Acne scars show up as visible changes in your skin’s texture, creating indentations, raised bumps, or both. They range from shallow, broad depressions to deep narrow pits to firm, thickened tissue that sits above the skin’s surface. What makes identifying them tricky is that not every mark left behind by acne is actually a scar. Flat discolored spots, whether dark brown or reddish-pink, are often mistaken for scars but involve no structural change to the skin at all.
Indented (Atrophic) Scars
The most common type of acne scarring is atrophic, meaning the skin dips inward rather than rising up. These scars form because acne inflammation destroys tissue deep below the surface, and the skin contracts as it heals, pulling downward. The result is a visible depression you can feel with your fingertip. Atrophic scars fall into three distinct shapes, and most people with acne scarring have a mix of them.
Ice pick scars are narrow, deep holes that look like the skin was punctured with a sharp instrument. They’re usually less than 2 millimeters wide but can extend deep into the skin, which is why they cast small, distinct shadows in certain lighting. They’re most common on the cheeks and are among the hardest acne scars to treat because of their depth.
Boxcar scars are wider depressions with sharply defined, vertical edges, almost like a chickenpox scar. They can be shallow or deep, and their flat bottoms and angular borders give the skin an uneven, pitted look. You’ll typically see them on the cheeks and temples.
Rolling scars create a wavy, undulating texture across the skin. They’re caused by bands of scar tissue pulling the surface downward at irregular points. Unlike boxcar scars, rolling scars don’t have sharp edges. Instead, they produce gentle slopes and valleys that become most visible in angled or side lighting. They tend to appear on the lower cheeks and jawline, where skin is thicker.
Raised (Hypertrophic and Keloid) Scars
While indented scars result from too little tissue, raised scars are the opposite: the body produces too much collagen during healing. These scars sit above the surrounding skin and feel firm or rubbery to the touch.
Hypertrophic scars are thickened, raised areas that stay within the boundaries of the original acne lesion. They tend to be a lighter pink or red and, while noticeable, don’t spread beyond where the breakout occurred. They can develop anywhere but are more likely in areas where the skin moves frequently or where a wound was irritated during healing.
Keloid scars are a more aggressive version. They grow beyond the boundaries of the original blemish, sometimes significantly, and can continue expanding over time. Keloids often appear darker, taking on a purple-red tone, and they develop most frequently on the upper torso, earlobes, jawline, and cheeks. Research shows keloid tissue produces roughly 20 times more collagen than normal skin, compared to about 3 times more for hypertrophic scars. People with darker skin tones are more prone to keloid formation, and a single pimple can trigger keloid growth that persists for months or years.
Dark Spots and Red Marks That Aren’t Scars
Many people searching for “acne scarring” are actually looking at post-inflammatory marks, which are flat color changes with no texture difference. These are not true scars, and the distinction matters because they fade on their own over time (scars generally don’t).
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) appears as flat brown, dark brown, gray, or near-black patches where a pimple used to be. It happens because inflammation triggers your pigment-producing cells to release excess melanin. The color depends on your baseline skin tone and how deep the melanin sits. PIH is especially common and persistent in people with darker skin. In some cases, these marks last longer than the acne itself.
Post-inflammatory erythema (PIE) shows up as flat pink, red, or purplish spots. This is a vascular response: blood vessels in the area dilate and sometimes proliferate during inflammation, leaving behind visible redness even after the breakout clears. PIE is more noticeable in lighter skin tones. One quick way to distinguish PIE from a scar is to press a clear glass against the mark. If the redness fades under pressure, it’s PIE, not a scar.
You can have both discoloration and true scarring at the same time, which is common. A depressed scar might also carry a dark or red mark within it, making it look worse than the texture change alone.
How Acne Scars Look on Different Skin Tones
Acne scarring doesn’t look the same on everyone. On lighter skin, scars tend to appear pink, red, or slightly paler than the surrounding area, with texture changes being the most prominent visual feature. On darker skin, the texture changes are accompanied by more pronounced discoloration. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is significantly more common and more visible in melanin-rich skin, often drawing more attention than the scar itself.
Darker skin tones also carry a higher risk of keloid formation. According to Harvard Health, people with darker skin can develop keloids, deep textural scars, and persistent dark marks from even mild breakouts. This means the visual impact of acne scarring in darker skin is often a combination of raised or indented texture plus prominent brown or grayish discoloration, creating a layered appearance that lighter-skinned individuals may not experience to the same degree.
It’s also worth noting that conditions like ingrown hairs can closely mimic acne and produce similar scarring and dark spots, particularly in the beard area. This is sometimes confused with acne scarring but has a different cause entirely.
What Changes Over Time
Fresh acne scars look different from older ones. New scars are typically redder or darker and may still be slightly inflamed or swollen. Over the first several months, the color usually softens. Indented scars, however, don’t fill in on their own because the underlying collagen structure has been permanently altered. In fact, some atrophic scars deepen slightly with age as skin loses elasticity and volume.
Raised scars follow a different path. Hypertrophic scars sometimes flatten and fade over a year or two without treatment. Keloids rarely improve on their own and can continue growing if left untreated.
Post-inflammatory marks (the flat color changes) do fade, but the timeline varies. PIE can take 6 to 12 months to resolve. PIH in lighter skin may clear within a few months, while in darker skin it can persist for a year or longer. Sun exposure slows the fading process for both types considerably.