HELP! which is better for my skin? Retinol, CP or Diacneal?
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Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:04 am

I'm trying to get rid of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation on my face. They are from a acne scar that reacted badly with gycolic acid wash which turned to bad dermatitis/eczema and was able to heal up the wound with protopic and Hirudoid cream.

They are pretty big (0.5"X1") and color is mainly purple and some are turning pinkish. Surface is flat and texture is back and very similar to my normal skin texture.

Currently I'm using Skinceutical C 20AOX with Phyto. But I want to speed it up since they are so ugly!! Confused

Is Retinol my best choice? or should I try Copper Peptide? or do spot
treatment with Diacneal?

I have normal/dry skin. don't break out except some clogged pores on my cheek.

and how long will it take until it goes back to my normal skin color?

I hate my face right now.... Sad

free skin care · Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:12 am

I am no longer a CP fan so I am biased against CP;s but regardless, I don't believe CP's can help with pigmentation problem. Mine got worse while religiously using my CP's but they were caused from sun exposure. I am a hardcore user of Retin A's but they work slowly over the long term. Not a quick fix. I'm not familiar with the other product you mentioned. In the meantime, I would get some good Mineral Makeup and cover it up...and visualize it lightning Wink

!

free skin care · Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:15 am

I don't have a hyperpigmentation issue as such but I have been left with a lot of nasty red marks post acne and peel and these have been faded quickly with regular use of retin a. If I could only use one product for the rest of my life it would be Retin A, it's the best Very Happy

Of course you must wear a really good sunscreen as well!

free skin care · Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:05 pm

Hi imbossy:

The most common ingredient in products that reduce hyperpigmentation is glycolic acid. The glycolic reacts with the upper layer of the epidermis and weakening the binding lipids. When this happens the upper layer of dead skin cells virtually disappear, revealing a younger & healthier layer of skin from below.

Glycolic acid is only one of three different strengths of AHA's. Lactic and Citric acid are also considered fruit acids.

Glycolic acid lotions & serums will NOT produce as significant of a result as Glycolic peels (at home fruit peels are very simple & safe to do). Start with a 10%-15% peel and slowly work your way up to 30% - 50% over time. A series of about 6-8 peels (1 - 2 weeks apart) should resolve your problem.

Remedy #2

Apple Cider Vinegar - ACV application is simple: use a cotton ball to apply a solution of 2 parts water to 2 parts ACV to affected areas of the skin. Rub for 1-2 minutes every morning and evening. A noticable reduction should be evident after about 1 week.

Remedy #3

Hydroquinone topical gel or cream is generally advised for people suffering from hyper pigmented areas such as; age spots, melasma, freckles - basically the type of spots that are brownish vs. red in color. For this reason, most acne sufferers with red marks do NOT see much improvement with Hydroquinone.

Products that treat acne spots & hyper pigmentation:

SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 Maximum Strength Refining Night Cream - Specifically formulated to combat photo-damage, age spots, and most any problematic area of the skin from acne to scars.

SkinCeuticals Phyto+ - contains dramatic skin lightening active ingredients to include natural extracts of cucumber thyme, kojic acid & arbutin. Use twice a day and be sure to follow with sunscreen.

High Potency Vitamin C serums (Many quality brands to consider) - will help restore normal pigmentation to the skin. Also treats the skin by making it firmer, and more radiant. About 4 weeks of regular use to see solid results.

Mela-D by La Roche-Posay - This is a daily lightening lotion containing 2% hydroquinone (remember hydroquinone is not the best remedy for acne spots)

Alpha Hydrox AHA 12% Souffle - a slower result than a series of glycolic acid peels but overtime will definitely help fade your problem spots.

HTH

Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:08 am

Thanks so much for all your inputs!

Fairlady, I have a few questions regarding your suggestion.

1) I seem to react to glycolic acid. Would I be
able to achieve the same result with lactic acid peels? I heard they are much for suitable for sensitive skin.

2) Should I use vitamin C serum in Ester or L-ascorbic acid kind? I've been using Skinceuticals C serum 20 AOX for awhile but the result has been somewhat slow. I heard that Ester works better.

I would to stay away from hydroquinone as much as possible since it can cause cancer. I'd rather take some time to fix the problem with other solution then take a short cut and get myself in more trouble later.

free skin care · Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:47 am

Hi imbossy - I will try to answer your questions:

1.) Lactic Acid is the mildest of the AHA's and although it is good for sensitive skin it may not be able to take care of the red marks you are hoping to eliminate. Lactic Acid is not a recommended product for acne scarring while TCA and Glycolic both are. Here is a link to a site that provides good information on all the chemical peels:
http://www.30glycolic.com/glycolic_acid_comparison.html

2.) Good Question. Personally, I am not 100% sure which one would be best. L-Ascorbic Acid is acidic and therefore can cause stinging and irritation in sensitive skin users. It is highly unstable when exposed to heat, light & air because L-Ascorbic Acid degrades due to its conversion into dehydroascorbic acid. Dehydroascorbic Acid is the inactive form for Vitamin C. L-Ascorbic acid is water soluble. Yet this form is the most recommended topical form of Vitamin C. Ester C is fat soluble and claims to be able to penetrate the skin 8X faster, thus providing higher levels of skin compatible Vitamin C into the skin. It is non-acidic and much more stable lasting up to 2 yrs. 15%-18% of Vitamin C Ester are the highest levels available (that I am aware of anyways). There is fair amount of reliable data to back-up Vitamin C L-Ascorbic acid and a lesser amount appears to be available on Topical Ester C. Here is a link that provides some good information on Vitamin C derivatives and after reading this you may wish to simply prepare your own Vit C serum as a best choice.

http://www.smartskincare.com/treatments/topical/vitcderiv.html

HTH

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