How to Tell If You Have Acne Scars or Dark Spots
After acne clears up, your skin might still show marks. These can be acne scars or dark spots, also called hyperpigmentation. Knowing the difference helps you pick the right way to treat them.
Acne scars change the feel of your skin. They come from damage deep in the skin layers during bad breakouts like cysts or nodules. This harms collagen, the stuff that keeps skin smooth and firm. Scars do not fade on their own and stay unless treated.
There are a few main types of acne scars. Ice pick scars look like tiny deep holes or pits in the skin. They often come from severe cystic acne on the cheeks, jaw, or chin. Boxcar scars are round or oval dips with sharp edges, like old chicken pox marks. They form after inflamed pimples or cysts. Rolling scars give skin a wavy, uneven feel because bands of tissue pull the skin down.
To check for scars, run your clean finger gently over the spot. If it feels bumpy, pitted, sunken, or raised compared to skin around it, it is likely a scar. The color might match your skin or look a bit different, but the main sign is the texture change.
Dark spots, or hyperpigmentation, are flat marks on the skin surface. They happen when skin makes too much melanin, the pigment that colors skin, after inflammation from acne. These spots do not change the skin’s texture. They feel smooth and level when you touch them.
Two common kinds are post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH, and post-inflammatory erythema, or PIE. PIH shows as brown, black, or gray flat spots. It is more common on darker skin tones. PIE looks like pink or red flat marks from damaged tiny blood vessels. It shows up more on lighter skin. Both can come from picking pimples, sun exposure, or hormones, but they often fade over months or years with care.
The key test for dark spots is touch and look. The skin feels flat and smooth, like the area next to it. The color is the only difference: darker browns, reds, pinks, or purples where the pimple was.
Many people mix them up because both follow acne. Scars need doctor treatments like lasers or fillers to fix the structure. Dark spots can improve with creams, sun protection, or time. If in doubt, see a skin doctor to check.
Sources
https://sozoclinic.sg/acne-scar-vs-hyperpigmentation/
https://www.kins-clinic.com/blogs/acne-marks-or-acne-scars-understanding-the-difference-and-management-options
https://slmdskincare.com/blogs/learn/the-5-kinds-of-acne-scars-how-to-treat-each-type
https://banish.com/blogs/article/pie-vs-pih-how-to-tell-the-difference
https://www.mesoestetic.com/blog/acne-scars/
https://consciouschemist.com/blogs/good-skin-blog/how-to-treat-acne-without-dark-marks-or-scars
https://pexorabeauty.com/blogs/beauty-with-pexora/acne-scars-in-qatar-2025-dark-spots-vs-real-scars-what-actually-works
