Home remedies for pimples and dark spots

Dark spots are areas of increased colour, but their cause varies. A mark after a pimple may be post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Melasma can form broader facial patches, while sun spots are linked with cumulative exposure. Tinea versicolor can alter pigment with fine scaling. These conditions do not respond to the same home routine, and new or changing patches deserve assessment.

Use a mild cleanser, moisturiser, and broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed skin. Avoid picking pimples and do not apply lemon juice, bleach, baking soda, or undiluted essential oils to dark areas. Friction can deepen colour after inflammation. Introduce products one at a time. A dermatologist may consider chemical peel, skin brightening treatment, or picosecond laser treatment after confirming the diagnosis and suitability.

Arrange a review if a patch is new and unexplained, enlarging, uneven, itchy, scaly, painful, bleeding, or changing in colour. Seek prompt care for rapidly spreading pigment with swelling or severe inflammation. Assessment is also useful when pimples keep returning, because controlling inflammation helps limit additional dark marks.

Is this post-inflammatory colour, melasma, sun spots, or an infection? Could my acne or products be contributing? Which treatment suits my skin tone? What should I use before and after treatment?