hi Dr.Padmaja here



Saturday, August 14, 2010

HOW TO FADE DARK SPOTS

How to Fade Post-Acne Red Marks, Dark Spots, Pigmentation, Etc.
Post acne marks, or macules, are also commonly referred to as “acne scars”. Real acne scars, however, are the indentations or protrusions left behind by acne. Acne marks, on the other hand, are the flat red or brown dots left behind by pimples.
Other dark spots and types of hyperpigmentation can come from aging, sun damage, and even using birth control pills.
Most of the time, acne marks will go away on their own. However, sometimes it can take anywhere from six months to many years for them to lighten completely. Sometimes they may even stick around for the rest of your life! Other forms of hyperpigmentation (ones from aging, allergies, etc) don't fade on their own and may even get darker as time goes on.
To treat these red marks and pigmentation issues, consider the following options:
1) Sunscreen
Wearing sunscreen is essential, whether or not you are trying to fade any marks. Sunscreen protects your skin and will prevent cancerous lesions. However, if you want to help speed up the fading of your hyperpigmentation, then it is extra important to use sunscreen consistently because it will prevent macules and other dark spots from darkening even more.
2) Exfoliation
Exfoliating helps fade your marks faster by shedding old skin and bringing newer skin to the surface. There are lots of options for exfoliation; you could use scrubs and washcloths, but I think chemical exfoliation will give you your desired results a bit quicker (and maybe with less irritation as well).
To get rid of red acne marks or hyperpigmentation, you can consider using prescription retinoids, can try over-the-counter products with AHAs as the active ingredient.
However, be aware that these types of topical products can also cause irritation such as redness, peeling, and dryness.
3) Skin Lighteners
Aside from exfoliating to help the skin renew itself faster, you can attack your spots with skin lighteners such as kojic acid, licorice extract, arbutin, mulberry extract, or vitamin C.
Hydroquinone is also a skin lightener
Many Asian products target lightening and whitening of the skin. However, before purchasing any of them, make sure you check the ingredients to see if there are effective skin lighteners in the product.
Some people also say to apply vitamin E (either a vitamin E product, 100% vitamin E oil, or vitamin E poked from a gel capsule) but in my experience, vitamin E is very irritating on its own.
The thing about exfoliating or using topical products is that even though they shorten the amount of time it takes to fade red marks, it still takes time for them to work. Consistent use will give you results in around two to three months.
However, if you are impatient, you can opt for facial procedures such as chemical peels, laser, and/or microdermabrasion. Facial procedures do not perform miracles either because it also takes two to three sessions for you to get your desired results.
If you want a quick fix, a good concealer will do the
trick!

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