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What''s THE effective treatment for brown spots?

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Phoenix

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I *hate, hate, hate* my brown spots. It's like a curse for being Asian!

I wear sunscreen (SPF40-50) religiously everyday. Even my foundation has SPF built-in. I've had IPL, laser, radio-wave "thingy" and all kinds of whitening cream, and NOTHING, I mean NOTHING at all has removed or even lightened those horrible pigmentation spots. I have one little patch on my left cheek and lots of small ones all over my face. Except for the patch, the small ones can be fairly well covered up with foundation. But I am sick of having to cover them up everyday and the patch is really quite visible. I seem to get more and more brown spots as time goes by. The sun here is very fierce and I very rarely am outside for longer than 5-10 minutes at a time, even with the sunscreen.

Oh, and I've never been pregnant and the only medication I am on is Thyroxin (have been for the past 8 months or so), but I've had these little monsters for several years now.

So, what do I do? How do I get the existing ones removed or lightened and also prevent new ones from surfacing?

Thank you.
 

Dancing Fire

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Date: 3/21/2009 12:10:30 AM
Author:Phoenix
I *hate, hate, hate* my brown spots. It''s like a curse for being Asian!

I wear sunscreen (SPF40-50) religiously everyday. Even my foundation has SPF built-in. I''ve had IPL, laser, radio-wave ''thingy'' and all kinds of whitening cream, and NOTHING, I mean NOTHING at all has removed or even lightened those horrible pigmentation spots. I have one little patch on my left cheek and lots of small ones all over my face. Except for the patch, the small ones can be fairly well covered up with foundation. But I am sick of having to cover them up everyday and the patch is really quite visible. I seem to get more and more brown spots as time goes by. The sun here is very fierce and I very rarely am outside for longer than 5-10 minutes at a time, even with the sunscreen.

Oh, and I''ve never been pregnant and the only medication I am on is Thyroxin (have been for the past 8 months or so), but I''ve had these little monsters for several years now.

So, what do I do? How do I get the existing ones removed or lightened and also prevent new ones from surfacing?

Thank you.
i don''t know,but mine seem to gotten lighter since i started to drink lots of tea everyday, but then i don''t care since i''am a guy,i don''t need to be hot looking like you.
2.gif
 

btrflygrl23

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Phoenix I hear ya I''m Asian too well south Asian but the same thing happens to me too much sun, if I get a bad zit and it goes away and leaves the dark spot. I hate it because it makes your face look ruddy and like it''s dirty even though it isn''t.

I even saw a dermatologist about it and he told me that it is hyper pigmentation and it is normal for those like us and that eventually it does fade but it takes time. I told him I don''t want to wait and could he give me anything and he said that if I didn''t want to wait for it to resolve with time that I should try Ulltraquin cream. Apparently it contains hydroquinone which is known to fade these spots and you don''t need a prescription.
I just asked my pharmacist and he found it. You can get it with or without sunscreen and I got it with sunscreen. It was very affordable too $15.80 CAD.
Hope it helps and let me know if you get some and use it and it works.
So far it is working for me they are fading pretty fast not overnight of course but they are getting lighter and I feel like I am taking an active role in helping my skin.

Good luck!
 

LaraOnline

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I bet there''s a pretty good possibility that to an outside observer, those spots look cute!
1.gif


I''ve still got pigmentation from my first pregnancy, I went snorkelling a lot, and you can see the tan-marks around the goggles!
20.gif


This pregnancy has given me lots of lovely red-looking scars... all around my chin, as if I was a 14-year-old boy with acne!
32.gif


Perhaps I''ll try the ultraquin cream as well! (after the whole baby breast-feeding thing is done and dusted...)

