We’re frequently asked in our comment section about: what is the best vitamin for acne scars. Truth is we’ve been delaying this article for a while until we had enough information & facts to allow us to enlighten our readers. Hopefully by the end of this article you’ll have no doubts about this subject.
How Can Zinc Help Improve Acne?
It is often prescribed during pregnancy too, to help growth and development.
How Can Selenium Help Improve Acne?
Selenium is the supplement many swear by. You’ll find vitamin E in nuts, avocado and spinach.
How Can Vitamin C Help Improve Acne?
Also known as L-ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a regular favourite and for good reason: this antioxidant fights free radical damage and helps with collagen renewal. The benefits externally are well known although not recommended for acne-prone skin, but taken internally, coconut oil works as an antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, thus helping acne prone skin in its fight against infection.
Can Supplements Improve Acne?
Supplements can help ensure it receives these nutrients if your regular diet lacks them. Certain supplements are more effective than others at alleviating hormonal acne, including:
Zinc
A micronutrient essential for healthy skin function, zinc supplements inhibit inflammation and have an antibacterial effect on the bacteria that causes pimples. Probiotics
Unhealthy gut flora has been linked to a range of skin conditions, including acne.
Research suggests that probiotics can reduce the inflammation associated with hormonal acne because it helps process and eliminate excess oestrogen. Maca root
A herbaceous plant known to stabilize hormones, maca root acts as an adaptogen to reduce stress and adrenal fatigue. It helps establish endocrine balance and regulate the hormones that trigger acne breakouts.
Studies show that vitamin C supplements can also play an active role in reducing Propionibacterium acnes (P. Acnes), the bacteria that causes acne, so they can both target the causes of acne and reduce scarring. Vitamin E supplements are popularly associated with wound healing, and research shows it does have sun protective and skin barrier stabilizing properties. Vitamins K1 & K2
Vitamins K1 and K2 are essential for skin health and acne prevention.
This helps prevent acne breakouts and reduce the incidence of scarring.
Can Topical Vitamin C Treat Acne Scars?
Acne scars take two forms: atrophic and hypertrophic. Hypertrophic scars are thick scars (sometimes raised), that result from the overproduction of collagen after an injury to the skin – in this case, due to acne.
While little research has been done on vitamin C’s efficacy in treating acne scars, topical vitamin C has been found to improve the complexion when treating hyperpigmentation and melasma. Vitamin C’s ability to reduce hyperpigmentation suggests it has the potential to reduce the appearance of, if not completely treat, acne scars. Generally, it depends on the extent and age of a person’s scars.
Another study demonstrated that an application using a combination of hyaluronic acid (HA) and vitamin C provided a visible improvement in scars that were more than 4 weeks old. Clinical studies on the long-term effects of topical vitamin C on acne scars, however, are scant.
Can Vitamin C Help With Older Scars?
It is collagen’s elasticity and ability to resist infection that helps to close and heal wounds. Although collagen is most effective when treating new or open wounds, it can also help reduce the appearance of old scars by promoting healthy tissue growth (as it is composed of amino acids). Although this is possible in theory, there is little clinical evidence to support the efficacy of vitamin C in treating old scars, and therefore this treatment cannot be guaranteed.
Microneedling with vitamin C
Microneedling uses tiny needles to puncture the upper upper layer of skin and cause injury. The skin responds to this damage by producing collagen to heal the skin, which reduces the appearance of scars.