How Do I Get Rid of the Dark Spots on My Face?

[Part-Time Chad]

I started using Retin-A skin cream (tretinoin 0.1%) about 15 years ago to maintain a youthful facial appearance. It works by deeply exfoliating the upper layers of your skin, allowing a new, fresh layer to emerge underneath it.

Unfortunately, I made a big mistake that haunts me to this day.

Instead of gently removing the skin that started to peel off my face with a sponge, I used an abrasive pad, and even my fingers, to harshly scrub it off. This caused my cheeks to bleed, which became big dark spots after they healed. So, now, I look like I'm afflicted with leprosy or Kaposi's sarcoma.

I've been trying to get rid of this hyperpigmentation (dark spots) on my cheeks for years to no avail. I tried almost everything. Nothing fucking works. My dark spots are like the alien spacecraft in the movie Independence Day, that survives every attack, including a nuclear bomb.

So, after all these years, I've finally thrown in the towel, and I'm ready to drop at least $5k for a cosmetic dermatologist to, hopefully, have these scars removed. I'm not even sure if it's possible at this point, but I'm crossing my fingers.

Which procedure would be most effective in removing dermal (deep) hyperpigmentation? Lasers? A chemical peel? Something else?

I need advice before I even begin to start looking for the right place to go, because there are hundreds of places that do many different procedures.

 

[schizo echochamber]

It’s just lasers man, same thing they use for flat moles, just different intensity.
There’s too many ways to go about it and bleaching evenly could be another solution.
Better just make an appointment at the dermatologist, even online works I’m pretty sure they do that now and your case isn’t hard to describe.
Good luck.

 

[Part-Time Chad]

It’s just lasers man, same thing they use for flat moles, just different intensity.
There’s too many ways to go about it and bleaching evenly could be another solution.
Better just make an appointment at the dermatologist, even online works I’m pretty sure they do that now and your case isn’t hard to describe.
Good luck.

Thanks. I guess I can just use my health insurance, and talk to a regular dermatologist first, and have him tell me where to go. It's just annoying to deal with an extra appointment, though.

 

[chefdomino]

I started using Retin-A skin cream (tretinoin 0.1%) about 15 years ago to maintain a youthful facial appearance. It works by deeply exfoliating the upper layers of your skin, allowing a new, fresh layer to emerge underneath it.

Unfortunately, I made a big mistake that haunts me to this day.

Instead of gently removing the skin that started to peel off my face with a sponge, I used an abrasive pad, and even my fingers, to harshly scrub it off. This caused my cheeks to bleed, which became big dark spots after they healed. So, now, I look like I'm afflicted with leprosy or Kaposi's sarcoma.

I've been trying to get rid of this hyperpigmentation (dark spots) on my cheeks for years to no avail. I tried almost everything. Nothing fucking works. My dark spots are like the alien spacecraft in the movie Independence Day, that survives every attack, including a nuclear bomb.

So, after all these years, I've finally thrown in the towel, and I'm ready to drop at least $5k for a cosmetic dermatologist to, hopefully, have these scars removed. I'm not even sure if it's possible at this point, but I'm crossing my fingers.

Which procedure would be most effective in removing dermal (deep) hyperpigmentation? Lasers? A chemical peel? Something else?

I need advice before I even begin to start looking for the right place to go, because there are hundreds of places that do many different procedures.

benzoyl peroxide

 

[Part-Time Chad]

benzoyl peroxide

For removing red marks associated with acne (post-inflammatory erythema, or PIE), Benzoyl peroxide is king. For darker scars (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation PIH), brightening agents like mandelic acid or hydroquinone are a better choice.

Googled it. That's what I got.

Don't even want to get into strong creams. I did enough damage to my face already.

 

[chefdomino]

For removing red marks associated with acne (post-inflammatory erythema, or PIE), Benzoyl peroxide is king. For darker scars (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation PIH), brightening agents like mandelic acid or hydroquinone are a better choice.

Googled it. That's what I got.

Don't even want to get into strong creams. I did enough damage to my face already.

yeah I had really bad dark spots and it cleared them up, along with my horrible scars from my bacne. wont work for everyone tho ig

 

[chefdomino]

Don't even want to get into strong creams.

its not that strong just use it sparingly and get 5% instead of anything higher, will take longer to work though.

 

[Part-Time Chad]

yeah I had really bad dark spots and it cleared them up, along with my horrible scars from my bacne. wont work for everyone tho ig

Were your dark spots dermal hyperpigmentation, or were they epidermal, though?
Dermal dark spots (like mine) lie under the skin and can't be exfoliated off. It's like trying to remove a tattoo.

 

[chefdomino]

mine definitely couldnt be exfoliated off but i guess benzoyl peroxide got them to fade eventually for me, although supposedly thats not its function.

 

[Part-Time Chad]

mine definitely couldnt be exfoliated off but i guess benzoyl peroxide got them to fade eventually for me, although supposedly thats not its function.

OK, hopefully, the effect will last. A lot of 'bleaching' agents will lighten dark spots temporarily, but as soon as you stop using them, the dark spots come right back.

 

[chefdomino]

OK, hopefully, the effect will last. A lot of 'bleaching' agents will lighten dark spots temporarily, but as soon as you stop using them, the dark spots come right back.

yeah my skins pretty much perfect now, but yes the spots on my acne did come back a little but are barely visible

 

[Part-Time Chad]

.....

 

[Part-Time Chad]

yeah my skins pretty much perfect now, but yes the spots on my acne did come back a little but are barely visible

I'm all set. Will start it tonight. Let's see what happens after 12 weeks.

 

[chefdomino]

I'm all set. Will start it tonight. Let's see what happens after 12 weeks.

alright, be very sparing at first a little goes a long way