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Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:59 pm  |
Okay Ahu and others interested,
Heres what I did:
Firstly I had to determine my skin type and what type of pigmentation I had. My skin type is strong, normal skin with a very oily t-zone and my pigmentation fell into the following 3 catergories:
1) Pigmentation from acne
2) Dermal pigmentation caused by electrolysis
3) Hyperpigmentation caused by ipl. The ipl treatment made the first two look worse.
Right so I then had to get a control over the acne because if you don't get a hold of that then you really are just taking one step forward and two steps back. I have or rather had hormonal acne. This is where a glycolic or AHA based skin care will help. In the past year I have used MD Formulations / Civant & now I am currently using MD Forte level II. Percentages vary but MD Forte cleanser has 20% glycolic acid to give you an indication.
Retin-a will also take care of the acne and is an essential product to prep your skin prior to a TCA peel. It helps to make the peel more even. I can understand platinum would say Cps are better esp since they don't sell real retin-a cream but personally I think both retin-a and copper peptides are a must have.
Copper Peptides I am still using the serum and looking to upgrade to the stronger formula later on.
Now diet and supplements played a very big role for me because my skin had become super sensitive to light. So we're basically talking about a condition where my skin is inflamed and it needed to be addressed internally. This was to address my dermal pigmentation as well. One of the best supplements I used was Heliocare (didn't use it over the winter months though). I took this as well as MSM and Vitamin C everyday for 3-4 months.
In terms of diet I avoided foods that would cause more inflammation and increased healthier foods. I'm generally a healthy person so it wasn't too hard. At one point I even avoided iodised salt for a while BUT keep in mind I was an extreme case so many of you may not need to do this.
I have tried the Fading Gel from Platinum and I didn't think it was that great, TCA peel got a better result for me.
Sunscreen is a BIG key. I was using Neutrogena SPF55 but it did absolutely nothing for me. Took me a while to work out that it wasn't giving me the protection I needed so I now use Dr Lewinns Sunscreen, it has 19% zinc and is the best sunscreen I have ever used - put it this way I don't think I will be changing brands in the near future.
Now with the photo. I'm sorry but I really don't want to share this. I mean it would be like posting a picture of yourself where you feel you look the worst and would rather hide from everyone. I'm talking about a time where I was getting weird glances in the supermarket - it was awful. I know it would help you to see the difference but its just too personal. Its alos a time I want to put behind me and move on - no looking back.
So don't lose faith because I have learnt that there is often always someone worse off that you. Also I want my after pic to be one where I don't need any makeup and that day is getting closer and closer. My derm reckons another 6 months and I should be there. I am now so grateful that the little pigmentation I have left is now totally coverable with foundation and I no longer need to pack on concealer - what a relief.
I hope that helps you and others. I did keep a daily diary of what I did so if you need any more info - let me know. Keep me posted yeah. Dips |
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:02 am |
Hi Dips,
Once again thank you for caring so much for others and I am sorry if I offended you on the photo issue, it is indeed very personal.
After your post I think everything is cristal clear except this Retin A issue, Platinum sells Retinol, is it any different than Retin A? If yes which brand of Retin A are you using?
Many thanks again
Ahu |
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 5:21 am |
Sorry Dips, one more question and this VERY important for me...
If we solely talk about skin bleaching creams and exclude TCA/CP etc factors, based on the products you have tried so far, which one do you think contributed the most for the lightning of your pigmentation?
So far I heard of Meladerm(I already know your opinion on that), Platinium fading gel (also that one), Mama lotion, Obagi, MD formulation and many others probably that I am not aware of.
Can we talk little bit skin bleaching specific? Other opinions are also more than welcomed.
Thanks
Ahu |
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:11 pm |
| ahutukel wrote: |
Hi Dips,
Once again thank you for caring so much for others and I am sorry if I offended you on the photo issue, it is indeed very personal.
After your post I think everything is cristal clear except this Retin A issue, Platinum sells Retinol, is it any different than Retin A? If yes which brand of Retin A are you using?
Many thanks again
Ahu |
Hiya Ahu,
No prob asking for pic - no prob at all.
Okay so retinol is a low dose diluted form of retin a. It is not nearly as strong and will not even get close to what real retin a can do.
