Army spotted
For the color of our skin meet many factors: the thickness of the epidermis, the relief of the skin, the number and distribution of blood vessels and skin pigments, the main one of which is melanin. It is produced by melanocyte cells more or less actively - the darker the shade of the skin. Sometimes melanocytes produce large and small dark brown dots - hyperpigmentation. Favorite places of "habitat" of age spots - face, hands and decollete zone.
Often, hyperpigmentation is a consequence of internal problems. Therefore, when starting to remove stains, it is necessary to find out why the skin produces unevenly, too much melanin. The reasons are mass. Diseases of the gallbladder, liver and gastrointestinal tract, pregnancy and various infectious diseases, problems in the gynecological sphere and the intake of certain hormonal contraceptives. Also, our skin is sometimes covered with annoying marks in response to cosmetic procedures that irritate it (if drugs that cause allergy are used), traumatizing (plastic surgery, subcutaneous injections), thinning the stratum corneum of the epidermis (middle, and sometimes even superficial peeling).
Pigmentation of sun rays is activated, and spots in winter. Fight them with modern cosmetic methods and bleaching agents.
Safety regulations
Modern cosmetology offers many effective methods of bleaching pigmentation: both with the use of special equipment (lasers), and less radical means (chemical peeling). Both laser resurfacing and chemical peeling - aggressive procedures, the skin in advance, can only damage, increase pigmentation, or vice versa (light spots on the skin). Therefore, five weeks before the start of the procedure, you need to use creams, which include substances that suppress the synthesis of melanin: koyeva, azelaic acid, arbutin, as well as antioxidant creams and bleaching agents for home care. Often, antibiotics and derivatives of vitamin A - retinoids have this effect. It is strictly forbidden to perform any whitening manipulations during the use of photosensitizer drugs.
The effect of chemistry
In chemical peeling fruit acids (grape, lemon, milk), and also koyeva, almond, retinoids - for the purpose of exfoliation of the corneous layer of the epidermis and bleaching of the pigmentation are usually used.
During this procedure, bleaching agents (kojic acid, arbutin) block melanogenesis and skin. These are superficial peelings, which are performed by a course of about ten procedures once a week. The course of peelings is better to take place in the autumn-winter period. Tingling and burning are unpleasant companions of chemical peeling: its components often cause allergies.
After 2 - 3 days, the skin begins to flake slightly. You should be prepared for the fact that the visible result will not appear immediately, but at least after several procedures.
How do acids act on our skin? The effect of kojic acid is noticeable after the first session, but it often causes allergic dermatitis, which occurs after a few days. So if it is in the peeling, it is better to take an antihistamine after the procedure (the same loratadine). Peeling with retinoids also provides a fairly quick result, but can irritate the sensitive skin. Her rehabilitation will take 5 - 7 days. Fruit and almond acid exfoliate the stratum corneum gently and gradually, so the result is noticeable after at least eight procedures.
In the Soviet cosmetology school the main whitening agent was hydroquinone.
Bonus for the face
Those who do not need serious bleaching procedures, are generally satisfied with their skin, but just want to improve their complexion, we can advise the following. Intensively moisturize the skin, using cosmetics with the content of hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is the natural constituent of our skin.
Pass in the salons of facial massage procedures. They stimulate blood circulation.
Wipe your face with ice cubes.
Use a variety of creams, powders, serums with light-reflecting particles. Such funds are available from Guerlain, Clarins and other brands.
Eat more vitamin C and foods containing it: black currant.
Hydroquinone is toxic, and already in the 5% concentration "kills" not only melanocytes, but also other skin cells. In addition, sometimes it causes irritation, allergy, and occasionally burning, like ochronic disease. Use at home conditions, containing hydroquinone, can be a maximum of two months, after which you should make a two-month break.
Grinding work
The second method of bleaching and treatment of hyperpigmentation - laser resurfacing - today is considered the most relevant and effective. True, it affects the skin much more aggressive than chemical peeling. It is based on the fact that the surface layer of the skin is very quickly burned by a laser. The meaning of the procedure in ablation: the laser beam causes the skin cells (and they basically consist of water) to "boil up". In fact, laser resurfacing is a dosed burn. Sometimes it is fraught with such unpleasant side effects as increased hyperpigmentation or, conversely, hypopigmentation. There are several types of lasers. Bleaching erbium and carbon lasers is due to the removal of the stratum corneum of the epidermis, and together the elimination of fine wrinkles, scars after acne.
Erbium laser removes the skin by five microns. Carbon - at 50, it is more traumatic, so the procedure is carried out exclusively in stationary conditions.
Grinding with selective (selective) lasers is much safer. They are designed exclusively for the removal of pigmentation. The method is based on the mechanism of photothermolysis, that is, the laser beam is absorbed by cells with an increased melanin content, which leads to their destruction. In this case, skin cells with normal pigment content remain intact.
Selective lasers , namely: ruby, alexandrite, neodymium, KTP lasers - allow pigmentation on other parts of the body, pigmented scars, freckles, age spots, etc., to be removed with the help of good methods of combating pigment spots on the face. After the procedure, the spot usually darkens, and then intensively exfoliates. And in its place appears a light skin.
After all whitening procedures, home care is mandatory. First, you should apply a moisturizing and protective cream with an SPF factor of at least 15, a healing cream and a serum containing hyaluronic acid, as well as bleaching and soothing agents. Excellent professional whitening lines Cristina (Israel), Janssen Cosmeceutical Care (Germany), Laboratoires Filorga (France), Natura Bisse (Spain) will be perfect. Secondly, do not neglect and creams with herbal whitening ingredients: extracts of paper mulberry and licorice, aloesin. And, of course, face masks - with white clay, a protein mask with lemon juice, protein and cucumber.