dark spots

curlypearl

Can you recommend a cream or gel to lighten dark spots on your face? I have a few, mostly very small. I use sunscreen for prevention but I'd like to lighten the ones I already have.

I know there are medical procedures available but I'm trying to save money and I'm a little nervous anyway about pulsed light, etc. Have any of you done anything like that?

Thanks for your responses!

CurvyCurly

curlypearl wrote: »

Can you recommend a cream or gel to lighten dark spots on your face? I have a few, mostly very small. I use sunscreen for prevention but I'd like to lighten the ones I already have.

I know there are medical procedures available but I'm trying to save money and I'm a little nervous anyway about pulsed light, etc. Have any of you done anything like that?

Thanks for your responses!

I recommend Clinique's Even Better Dark Spot Corrector! This product has truly made a difference in my complexion and slowly but surely lightened the dark spots on my face. I purchased it after reading tons of reviews from ladies who wanted to correct dark spots caused by acne, the sun, or aging, etc.

I highly recommend this product however it is a bit pricey. The small bottle is under $50 and lasts about 5-6 weeks. I buy the larger one for $75, which now lasts me almost three months.

You should read some reviews from Macy's or Sephora's website.

I couldn't afford expensive laser or photofacial treatments at salons so I'm glad I gave this product a try.

Good luck!

Kilajo

I've seen multiple dermatologists and used many different chemicals. The only thing that's erased 20 years of dark spots for me is pure vitamin E. I get the liquid for right around $10. I use it generously, twice a day. Anyway, it worked for me.

On my EVO

curlypearl

Really! Very interesting Kilajo. I haven't seen that recommended as a treatment for dark spots but at that price, it's worth a try. Thanks for chiming in.

CurvyCurly thank you! I've been wanting to try that but I didn't want to fork out the $$ until I got some feedback. I like Clinique generally and I'll get it at Sephora. I appreciate the encouragement. :thumright:

Thanks for both suggestions. They are exactly the sort of responses I was hoping to get. Ugh - dark spots!

caramix3a

I've never seen anything either about Vitamin E being in the slightest way effective for dark spots. It's supposed to be good for scarring though. Maybe that poster had dark marks from acne, which are different from sun spots. Then indeed the E could work as it would go to work on the scarring etc. Rosehip oil helps some people, and on the other hand people can go through all the most aggressive treatments, only to see their spot return on discontinuing, even with excellent sun protection all the while. Dark spots are among the hardest skin problems to treat and there still aren't all that many safe or effective(long-term that is)ways to treat them, especially if one has sensitive skin because most of the really effective ones like Rx hydroquinone, Retin-A etc. are more for resistant, non-sensitive skins. We sensitives are left out in the cold - just sayin...

curlypearl

Thanks, Cara. I also have seen vit. E recommended for acne spots and not for age spots. That's why I was surprised at the recommendation. I have a mild Renova formulation from my derm (2 percent) but I can't use it very much because it actually makes my eyes sting, even if I use it quite far from my eyes. It does seem to help though.

I tried hydroquinone one time and got a horrible reaction. It turned my skin bright red for about a week but didn't do anything for the spot. Fortunately, I only used a little of it, but I won't use that again.

Oh well, this should be the worst problem I have :toothy10: Perspective !

caramix3a

curlypearl - it sounds like you have might sensitive skin in general. Do you find that you have to stick to a very narrow range of blander skin products in general for even your basic skin care? I know I do, and can only use the very milder forms of actives. For instance, I cannot use leave-on AHAs, but I can use a CLEANSER with them in them like a mask for a few minutes - that works, and an OTC Neutrogena retinol(at night) but that's as far as I can go. Vitamin C, an all-over skin brightener didn't work for me - it just either irritated my skin or made me break out(and I don't have really oily skin - it's still normal to very slightly oily at age 64) I had the worst skin reaction of my life when using a Skinceuticals AHA serum - OMG! I had red, angry itchy-burny blotches all over my face such that I couldn't even wear makeup, and I was forced to just cleanse and moisturize ONLY for a good while. During the worst part of this I was relieving the itch-burn with homemade oatmeal, honey and aloe vera masks. A couple of times, I would have to get up at night and do it too. My shea butter-coconut oil combo was very soothing and in fact that was the only moisturizing thing that I could tolerate for a good while. It was 6 months before I could do any form of exfolation, and a year before I could re-introduce sunblock really.
Reason I mention my experience here, is that one can really get into trouble using strong actives if one's skin is NOT geared for them - you already had a taste of that with the hydroquinone, and even with the Renova.
As much as we sensitives might wish to improve our spots, often we can't, because our skin won't let us do that. Be very careful!

