Skin Lightening Treatment

1. Skin Lightening Treatment Considering undergoing a skin lightening treatment? Hereis a list of things that could help: MEDICINES a. Facewash - certain medicated face washes availablehave skin lightening agents such as glycolic acid, arbutin,azelaic acid used at least twice daily on a regular basishelps in improving the skin tone. b. Suncscreens - sunscreens with oxybenzone,avobenzone and zinc oxide when used regularly 10-15minutes before sun exposure helps in preventingpigmentation due to chronic sun exposure. It also helps inpreventing the aggravation of existing pigmentation. c. Hydroquinone - It is a hydroxyphenolic compound frequently used for skin lightening. Itacts by inhibition of enzyme involved in melanin (pigment reducing cells) synthesis. It also istoxic to pre-existing melanin. Patients on hydroquinone have to be put on broad spectrumsunscreens because exposure to sunlight can cause repigmentation. Side effects areburning, irritation and allergic contact dermatitis. d. Azelaic Acid - It is a dicarboxylic acid and has the same mechanism of action ashydroquinone. Side effects are the same as that of hydroquinone. The availableconcentration for skin lightening is 20%. However it is highly recommended that you consultyour dermatologist before going for it. e. Retinoic Acid - It increases the dispersion of melanin granules throughout epidermis. It isused for pigmented acne scars, melasma, freckles, and lantigines. Retinoic acid should beapplied during night time to avoid photosensitivity and broad spectrum sunscreens shouldbe used during treatment. f. Glycolic Acid - It is an alpha-hydroxy acid or fruit acid that’s found in sugarcane, sugarbeets, or unripe grapes. It inhibits the enzyme involved in melanin synthesis. It is availablein cream form but most commonly used as a chemical peeling agent. g. Kojic Acid - It is isolated from “koji” or malted rice in Japan and hence the name.Mechanism of action is same as others.

2. CHEMICAL PEELING Peels are controlled chemical burns that can be used for skin lightening, facial rejuvenation,acne and acne scars. Commonly used peels are glycolic acid, tricholoroacetic acid, salicylicacid and combination peels. The peeling session has to be repeated every 3 to 4 weeks forbest results for a period of 6 months. Regular use of sunscreens and moisturizing creamand use of other sun protective measures is advisable while on treatment. For detailedexplanation, please refer to my blog http://www.skinclinicbangalore.com/post/all-you-need-to-know-about-chemical-peeling/968 MICRODERMABRASION (MDA) It’s a technique wherein negative pressure is created using a suction probe that abradesand removes superficial layer of skin. This technique is being widely used for non-ablativeskin lightening. The crystals used in microdermabrasion are diamond and aluminiumcrystals. Regular use of sunscreen while on treatment is advisable. Treatment to berepeated until satisfactory results are seen. LASER The CO2 LASER was the earliest used for skin lightening and resurfacing. The advent ofnewer LASERs such as Erbium:YAG has improved the clinical outcome in cases of skinlightening. Article Source http://www.skinclinicbangalore.com/post/skin-lightening-treatment/984Published at Dr. Kisalay Saurav’s blog