Post-Acne Marks (PIH): How to Fade the Dark Spots Acne Leaves Behind
Dark marks left by acne are pigment, not scars. See WeDo HCMC pricing: IPL 370,000đ, brightening peels from 890,000đ, Dye VL from 1,700,000đ. Free exam.
Medically reviewed by Dr Quynh Trang, Dermatologist (HCMC) · Updated August 1, 2026
Post-acne marks do fade on their own — just very slowly. They are post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: melanin left behind where a lesion was inflamed, typically 3–12 months to lighten, and only if no new breakouts appear and you protect the area from sun. Medical treatment shortens that wait — at WeDo from 370,000đ per IPL session, 890,000đ for a brightening peel, 1,700,000đ for Dye VL. The exam and skin analysis are free.
This page is about marks — flat patches that are only a color change, with nothing to feel under your fingertip. If the old breakout site is an indentation rather than a discoloration, that is a different problem with a different protocol: start from acne scar treatment. Not sure which you have? Book a free skin exam and let a dermatologist classify it first.
How it works
LED light therapy for post-acne redness and recovery (Celluma)
Light at selected wavelengths is absorbed by the skin and converted into a biological signal: red wavelengths act on residual inflammation and support tissue recovery, so redness where a lesion just healed fades earlier instead of maturing into a brown mark. Indicated for skin that has just cleared an inflammatory phase, with marks still in the red stage and a barrier not yet ready for anything stronger. Usually paired with an extraction or peel session rather than run alone, on your dermatologist's indication. No downtime. Cost: 330,000đ per session.
IPL for post-acne redness and brown marks
IPL emits broad-spectrum pulsed light, and because the spectrum is broad, the energy is absorbed by two targets at once: hemoglobin in the dilated vessels under a red mark, and melanin clusters in a brown one. Both are addressed in the same session instead of forcing a choice. Indicated for red marks alongside shallow brown ones, spread over a wide area, on skin that is not unusually reactive. This is a course of several sessions a few weeks apart, not a one-off; the number is set after your skin is examined. Essentially no downtime — mild flushing for a few hours. Cost: 370,000đ per session.
Electrophoresis with brightening actives (Vitamin C)
Healthy skin is a waterproof barrier, which is why most of what you apply topically stays on the surface. Electrophoresis uses low-intensity current or ultrasound to drive active molecules through the stratum corneum so they penetrate far further than they would from a cream, maintaining steady pigment-suppressing pressure between the more active sessions. Indicated for superficial marks, and for skin that needs calming more than it needs another round of resurfacing. Scheduled between other steps rather than as a standalone treatment. No downtime. Cost: 690,000đ–850,000đ depending on area and the serum indicated.
Brightening peel for post-acne marks (Dermalogica)
A peel uses acid at a controlled concentration to shed the surface layer holding surplus pigment while shortening the renewal cycle underneath — it accelerates the exact mechanism your skin already uses, compressing months into weeks. Indicated for brown marks sitting in the epidermis, for thickened, dull skin, and for cases where closed comedones are still scattered among the marks. A course typically runs 3–6 sessions 2–4 weeks apart, peel depth stepped up as the skin tolerates it. Light flaking for 2–5 days after each session, during which sun protection is absolute. Cost: 890,000đ–1,700,000đ depending on peel depth and area.
Dye VL — selective light for post-acne marks and recovery
Dye VL emits light in a band strongly absorbed by both hemoglobin and melanin, so a single session lightens vascular redness and acts on brown pigment clusters at the same time. Its practical advantage is evenness: on a face with diffuse marking, treating in fields produces more uniform tone than treating spot by spot. Indicated for post-acne marks spread across both cheeks with uneven tone, once the acute inflammatory phase has passed. A course of several sessions, spacing set by response. Mild redness for a few hours afterward. Cost: 1,700,000đ–2,200,000đ depending on protocol; the more intensive version for dull, heavily marked skin is 2,700,000đ.
Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser for stubborn dark marks
A Q-Switched laser fires extremely short pulses, so the effect is largely mechanical: pigment clusters are fragmented into particles small enough for the body to clear over the following weeks, while surrounding tissue is barely heated. The same device also helps control residual inflammation on acne-prone skin. Indicated for stubborn dark marks that have been through light and peel steps without enough improvement — an escalation, not a first line for everyone. Session count and spacing follow the protocol set after your skin exam. Brief flushing afterward is normal, and sun protection is mandatory throughout. Cost: 2,400,000đ per session. Which device you receive is a decision made after your skin exam, not a selection from a price list.
