Microneedle patch works to erase acne scars and dark spots

• Acne scars and dark spots are some of the most frustrating side effects of a breakout.
• The Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Micropoint for Dark Spots claims to visibly erase post-blemish marks using 173 micropoints.
• Insider producer Celia Skvaril tried the patches and spoke with dermatologist Dr. Rita Linker, who said the patch would not work on rosy spots should be helpful on dark spots.

Following is transcript of the video:

Celia Skvaril: Today I am trying the Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Micropoint Patches for Dark Spots. As someone with acne, dark spots, scarring, and pigment changes are honestly the most frustrating part for me. I can clear all of my acne but still be stuck with these spots on my face for months or even years to come. The Micropoint for Dark Spots claims to help with all of those issues. It says it's a "powerful post-blemish patch that uses 173 dissolving micropoints to deliver an advanced combo of brightening ingredients."

Luckily, a lot of my active breakouts have been clearing up, but because of the pigment changes, the dark spots, and the scarring, it still looks like they're here. This is the dark spot right here that I'm going to be focusing on. It's completely flat. There's no pimple or active acne there anymore. It's just a dark spot. It honestly looks more red sort of than dark to me.

So, the micropoint patch is on. I don't feel any of the micropoints. I actually expected to feel something, like, sort of prickly. I have the patch on, and it's time for me to go to bed. So I will see you in the morning. Goodnight. Good morning. I'm awake. Barely. I just dropped it on the floor. Ew, it has dog hair all over it.

Right off the bat, I'm not really seeing a difference. It does say to use it again in two days, so that's what I'm going to do. I'm hoping that after a next go-around, we'll see a little bit more of a difference. Good morning. It is the morning after trying this patch for the second time, and I have high hopes.

Unfortunately, even after the second try, I'm not personally seeing much of a difference, but I'm very interested to get the opinion of an expert. So I'm going to go over the footage with dermatologist Dr. Rita Linkner.

Rita Linkner: It's really stressing that skin-brightening end of the spectrum. So, vitamin C, which is in the patch, is one of my favorite active ingredients to brighten the skin. It evens out your skin tone. Glycolic acid is in there as well, which is a fantastic hydroxy acid that not only controls oil production but also can really help with hyperpigmentation and blemishing. Tranexamic acid was the third call-out ingredient. It's nice that you're seeing that active be grouped together with other brightening ingredients, like vitamin C and glycolic. Do I think that using concentrated amounts of these active ingredients in a small patch could assist with improving discoloration, blemishing, and hyperpigmentation? Yes, and I think it's a great idea to treat things when they're in that acute phase just when they happen. That's when it's your best chance to recalibrate and fix that. When problems become more severe, more chronic, they become more stubborn, and that's when you're not gonna

see as much of an improvement with something as noninvasive as a sticker that you're putting on your skin. The thing to know with you and your skin tone and your complexion is you're rosy. What I see, from a dermatologist's standpoint, are dilated blood vessels. So you're looking at red, the color red that you're trying to color correct. Nothing that's an active ingredient in this patch is gonna help you with that.

What would happen in my skin type, being of skin of color, would more be on the end of the spectrum of blemishing, something that vitamin C, glycolic acid, as well as tranexamic acid would do a better job of color correcting. When you look in the mirror, if you see more dark browns on your blemishing after acne spots, if that's what you're struggling with, then using lightening and brightening ingredients, those should definitely help.

Celia Skvaril: I'm sitting on my bed people-watching as I'm shooting. And there's a lot of puppies outside.