assistant professor at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

• Jackelyn Tanios Beshir, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist

• Emmanuel Loucas, M.D., Manhattan-based board-certified dermatologist

We also sifted through countless online reviews to find the best treatments for acne scars available.

Why trust us

For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Additionally, Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.

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