gold3509
Feb 10, 2010, 09:05 AM
I got this off a website...
Lighten Skin Safely, If you Suffer Discolorations
4:51PM | February 8, 2010 |
" A lot of people suffer from discoloration on their skin," said Manhattan dermatologist, Dr. Ariel Ostad. "Certainly we see a lot of African-Americans and Hispanics, and a lot of fair-skinned individuals who develop discolorations on their skin from hormones.
" Many of these people seek treatment.
" The mainstay of treatment is an ingredient called hydroquinone.
" Hydroquinone comes in a variety of concentrations.
" Recently there's been a controversy regarding hydroquinone. The question is whether prolonged exposure to hydroquinone can lead to problems later on; whether it can be a cancer-causing agent. The FDA is still out on that. We still don't know.
" We do know that used for a short time, in low concentrations, it's been used over a decade and it's been proven to be safe.
" It's when people use higher and higher concentrations, it's when people use it for prolonged period of time potentially a few things can happen. Number one you can actually get the opposite effect. You actually get darkening of your skin or you get a condition called okrinosis, where that hydroquinone can actually get deposited in your skin and actually causes a darkening of your skin.
" There are incidences where where researchers feel that hydroquinone may actually cause problems years later, and we still, the jury is still out on that. We usually say that it's safe to use hydroquinone for approximately 6 months, we say in low concentrations, usually up to 4%.
" There's a lot of companies that promote their hydroquinone at 2% and you can find that over the counter.
" There's hydroquinone at 4% by prescription which is clearly twice as strong and works faster and works better but certainly these products should not be used for a long period. Use should be done under the supervision of your physician.
" The problem we also run into is that there is an unrestricted use of this bleaching creams that are mixed with steroids. We're seeing more and more people finding these bleaching creams mixed with steroids that are sold over the counter, at hair salons, at spas and unfortunately the consumer doesn't know what the ingredients in this are. They begin to use it and it's only later that they experience that they've actually got what's called atrophy, which causes thinning of the skin or stretch marks on their skin, especially if they're using it on their face. They can develop broken blood vessels, and certainly with prolonged use you can actually get absorption of steroids in your body which can lead to elevated sugar levels or diabetes, also high blood pressure, and certainly osteoporosis with bone loss. So it's important that you seek the advice of a physician before you go ahead and rely on someone selling you these products over the counter.
" The label might say hydroquinone but sometimes you have to look very carefully to see what the other active ingredients are. Unfortunately even if the active ingredient is labeled, it won't tell you if there's a steroid, it certainly won't be called anything you would recognize.
There was always much speculation about what Michael Jackson was using to lighten his skin.
Dr. Ariel Ostad has some ideas.
" I think he was using a very high concentration of hydroquinone, your physician can sometimes formulate hydroquinone that can go as high as 8%, 9% and that can really fade your skin. But it can certainly cause problems later.
" Although hydroquinone is the mainstay of treatment, and certainly it's available over the counter at a low concentration and there are prescription strengths of hydroquinone which a majority of physicians use, but it's important for listeners to know is that there are alternatives to hydroquinone. Certainly for people who have tried hydroquinone without success, or for people who do not want to take the risk of using hydroquinone, there are other products that absolutely don't use any hydroquinone and they work as effectively.
" There's one called Black Opal. It's a gel that's used lighten brown spots and discoloration. The main ingredient is 2% hydroquinone. It is safe, if only used for 6 months. The problem with 2% is that it is not that effective.
" There is Kinerase with furfuryladenine. It's an anti-aging brightening system that's able to turn your skin over and lighten spots.
"LaRoche medical serum is like Kinerase. It's sold over the counter. It's a spot concentrate, the main ingredient is Kojic acid, and also contains alpha-hydroxy, it turns your skin over safely. It doesn't contain anything that would create abnormal cells.
" Lamixyl is highly effective. It's more potent than 4% hydroquinone. If spots prove resistant to over the counter mixtures, get a prescription for this topical brightening cream.
"These treatments are permanent," said Ostad, "as long as the patient doesn't get any sun exposure in the future. Any exposure will tan those spots again.
It's important to use daily suncreen that you reapply after about three or four hours. No sunscreen lasts beyond that time."
