Dermatica treatment for hyperpigmentation has not worked - what next?

[hyperpigmentationBgone]

I started Dermatica in summer last year and have been on various formulations with them (Tretinoin with Hydroquinone 4% or Niacinamide 4% or Niacinamide 4% / Azelaic Acid 4%). It's made no difference 😭

My skin marks easily (ethnically Chinese skin), so I'm definitely wary about laser treatment or peels. But, perhaps these are worth exploring if they'll help?

So much contradictory info online.

Any advice, anyone???

Oh no that is so disappointing for you ! I have been on it be it has worked for me but I have Caucasian skin. I found Facebook to be a great resource for skincare, difference products work differently on different skin so you could try there ? I know it can be contradictory online but that way you could ask people with the same problem as you ?

Also what did Dermatica say ?

Is it melasma or more like age/sun spots?

I too tried dermatica for hyperpigmentation, mine are sun spots (I'm almost 40 not age please ) and it didn't work. I'm white for reference.
I have 2 dark spots about the size of a pencil top eraser on my cheek bone that bother me.

I then tried, from mid Jan until March, so over lockdown, and in mid winter Neostrata Enlighten Pigment Lightening Gel, there are 2, I used the one without retinol, it's cheaper at around £35.

It worked a good bit. The marks are a lot lighter and more broken up than the solid round circles they were.

I also panicked a bit when using it. It says to use every day, twice a day for 6 weeks, it will bring the darkness to the surface, this will peel off and then it will resurface the skin and repeat. You only use it on the hyperpigmentation.

When the redness got very bad I pulled back and let it die down, waited a few weeks then did it again. Then had an anxious time thinking I had made it all worse as it was quite pink and harder to blend under makeup than the brown marks.

Obviously now it's settled I wish I hadn't wasted the time and gone in hard. But I also think it's too strong a product to use coming into the summer, so will try again next winter.

Your skin is left quite raw and it may be hard to cover/explain if you are having to leave the house, which is why I had such a good opportunity to do it in lockdown

I had really resigned myself to laser, but did a massive amount of reading and came up with this product and it did work for me.

However, I have a very slight touch of melasma on my upper lip and it didn't work for that at all, so really only for sun spots.

Thanks for the replies!

@Bigpaintinglittlepainting Each time I’ve sent new photos to Dermatica and have told them it’s not changed (or in some cases looks worse to me), they’ve switched my prescription to something slightly different. I half feel we’ve now switched back to the original prescription (Tretinoin with Hydroquinone 4%) as they have ran out of alternatives to suggest! To be honest, apart from the hyperpigmentation, I feel my skin looks a bit better… which is probably why I’ve persevered.

@70sduvet It’s both. I have one sun spot above my cheekbone near my eye (age spots… or ‘liver spots’ - argh!) and 2 patches of melasma on my cheeks. The sun spot has actually worsened since last year… as it’s quite close to my eye, I don’t put much product on there, which probably doesn’t particularly help. I’ll check out that product you mentioned. Do you think I could use it close to my eye (about 1.5cm away from eye)? Just on the spot?

I asked my local FB group for recommendations on clinics, and I’ve booked a consultation. Not sure what exactly they recommend, but they weren't super expensive for the consultation and seem highly regarded.

@hyperpigmentationBgone IMHO it would be fine to use that close as it is a thick gel and doesn't migrate once on. However as you have both types and the initial consult for possibly laser? Is reasonable I would look into it further.
I had planned to have mine lasered and then lockdown got in the way. I'm happy enough with the results that I will try again next winter, if it doesn't get rid if it all I will go for a laser consult too.

Have you also tried a high volume L ascorbic acid vit C. 23% and possibly with ferulic. That can help with melasma.
I know a lot of people on the skincare threads like the Skinceuticals one, but it's a but too expensive for me at around £120.

I again researched and read 23% LAA Vit C with glutathione can help, so I have been using Medik8 CE PURE as it has these ingredients. It's around £35. It is more of a slight oil rather than water or cream. But sinks in very quickly.

I think I can see slight lightening on the melasma on my lip, and in the first few weeks use the extra Pigmentation in my skin, old freckles, a few light sun marks did come to the surface before disappearing.

I also bought and tried am using up Garden of Wisdom Alpha Arbutin & Kojoc Acid serum, I can't say I've seen any benefit to this.

And I use as a serum/mist the dark blue bottle from Hada Labo of Shirojyun Premium Lotion which has transexamic acid in it, said to brighten the skintone. I think this has worked.

And then obviously being strict about SPF everyday even when not leaving the house.

I know I might sound a bit mad but it helped me have a "lockdown project" to spend a bit of time on myself and have an outcome that I can be somewhat pleased about.

@70sduvet The initial consultation is to see what treatment plan might be suitable. Another clinic mentioned that Q-switch laser might work, but I’d need a £225 consultation to assess whether I’d be a good candidate. So, I thought I’d try the local clinic first to see what they suggest. I know they do IPL, peels and other treatments. I know IPL and some lasers aren’t particularly suitable for my skin type.

I only developed this last year, so I only tried a Eurecin product and then onto Dermatica. Other than spf, I haven’t used other products as I think the recommendation is to keep it simple if you’re using Tretinoin, etc. I’ll check out all the options you mention, thank you so much.