Perhaps you need to go back to the IPL, but go via a dermatologist (as opposed to a beauty salon) as they''ll have the confidence to give you a full strength ''zap''?
 

simplysplendid

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I had skin sensitivities which I had to see a skin specialist for. I visited a skin specialist at Mount Elizabeth hospital and during one of my visits, I chatted with a middle aged lady. That lady had spent thousands of dollars trying to fix her brown or dark spots on her face without success at beauty parlours and on creams but according to her, the skin specialist fixed her problem. Have you tried to consult a specialist in this field?
 

justjulia

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I went to a dermotologist who did a quick freeze on one (like you get for a wart-with liquid nitrogen from a compressed air can) even though this was just a pigmentation. It formed a scab and fell off (sounds gross, but...) and that was that. He said it would heal and be hardly visible and he was right.
 

ficklefaye

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hi phoenix, thanks for posting this, i have pigmentation on my face as well, i''m 29 and past the acne stage, but the brown spots have remained along with the sunspots, i guess i''ll have to ask my pharmacist about this ultraquin stuff, i just want to go somewhere without having to worry about covering up the spots all the time, doesn''t seem like much to ask
3.gif
 

October2008bride

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I have melasma so I have brown spots on my forehead. I''ve read up on them alot have heard that IPL can go either way - it works for some people but for others it makes it worse as it is intense light (which was part of the cause to begin with right?).

Before the wedding I did a series of chemical peels and they really did make them lighter. Once they get light enough, you can just prevent (sunscreen etc).

If anyone else has ideas I''m all ears!
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/21/2009 12:23:22 AM
Author: Dancing Fire


Date: 3/21/2009 12:10:30 AM
Author:Phoenix
I *hate, hate, hate* my brown spots. It's like a curse for being Asian!

I wear sunscreen (SPF40-50) religiously everyday. Even my foundation has SPF built-in. I've had IPL, laser, radio-wave 'thingy' and all kinds of whitening cream, and NOTHING, I mean NOTHING at all has removed or even lightened those horrible pigmentation spots. I have one little patch on my left cheek and lots of small ones all over my face. Except for the patch, the small ones can be fairly well covered up with foundation. But I am sick of having to cover them up everyday and the patch is really quite visible. I seem to get more and more brown spots as time goes by. The sun here is very fierce and I very rarely am outside for longer than 5-10 minutes at a time, even with the sunscreen.

Oh, and I've never been pregnant and the only medication I am on is Thyroxin (have been for the past 8 months or so), but I've had these little monsters for several years now.

So, what do I do? How do I get the existing ones removed or lightened and also prevent new ones from surfacing?

Thank you.
i don't know,but mine seem to gotten lighter since i started to drink lots of tea everyday, but then i don't care since i'am a guy,i don't need to be hot looking like you.
2.gif
DF, you're always a riot!
1.gif
I'm not hot at all. Just want to not look like an old "auntie" (that's what Singaporeans call older women that are...hmmm...how shall I put it so as not to be potically incorrect (?!)...not very well maintained or not very well-dressed/ turned out). At least, I don't think I am at the moment in danger of being labelled as such.
3.gif
In any case, it's affecting my self-confidence somewhat and I want to tackle this problem before it gets much worse.

Tea, huh? My dad drinks copious amounts of Chinese tea everyday, and I tell you, he looks about 70 when his actual age is 89. He has really smooth skin, but I must say I've never really looked at his brown spots. Unfortunately, I don't drink tea or anything that has caffeine in it. I may try putting it on my face though, do you think it'd work too?
3.gif
1.gif
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/21/2009 12:43:41 AM
Author: btrflygrl23
Phoenix I hear ya I''m Asian too well south Asian but the same thing happens to me too much sun, if I get a bad zit and it goes away and leaves the dark spot. I hate it because it makes your face look ruddy and like it''s dirty even though it isn''t.

I even saw a dermatologist about it and he told me that it is hyper pigmentation and it is normal for those like us and that eventually it does fade but it takes time. I told him I don''t want to wait and could he give me anything and he said that if I didn''t want to wait for it to resolve with time that I should try Ulltraquin cream. Apparently it contains hydroquinone which is known to fade these spots and you don''t need a prescription.
I just asked my pharmacist and he found it. You can get it with or without sunscreen and I got it with sunscreen. It was very affordable too $15.80 CAD.
Hope it helps and let me know if you get some and use it and it works.
So far it is working for me they are fading pretty fast not overnight of course but they are getting lighter and I feel like I am taking an active role in helping my skin.

Good luck!
Thanks for your reply and input. Do you know what''s the concentration of hydroquinone this Ultraquin contains? My Dr prescribed Retin A and I used it for a while. In fact, I used this together with a bunch of Obagi stuff, it seemed to help my skin look smoother but the brown spots remained!
7.gif


How long have you been using this stuff? Is there any precaution that you need to take, like not using it in the morning before you go out?

