In this post, Kay (IG: @Kaygebeauty) and I discuss the importance of combining skincare Ingredients when it comes to hyperpigmentation, and which ones to combine. For example, azelaic acid and retinol, niacinamide and retinol, hydroquinone and tretinoin, kojic acid and glycolic acid, tranexamic acid, arbutin, and more.
Dark Marks: How Long Does it Take Skincare to Work
Dark marks can be tough to treat, but did you know that you can effectively get rid of dark spots/marks very fast? It just would require more from you.
We will cover:
Well-known pigment lighteners and how long they take to work
Treatments like chemical peels and lasers and how long those take to work.
Combinations of both topicals and treatments and how long the combo takes to work.
Factors that influence how quickly or slowly your spots fade.
Rule of Thumb
If you’re consistent with your skincare, it can take 1-3 months on the face and 3-6 months on the body to get rid of dark spots/marks. This difference in timeframe is because the skin on your body is much thicker than on your face. If you do nothing, it can take years, especially as an adult. Your skin cells aren’t turning over as quickly as they used to be when you were younger. So, don’t go looking at yourself in the mirror after one week of using your skincare product.
That said, are there products that can show results in 7 days? Yes! But those products usually contain steroids or mercury. Steroids thin the skin after prolonged use, and mercury is toxic.
Pigment Lighteners: how long they take to show improvement/work
Tretinoin 4 weeks
Hq 4-8% 1-3 months
Azelaic acid 20% 1-3 months
4% HQ and tretinoin 4-12 weeks
Azelaic acid 20% and glycolic acid 12 weeks
Kojic acid 12 weeks
Alpha arbutin 12 weeks
Kojic acid, arbutin and glycolic acid 4 weeks
Tranexamic acid 4-12 weeks
AHAs 12 weeks
Vitamin c (if you get a good one) 3- 2 months
Niacinamide (I honestly don’t rely on this alone to treat my hyperpigmentation unless it’s been combined with vitamin c, kojic acid, aha, or retinoid) 8-12 weeks
Combination (topicals and laser or peel): 6-8 weeks (favorite method for stubborn spots, also more cost-effective than relying on treatments alone)
Chemical peel (depending on the depth of the peel) after 3- 6 treatments (cosmelan)
Laser (picosure): After 3-4 treatments (These treatments are spaced about by at least 2 to 4 weeks, or sometimes as long as 8 weeks if you have sensitive skin or a darker complexion).
Influencing Factors
How deep the hyperpigmentation is (when it comes to the seriousness of hyperpigmentation, there are two types: epidermal and dermal pigmentation)
Consistency
Skin types/genes
Your average daily sun exposure
Question
Be honest, how long do you give your skincare products before you start losing hope?
Recommended post: 4 Best Ways to Remove Scars from Legs Fast https://bit.ly/2UWo1yt
In this post, we’ll look at the four best ways to remove scars from your legs fast. When I say get rid of scars, I’m referring to dark marks. You may find it used interchangeably in this post.
We Will Cover:
Kojic acid soap and glycolic acid
Tretinoin & spot lighteners. Hydroquinone or tretinoin & azelaic or tretinoin and cyspera (cysteamine)
Chemical Peels
Lasers
The Importance of Consistency
I get my sensitive and spot retaining skin from my mom. Growing up, I would watch her spots/scars, and skin issues fade much faster than mine, even though she was older and had a slower skin cell turnover. This happened because she was very consistent with her routine, while I was the complete opposite-inconsistent and approached my routine in a lackadaisical manner.
The nighttime routine is so essential, yet that’s what most people skip because they’re tired. Even if you miss your routine for one reason or the other, pick yourself back up the next day. Right your wrongs and keep it pushing.
Strategy: Try to get your routine done earlier in the day before your willpower depletes.
Importance of Sun Protection
When you expose your skin to the sun, your skin’s way of protecting you is by producing more melanin. What does this mean for your dark marks and scars? It means they get darker and harder to treat. So, be sure to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.
When to Expect Results
Kojic acid and glycolic acid (3 -6 months on the body might take longer than six months if you have a skin that retains spot)
Tretinoin & spot lighteners – hydroquinone (1-3 months 3 -6 months on the body. Probably come about faster if you don’t have a skin that retains spots)
Chemical peels: Cosmelan after 3-6 weeks, VI peel after 3 – 6 treatments. However, you’d notice some improvement after your first treatment. 3(a). Glycolic acid & TCA peel: After 2-4 treatments (although you will notice some improvement after the first peel).