Good luck with it @70sduvet! It's maddening, isn't it! I hate having to worry about the sun all the time - even with spf use. I tan super easily and I'm outdoors a lot, that's maybe part of the problem.

Most on the fantastic skincare threads will use a vit c in the morning, maybe another serum like the hada labo. And then happily use tret at night
The big warning, very sensibly is to only introduce one new product at a time and let it bed down for at least 2 weeks so you know if you are having an adverse reaction to it.

These are a group of really long running threads and in the intro post there is a collection of documents which have loads of advice, I think there is 1 on hyperpigmentation.

Fab, will take a look. x

I'm also struggling with hyperpigmentation. You can basically have a great time doing dot to dot on my face plus I have a scattering of brown patches of varying intensities.
Tried the Superdrug vitamin c booster as that had fantastic reviews but that didn't agree with my skin. Just ordered the GoW alpha Arbutin and Kojic acid serum I've also started using Algenist vitamin C peel. Hoping that something works. Was using ultrasun spf but that doesn't agree with me anymore. So having to deal with sensitivity and hyperpigmentation in combination.

I had great results using superdrug me + tranexamic acid booster on liver spots on my hands, its cheap at £8.99 and often buy one get one free or half price.

@StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes

I had great results using superdrug me + tranexamic acid booster on liver spots on my hands, its cheap at £8.99 and often buy one get one free or half price.

Thanks, will put on list of things to try.

Hmmmm well I know that tret and laser doesn’t work on melasma but it definitely works on hyperpigmentation. I have used Dermatica and it definitely looked worse before it faded and mine is near my eye too. I think that would have to be brave and persistent to get any results. I also reapply sunscreen every two hours. I don’t wear makeup so it makes this easier and I’m pretty sure that I didn’t really get the stubborn marks to go until I did this, however! I work outside so obviously am exposed all day.

Honestly a mixture of using laser to get rid of the stubborn ones and then keeping on top of it with tret is how I would go. Laser really worked on the horrible stubborn ones but then they came back! So tret really Kees on top of it for me.

I’d recommend vitC- a proper one. Not a derivative...
I had 2 age spot type things from pregnancy on my cheeks.
They just scabbed over & fell off! This is with my already using Tretinoin at 0.05%
Garden of wisdom 23% was the product l was using at the time!

So, my new Dermatica prescription arrived yesterday. So, now re-trying Tret / Hydroquinone. I’m ramping up my effort to make it work by being more consistent with my skincare routine:

• High SPF sunscreen every 3 hours
• Double cleansing in the AM (to remove any traces of Tret / Hydroquinone)
• Skincare routine earlier in evening (allowing time for it to absorb)
• Using richer moisturiser (CeraVe) to allow me to tolerate the Tret/Hydroquinone better

I'll see how I get on in the next couple of months before ditching Dermatica, and maybe then getting other treatments.

Still going for my consultation though at the skin clinic, so will see what they say. I've heard horror stories of hyperpigmentation getting worse with harsh treatments, so would prefer to use creams. But, we'll see!

Good luck @hyperpigmentationBgone with your new routine, I hope it works better. Keep us posted on your progress and any treatments you go for at the clinic.

I would do the spf every 2 hours and tret before bed. Any light makes it ineffective.

I would put a thin layer of light moisturiser on then tret, I think CreaVe has niacinmide in it so I wouldn’t use that, a totally inactive moisturiser would be best.

Good luck!

I would also say that as you age unfortunately hyperpigmentation does get worse but if you find the right treatment for you it can be eliminated. Whatever your treatment application of sun cream every 2 hrs can be the difference in it working longer term and just coming back

I started cyspera today. Have a Google, it’s a novel treatment, they’re also on Instagram. Cost me £135 for a tube though! I was also on various dermatica cocktails for a while and only saw a mild improvement. I’m Indian and have melasma.

@RogueV I first heard about that product via Caroline Hirons. Write up is very good and convincing. Let us know how you get on with it and if justifies price point. It appears that you need to have a consultation first, can't just buy it online so it must be strong stuff I'm thinking

Watching as I suffer that same.
currently have started skin and me - I think it's made a difference - but I'm so paranoid about going out in the sun, even with SPF 50 on

Tretinoin cleared my sun spots but it took more than a year and they looked a lot worse before they started to look better. Apparently it brings them to the surface of the skin before they fade out so it's not unusual for them to look worse initially. I think it's too soon to give up on the tretinoin.

For that kind of money, you might be better off just seeing a private dermatologist.

Excellent, more replies!

@Bigpaintinglittlepainting To me, Dermatica said to apply SPF 2-3 times a day. I wear make up so every 2 hours would feel like my face is totally caked. I do take your point that regular SPF is essential for tret though, and I’ll admit that I’ve been a bit lazy previously on topping up. But, I’m leaving my SPF out within easy reach so there’s no excuses. When you say about adding a thin layer of light moisturiser then tret, do you mean buffer for better tolerance? I haven’t been doing that, but it’s meant I’ve prob been using the Dermatica every other day generally, so as not to irritate my skin. What inactive moisturiser do you use?