Fade Your Acne Scars

Acne scars

Also called Pitted acne scars, Ice pick scars, Acne marks

3 min plan67 min with every studyUpdated Sep 28, 2026

Who it's forA man whose acne has cleared, or nearly, but left scars.

When to see a doctor

Your doctor: you worry a lot about your face, check or avoid mirrors, or pick your skin to make it smooth. It can be body dysmorphic disorder, and it is treatable.
Your doctor: acne that is still deep, painful or leaving new scars, hot, swollen, red skin, or acne affecting your mental health.
A specialist scar team: severe scarring that is still there a year after the acne cleared.
A dermatologist: a raised scar that keeps growing past the spot, bleeds, or looks unlike the others. Some skin growths mimic raised scars.
A dermatologist, before any laser or dermabrasion: isotretinoin now or in the last 6 months. Before microneedling: in the last month.

I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. This is self-education. Every dose and strength on this page is the one a trial or a label used, quoted from it. It is not a prescription. Tazarotene, tretinoin, adapalene with benzoyl peroxide and trifarotene are licensed for acne, so for scars they are off-label. 5-fluorouracil is licensed as intravenous chemotherapy, so injection into keloids is off-label. Talk to a physician who has your history before any prescription medicine or procedure.