Help Me Howard Blog ? WPIX-TV (http://weblogs.wpix.com/news/helpmehoward/2010/02/lighten_your_skin_safely_if_yo.html)
Lighten Skin Safely, If you Suffer Discolorations
4:51PM | February 8, 2010 |
" A lot of people suffer from discoloration on their skin," said Manhattan dermatologist, Dr. Ariel Ostad. "Certainly we see a lot of African-Americans and Hispanics, and a lot of fair-skinned individuals who develop discolorations on their skin from hormones.
" Many of these people seek treatment.
" The mainstay of treatment is an ingredient called hydroquinone.
" Hydroquinone comes in a variety of concentrations.
" Recently there's been a controversy regarding hydroquinone. The question is whether prolonged exposure to hydroquinone can lead to problems later on; whether it can be a cancer-causing agent. The FDA is still out on that. We still don't know.
" We do know that used for a short time, in low concentrations, it's been used over a decade and it's been proven to be safe.
" It's when people use higher and higher concentrations, it's when people use it for prolonged period of time potentially a few things can happen. Number one you can actually get the opposite effect. You actually get darkening of your skin or you get a condition called okrinosis, where that hydroquinone can actually get deposited in your skin and actually causes a darkening of your skin.
" There are incidences where where researchers feel that hydroquinone may actually cause problems years later, and we still, the jury is still out on that. We usually say that it's safe to use hydroquinone for approximately 6 months, we say in low concentrations, usually up to 4%.
" There's a lot of companies that promote their hydroquinone at 2% and you can find that over the counter.
" There's hydroquinone at 4% by prescription which is clearly twice as strong and works faster and works better but certainly these products should not be used for a long period. Use should be done under the supervision of your physician.
" The problem we also run into is that there is an unrestricted use of this bleaching creams that are mixed with steroids. We're seeing more and more people finding these bleaching creams mixed with steroids that are sold over the counter, at hair salons, at spas and unfortunately the consumer doesn't know what the ingredients in this are. They begin to use it and it's only later that they experience that they've actually got what's called atrophy, which causes thinning of the skin or stretch marks on their skin, especially if they're using it on their face. They can develop broken blood vessels, and certainly with prolonged use you can actually get absorption of steroids in your body which can lead to elevated sugar levels or diabetes, also high blood pressure, and certainly osteoporosis with bone loss. So it's important that you seek the advice of a physician before you go ahead and rely on someone selling you these products over the counter.
" The label might say hydroquinone but sometimes you have to look very carefully to see what the other active ingredients are. Unfortunately even if the active ingredient is labeled, it won't tell you if there's a steroid, it certainly won't be called anything you would recognize.
There was always much speculation about what Michael Jackson was using to lighten his skin.
Dr. Ariel Ostad has some ideas.
" I think he was using a very high concentration of hydroquinone, your physician can sometimes formulate hydroquinone that can go as high as 8%, 9% and that can really fade your skin. But it can certainly cause problems later.
" Although hydroquinone is the mainstay of treatment, and certainly it's available over the counter at a low concentration and there are prescription strengths of hydroquinone which a majority of physicians use, but it's important for listeners to know is that there are alternatives to hydroquinone. Certainly for people who have tried hydroquinone without success, or for people who do not want to take the risk of using hydroquinone, there are other products that absolutely don't use any hydroquinone and they work as effectively.
" There's one called Black Opal. It's a gel that's used lighten brown spots and discoloration. The main ingredient is 2% hydroquinone. It is safe, if only used for 6 months. The problem with 2% is that it is not that effective.
" There is Kinerase with furfuryladenine. It's an anti-aging brightening system that's able to turn your skin over and lighten spots.
"LaRoche medical serum is like Kinerase. It's sold over the counter. It's a spot concentrate, the main ingredient is Kojic acid, and also contains alpha-hydroxy, it turns your skin over safely. It doesn't contain anything that would create abnormal cells.
" Lamixyl is highly effective. It's more potent than 4% hydroquinone. If spots prove resistant to over the counter mixtures, get a prescription for this topical brightening cream.
"These treatments are permanent," said Ostad, "as long as the patient doesn't get any sun exposure in the future. Any exposure will tan those spots again.
It's important to use daily suncreen that you reapply after about three or four hours. No sunscreen lasts beyond that time."
Help Me Howard Blog ? WPIX-TV (http://weblogs.wpix.com/news/helpmehoward/2010/02/lighten_your_skin_safely_if_yo.html)