Places to buy retin a include ( I am trying to remember the prices here so i may be slightly off):
1) 4cornerspharmacy.com, .05%, 20gram approx $30.00 a tube
2) medsmex.com, .05%, 30gram tube around $12.00 a tube
3)Inhousepharmacy.com 0.05 cream and I think one tube only cost $2.50 but the shipping is a standard rate of $25 regardless of what you purchase so pays to buy bulk from here.
All three sites are okay to buy from. My last purchase was from inhousepharmacy. You need to apply this nightly - only a pea sized amount for your entire face. You should see / feel a difference quite soon once you start using retin a. HTH Dips |
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:18 pm |
| ahutukel wrote: |
Sorry Dips, one more question and this VERY important for me...
If we solely talk about skin bleaching creams and exclude TCA/CP etc factors, based on the products you have tried so far, which one do you think contributed the most for the lightning of your pigmentation?
So far I heard of Meladerm(I already know your opinion on that), Platinium fading gel (also that one), Mama lotion, Obagi, MD formulation and many others probably that I am not aware of.
Can we talk little bit skin bleaching specific? Other opinions are also more than welcomed.
Thanks
Ahu |
Hiya
Mama lotion - was a big no no for my skin. Ended up with real dry scaly looking skin.
Obagi - Have never used and most likely won't due to the hydroaquinone. Know a few people that have ended up with darker pigmentation.
This is a hard one becasue some creams i think do lighten but it is very superficial meaning it is only on the surface and if you are dealing with dermal pigmentation these creams just don't work. For me the best has been the internal approach of Heliocare / MSM and Vitamin C - key ingredients for lightening skin - based on my experience.
How did you get your pigmentation? How long has it been there? Is it coverable with foundation?
Dips |
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:53 pm |
Hiya Dips!!! (its rebecca from YTF forum) finally joined EDS after lurking forever.
Can you remind me which MSM you are taking?
cheers
rebecca |
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Fri Nov 02, 2007 12:08 am |
Hi,
I think I got my hyperpigmentation both from the IVF treatments+pregnancy and sun exposure (used to live in Dubai) and I didn't know the importance of wearing sunblock at the time so in total it has been like 4 years. It wasn't that bad at the beginning, I didn't even realized I had it. But it became really bad after my pregnancy and didn't go away. My doc prescribed hydroaquinone but it really irritated my skin and I think made it worse since the sunblock she recommended was really weak so I stopped.
Anyway I agree with you when you say sometimes we need to take matters in our own hands and that is exactly what I am trying to do now but there is so much to learn and I wanna be really selective and careful about what I am doing that is why I love this forum.
After my research now I have decided to apply the below regimen for the next month and see what happens:
1-Lactic Acid Peel%40 - once a week (maybe an additional spot treat everyweek if I can tolerate)
2-Am: Meladern cleanser + Meladerm lightner + CP + EMU
3a-Pm: Meladern cleanser + Meladerm lightner + CP + EMU
3b-Pm: Meladern cleanser + Retin A + EMU (Alternate)
4-MSM + Vit C (will wait for summer for heliocare)
I will go low key with the above plan 1st month and if I don't see any changes I will move on to more aggresive peels slowly. Will keep you posted.
Any comments on the above plan? Do you think this will work? Any modifications?
Thanks
Ahu |
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Fri Nov 02, 2007 3:14 am |
ahutukel, not dips, but I have the same background of hideous melasma and sundamage. Like yours mine was hormonal/sun caused.
I think your plan is an excellent one. I used Hydroquinone for 6 mths and found it worthless (not sure why). What has worked for me is the Retin A/ Emu oil/CPS and many TCA peels.
I cannot stress enough the importance of the peels. Start slowly, and get good at doing them. I should have done more of them than I did. What has taken me 2 years to clear up my skin, could have taken 1 year or less.
HTH
rebecca |
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Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:55 am |
Hi Rebecca,
That's very encouraging, thanks. Have you cleared up 100% after 2 years, or is it impossible to get rid of it completely?
Have you tried Lactics or directly started with TCA?
And how was your daily routine with Retin A/ Emu oil/CPS, was it like I planned above or different?
Many thanks
Ahu |
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Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:23 pm |
| snowqueen67 wrote: |
Hiya Dips!!! (its rebecca from YTF forum) finally joined EDS after lurking forever.
