Hey all, I've been reading this board for a while trying to find a similar case to mine to reference but to no avail. I'm a 19 year old African-American and my acne isn't to bad, but I have dark blemishes on my face (I don't think it's scaring cause there is no indention). I was wondering if I should use a chemical peel, I know because of my dark skin I could only use a light one. Another possibility was just a great cleanser combo but I have no clue what is best on my particular type of skin.
If anyone can steer me in the right direction as to what type of cleanser to get, moisturizer, blemish control, etc. etc., I would seriously appreciate it.
Have you thought about trying glycolic acid? I just started using a toner w/ 11% glycolic acid. Chemical peels use glycolic acid, just in a higher concentration (30-70%). A product w/ about 10% would be gentler on your skin, and there wouldn't be any 'down time' - it will help to fade those red/dark marks and also aid in keeping your skin clear in the process.
hi there. i am in a semi similar situation as yours. i have good skin for the most part, but get a pimple here and there, and have a few discolored patches and light scars from old breakouts, and was looking into chemical peels to maybe help me. instead, i found a product by loreal. it is a home micro dermabrasion kit, that refinishes skins texture, erases damage and reduces discolorations. i just bought it today, and havent used it yet, but i have a few friends that have tried it, and they look great after using this for a short period of time. i am starting it tomorrow. you are supposed to use it 3 times a week. i am excited to use this. maybe you should look into it as well for your situation?
If the marks are not indented then there definitely not scars. They are just marks from old acne, and will disappear in time. Chemical peels would help them a lot, but it is not true that you can’t get deeper ones. TCA peels, which are fairly deep (nothing dangerous), are specifically designed for people with darker skin. If you were to go to a dermatologist that had chemical peels they would know which one to do that wouldn’t cause fading of the skin.
Manders - I haven't tried glycolic acid yet, do you think I should just get a toner or some kind of combo pack? Thanks a lot for the input
Marcy - I will DEFINITELY try that, do you know the exact name of the product and where I can find it so I can look it up and do some research? It definitely sounds amazing, thank you
John - Oh wow I thought any stronger peels then the lightest would be overkill, maybe I'll also invest in a stronger peel now. And yes I don't think they are scars now, I don't really feel an indent but they do feel scabby. Thanks a lot for the help
I just use a glycolic acid toner (Aqua Glycolic). You can get a chemical peel that you can do at home with a higher % of glycolic acid - it seems to be pretty safe, or so I've heard. Avon sells one. I would give some sort of glycolic acid a shot, it is supposed to work pretty well!
Also, does anyone know of a good day-to-day treatment I should follow with my type of skin? Right now all I use is Neutrogena, and I really don't think that it's enough alone. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
hey again. the product i refered to is by loreal. its called refinish micro dermabrasion kit. i got it at walmart. it was about 20 bucks. i just used it for the first time this morning, and my skin is soo soft! and feels so light. after doing the first step, you face is slightly pink, but it goes away in minutes. after the first step you apply the lotion. with the directions it comes with, there is a few questions and answers, and one is what made me want to use it. the question was what are the long term benefits? answer...the textural benefits are apparent immediately ( i found this to be true) long term, surface sun damage is erased, fine lines are reduced and skin tone is brightened and evened. i really believe this will work great. i am excited to continue the use.
Also, does anyone know of a good day-to-day treatment I should follow with my type of skin? Right now all I use is Neutrogena, and I really don't think that it's enough alone. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Well since you say your skin isn't that bad in the first place you don't want to do too much, I too have laughable acne but acne is acne no matter how minor or extreme, but you can't use the same products for both conditions. The worst the acne the more oiler the skin tends to be so products with high % of BP won't do as much harm as it would on skin like yours. It's best to use BP and sac acid to keep your skin under control,but if it aint broke don't fix it. I compromise by using a gentle cleanser (cetaphil, origins) then I'll I use something with Benzoyl Peroxide at night(gel or moisturizer) Oil-free moisturizers during the day, and retin-A at night (switch the routine) Hope this helps.
Cool, can you give me some good brand names because I know nothing about the best acne medicine on the market. I need a cleanser and moisturizer/toner (I think?)
Also, do you guys think I can use Aque Glycolic with the Loreal refinisher?
I haven't used the refinisher. I would think that you could use the refinisher once a week (or pretty infrequently). I use the A.G. toner once a day (at night) after I wash my face. So, I would think that as long as you don't overdo the application of either product, you could possibly do it. I would probably say that if you use the refinishing product, you could skip the toner for a day or two.
girlygal, the 10% toner I was refering to is Aqua Glycolic toner. You can get it at Eckerds drug store or Walgreens (but at Walgreens you have to go to the pharmacist and ask for it - you don't need a prescription, they just keep it back there).
guru - the toner could replace a cleanser if you don't wear makeup. If you do, you would need to cleanse first. Another alternative is the Aqua Glycolic Facial cleanser, which also contains glycolic acid.
Glycolic acid aids your skin in shedding it's dead surface layer, which decreases the chances of getting clogged pores (since dead skin cells mixed w/ oil contribute to acne).
At a 10% level, glycolic acid is not really a peel. It will, with continued use, fade old acne marks, increase skins smoothness, and help to keep skin clearer. It also claims to reduce oil production, but I'm not sure about that. I've been using my Aqua Glycolic toner for about 3 weeks now, and I love it.
I use the toner along with a 2% salicylic acid acne wash (then tone) and finish with a benzoyl peroxide cream that also contains glycolic acid. Sounds like a lot of acid, I know, but for my skin it seems to work really well.
I use Clearasil Ultra cream. It is a little more expensive ($7-8) than the regular Clearasil, but that may be due to the fact that it contains the glycolic acid also. I believe you said you don't have very bad acne, right? Mine is mild - moderate (depending on the time of the month - eh). I have found that spreading a thin layer of the cream over my face after using the toner (wait a few minutes) works really well. If my face feels a little dry that day, I mix the Clearasil Ultra with some oil-free moisturizer. This is my evening routine. In the morning I do not use the toner or benzoyl peroxide, I just wash or use a mild exfoliating scrub.