I will ask my dermatologist about this. Thanks for your suggestion.
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/21/2009 6:03:32 AM
Author: LaraOnline
I bet there''s a pretty good possibility that to an outside observer, those spots look cute!
1.gif


I''ve still got pigmentation from my first pregnancy, I went snorkelling a lot, and you can see the tan-marks around the goggles!
20.gif


This pregnancy has given me lots of lovely red-looking scars... all around my chin, as if I was a 14-year-old boy with acne!
32.gif


Perhaps I''ll try the ultraquin cream as well! (after the whole baby breast-feeding thing is done and dusted...)

Perhaps you need to go back to the IPL, but go via a dermatologist (as opposed to a beauty salon) as they''ll have the confidence to give you a full strength ''zap''?
Lara, that''s very sweet of you, but I promise you these spots do not look cute. I only wish! [pouting]

I''ve been to lots of dermatologists over the years. Not entrusting my face to beauty salons. Maybe I''ll try this ultraquin cream and see.
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/21/2009 6:21:38 AM
Author: simplysplendid
I had skin sensitivities which I had to see a skin specialist for. I visited a skin specialist at Mount Elizabeth hospital and during one of my visits, I chatted with a middle aged lady. That lady had spent thousands of dollars trying to fix her brown or dark spots on her face without success at beauty parlours and on creams but according to her, the skin specialist fixed her problem. Have you tried to consult a specialist in this field?
SS, what''s the name of this skin specialist? Can you recommend him/ her to me?

Thanks.
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/21/2009 7:43:05 AM
Author: justjulia
I went to a dermotologist who did a quick freeze on one (like you get for a wart-with liquid nitrogen from a compressed air can) even though this was just a pigmentation. It formed a scab and fell off (sounds gross, but...) and that was that. He said it would heal and be hardly visible and he was right.
That sounds very interesting, Julia. A quick and effective treatment, I LIKE!!
1.gif


Is there a particular name for this method or do I just describe this to a dermatogist and see what he/ she says?
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/22/2009 12:39:13 AM
Author: ficklefaye
hi phoenix, thanks for posting this, i have pigmentation on my face as well, i''m 29 and past the acne stage, but the brown spots have remained along with the sunspots, i guess i''ll have to ask my pharmacist about this ultraquin stuff, i just want to go somewhere without having to worry about covering up the spots all the time, doesn''t seem like much to ask
3.gif
No worries. I really hope it works. It is a damn nuisance, ins''t it, having to cover them up all the time!? My husband says I shouldn''t worry about the spots and i''m not really, not for the most part, but I just wish they were not there!
 

btrflygrl23

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Phoenix

I checked the tube and it contains 4% hydroquinone. Directions are to apply sparingly to affected area 1-2 times daily or as directed by your physician or dermatologist.
Have been using mine for about 3 weeks.
I had had hyperpigmentation before and had no luck getting rid of the dark patches and had to just wait and they faded over time but were still too visible for my liking.
Then recently I had a bad reaction to a facial and broke out and once the break out cleared I saw that I was going to have this awful hyperpigmentation again and I was not going to just wait for it to fade and not go away I''m getting married next year and I don''t like to wear tons of cover up over them so I went to see the dermatologist and I told him how it bothered me and he told me about the cream.
So far I am very happy they have begun to fade at a speed to my liking and I''ll keep you posted about how it works longer term.
I got the one with sunscreen and I use it once in the morning on just the places where the dark spots are and then once in the evening.
 

LaraOnline

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Date: 3/22/2009 1:59:01 AM
Author: Phoenix

Tea, huh? My dad drinks copious amounts of Chinese tea everyday, and I tell you, he looks about 70 when his actual age is 89. He has really smooth skin, but I must say I''ve never really looked at his brown spots. Unfortunately, I don''t drink tea or anything that has caffeine in it. I may try putting it on my face though, do you think it''d work too?
3.gif
1.gif

This reminds me of something very interesting I read in the newspapers, no more than a couple of weeks ago...

apparently people who drink caffeinated drinks (as in, equivalent to two or more cups of coffee daily) recover from sun burn much more quickly than people who don''t... researchers are suggesting that caffeine helps skin resilience and recovery from sun damage!

Now, if you don''t like drinking the stuff and subjecting all your other bodily organs to caffeine, there is nothing to stop you simply choosing a lotion with it in! Skin care companies have been advertising it (particularly in eye creams, not so much on the sun damage front) for ages.

