I know it probably sounds a lot worse than it is. My skin is not that bad and the "problem skin" that I am referring to is more a "breakout problem" and not a real "acne problem".
As mentioned in previous posts I have managed to control my break-outs with Pro-Active as well as two of my latest product finds: Seba Med and Sariayu, which I will blog about in the posts to follow.
My biggest problem is my uneven skin tone due to blemishes/marks from acne scaring. I have been using Este Lauder Advance night repair and as per the post on it, it definitely has improved my skins over all appearance over the past couple of months.
Or so I thought. Just when thought my skin is actually starting to look better I started noticing more marks on my face. It started with a brown mark on my nose when we returned form our holiday in December. And though I always where sunscreen, I still got "some colour" and I thought it must just be from the sun.
I hoped that it will lighten and it did, a bit.
We returned from a trip this week and I was concerned about the very noticeable dark marks that have appeared on my upper cheekbone areas.
I was beginning to wonder "perhaps the breakouts and the sun are not the only contributing factors"...
It almost looks as if, I've been in the sun with my sunglasses and have tanned circles around my eyes. But, this is not the case.
I now have light patches all over my cheeks and the area around my chin.
Being over 30, a couple of people told me that I should get used to it "it comes with age". And though age probably does contribute to your skins appearance I have reason to believe that there is more to it and I sure do not want to GET USE TO IT. I want to GET RID OF IT!!
I have heard of woman that have had problems with pigmentation marks, caused by the sun damage as well as pigmentation problems during pregnancy.
After research, it appears that this type of pigmentation is called Melasma/Hyperpigmentation, also referred to as the "pregnancy mask". A big culprit is of course the sun, but it can also be due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, as well as contraceptives.
I realised that, I started noticing the pigmentation problem after I went back on the pill in November. Though I haven't consulted with a dermatologist yet, I have come to the conclusion that it has to be due to hormonal changes.
So what can I do about it?
I came up with the following:
Contraceptives
Consult a dermatologist about changing to a different contraceptive with less estrogen or possibly going off the pill if that doesn't help.
Sunscreen
Though I always wear sunscreen I should:
- Increase my SPF factor to 30 or 50
- Use zinc oxide based sunscreens with at least 10% of zinc Oxide.
- Don't leave the house without sunscreen.
- Where a hat/cap when outdoors.
- Not be fooled by the the sun's harming rays, whether direct or reflecting. I need to protect my skin from the sun even when I'm in the shade or when it's a cloudy day.
Whitening products
Look for a product with the following ingredients:
- Hydroquinone
- Salicylic acid ingredients
Note: Don't expect it to change over night. Improvements in the skin tone and overall appearance is not noticeable immediately, however products should lighten the pigmentation marks over time.
Treatments
Consult a dermatologists about available treatments like IPL (Intense Pulse Light).
Click here to read more on Melasma/Hypergigmentation.
I hope to write a blog entry and post a photo in the near future, on how I have managed to reduce my Melasma.
Please comment on the post if you have any advise or tips for me or other ladies with the same problem?
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