I had a bad breakout two months ago and now I'm left with these red marks and some shallow scars. I've tried vitamin C but I'm not seeing much improvement. Are there any products or treatments that actually work to make them disappear?
Fresh red marks usually improve on their own over time, might take a couple more months though. To speed things up a bit, vitamin C is fine but try adding a cream with niacinamide or azelaic acid - they help a lot with leftover inflammation. For deeper scars, honestly over-the-counter products don't do much - if after another two or three months you're not seeing significant improvement, it might be worth consulting a dermatologist about treatments like microneedling or laser, but those are decisions a professional needs to evaluate based on your specific case.
It's true that time helps, but two months is still too early to say nothing works. Red marks and shallow scars are two different things though, and they need slightly different approaches. For residual redness, besides vitamin C you could try a product with azelaic acid or niacinamide - they help calm inflammation; for shallow scars you'd need something more targeted like actual retinol, not just vitamin C. If you don't see real improvement after another 2-3 months, honestly it might be worth seeing a dermatologist to figure out if a treatment like laser could make a difference for the scars.
It depends on how deep the scars are. If they're really superficial, retinol might help you more than vitamin C: it speeds up cell turnover and smooths out your skin over time. Two months is actually still pretty early, especially if you're not using a targeted product. Try introducing a lightweight retinol (like 0.3% to start) every other day and see how your skin reacts over the next few weeks.
For the red marks, the key thing is protecting them from the sun because it really makes everything worse. Using good sunscreen is more important than it seems. If after another two or three months the retinol isn't enough, then you could look into more serious treatments like microneedling or laser, which really do speed things up.
One thing I see a lot of people underestimate: patience. A lot of people switch products every two weeks and their skin doesn't have time to respond. Stick with a routine using retinol, vitamin C, and sunscreen, use it for at least 8-12 weeks, and then see. If it really doesn't improve by then, that's when it makes sense to ask a dermatologist in person because they could suggest something more targeted.
Retinol is a good option, but heads up: if you start now and your face is still irritated from the breakout, you risk making things worse. Better to wait another couple of weeks until your skin is completely calm, then start low and go slow (two or three times a week). For actual scars though, no cream really fixes those - at that point you need stronger treatments like microdermabrasion or laser, which only a dermatologist can properly assess.
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