Successfully getting rid of a pimple comes with a certain feeling of accomplishment—like scoring an A on a test or baking the perfect loaf of sourdough bread. But sadly, that “I did it!” feeling is short lived the minute you realize that the blemish you banished left behind irrefutable evidence of its existence with a dark spot. That pigmentation can be even trickier to treat than the zits that left them there in the first place. But thankfully, ZitSticka HyperFade Patches ($45) can help.
Before you get to tackling those spots, it’s important to understand why they happen in the first place. Known as “post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation” (or PIH), these marks occur because of inflammation in your skin. “These dark spots occur after a pimple has healed, but can also happen after any trauma to the skin—like a scratch or an insect bite,” Heather Woolery-Lloyd, a board-certified dermatologist based in Miami, previously told Well+Good. “Any irritation such as this causes the melanocytes—the cells that make pigment in the skin—to turn on and create more pigment. This results in a dark spot where the irritation was.”
While successfully fading them tends to be a complicated undertaking, brightening ingredients can help—and that’s where the HyperFade patches come in. Their formula combines brightening favorites like niacinamide, vitamin C, and licorice root, all of which board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, says are “great for helping and preventing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.” Each of these ingredients has been proven to fight dark spots on its own, and when you put them together—along with kojic acid, which slows melanin production and hyaluronic acid, which adds a boost of hydration—PIH doesn’t stand a chance.
ZitSticka HyperFade Patches, $45
Shop now: ZitSticka HyperFade Patches, $45
Aside from the ingredients themselves, ZitSticka’s patches go above and beyond your usual dark-spot fading serum, thanks to the fact that they’re made with dissolving micro darts, which help to deliver the formula deep into the surface of your skin. “I like micro-needling patches a lot, because they work and are relatively safe,” says Dhaval Bhanusali, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City.
The patches go on clear and start to work within two hours, which means you can pop one on at your desk without anyone on Zoom ever noticing that it’s there. For best results, the brand recommends using the patches overnight and letting them work their magic while you sleep. When you wake up, your dark spot will have met the same fate as the pimple that caused it, and be banished from your life forever.
For more intel about dealing with acne scarring, check out the video below.
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