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Sat May 29, 2010 11:09 pm  |
I broke out a few weeks ago terribly on my forehead. I am not sure what it was from but glad to say that it is resolving. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Now, as the acne is leaving or has left, I’m seeing discoloration that was not there. Slightly reddish to light brown spots are inherently present where before there was clear skin.
What is the best way to get rid of these discolorations? I read that exfoliation is the way to go. Since I also still get a pimple frequently, is exfoliating still a good idea?
Does retin-a micro help with healing these discolorations? Lately, at night, I have been washing using MD Forte cleanser type 1 and, after half hour, applying retin-a micro for the acne.
I also have the IFP pretty AHA+BHA combo liquid and the alpha hydroxy AHA cream. Should I be using these with the retin-a micro or no? And, if so, in what order will these go?
Thanks! |
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Sun May 30, 2010 6:27 am |
| AHA will definitely help. I would only use 1 AHA product not both that you mentioned. Use AHA in the morning, assuming you us RAM at night. Also you will probably want to start off using every other day since it can irritation. Particularity if you choose to use with the IPF AHA/BHA combo because it has a high alcohol content. |
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Sun May 30, 2010 7:43 am |
| I have heard that exfoliation is a good idea - but only lightly and once a week. Otherwise you could aggravate the sensitive area. It might be best to use a natural method to exfoliate, just so you don't have a reaction. Maybe even just a wash cloth? I have used crushed up oatmeal and brown sugar, and found it worked very well and didn't exacerbate the situation. I know, it sounds like breakfast, but it really works! |
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Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:52 pm |
| Are there any other products that I should look into for an even skin tone? |
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Fri Jun 04, 2010 4:00 pm |
| You don't want to over do it. I'd stick with just AHA for now. |
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Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:26 pm |
Many times brownish spots appear after acne or other inflammatory processes and that's usually called "postinflammatory hyperpigmentation".
So while you do want to do stuff to get rid of the pitgmentation, you don't want to over-do anything because you risk causing inflammation.
Before anything, you need to come to terms with the fact that your skin will probably take months to look like it did before (unless you choose to laser the pigmentation). Harsh treatments will not "speed up" the process and may even be worse for your skin.
The current standard of care includes:
a. Exfoliation (e.g. AHAs)
b. Tretinoin (e.g. Retin-A)
c. Bleaching agent (e.g. HQ)
You lightly exfoliate in the morning, you apply Retin-A at night. If you use a bleaching agent, you can use it twice or once per day.
You might also want to try Triluma which is a combination of tretinoin, HQ, and cortisone for some weeks. |
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37, light brown hair, green eyes, very fair skin. Oily T zone, broken capillaries... Current regime: Tretinoin 0.05% every night, hydroquinone 4% twice per day, lachydran every other day, random moisturizers and sunscreen |
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Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:50 pm |
Thank you for the info!
My only quibble is that I do not have time to apply the IFP combo in the morning!
I usually wash my face and, then after a few minutes, apply skinceuticals ce ferulic. A few minutes later I slap on the spf moisturizer combo and call it a day.
I read on the IFP website that you should wait 30mins after applying IFP combo before following with anything else - I do not have that time in the AM...
Instead, would it be okay to wash face in the PM, then apply the IFP combo and wait. THEN follow with RAM. This is ok or is it too much all at once? |
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Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:59 am |
Follow Jossee's advice, I followed the same routine. AHA in the am, followed by HQ, then in the PM retin A followed by HQ again. I had one break out on my cheek which left a PIH mark. It has only just faded after 5 months!
Initially, I thought the more products I used, the quicker it would fade, it didn't. In fact, at times it made it appear worst and I was back to square one again. It's extremely frustrating so I know how you feel, I was just starting to give up and think it would never disappear, but with time and following that routine it has faded but it took a lot longer than I expected. |
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Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:22 am |
| Guppy wrote: |
Instead, would it be okay to wash face in the PM, then apply the IFP combo and wait. THEN follow with RAM. This is ok or is it too much all at once? |
You really don't want to apply AHA/BHA and then RAM.... that would be way too much.
The thing with "waiting" is that you want to let the glycolic acid do its work without neutralizing it.
Even if you wait less though you'll still be able to reap the benefits of some exfoliation which is fine. What you can do is just apply the IFP wait till it dries and then apply your sunscreen. And if you want extra exfoliation (and you feel your skin needs it), you can do the waiting during the weekend or combine the glycolic with some mechanical exfoliation (though remember mechanical exfoliation can be more irritating).
Just waiting till it dries every day will get you enough daily exfoliation for your hyperpigmentation. |
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37, light brown hair, green eyes, very fair skin. Oily T zone, broken capillaries... Current regime: Tretinoin 0.05% every night, hydroquinone 4% twice per day, lachydran every other day, random moisturizers and sunscreen |
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Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:35 am |
So where does the vit c fit in the morning routine? What would the order of application be?
Wash, IFP combo, vit c, moisturize? Should I also wait after applying vit c?
Also, what is a good HQ product?
Thanks for the great info! |
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Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:44 am |
| Guppy wrote: |
So where does the vit c fit in the morning routine? What would the order of application be?
Wash, IFP combo, vit c, moisturize? Should I also wait after applying vit c?
Also, what is a good HQ product?
Thanks for the great info! |
Vitamin C should be after you cleanser and toner. You should wait a least a few minutes after applying C before moving on to the next step.
Obagi Clear is a good HQ product. |
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40, Asian, Fitpatrick III with mostly moderate hyperpigmentation and isolated severe. Currently on Obagi Nu-Derm. |
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Sat Jun 05, 2010 10:37 am |
Ya,
I get those annoying marks.
For me a 10% vitamin C seems to help, but I find that kind of drying a bit..so only use a few times a week.
For me the only thing that has helped quickly was Badescu whitening mask.
I had a few marks on one cheek and after 2 or 3 uses there is only 1 tiny mark left 
this took a few weeks for me.
the mask contains Kojic acid, liquirice for whitening.
I know EDs has some stuff with kojic acid, but not too sure what..as I'd like to get a cream with that soon!
I also just got a sample of a brand called Nucelle 10% mandelic serum and have been using this a week mornings and it seems to help with blemishes so far.
Apparently the ingredients in Nucelle are antibacterial too.
I just have the 15ml of Nucelle serum and it seems fine for my sensitive skin so far.
The 15ml nucelle serum and a 15ml cleanser are $20 online at some stores. |
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Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:40 pm |
Just to clarify the order of the products:
AM: wash/cleanse, IFP bha+aha, vit c, sunscreen + moisturizer
PM: wash/cleanse, RAM, hq product
Looks to be in order for both times?
Also, can hq product be used daily twice or would that be too much?
And can the obagi hq product cause acne by any chance? |
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Sat Jun 19, 2010 7:21 am |
i always have this problem... making my skin look quite 'awful' because of the discoloration. now and then (when i don't feel lazy) i will use Mederma gel to apply on those spots. It's a scar gel that helps to make your old skin peel off. It helped a few of my discoloration spots already.
You just need to be a bit more hardworking and it will pay off. Try it... you can probably get it from a drug store/pharmacy. It's a scar removal gel. But it's a slow process... maybe in a few weeks. You'll see the skin peel in maybe a week or less if you use it consistently twice a day. |
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