In the US, I think you can even get caffeine as a white powder additive, and put it in your favourite lotion!
 

LaraOnline

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Date: 3/22/2009 2:14:45 AM
Author: Phoenix
Date: 3/21/2009 6:21:38 AM

Author: simplysplendid

I had skin sensitivities which I had to see a skin specialist for. I visited a skin specialist at Mount Elizabeth hospital and during one of my visits, I chatted with a middle aged lady. That lady had spent thousands of dollars trying to fix her brown or dark spots on her face without success at beauty parlours and on creams but according to her, the skin specialist fixed her problem. Have you tried to consult a specialist in this field?

SS, what''s the name of this skin specialist? Can you recommend him/ her to me?


Thanks.
Yes, I was interested in knowing whether the lady had divulged her form of treatment as well!
3.gif


I wonder if the treatments that work on brown spots also work on reddened spots?
20.gif
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/22/2009 1:11:28 AM
Author: october2008bride
I have melasma so I have brown spots on my forehead. I''ve read up on them alot have heard that IPL can go either way - it works for some people but for others it makes it worse as it is intense light (which was part of the cause to begin with right?).

Before the wedding I did a series of chemical peels and they really did make them lighter. Once they get light enough, you can just prevent (sunscreen etc).

If anyone else has ideas I''m all ears!
Ooooh, I hadn''t heard about IPL making your spots worse. Oh dear, I hope that''s not what''s happened to me.

I''ve tried chemical peels also. Only made them a little lighter, not much. So frustrating!
7.gif
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/22/2009 2:48:40 AM
Author: btrflygrl23
Phoenix

I checked the tube and it contains 4% hydroquinone. Directions are to apply sparingly to affected area 1-2 times daily or as directed by your physician or dermatologist.
Have been using mine for about 3 weeks.
I had had hyperpigmentation before and had no luck getting rid of the dark patches and had to just wait and they faded over time but were still too visible for my liking.
Then recently I had a bad reaction to a facial and broke out and once the break out cleared I saw that I was going to have this awful hyperpigmentation again and I was not going to just wait for it to fade and not go away I''m getting married next year and I don''t like to wear tons of cover up over them so I went to see the dermatologist and I told him how it bothered me and he told me about the cream.
So far I am very happy they have begun to fade at a speed to my liking and I''ll keep you posted about how it works longer term.
I got the one with sunscreen and I use it once in the morning on just the places where the dark spots are and then once in the evening.
Wow, that''s really great. I am so happy for you and happy to hear this too!
36.gif
I''m definitely going to try this and/ or the nitrogen thing. Knowing my luck and how stubborn my brown spots are, I''ll probably have to try both.

Thanks so much for all the infor. Please do keep me posted on how it works longer term.
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/22/2009 3:30:03 AM
Author: LaraOnline

Date: 3/22/2009 1:59:01 AM
Author: Phoenix

Tea, huh? My dad drinks copious amounts of Chinese tea everyday, and I tell you, he looks about 70 when his actual age is 89. He has really smooth skin, but I must say I''ve never really looked at his brown spots. Unfortunately, I don''t drink tea or anything that has caffeine in it. I may try putting it on my face though, do you think it''d work too?
3.gif
1.gif

This reminds me of something very interesting I read in the newspapers, no more than a couple of weeks ago...

apparently people who drink caffeinated drinks (as in, equivalent to two or more cups of coffee daily) recover from sun burn much more quickly than people who don''t... researchers are suggesting that caffeine helps skin resilience and recovery from sun damage!

Now, if you don''t like drinking the stuff and subjecting all your other bodily organs to caffeine, there is nothing to stop you simply choosing a lotion with it in! Skin care companies have been advertising it (particularly in eye creams, not so much on the sun damage front) for ages.

In the US, I think you can even get caffeine as a white powder additive, and put it in your favourite lotion!
Actually, I drink decaffeinated coffee which I think still has a little bit of caffeine in it. I LOVE coffee, I just can''t drink the stuff as it keeps me awake at night and makes my hands shake and my heart race like crazy!
7.gif


That''s really interesting infor about caffeine and the caffeine powder. I wonder if one can get it here or order it online. Off to look for it on the internet....