ShrekLover

GoW Light n' Bright Serum [amped up version] No Seamollient / 1 oz

This is what I use. I think CHF recommended it on the makeup board a long time ago. It really truly works. BUT, it is pricey and you have to use ti every day, twice a day forever. It has taken probably close to 2 years but it has eliminated some spots completely and lessened others that I expect to be gone eventually. You have to commit to keep using it. I will never stop. The money is worth it to me.

ETA: I tried the Clinique and for me I was not impressed.

banjocurl

if the dark spots are actinic keratoses get them treated medically. i had some dark spots and they turned out to be pre cancerous lesions. just healing up from a carac cream ordeal. not sure what yours are but if they are AK's then get em taken care of. a friend had half her face removed. scary....

Spiralli

I have no experience with what banjocurl describes, but definitely follow her advice!

After that, I would recommend good moisturizer with glycolic acid. Concentrations of glycolic (alpha hydroxy acid/AHA) start at 10% to be effective, and go up to 15-30% through derms and/or reputable skincare sites. Glycolic has really faded my age/sun spots. I had dots and some larger light patches on my face. I saw a difference start after about a month of use (and that was alternating nights with tretinoin/retin-a). At about the 6-9 month point I was barely needed concealer on my face and could even go out with no foundation or a sheer tinted moisturizer -- a big improvement for me.

This may not work for everyone, but it's made a huge difference for me. Major note: wear a good sunscreen during the day to help prevent the improvement from backsliding due to more sun exposure, and glycolic can make you more sensitive to sun damage).

curlypearl

Janna, I'm still on a budget so I'll keep your advice in mind for the future, but thanks for the recommendation. :thumbright:

Banjo, the spots are just age spots, not actinic keratoses. I know because I see a derm. What you said about your friend - definitely scary!!

Spiralli, I'll ask my derm for a higher percentage of gly acid when I see him, but meanwhile, is there a drugstore brand you recommend? I will look today. Gly acid seems to have a good rep. for bleaching dark spots from what I read on the web.

Thanks everyone very much for responding! I really appreciate the suggestions. I know dark spots are a minor problem in life, but I have a new job and I think I'm the oldest one in the office (26 people). It's important to me to not look like I'm over the hill because people associate age with not being too swift LOL. Of course that doesn't apply to us curlies. 8)

Kilajo

Oh I just noticed the conversation about my post, lol. I had some acne scarring and some age spots. Since all of it had cleared up, I assumed vitamin E took care of all of it since that's all I've been using other than some burts bee cleanser. Anyway years ago (15 approx) I went to derms and tried hydroquinone, retin a etc for the acne and scarring from it. Used this stuff for a few years. Did nothing for me in the long term. Soooo I later tried accutane which completely cleared the acne but did nothing for the scars. So I had a few, ugh, then a couple years ago I noticed a few age spots. I read somewhere about vitamin e and scarring and thought I'd give it a go. Took away all dark marks after 2 months 2x daily use. Now a disclaimer is that I assume the vitamin e did it, but i started using the burts bees cleanser for the first time at that time as well. Hopefully this clarifies any confusion about my post!