Why choose this treatment
Treatments & pricing
100% of treatments are performed by dermatology specialists. Prices do not include 8% VAT. Contact us for a direct assessment and an exact quote based on your skin, severity and target area.
| Treatment | Price |
|---|---|
Celluma USA LED therapy for acne recovery and redness reduction | 330.000 VND |
IPL technology for acne, inflammation and dark spots | 370.000 VND |
Electrophoresis with brightening Vitamin C serum for marked areas | 690.000 - 850.000 VND |
Dermalogica peel for brighter, clearer, less-marked skin | 890.000 VND |
Dermalogica 3-Layer Peel | 1.100.000 VND |
Dermalogica 5-Layer Peel for radiant, smooth skin | 1.700.000 VND |
Renewing regional peel | 790.000 VND |
Full-face renewing peel | 1.500.000 VND |
Brightening mesotherapy for marked areas, 5cm² — micro-injected pigment-inhibiting actives | 950.000 VND |
Dye VL — selective light for post-acne marks and skin recovery | 1.700.000 VND |
Dye VL Recover & Dark Spot — nourishing recovery for dark, dull marks | 2.700.000 VND |
Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser for inflamed acne, dark marks and brightening | 2.400.000 VND |
Body acne peel (neck / underarms / upper back) | 890.000–2.200.000 VND |
8 steps, clinically led
Step 1: Skin exam, mark classification and textural assessment
Your dermatologist examines the skin under standard and raking light to separate flat marks from depressions, and to establish whether the pigment sits in the epidermis or has dropped into the dermis. This step decides the protocol that follows, and it costs nothing.
Step 2: Personalized protocol
From that map, your dermatologist selects the technologies, sequences the sessions and estimates how many you need, plus a plan for controlling active breakouts if any remain. The full protocol cost is quoted before you decide.
Step 3: Makeup removal and deep cleansing
The treatment area is cleansed of makeup, residue and surplus oil so light energy or peel solution meets the skin evenly rather than being blocked by a film.
Step 4: Disinfection and area preparation
The area is disinfected, everything outside the indication is shielded, and the mark map is checked against the protocol before any device touches the skin.
Step 5: Treatment per protocol
Your dermatologist performs the planned technique area by area; a single visit may combine two steps — a full-face brightening peel, say, followed by selective light on the most heavily marked zone.
Step 6: Electrophoresis for recovery and hydration
Immediately after the main step, recovery and hydrating actives are delivered into the skin to bring the temperature down and shorten the red phase.
Step 7: Moisturizer and sunscreen applied in clinic
You do not leave with bare skin: barrier repair and sunscreen go on before you walk out, because even the trip home is enough UV to re-activate the pigment cells just treated.
Step 8: Aftercare briefing, online care group and scheduled follow-up
Your dermatologist walks you through aftercare day by day, your coordinator adds you to a private chat group for photos and questions, and the follow-up is booked to your skin's renewal cycle rather than to a free slot.
Make results last
Sunscreen is part of the treatment, not an accessory. For the first 2 days use physical cover — a mask, a wide-brimmed hat, dark thick clothing — then apply SPF 30+ every day from day 2, indoors included, because UV passes through window glass and re-activates exactly the pigment cells just treated. For how to choose a level that actually covers you, see what SPF is enough.
Do not pick, squeeze or scrub. Every episode of picking is a fresh inflammatory cycle, and the mark it produces is usually darker than the one you were trying to remove. If you have already picked at something, the recovery steps are in what popping a pimple actually does, and the first days after an extraction are covered in post-extraction skincare.
Pause strong actives and aggressive exfoliation until your dermatologist clears you to restart. Skin that has just been peeled or treated with light behaves nothing like everyday skin; keep the routine gentle and short while it recovers — the same principle covered in our guide to managing pigmentation after a laser session.
Rebuild hydration and barrier function between sessions. Healthy skin responds faster and re-pigments less, so the weeks between appointments are not downtime — detail on the deep hydration and recovery page.
Keep your follow-up appointments. Intervals between sessions are set by the skin’s renewal cycle; compressing them does not fade marks faster, it just irritates skin and invites pigment straight back.
These eight steps are part of WeDo’s clinical treatment journey, which applies to every service we offer. To find out which type of mark you have and how many sessions it needs, book a free exam and skin analysis — you get the answer before you pay for anything.
Still have questions?
Do acne marks go away on their own?
How long do post-acne dark spots take to fade?
Should I treat acne or dark marks first?
What is the difference between acne marks and acne scars?
Does laser work for post-acne hyperpigmentation?
How much does post-acne mark treatment cost in Vietnam?
Why won't my acne marks fade?
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