Can you remind me which MSM you are taking?
cheers
rebecca |
Hey Rebecca!!!! About time you joined. So glad to see you here. Now I won't have to keep saying 'a girl I know on YTF forum named rebecca helped me....'  I will have to check my MSM - have had it for a while and can't remember the brand ha ha. Dips |
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Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:25 pm |
| Your plan looks good Ahu. It will take a bit of time to adjust but that looks like a good place to start. Good luck and keep us posted. Dips |
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Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:36 am |
| ahutukel wrote: |
Hi Rebecca,
That's very encouraging, thanks. Have you cleared up 100% after 2 years, or is it impossible to get rid of it completely?
Have you tried Lactics or directly started with TCA?
And how was your daily routine with Retin A/ Emu oil/CPS, was it like I planned above or different?
Many thanks
Ahu |
Ummm.. I started directly with TCA, but I had had several professional Tca peels, so I knew a bit about what to expect. My melasma is 100% gone, but still have some sun spots, that I will peel soon.
I used to do Retin A in the evening then wait and apply emu, and hour or so later. I would then do emu/cps in the am.
I have decided to have a break from Retin A, so I am currently using cps with with either emu or avacado oil at night.
HTH
rebecca |
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Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:50 am |
Okey, that sounds promising....On the hand if it took you 2 years to completely clear up with TCAs, it will take me 5 years with Lactic Peels so I think that means I need to stop being a chicken and get more aggresive. Would you agree?
I heard that TCA latte from Perfect complexion is very safe for beginners, have you tried this?
Thanks a lot
Ahu |
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Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:09 am |
Hi again,
One more question...
The lady from the Platinum Skincare said that I should not use any actives such as Retin A the day before and after a TCA peel, other than that I should be fine.
Is that what you do guys? Because I remember somewhere Dips you said you stop all the actives 1 week prior to the peel, how about after?
Can you elaborate on that please guys?
Thanks a lot
Ahu |
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Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:58 pm |
| ahutukel wrote: |
Hi again,
One more question...
The lady from the Platinum Skincare said that I should not use any actives such as Retin A the day before and after a TCA peel, other than that I should be fine.
Is that what you do guys? Because I remember somewhere Dips you said you stop all the actives 1 week prior to the peel, how about after?
Can you elaborate on that please guys?
Thanks a lot
Ahu |
Yes Ahu, that's right - you need to stop all actives one week prior to the day you intend to do the TCA peel. As for after the peel, since this will be your first peel, I suggest you wait till you have fully peeled before resuming all actives.
Sometimes for me it takes longer to finish peeling as I do serveral layers and things to make the TCA go deep, which means days of peeling and flaking so I often start some of my actives sooner to speed up the flaking BUT I know my skin well and it can take it, so make sure you start slow. I personally found the 12.5% TCA from platinum very weak. I know TCA peels sound scray but honestly once you get the hang of it and see the results - you won't look back. HTH Dips  |
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Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:56 am |
Hi Dips,
Just to be %100 clear, when you say to stop all the actives, I know that includes Meladerm and Retin-A but does it also include Vitamin C and AHA or as such based cleanser as well, if yes in that case what do you use the whole week? Only CP and EMU? Isn't this like a loss of a week?
Would appreciate your response
Many thanks
Ahu |
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Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:53 pm |
| ahutukel wrote: |
Hi Dips,
Just to be %100 clear, when you say to stop all the actives, I know that includes Meladerm and Retin-A but does it also include Vitamin C and AHA or as such based cleanser as well, if yes in that case what do you use the whole week? Only CP and EMU? Isn't this like a loss of a week?
Would appreciate your response
Many thanks
Ahu |
Yes Ahu it means stop ALL actives. During that week you will need to use a more gentle cleanser and moisturiser - something like cetaphil. I drop all actives including CPs and Emu. The idea is to get your skin normalised for the peel. Don't worry about the lost week - the TCA will more than make up for it. If you were to do your peel the night after using retin a, your skin would most likely react as retin a and other actives like AHA etc make the skin more sensitive. Stick to just a cleanser and moisturiser for that week - at least that is what I do based on tons of research and experimenting on myself.
When are you planning to do this? You will need to prep the skin by using the acitves and retin a for at least min 6 weeks. Dips |
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Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:52 pm |
Wow that's informative, thanks a lot.
