Shingle Scarring

hi, not sure what to do because im new to this website but id love some advice on my shingle scarring. I suffered shingles as a baby and years later I am now almost 15 still have scars they are on my face also so this is affects my self esteem sometimes, I feel as though people may stare at them. I am dark skinned so its less noticeable and sometimes comes across as acne or dirt marks on my face. When I was younger they told my mum that laser treatment could affect the tissue and end up being light coloured or white therefore more noticeable. I am able to cover the scars with makeup but even some effective treatments to reduce the scarring would be amazing
thanks

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The kind of marks that you have are due to post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is a condition where there is an excess amount of pigment following a disease process that affects the skin.  Without treatment, this usually takes about 6 months to resolve and for the skin color to go back to its normal color.  Topical treatments with acids and chemical peels can be effective but can take a while for the skin to totally revert to its normal color.  

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.