HOW TO LIGHTEN SKIN DISCOLORATIONS

How to Lighten Skin Discolorations

Skin discolorations come with many names: e.g. freckles, age spots, melasma, and PIH. These are all classified as hyperpigmentation, defined as skin darkening caused by abundance of melanin.

The location of excess melanin pigmentation is important. It is either in the outer (epidermal) layer or the inner (dermal) layer of your skin. If the skin discoloration is very pronounced, the excess pigment is probably in the outer layer. Subtle marks indicate deeper layer of pigmentation.

If the excess melanin is in the deeper dermal layer, like dermal melasma, the discoloration can be most difficult to treat. Topical remedy won’t work. Fractional lasers will not help either. The practical remedy is just a cosmetic cover up. The good news is that positive results have been achieved with multi-session Nd:Yag laser treatment.

Fortunately, most cases of skin discolorations are the epidermal type, like freckles and age spots, and non-dermal melasma.

Freckles are usually hereditary, with melanocytes producing more than the normal melanin pigments. The more you are exposed to the sun, the darker the freckles get. Daily sun protection is a must!

Age spots are small brown patches of the skin, the cumulative effect of unprotected sun exposure since birth. The number of pigment producing melanocytes is increased, leading to dark brown spots. Once age spots are formed, they remain pretty stable in their color even if you get more sun exposure.

Melasma is triggered by hormonal fluctuation, during pregnancy, and aggravated by sun exposure.

Exfoliate and lighten skin discolorations
with DERMAX Retinol C serum

Treatment options for epidermal discolorations are:

• Topical treatments with sunscreens and lightening creams & lotions
• Peels, combined with topical treatments
• Dermal roller
• Fractional lasers and Nd:Yag laser

Save on unnecessary expense by consulting first with your dermatologist. They are trained to diagnose if you have dermal or epidermal type of pigmentation. They will then prescribe the best treatment option for your specific skin condition.

 

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This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on August 5, 2014 . The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. Skin Smart aims to clarify facts and myths on skin care. Send your questions and comments to info@skinstation.ph. 

HOW GLUTATHIONE A.I.D.S. YOUR BODY

HOW GLUTATHIONE A.I.D.S. YOUR BODY

Glutathione is found in every human cell, and produced abundantly by the liver. Glutathione also exists naturally in fruits, vegetables and meats. The majority of its benefits can be summarized in the acronym “A.I.D.S.”

A – Antioxidant

Glutathione is often referred to as the master antioxidant. It is. Glutathione recycles and recharges all the antioxidants in our cells. None of the antioxidants could function at their optimum level without the presence of glutathione. The process of recharging antioxidants is enhanced by the addition of vitamin C to glutathione.

I – Immune System Booster

By keeping our intracellular glutathione level up, we also keep our immune system fully armed. Glutathione supports the ability of the body’s immune system to fight pathogens and antigens - agents of cellular damage, toxicity and disease.

According to webmd.com, people take glutathione supplements to prevent aging, hepatitis, liver disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, diseases that weaken the body’s defense system, memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoarthritis, and Parkinson’s disease. Healthcare providers also give glutathione intravenously for preventing anemia, patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment, treating Parkinson’s disease, improving blood flow and decreasing clotting in individuals with hardening of the arteries, treating diabetes, and preventing toxic side effects of chemotherapy.

D – Detoxification

Glutathione levels are highest in the liver, the body’s major detoxifying organ. Experimental studies have shown that low glutathione levels lead to poor liver and kidney function, and result in unnecessarily large quantities of toxins. Chronic liver diseases, whether alcohol or non-alcohol related, have been successfully treated with high dose of IV-glutathione treatment, resulting in improved liver function.

S – Skin Lightening

Aside from its many biologic functions, glutathione has become popular in the Philippines and other Asian countries for its purported skin lightening effect. There are clinical research data to support the beneficial effect of glutathione in pigmentary disorders. Various concepts have been proposed to explain the lightening activity. One of these is the same mechanism attributed to most antioxidants: Glutathione neutralizes free radicals that contribute to activation of melanin formation.

It is important to understand that glutathione, or any whitening active for that matter, cannot make you any whiter than what you really are. It may only bring back your original skin color that may have been made several tones darker by accumulated sun exposure. Your lifestyle will determine how far you will maintain the effect. One day of unprotected and prolonged sun exposure will negate all the gains you have made in making your skin tone lighter. 

Glutathione cannot give the same absolute results for everyone. What’s effective to others may not be effective to you. Always seek medical advice.

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Skin Smart seeks to clarify facts and myths on skin care. This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on June 11, 2013.  The author  received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry.  He is the CEO of SkinStation and can be reached at fred.reyes@skinstation.ph. 

Nanotechnology in Skin Care

Nanotechnology in Skin Care

Nanotechnology is not a new concept. This technology has been in use for many years in various scientific applications. Skin care is just a new dimension of the technology. With nanotechnology, active ingredients are converted into very tiny microscopic particles, so tiny that they can penetrate deep into the skin, giving astonishing results.

Ordinarily, skin care actives only lay on the surface of the skin. This is good enough for sunscreen products.  Sun protection should happen at the outermost layer of the skin. But for anti-aging or lightening products, they must work inside the skin to have any effect at all.

Nanotechnology enhances the benefits of many skin care products. Nano-sized natural whitening actives like licorice extract and ellagic acid are used in the DERMAX NanoWhite line, which is available exclusively at SkinStation.  These nano sized lightening actives can better penetrate the dermal and epidermal junction where melanin formation can be effectively minimized. Many anti-aging actives are now also being used in nano form. Examples are the antioxidants from green tea and grapes and the anti-irritant ursulic acid. DERMAX HYAL-C serum has nano-sized hyaluronic acid to provide lifting and dermal-filler like effects. Topical lip plumper using nanotechnology is now possible. Although effect can be transient, it could provide a way to avoid expensive lip augmentation procedure.

Nanotechnology products are also used for treating dark circles under the eyes. Dark eye circles occur due to problem with microcirculation of blood. They look ugly and are difficult to eliminate. A blend of nano-ingredients can much more readily penetrate to improve blood circulation. Also, nanotechnology is being explored to treat spider veins and to prevent stretch marks. Many more exciting breakthrough developments are forthcoming.

Encapsulating nano particles is a very recent development. This has tremendously boosted effectiveness and stability of new skin care products. Encapsulation protects the degradation of nano-actives, keeping them as fresh and as effective as when they were first added into the blend. Nano encapsulated active ingredients are used extensively in SkinStation's DERMAX line of professional skin care products. 

Definitely, the future of skin care lies in tapping advanced technologies. That future is now available in SkinStation.

(In July 2012, the author spoke before the members of Philippine Society for Cosmetic Science (PSCS) on the same topic, with the title, "Nano+Encapsulation Technology in Personal Care Products". The updated and modified version of that presentation before the PSCS can be accessed here:  https://app.box.com/s/7igjxmfyh5olyz6ktlv7.)
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This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on April 3, 2012. The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulations Commission for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. He can be reached at fred.reyes@skinstation.ph.