Sunspots and discolouration getting really bad

[kiwidreamer]

I turned 40 last year and this summer I've found my area of skin discolouration has gotten much worse and a new sunspot appeared a few weeks ago, I've been really unhappy with my foundation as its not covering these areas up well enough and then it occurred to me that I probably don't actually have to live with them!

I've searched back and found a Clinque product recommended and a brand called Nu Derm but cant find the actual product name, if anyone has any advice that would be really great.

I use a glycolic toner pad from Nip and Fab every night but that doesn't seem to have offered any help, but might not be strong enough. I have quite sensitive skin, normal to dry I think my last facial lady said.

I'm happy to try facials or even laserery magic if the results are usually better.

I also need to up my sunscreen game, as it appears the built in SPF15 is not cutting the mustard any more! Is there a cheap and effective option that is recommended - thank you everyone!

Sorry to say that if there were cheap and effective products, there would be no need for laser treatments.

Go for laser of you can get the cash, but I've found Thin Lizzy concealer are very good, as is Dermablend. They are targeted at very damaged skin, including scarring and birthmarks. Both are Australian and not cheap.

There is a brightening cream called Fade Out which claims to rid you of hyper pigmentation and age spots.

Built in SPF15 is not going to cut it! I have fair, freckly celtic skin with patches of vitilligo. I've been using SPF50 cream on my face, neck, chest and hands between April and October for the last few years and the skin damage which was progressing fast since I hit 40 as slowed right down. If your skin is already visibly sun damaged you need to start to seriously protect it.

Nick- which facial suncream do you use?

My pigmentation got a million times worse when I started to use acid even with careful high factor spf use and avoiding the sun.

Hi

A few thoughts...

Use the highest SPF sunscreen you can find, ideally SPF50. Make sure the product label says it's broad spectrum (UVA and UVB). Apply to your face (and other exposed areas) 365 days a year without fail. No other treatment will work unless you are following strict sun protection measures.

To lighten dark marks, over the counter products often give suboptimal results. A product containing retinol is probably the most effective thing you'll find without a prescription. Apply to pigmented areas at night.

To cover up, I love Vichy Dermablend as previously recommended.

NB If you have dark marks, freckles, areas of pigmentation that are changing, you must show your GP just to be sure there are no worrying reasons for this.

If you happen to be in London, I am a consultant dermatologist and dark spots are one of my particular areas of interest. Happy to advise further! Look at www.drjustinekluk.com

If it's bad, you can forget topicals as a quick fix. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

La Roche Posay Anthelios XL has good sunscreen options. You need UVA max protection to prevent any further sun-related degradation.

To correct damage already incurred, I'd suggest you look up Jessners Peel or even TCA peel. You'll be out of public for a few days (Jessners) or a week or so (TCA) but your results will be significant and immediate. Best results with lowest risk of re-pigmentation would be a series of 6 Jessners spaced a fortnight apart IMHO.

If you've not done peels before then consider a derm for the first one, but honestly Jessners is perfectly safe at home if you can follow basic instructions! I have previously used the Skin Obsession kit:

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E3AZWGK/ref=s9_dcacsd_bhz_bw_c_x_1

Lots of reviews for you to plod through there.

I do also use Vit C, Retin-A and am an avid medical-level dermaneedler, also use pro-grade LED treatments (amber/red combo), but I can say without a doubt that Jessners is the number 1 quick fix for stripping away sun spots!

Only ever do chem peels in winter and remember maintenance is always less hassle than cure.

p.s. the Nu derm brand you're thinking of is Obagi. Good, but lots of continuous red raw flaking until your new skin comes through...basically Jessners does the same job but faster and cheaper.

Just my thoughts. Good luck!

Having read the reviews for the link above I'm absolutely convinced it isn't for me!
The potential for serious permanent skin damage looks exceedingly high 😳

No, only if someone can't follow very basic instructions and/or decides to pick skin off before it falls off, of course. But obviously, anyone should give it a miss if they aren't 100% confident, or go to a derm for application as per above suggestion. TCA at home can cause damage if someone's inexperienced or have tendency to hyperpigment which is why I didn't recommend that one for DIY but Jessners is pretty foolproof as it's fairly shallow and universal.

The link I posted to was hundreds of reviews with 4/5 rating....are you looking maybe at a different link? The skin falling off pics put you off? If so, that's dead skin including the sun damage / sun spots...that's kind of the point of it .

I use Boots Soltan sensitive face cream in SPF50 which protects against UVA and UVB. It's pretty cheap as Boots usually has 2 for 1 type offers. I tried a number of facial sun creams and this was the only one that didn't bring me out in spots and didn't leave a white tinge behind.

Thanks Nick

Use real sunscreen, not the farty facial crap which has sod all protection.

Be careful with laser. It can make sun spots/photo sensitivity worse. Peels are better but go to a pro. You need a good retinol, kojic acid and hydroquinone cream (4%). Hydronquinone can only be used for 6 weeks. Then a really good factor 50.

Reading with interest, as I am also dealing with hyperpigmentation and sunspots.

It's definitely worth checking that there isn't an underlying cause to the skin changes you've experienced. Undiagnosed Addison's Disease is what caused mine. I think that there are quite a lot of hormone disorders that can cause the skin to react in this way.

Good luck, OP.