Ageing and sun exposure can cause havoc with the skin, but with the many skin-lightening treatments now on the market, these problems can now be easily solved.
Plastic Surgeon Dr Mark Kohout gives his top tips on skin-lightening procedures and their pros and cons.
Lightening of the skin tone is big business. It is dictated by fashion, fad and cosmetic preferences. Some areas of your skin are more prone to darkening with age and some medical conditions.
Perhaps the most common is the darkening of skin around the eyes: the dark eye circles. Another common condition is skin pigmentation after pregnancy called melisma. Yet pigmentation comes from exposure to the sun and the elements.
There are a number of treatments that either alone or in combination, can dramatically improve skin tone and colour. Let have a look at some of these treatments and when they may be useful.
Skin bleaching creams.
There are a number of creams on the market commercially, but the most effective preparations use high concentrations of active ingredients and are made to order by compounding chemists by prescription. Some of the best active ingredients for skin lightening are: hydroquinone, kojic acid, alpha hydroxyl acid, tretinoin (vitamin A).
Some creams contain a combination of the above active ingredients. Essentially, the creams stop the production of your pigment called melanin. Using skin lightening creams is convenient as it involves no downtime and the treatments are performed at home.
However, they do not reduce the melanin that is already in the skin. For the reduction of this pigmentation, other treatments are required. Most of these treatments renew or remove the outer layers of skin, where the already-produced melanin is stored.
This means laser resurfacing or skin peels.
Fractional Laser resurfacing
What is laser resurfacing?
The laser allows the skin to be vaporised in a controlled method, layer by layer, removing fine lines and wrinkles and stimulating the replacement of older, damaged skin with youthful, smoother skin. Most lasers used currently are of the fractional variety, meaning they cove only a fraction of the skin treated. This has been shown to maximise the results while keeping the procedures safe.
What are the advantages of laser?
The laser seals all blood vessels and lymphatic vessels at the same time, leaving a clean dry surface to work from. A more uniform thickness of skin can be removed at once, due to precise control.
How long does it take?
It usually takes about 30 minutes, depending on the areas to be resurfaced, using local anaesthesia for smaller regions.
How long do I need off work?
Erbium YAG and co2 fractional laser resurfacing may heal in two to three days for more superficial treatments and between four and seven days for deeper treatments.
Skin Peels
Chemical peels can be carried out in a doctor’s office with medical strength acids to remove outer damaged layers of skin. The chemical solution is applied to the skin for a set period of time and helps the skin renew itself and, so when new skin grows, any discolorations are less noticeable.
What will a chemical peel achieve?
Chemical peeling is a technique used to freshen the skin, soften fine lines, increase the circulation and improve the skin overall. It lightens pigmentation of the skin in the form of sun spots, liver spots, freckles, blotchiness due to sun damage. Mild acne scarring and certain types of acne can also be treated.
How are chemical peels performed?
There are 2 types of solutions used in chemical peels: Fruit acids and TriChloroAcetic Acid (TCA). Your skin will be cleaned with a special prep to remove any oil and makeup residue. The peel solution is painted on the skin with cotton swabs. A white “frosting” occurs over 5 minutes. The white colour will diminish as the preparation is absorbed. Your skin will then appear flushed as if sunburnt and it will feel tight. You will need to be picked up by an adult, as you won’t be allowed to drive home.
What to expect after treatment?
The peel solution causes separation and eventual peeling of upper layers of skin, enabling new regenerated skin to appear. Reactions will depend on the depth of the peel. A reaction similar to a mild to severe sunburn occurs following a facial peel. Superficial peeling usually involves redness, followed by scaling that ends within 3-5 days. It is important to wear sun protection and a hat. It’s also a good idea to sit in the shade wherever possible in these 3 months.
What are the limitations of facial peels?
Light, medium and deep facial peels can be performed on the face. Light peels can only be used on the eyes, neck, chest, hands, arms and leg areas. Facial peels cannot eliminate sagging of excess skin. They don’t substitute for an eye, brow or facelift, as they cannot correct the gravitational forces that produce loose skin. Facial peeling will not remove deep scars, laser resurfacing or dermal fillers can be more effective for these. Facial peels cannot change pore size, or remove broken capillaries, however, facial peels may improve the appearance of these conditions.