Laser Treatment results are first visible about 2 or 3 weeks after the first appointment.
In this post, I discuss my experience with azelaic acid.
What is azelaic acid good for?
During my visits with my dermatologists, if my skin didn’t tolerate hydroquinone, he was going to write me an azelaic acid prescription for my dark spots. Azelaic acid is generally well tolerated, even on sensitive skin. Azelaic acid works by reducing melanin production in hyperactive areas. This makes It great at treating melasma. It has also been used to improve the appearance of acne, rosacea, uneven skin texture, and large pores.
How effective is azelaic acid for hyperpigmentation
Generally, the results produced by azelaic acid have been shown to be comparable to those of HQ. Here are three studies to consider:
Three hundred twenty-nine women with melasma were treated with either 20% azelaic acid or 4% hydroquinone. Both creams were applied twice daily- 65% of patients using azelaic acid had good to excellent results compared with 73% of patients using 4% hydroquinone.
In another study, involving 155 melasma patients, 20% azelaic acid was superior to 2% hydroquinone in clearing melasma.
In a third study that compared the combination of azelaic acid and tretinoin to azelaic acid alone, the combination was found to be more effective. Here, 50 Asian patients were treated with either a double combination or a 20% azelaic acid cream over a 6 month period. Both treatments yielded approximately 73% good to excellent results. However, the double combination cream showed a faster response and a more pronounced improvement during the first 3 months and had a higher rate of excellent results at the end of 6 months.
How to use azelaic acid
Azelaic acid can be used once or twice daily.
Once for people who may find it intolerable
Twice a day if you want to see fast results.
For an added effect, consider using it with a retinoid at nighttime or an exfoliant.
Azelaic acid routine
AM
Cleanse
Vitamin c (optional)
Azelaic acid
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
PM
Cleanse
Retinoid
Azelaic acid
Moisturizer
Results
It can take anywhere from 1-3 months to see results on the face. On the body, give it about 3- 6 months
Important things to know
According to Sheth and Pandya (2011) Side effects are generally mild: Short term Stinging, burning, scaling, mild erythema, and pruritus
It can be combined with retinoids for an added benefit
Unlike hydroquinone and arbutin, azelaic acid is safe for pregnant women and nursing mothers
Azelaic acid can also be combined with other pigment lighteners for best results. For example, a dermatologist could write you a prescription for both hydroquinone and azelaic acid. Then ask you to use azelaic acid in the morning and hydroquinone at night; this typically yields faster results than azelaic acid alone.
Products to try
Aziderm 20% azelaic acid cream and gel
Melazapem 20% azelaic acid (available on Amazon
The ordinary (not very effective. Will take longer to show results)
In this blog post, you will learn how to remove scars on your legs fast.
If you have scars or dark spots on your legs or your body and feel like you can’t wear certain clothes, I’m here to let you know that it gets better. This is something I’ve dealt with my entire life, and today I’m going to be sharing with you how I remove scars or dark spots on my legs fast – in just three steps.
I’ve divided these three steps into three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
The beginner level is for people who have minor scars or spots. Or whose scars are not old. Intermediate is for those who have many dark spots, whose spots or scars are not too new or too old. If you’re consistent, intermediate will get the job done in record time. Finally, if you have the means and want to get rid of your scars as soon as possible, the advanced level is for you.
Level one – Beginner
For this level, all you need are an exfoliating body lotion and kojic acid. There are many exfoliating body lotions on the market; my top four are Amlactin, Alpha skincare, Glytone, and Ameliorate. There are so many options on the market. They contain the same main ingredients: AHAs or BHAs. As for kojic acid soap, when you go to shower, apply your soap on the area and leave it on for about 30 to 60 seconds or even longer but nothing over four minutes. Then wash it off. When you come out of the shower, you grab your exfoliating lotion and apply it to the affected area. Don’t wait until your skin is dry, and remember, consistency is key.
Level two – Intermediate
The second level is where a lot of my audience are, myself included. Here you would need tretinoin or retinoid or an exfoliant and a skin lightener, aka tyrosinase inhibitor.
Level three – Advanced
If you have the means and you want to see results come about faster. If you want someone else to handle and manage this condition for you, you are at the right level. Here you would need chemical peels or laser treatment.
Watch the video below for a detailed guide on how to remove scars on legs fast.
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