There are many causes for hyper pigmentation. If you are prone to this either from taking birth control pills or some other form of estrogen, years of sun damage that is now making itself more apparent, being of a certain genetic skin tone that is more vulnerable to unevenness of color, or have experienced color changes from taking certain medications or wearing colognes and perfumes and then getting sun exposure – and the list can go on and on – this will be a condition that you will always be dealing with.

It is important to understand that it is not the suns rays alone that will stimulate melanin in the skin – heat is a major factor. As far as protection goes, it sounds as though you are making a good effort – Be sure your sun block is an SPF30 physical block with natural ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Nightly home treatment with natural brighteners or super lighteners with hydroquinone are very helpful especially when combined with a wound repair topical such as Epidermal Growth Factor. I also suggest the use of Super C Serum, a topical vitamin C serum that not only improves skin overall but has antioxidant benefits and some lightening support.

All of the above mentioned products are Vitamin A derivatives and it was discovered many years ago that not only does Vitamin A have a positive effect on acne conditions, which was Retin A’s original use, but that it has very supportive regenerating effects on the skin that increases collagen, improves blood vessels, strengthens the skin and minimizes fine lines. Retin A and Renova are prescription drugs; and Renova is a milder form of Retin A. Retinol is not a prescription drug but does come from the Vitamin A family and when prepared in its pure form and blended with the correct molecules, it can be very beneficial for the skin. In documented scientific studies it has been discovered that Retinol when applied to skin experiences a chemical change that changes it from Retinol to Retinoic Acid (Retin A). The upside to this is that the natural change does not make the skin as photosensitive as one will become with direct Retin A application.

I have found many clients who experienced continual redness, flaking, and sensitivity using Retin A but was able to use Retinol Serums with no side affects and the skin continued to improve. Retinol formulations are one of my favorite skin correctives.

There are many definitions of a skin peel and the term is being used very freely. The amount of interest in peels is staggering. I have been at social events and someone would bring up the topic of skin peels and the room would become silent as though someone had just mentioned some major stock tip!

There are medical peels and there are aesthetic peels – there are mild peels (what I term gentle exfoliation) that leaves the surface of the skin feeling smoother with a bit of a glow – there are superficial peels that lift away actual dead skin cells and sloughing occurs for several days (these peels are at a non invasive level, fairly risk free, and there is quick recovery) – there are invasive medical peels that remove skin at the dermis level, require a physicians attention and may take anywhere from two weeks to two months for complete healing.

So as you can see when someone says they had a peel and saw little change, they may actually have received light exfoliating surface facials and on the other hand a person who experienced major discomfort and months of redness may have had a medical procedure. I am not suggesting that either is inappropriate, just very different. I prefer superficial peels and having done hundreds of these on my own clients and many, many on myself – I know this will provide an incredible benefit to the skin.

My suggestion is that you interview professional aestheticians in your area, ask questions, determine experience, and begin slowly. If you form a partnership with your aesthetician and work together with professional treatments and the appropriate home care – you will be thrilled and amazed at the changes in your skin. I would also like to point out that many physicians see the value of this type of skin rejuvenation and have placed aestheticians in their practice.By the way one of my favorite peels is the Baby Boomer Peel.

Yes, there are certainly many choices for today’s savvy consumer and also a lot of contradiction and confusion. Let me say this – cosmetic surgery may be a good choice. Once the skin has sagged, deep furrows have formed, eye tissue is stretched, and the fatty globules under the eyes have dropped, it is difficult to totally correct that without surgery.

Botox is being done on many patients – poisonous venom is injected into the muscle that paralyzes it, thus eliminating the wrinkle. This is temporary and must be repeated usually two-three times and lasts for about 4-6 months. It is being deemed as very safe with no long-term side affect or anticipated problems later in life. I do not know this and have personally not experienced this procedure.

My experience is with skin peels and corrective skin care, for 30 years I have seen skin look years younger with selected skin peels.  I have also seen that no matter what other choice of rejuvenation you take, skin peels (supportive exfoliation) is still the big asset to achieve and maintain young and healthy skin.

Do not despair. You are not alone, what you are probably experiencing is hormonal acne. Approaching this from within as well as treating the skin topically will assist in minimizing if not eliminating this altogether. Topical skin nutrition that will support balancing sebaceous oil activity and keep the skin mildly exfoliated will help tremendously. It is also critical that an antibacterial agent be used to reduce bacteria and infection in the skin.

Much can be done to control acne lesions on the surface – microdermabrasion, skin peeling, and oxygen treatments combined with AHAs all improve acne conditions. Daily attention is esssential, using retinol or an AHA corrective, with an antibacterial, plus a skin rebuilder such as antioxidants or epidermal growth factor will begin to control flare ups.  Improvement begins with your cleanser - most under cleanse or over do it and dry the skin out, so balance is the key.

However, the goal is to find the root cause and eliminate the problem from where it begins. This is a challenge but is possible and well worth the patience and research to figure out specifically for you what is going on.

Not likely, if the damage is at the cellular level then the scar is permanent. However, I have seen such significant improvement that scars were minimized to the point of not even being noticeable. As the rest of the skin becomes healthier and scars are softened, they do not stand out as much and healthy skin tissue gives an overall better appearance.