On my EVO

Spiralli

curlypearl, sorry I didn't see your post sooner. I don't have personal experience with drugstore glycolic acid products, but I've read that Alpha Hydrox makes some good products. Also, I've seen posts saying that Walgreens brand is similar to Alpha Hydrox and works well also.

caramix3a

Although OTC(over the counter) glycolic acid products are very popular, they mostly smooth the skin as they exfoliate, in some cases helping to make dark spots appear to be lighter. However, if the spot has many layers deep, as is often the case with sun damage, it takes more than OTC products to make inroads. In many stubborn cases, it takes intensed pulsed light(IPL)treatments, which are both expensive and in many cases painful(but some people are tougher than others in this regard) to really get rid of them, usually in conjunction with Rx retinoids, hydroquinone, and glycolic acids in one form or another.
However, if one's spots are very light and pretty much on the surface of the skin, then improvement can be seen with not such an aggressive regimen as described above. As a medical esthetician told me, if one does absolutely nothing else, the wearing of a good sunblock is imperative. At least that will prevent the spots from becoming worse, which they certainly will if one doesn't wear sunblock and deliberately sunbathes at all.
Last but not least there are some promising skin lightening things beginning to appear, like combos of niacinamide and glucosamine in products(like NIA 24, and Olay Definity). The CeraVe AM and PM moisturizers have the niacinamide in them and they have the added benefit of strengthening the skin's barrier, making it more resilient and improving results of other treatments. There's arbutin, licorice, mulberry - all are ingredients to look for. Some people have had good luck with Vitamin C serums, either DIY or purchased(pricey!) There's a TON of skin lightening info out there on the web - some of which one can believe or not. But the gold standard still remains with retinoids, hydroquinone, and IPLs at present, while the other stuff while promising is not yet proven.
But back to glycolic acid products - while popular, people's tolerance for these varies - some, including myself, cannot use the leave-on lotions, creams and serums, but we CAN use a good glycolic cleanser. I personally use the Aquaglycolic Cleanser - you have to go to the pharmacy area in the drugstore and ask for it as the Aquaglycolic line is not out on the floor. Often, they have to order it as they only have a small amount of that line in stock. This line is very reasonable and effective. I wish I could use the cream as well, but my skin won't let me, so I have to stick with the cleanser only. Hope this helps further!

curlypearl

Thanks everyone for all that helpful advice! I don't think I can afford pulsed light, but I'm going to buy some of the drugstore remedies you describe. I appreciate all this feedback! :pl:

VTmom

I've been using mandelic acid from GoW. I think I have the 15% no seaweed yes alcohol version. I have one small sunspot near my left jawbone and it seems to have helped some, but I've only been using it for a little while so I don't know about long term. Good luck...let us know if you find something that works!

Sexychocolate

Sweetheart, I would strongly suggest if you have dark spots to go to a dermatologists first...find out exactly what kind of spots these are. They could be tags (dark moes) that grow under the skin. If you have insurance make an appointment with someone that has a good reputation. I have dark spots from acne and use the generic form of Retin A, and it works well...its a prescription, but I also have dark spots from tags that grows under my skin...and they have to be removed because a bump or not forms. I have them checked because they can become cancerous. Check with a dermatologist, and good luck.

ShrekLover

VTmom wrote: »

I've been using mandelic acid from GoW. I think I have the 15% no seaweed yes alcohol version. I have one small sunspot near my left jawbone and it seems to have helped some, but I've only been using it for a little while so I don't know about long term. Good luck...let us know if you find something that works!

I bought that to go with the Light'n Bright Serum, but unfortunately my sensitive skin couldn't handle it. I tired 3 times and spaced each time several days from the last time I used it. But it makes my skin burn, flake and itch. I was bummed. I figured the 2 products together would be great.

curlypearl

Everyone, thank you very much for your good suggestions! I see a derm and his treatments have helped, but there are a few very stubborn spots. I'm going to ask him what I can do in addition to what we are doing now.

I had tried hydroquinone and got a severe red reaction after just one application.

Meanwhile, I'm going to investigate a better concealer than what I'm using. :thumbleft:

CurlyKutie

I too suffer from dark facial spots. I spoke to my derm, who noted that I suffer from adult acne, recommended Retin A. I also have been reading other threads and I combine the Retin A with Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (Braggs acv) daily on the face for about 1/2 hr daily. Even as the derm notes, it does take time, but I have seen, although small, positive results inside of 2 weeks of using the acv at least 3x/week. Some ppl even recommend lemon juice in addition to acv.

Hope this helps.