Thanks, Lara.
 

pinkelephant

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I have heard that bio-oil works wonders... I frequent an Asian website that seems to recommend it for dark spots, acne, scars, etc... Several people have seemed to have had great success with it, and it''s inexpensive as well. good luck!
 

justjulia

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Date: 3/22/2009 2:17:43 AM
Author: Phoenix

Date: 3/21/2009 7:43:05 AM
Author: justjulia
I went to a dermotologist who did a quick freeze on one (like you get for a wart-with liquid nitrogen from a compressed air can) even though this was just a pigmentation. It formed a scab and fell off (sounds gross, but...) and that was that. He said it would heal and be hardly visible and he was right.
That sounds very interesting, Julia. A quick and effective treatment, I LIKE!!
1.gif


Is there a particular name for this method or do I just describe this to a dermatogist and see what he/ she says?
Sorry, just now getting back to the computer...
I wish I knew exactly what it''s called...it''s been years ago.... I think it was basically a freezing technique. Considering how far dermotology has probably come in the last 10 years (it was 10-12 yrs ago) they probably have tons more options now than I had! I just know that I haven''t needed to retreat. The spot is now so light you have to search for it...
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/22/2009 4:16:18 AM
Author: janey
I have heard that bio-oil works wonders... I frequent an Asian website that seems to recommend it for dark spots, acne, scars, etc... Several people have seemed to have had great success with it, and it's inexpensive as well. good luck!
That's intriguing. What is bio-oil and how do I get it?

Thanks, Janey.

ETA: I just found this. Is this it?
http://www.bioskincream.com/darkspotsonface/
 

Lorelei

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P, Clinique have a new product out to treat this sort of thing - it fades dark spots.

Its called Even Better Skin Tone Corrector.
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/22/2009 6:56:57 AM
Author: justjulia


Date: 3/22/2009 2:17:43 AM
Author: Phoenix



Date: 3/21/2009 7:43:05 AM
Author: justjulia
I went to a dermotologist who did a quick freeze on one (like you get for a wart-with liquid nitrogen from a compressed air can) even though this was just a pigmentation. It formed a scab and fell off (sounds gross, but...) and that was that. He said it would heal and be hardly visible and he was right.
That sounds very interesting, Julia. A quick and effective treatment, I LIKE!!
1.gif


Is there a particular name for this method or do I just describe this to a dermatogist and see what he/ she says?
Sorry, just now getting back to the computer...
I wish I knew exactly what it's called...it's been years ago.... I think it was basically a freezing technique. Considering how far dermotology has probably come in the last 10 years (it was 10-12 yrs ago) they probably have tons more options now than I had! I just know that I haven't needed to retreat. The spot is now so light you have to search for it...
Thanks, Julia. I'll be sure to ask my Dermatologist. It sounds awesome. You'd think what with all these advances, my brown spots would have been long gone already, wouldn't you? [SIGH]. Maybe I've just not had the right treatment or maybe I'm just really unluckly, probably a bit of both.

Thanks again.
 

LaraOnline

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Actually, I thought Bio-Oil was this stuff:

linky
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/22/2009 7:42:41 AM
Author: Lorelei
P, Clinique have a new product out to treat this sort of thing - it fades dark spots.

Its called Even Better Skin Tone Corrector.
Ooooh, I think I''m gonna go to a department store to ask about that tomorrow.

Thanks, Lorelei.
 

Phoenix

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Date: 3/22/2009 8:00:00 AM
Author: LaraOnline
Actually, I thought Bio-Oil was this stuff:

linky
Thanks, Lara. You're a sweetie.
 

Lorelei

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Date: 3/22/2009 10:56:33 AM
Author: Phoenix

Date: 3/22/2009 7:42:41 AM
Author: Lorelei
P, Clinique have a new product out to treat this sort of thing - it fades dark spots.

Its called Even Better Skin Tone Corrector.
Ooooh, I think I''m gonna go to a department store to ask about that tomorrow.

Thanks, Lorelei.
Most welcome!
 

innerkitten

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I haven''t read the rest of the responses but just anted to mention what''s worked for me. I''m in my 30s and caucasian and am prone to dark spots from the sun. But I started using bare minerals foundation about six months ago and now I have no more pigmentation spots, even when I''m not wearing make up. It''s amazing stuff.
 
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