Well, I have been using Meladerm for the last 2,5 months and last week I have started CP and the next 2 weeks I am planning to incorporate Vit C and Retin A (not every night though)into this plan and have Lactic Acid Peel%40 once a week for 2 weeks and then stop all the actives for 1 week and apply my first TCA %12,5 only 1 layer to start with and see what happens. I have both spoken to Plat.Skincare and MUAC guys and they said I could do both Lactics and TCA but ofcourse by leaving a week of rest in between.
I want to be aggresive but also take it slow and see how my plan works and then modify accordingly. I will try to do frequent but less invasive peels, I know that will take longer time maybe but as long as it is working that's okey.
Hope that makes sense.
Ahu |
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Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:53 pm |
| By the way, I get the others but why also stop EMU oil? Is it an active? |
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Wed Nov 07, 2007 5:42 pm |
| ahutukel wrote: |
| By the way, I get the others but why also stop EMU oil? Is it an active? |
I use emu all the way through my peel, including straight afterwards.
It took me 2 yrs because I didn;t do the peels often enough. I reckon you could do it in under 6mths.
Thanks for the link dips
rebecca |
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Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:29 pm |
| snowqueen67 wrote: |
| ahutukel wrote: |
| By the way, I get the others but why also stop EMU oil? Is it an active? |
I use emu all the way through my peel, including straight afterwards.
It took me 2 yrs because I didn;t do the peels often enough. I reckon you could do it in under 6mths.
Thanks for the link dips
rebecca |
Most welcome rebecca - so cool to chat to you here as well
Ahu you can keep Emu if you want as it is not an active. I personally drop it for that one week as I noticed doing that helps my skin normalise faster and makes the peel go on better - it's a personal preference.
It really will be about what suits you. You will have to see what your skin can take and what will work the best. These really are guidelines based on our experiences.
I begin using cps and emu twice daily straight after the peel as well. Emu oil straight after the peel will be great for your skin BUT not the 'actives' - make sense?
Talking to you is reminding me of my first TCA peel and I am very pleased I can now help someone else. I asked Rebecca and others on the YTF forum so many questions as well. Rebecca talked me through my first peel - remember those days Rebecca! Gosh can't believe how much my skin has changed since then.
Dips |
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Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:33 pm |
| snowqueen67 wrote: |
Thanks for the link dips
rebecca |
Hi Rebecca
I just tried that link and the MSM product doesn't come up. So go to iherb.com and type in this product code in the search button: MRM-22007
That is what I am taking. Sorry about that....Dips |
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Wed Nov 07, 2007 11:20 pm |
Thanks a lot guys, now I really think I am ready for this, I am just waiting for the gentle cleanser from MUAC to arrive.
By the way, dips and Rebecca, how many peels did you have so far, what is the frequency?
Your guidence has been extremely helpful, I would never on earth even attemp to do this if it wasn't for you guys. I hope I will be able to help others once I start seeing results.
Thanks again
Ahu |
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Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:31 pm |
| ahutukel wrote: |
Thanks a lot guys, now I really think I am ready for this, I am just waiting for the gentle cleanser from MUAC to arrive.
By the way, dips and Rebecca, how many peels did you have so far, what is the frequency?
Your guidence has been extremely helpful, I would never on earth even attemp to do this if it wasn't for you guys. I hope I will be able to help others once I start seeing results.
Thanks again
Ahu |
You are most welcome Ahu - trust me, I know how you feel - I've been there! I love helping others as your skin is what the whole world sees.
All my peels have been home ones and I think I have done approx 10 BUT that is not really amn accurate indication as it all depends on how deep you make the peel go - some of my most recent TCA peels have been multi layered and have been combined with the dermaroller so they have been very deep peels and therefore what I achieve in that one peel would be the equivalent of someone else doing 3 separate lighter peels - you know what I mean?
I have done them approx every 3-4 weeks. I did do one after two weeks but boy that was scary as my skin was sensitive and I thought I have given myself a burn but it ended up all good.
Just wait till you do the first and it will all make sense.
When you are ready - let us know by posting on this thread and I'll be with you all the way
Also just letting you know I use the 30% from Platinum that I dilute to varying percentages. I did start with their pre-mixed 12.5%.
Are you in the states? Is the weather getting colder?
I will be away from the forum a couple of days but will reply after then if you need to know anything else.
Take care
Dips |
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