Should You Scrub? Paula (my industry idol) responds
Q. I am completely frustrated with all the skin-care products out there for people like me (41 and with minor skin discolorations from past blemish picking, maybe six or eight total on my lower cheek area and a couple by my left and right temple area from plucking eyebrows). I would really like to know which products you would recommend for helping to lighten these areas as well as give my facial skin an overall look and feel of evenness. I have tried several expensive products as well as drugstore brands, but have yet to find a good "combo" of products that would help me achieve this goal. Please give me any advice that would help, as I am totally at my wits end!
Believe me, I share your frustration! But I'm not surprised that you are having this struggle -- there are thousands of products being sold to women in the name of skin care that mislead, lie or dupe women into believing these products can solve most any skin problem. This only fuels women's unrealistic expectations and hopes, so often they succumb to marketing claims like moths to a flame. Sadly, that is never good for the moth.
Skin discolorations and scarring caused from wounds of any kind, particularly the marks left over from blemishes, are very difficult to deal with. These skin blotches are very different from the brown spots caused by sun damage (melasma) or hormones (chloasma). Skin-lightening products containing ingredients (especially hydroquinone) that inhibit melanin production, when used in combination with a well-formulated sunscreen, can greatly reduce and potentially eliminate these types of brown discolorations, but, unfortunately, this has no effect on the actual marks left over from blemishes.
Time does tend to reduce the blotches you are dealing with, and patience can be a virtue for these kinds of problems, but no one likes waiting. By far the best skin-care options to consider are the daily use of either Retin-A or Renova (both prescription-only topicals) and exfoliating with an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA such as glycolic acid) or beta hydroxy acid (BHA, or salicylic acid) product. Tretinoin is the active ingredient in the prescription medications Retin-A and Renova. This ingredient helps normalize cell production so your skin can start making healthier, normal-color skin cells. Exfoliating skin with either AHA or BHA helps cell turnover so that healthier skin is always reflected on the surface.
It does help to wear a well-formulated sunscreen daily and to completely avoid getting a tan (which you should be doing anyway), because unprotected sun exposure and tanning inhibit the skin's ability to heal, and that would prolong the amount of time it takes to fade the marks you want to get rid of. If you haven't tried this approach, let me encourage you to give it a try. It is your best bet for success.
