What are post-acne marks (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH for short)?
The root cause is increased melanin production—the pigment that defines a person’s skin colour—stimulated by inflammatory factors. The blemish triggers melanocytes, the melanin-producing cells, to release excessive melanosomes (pigment granules). These excess pigment granules darken and discolour the previously affected area. Once the initial blemishes have subsided, spots of hyperpigmentation, known as post-acne marks, can remain.
Additionally, sun exposure can worsen PIH, darkening the affected patches and prolonging their fading time. Most acne-related PIH will eventually fade, but it can take several years or even a decade to fully disappear*.
*Abad-Casintahan, F. et al., “Frequency and Characteristics of Acne-Related Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation.” J Dermatol. 2016; 43:826–828.
Who is affected by post-acne marks?
*Kaufman et al., Am J Clin Dermatol. 2018; 19:489–503, Perkins et al., JEADV. 2011; 25(9):1054–1060.
How can post-acne marks be prevented?
PIH is mainly triggered by the way the skin regenerates after inflammation. To help prevent it—although there are no guarantees—avoid picking at or pressing your pimples. The best prevention, however, is to target acne-related PIH at its root by preventing blemishes from appearing and becoming inflamed. Use a mild but effective cleanser and light, non-comedogenic skincare with anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as Ampho-Tensides, Salicylic Acid which are found in our Eucerin DERMOPURE CLINICAL Purifying Cleanser to help prevent pores from clogging.
Additionally, sun exposure can aggravate PIH symptoms, so we recommend sun protection. Limit your time in the sun and avoid exposure during its most intense hours. Wear protective clothing and sun hats whenever possible, and apply a sun protection factor of at least 30 to protect marks from darkening and help prevent new marks from appearing by using specialised sunscreen like Eucerin Oil Control Sun Gel-Cream Dry Touch SPF50+.
What is so special about Thiamidol?
Thiamidol is an exclusive and patented active ingredient developed over a 10-year research project. It reduces post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation by targeting the root cause—the production of melanin in the skin. Many known ingredients have been tested on mushroom enzymes rather than on human skin enzymes. The efficacy of Thiamidol in our Eucerin® DERMOPURE CLINICAL Triple Action has been demonstrated in real-life testing. Clinical trials* and other results have shown that our formulation effectively reduces post-acne marks.
*Clinical efficacy study, 12 weeks, twice daily use, 40 female and male patients, aged 18–40 years.
Beyond Thiamidol, what makes the Eucerin DERMOPURE CLINICAL Triple Action so effective on blemish-prone skin with post-acne marks?