With that handsomely dark complexion, there’s a catch: acne marks. The truth is that when we’ve got dark skin, our boo-boos are also darker. Why? Olive or black folks, especially African American men, have more melanin, a pigment that creates color. So when we get a deep pimple, the healing process causes extra pigmentation and a more obvious scar. To help lighten your troubles, here’s how to fade acne scars for men with dark skin.

Be Smart And Prevent

Let's start with the obvious solution, one that mama probably told you. The best way to avoid an acne scar is to prevent it from the beginning.

Many men pick and prod at their pimples, hoping to chip it away. While this may extract all that oil and goop, this action only gives you a temporary fix. Since you’re not allowing your pimple to heal naturally, you’re worsening the damage.

It’s like if you were to force open a flower bud before its fully bloomed. You might enjoy the temporary beauty of the open flower, but it’ll die faster because you didn’t let it properly develop. Same as acne, let nature take its course to get the best results. By being gentle with your skin from the start, a scar is less likely to form. Lesson learned.

Use Nature’s Remedies

To lighten a scar, we need organic remedies straight from the earth. Remedies that are free of additives and harsh chemicals let us safely fade a scar, even on dark skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar 

The natural acid in apple cider vinegar works to naturally and safely lighten dark spots on our skin. It’s also anti-inflammatory which helps improve discoloration.

Every night before bed, dip a cotton ball in water and add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Dab the mixture on the scar, and it’ll lighten within two months.

Lemon Juice

Similar to apple cider vinegar, lemon juice also has scar-fading acids. Plus, it has vitamin C, the nutrient that keeps our skin bright and healthy, letting us be that head-turning gent.

Apply lemon juice to your skin nightly in the same fashion as the apple cider vinegar.

Organic Moisturizer

Made with botanical oils, a natural moisturizer for men helps boost the scar's healing process. When the scar is kept moist, especially for men with dark skin, the scar can fade faster than when dry.

Scrub Your Skin

Off with the old and on with the new! Old dead skin needs to be shed off to keep our complexion smooth and polished. That’s why we use a natural scrub soap to help our skin cells can renew faster, making our scars lighter each time.

But remember, patience is a virtue; don’t rub the skin too hard or you’ll risk redness or even more discoloration. Handsomeness is awarded to those who wait.

 

Be A Man, Don’t Tan

Sorry to my fellow sun-lovers, but when it comes to fading scars, men with dark skin shouldn’t tan. When we expose our face to the sun’s intense rays, it triggers our skin's release of melanin, which makes our skin darken--scars included! So if you’re serious about fading those scars, don’t expose your face to the sun without protection. Always wear a hat and SPF. Good lad.

Stay humbly handsome, gents!