Please go in with realistic expectations and understand there are no quick fixes or miracles that are going to erase away scar tissue. In time though much can be achieved, I have combined correctives such as Retinol, Beta, or AHA Acids with Epidermal Growth Factor as a daily part of the program for my clients dealing with scarring. This of course included professional skin peelings and microdermabrasion. Within 4-6 months there has been a 75-80% improvement.

Much research has been done in the area of free radical damage and findings indicate it is the increase of free radicals that begins deterioration and aging in the skin. Of course, many things cause free radicals – sun, pollutants, smoking, chemicals, pesticides, and on and on – and our bodies are equipped naturally with antioxidants to balance some free radical invasion. However, we are so overloaded in today’s toxic world that extra support internally and externally is necessary.

I believe that topical application of quality antioxidants do a make a difference and support the skin in a very positive way. Most of the skin nutrition I have formulated contains various antioxidants that are pure, potent and effective, in particular L-Ascorbic Acid, D-Alpha Tocopherol, and Spin Traps.

It is possible that what you are feeling is congested residue that has formed under the skin leaving a pebbly texture. I have often used a compound that is a paste of sulfur and salicylic acid. It is a very hot mixture and will cause the area to exfoliate, but primarily what it does is it breaks up and disperses the congestion. This may be a temporary fix if the cause is not determined but sometimes it goes away and with continued good skin nutrition does not come back.

There are many types of matter that forms in and on the skin, some without even reasonable medical explanation. Cholesterol deposits, Milia, and flat waxy substances are some of the more common and it does make a difference what it is in order to use the appropriate method for removal.  An experienced professionla aesthetician will be able to guide you in the best course of action.

There is no simple, single solution for Rosacea. I do know that it can be controlled and eventually subdued to the point of not even being aware of having the problem since I have been taking care of my own rosacea skin problems for 40 years and most of those years my skin has been great. Three aggravators for Rosacea skin topically are perfumes, dyes, and preservatives. The sun and heat are real issues, as is spicy foods, alcohol, hot showers, over scrubbing the skin, and anything else that will stimulate and inflame the skin.

There are some theories that this stems from a circulatory problem and then I have heard improper digestion causing bacteria in the stomach. I do not know what is accurate although, I have noticed vascular issues have improved whenever lymphatic is stimulated, which leads me to surmise that poor blood circulation may be a significant factor.

Of course there are genetic tendencies that may cause some one to be prone to this but I believe that can be over come. In all the years that I have encountered clients with this problem, everyone has been treated individually, slowly finding the right balance for their skin as to daily skin care. I do not have a single, miracle formula but find it takes a little mixing and matching. I do know that skin peels may be very helpful, and once we begin a program to subdue the irritation and redness, the next step is delving in further to determine the triggers for you.

Fill out a skin assessment form and we will see if we can give you some guidance.

First of all I would like to be able to eliminate the slight possibility that you may have a fungus. This presents itself in such a way that it looks like hyper pigmentation and yet what is actually going on is the fungus is literally eating away the skin, leaving no color in some areas.  A physician will be able to help you with that diagnosis.

If this is not a fungus, which more than likely it is not, you are probably experiencing the effects of advanced photo damage (sun damage). The hypo pigmentation is a lack of melanin and hyper pigmentation is an increase of melanin at a specific cite. It also sounds as though you have developed a resistance to and possibly a reaction to over the counter lighteners, which usually contain Hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is not meant to use for an indefinite period of time and if you do over use it – the opposite occurs. The very areas you are trying to lighten become darker.

Natural skin brighteners, light brightening scrubs, cell renewal serums, and major sun block are all very helpful and supportive. You may also benefit from a series of lightening peeling treatments from a qualified professional.

Blackheads, also referred to as comedones, are not related to an unclean skin. What happens when sebum (oil) forms in the follicle it either stays trapped under the skin and whiteheads develop or sebum builds up in a pore, where there is an opening, and the air oxidizes causing the normally whitish color to turn black.

The best way to eliminate blackheads is with the use of alpha or beta hydroxy acids or retinols. Used daily with a mild cleansing bead the sebum will begin to soften. It is beneficial initially to have a professional give your skin a deep cleansing treatment and manually extract the pores for you. Then you will be able to maintain with the use of good skin nutrition at home.

Actually, you may be over scrubbing your skin and possibly even drying it out too much. This causes the sebaceous oil glands to get busy and produce more oil. The scrubbing is too stimulating and that activates the oil glands. What you need is balance in your cleansing program and include a second phase of cleansing that will aid in balancing the oil (such as a lotion that has some alpha or beta acid in it).

There are many excellent skin nutrition products that are useful for an oily prone skin. Fill out the skin assessment sheet and we will give you some guidance for this problem.

It sounds as though your skin needs some stimulation and exfoliation. As layers of dead skin cells build up, most of the product that is being applied topically has no place to go so it really is not doing anything to hydrate the epidermis. Plus many moisturizers are based with ingredients that do not actually do anything to draw humectants to the skin. Once your skin is lightly peeled it becomes more refreshed and the stimulation encourages new cell activity. This will aid in giving the skin the ability to hold more moisture.  A moisturizer implis moistness/water, so we want our moisturizers to work within, not lay on the surface of the skin.