How do you get rid of acne hyperpigmentation?

You can treat acne hyperpigmentation, aka “post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation” (what people usually just call acne “scars”) with hydroquinone and other skin lightening creams: kojic acid, azelaic acid, tranexamic acid, retinoids, alpha-arbutin, soy, licorice extract, among others. But it’s important to remember that those creams don’t treat the acne itself. “If a patient sees me and they just want me to treat the pigmentation related to their acne, I’m doing them a disservice by not treating their acne first,” explains Dr. Kwan, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Kwan Dermatology in San Francisco, CA.