Hi again, I'm 37 yo and I have a naturally tanned skin. 10 years ago my facial skin was flawless, no moles , marks or sun damage of any kind; between the TX sun and me forgetting sunblock half of the time, my skin has gradually become "stained". I have dark spot areas, moles etc. If I don't use foundation , it looks like I have freckles all over my face.
Help me with your best beauty secrets ladies, home made facial masks, best brand of skin care, I'll try anything at this point (except pigeon poop:o)
Thanks ladies!
You should really see a dermatologist, to rule out dangerous damage. Specifically, with the moles. (Just my opinion.) They can also recommend products. In my experience, dermatologists have all price ranges to work with. It's not always crazy expensive. I have also been recommended drug store stuff from a dermatologist!!
I do have a friend who swears by a fading cream from Clinique.
You might have some sun spots or the "staining" you refer to could be a result of hormonal changes. That's what my dermatologist told me. Blame estrogen! She prescribed a "bleaching" cream that you CAN NOT use with sun. It worked nicely. Stains are still there but not as prominent. I would see a dermatologist for some prescription "vanity" cream as I call it. Costs about $35 to fill at my Wal-Mart.
Also, beware of MLMs here that might try and sell you something.
If you have moles that weren't there before, see a dermatologist. They could be skin cancer.
i suggestion some sort of bleaching cream. Hydroquinone and Retinoic are usually the active ingredients. One example would be brand MD Skin care HQRA+ and you would need a prescription yet a non brand would work just the same if it has the ingredients.
There are so many treatments. I'm too scared to do the fraxel treatment, but i will do the IPL. You should google different suggestions. Also if you get a treatment make sure the person is very experiences. Some Medical Doctors are adding anti-aging to their list of skills, yet have very little training.
Also, a friend just mentioned that tinted creams are causing her spots to get darker. I was like "great" because i have tinted sunscreen.
Jojoba oil is great for putting moisture back into the skin, as is organic unrefined coconut oil. If you get sunburned, picking an aloe vera leaf, slitting it open, and putting the salve on is one of the best remedies out there.
Once you've sun damaged your skin, there's not a whole lot you can do to "undamage" it. Do you take a good quality Vit E supplement (with EPA/DHA)? Vit E will help with free radicals and should help keep your skin from becoming overly dry and leather like.
Also, if you've developed moles within the last 10 years, I'd recommend you see a dermatologist to make sure you haven't developed any skin cancer. Moles that are new are usually suspect. My mom rarely ever spent any time in the sun sunning, and if she was out in the sun, she always wore a hat. Yet when she reached her 60s, she had a suspect spot on her nose; turned out to be a precancerous spot. She had it removed.
Ahh. this is a dermatologist issue. My sister and a co-worker both had this occur and the IPL that Pam R is talking about is all that helped them.
The issue you might find with bleaching creams is they don't penetrate deep enough. Could help with lightening, but not removal.
Good luck.
If you're willing to spend, IPL (something pulse light) will likely be your best option. Microdermabrasion too potentially. I used IPL and it made a big difference. But it ain't cheap! Creams don't seem very effective. In conjunction with the IPL I have fading creams but not sure they do anything.
I use Neutrogena spf 15 wrinkle cream. It contains something to lighten those dark spots on my face and works pretty well. By the end of winter, the spots are almost gone. Then the warm weather returns, I forget sunscreen half the time and voila, the spots are back. So I cover them with L'Oreal concealer. It comes in different shades and blends well. I don't even bother with the all over foundation, just concealer smoothed over my cheeks where the spots are most numerous, with a little extra dabbed onto the darkest spots.
Skip trying to figure this out on your own and go see a dermatologist. You previously had no moles, you said you forgot sunscreen, your skin has been tan from exposure to the sun...and all of these are potential (but not definite) risks for skin cancer.
A dermatologist has specialized training and can look at your nevi (moles) and melasma (dark spots). If the nevi are atypical, the derm can remove them and have them biopsied to see if they are cancerous. Additionally, the dermatologist can give you sound advice regarding how to deal with the melasma.
Try Clinique's Even Better Dark Spot Correcting Serum. It is for what you are describing: sun damage that has appeared over time, not spots you were born with. It is not a bleaching cream, it helps break up where the melanin has accumulated and scatters it. Prevents new things from forming as well as it calms the melanacytes which become active and go crazy and rush to the skin's surface to protect it from sun damage and free radical damage. You have to use daily sunscreen, however, or you are just being counterintuitive.Everyday, 2X/ day, you will see results in 4 to 6 weeks. You will feel smoother skin the very next day They also make an Even Better Moisturizer that has SPF 20 to go with it. Gives you that sun protection and has similar ingredients of the serum(serum is more potent and you will see results faster than moisturizer alone). Serum costs $49.50 for 1 oz., will last about 4 weeks if used everyday twice a day.
Retin A. Bleaching creme works, but you have to stay out of the sun. You could also get a chemical peel.
