Kris,I think she right,people will notice,and I think a caramel brown,will look great on you,or the color I'am now.will fit you perfect!

Well I just strted this year.. accomplished most of my goals by the start of the summer.. when I stopped bleaching... I just said its because of the sun.. lol.. it's a tan.. by winter my color will come back.. at least that's what I told my boyfriend of this year.lol.. when others asked me how come I am lighter, I said its because I am getting facial peels to get rid of my acne:D

I fell into the bandwagon and ordered some of the stuff from mono.net.. I think I ordered like 3 creams of hq 40 to realise that it doesn't work.. among that other products.. trial and error.. got so fustrated and had to stop for a while.. I am still in college so all my money was going to creams.. had to stop and save up... now I'm back

I'm also in college. It's frustrating spending all of your money on creams that DON'T WORK. Ugh.

Use an exfoliating soap like the fair&white with vit c (its in a blue box with lemons printed on it) in the shower, then apply bio claire lotion
TOTALLY WORKS!
p.s get a spf 100 to wear when u going out during the day
Good luck!

Hi kris.. I was reading these forums and came across yours... I just wanted to say... and you might not believe me or wtv.. but really I don't think you shuld be sad over the fact that you are dark... I mean if you get lighter doesn't mean you will become a better person. I think evry skin color is beautiful! I swear! The rest is your decision if you want to lighten your skin... but its going to take a lot of patience, time, energy and $$$... which I'm sure you could spend on a million better things to do. Well if you want to go through with it I suggest you check out this forum http://www.skincaretalk.com/ , these are serious people who really have knowledge on skin whitening. Personally my sister is darker than me... and she has spent a lot of time lightening... she has gone down 2-3 shades.. she used natural skin lighteners... kojic acid soap, licorice soap and a bleaching creams which she buys of eBay. Well I wish you the best... really and don't say you can't stand to stare at the mirror... dats just not right... if god made evryone light skinned wuldnt this world be sooo freakin borrringggg.. so yea stare at the mirror and just say damn I'm sexy haha... I do it all the time when my hair turns out really bad in the morning sometimes... well good luck !

Shenug, what bleaching cremes do your sister use from eBay? Can you tell me the brands whe uses?

Sure... she uses vicki belo products.. the papaya soap.. licorice soap and also the bleaching cream... I just checked the ingredients... they are all natural... try typing in licorice soap in the search engine one eBay,and read testimonials... shes cut down using them... because she started peeling a lot... and she decided she didn't want to get any lighter.. she uses them now just once or twice a week for maintaining her color. Good luck cheers :)

I agree golden girl... I wuld perfer a dark guy over a light guy any day...

I found this in search so I'm super late... I hope that you're feeling better Kris! If you're still reading here, then I have suggestions but my first is to ask your parents to make an appt for you with a dermatologist.. show them the childhood photos and express your concern over the difference. If it's still rough-going then you can control you sun exposure. I know that I lightened (to a certain degree) without any sort of products every East Coast or European winter. My home US state is very sunny so you don't even get a break like in other regions. So that said, I recommend:

Sunscreen & Sunblock! Like SPF 60+, religiously

Amazon.com: Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby Sunblock Lotion SPF 60 - 3.0 Oz 2/pack: Health & Personal Care

... also hats

http://www.amazon.com/E4hats-Fishing...pr_product_top

And sensible exposure, if you're going to be outdoors for a long time try to seek a bit of shade.

.. The next thing is exfoliation.. gentle body scrubs , products with mild glycolic acids or AHAs


http://www.amazon.com/Exfoliating-Bo...owViewpoints=1

http://www.amazon.com/DC-Relaxing-Ge...630580&sr=1-11
http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Hydrox-A...xgy_hpc_text_b

.. or maybe something like Belo Whitening Lotion

Belo Essential Whitening Lotion 200 ml

Will help to starting breaking up the years of permatan (I'm working on the same issues but only in certain areas).

*
I feel for you because I darkened tons (intentionally mostly through tanning, some accidentally ) since childhood when I was sort of caramel-peanut butter colored. Unless you have other health issues that could be causing your skin to darken (*another reason to see a doctor first of all*), it can be reversed over time.

If I were younger and not on a time schedule I'd try the first things that I suggested.

Also be serious about the sun protection... You can't underestimate how much the sun can toast us. Please see my thread here about Farmer's Tans.

Also remember whatever you do to use the products all over the body evenly. A lot of people concentrate too much on the face.

& sunblock sunblock sunblock!

Best of Luck Kris!. You'll be totally fine!:)

Kris P, My only concern comes from your age... Your body and skin and everyhting are going through many changes... so I would suggest that you definitely take your time...

Let me repeat that...

TAKE YOUR TIME!! I'm going to get all mama bear on your honey... and first say... I think you have really good even tone skin.. so remember that is something you definitely want to keep... so in order to maintain all the positives you have to be very patient and slowly lighten in stages...

I Always suggest to beginners to use the Diana Stalder products (the lotions and soaps with kojic acid... the orange one and the Black one.. ) there is a seller name filipinagoddess who is a certified US based seller who sells authentic products... I always buy from her even though her products are not the cheapest on eBay... (they also are not the most expensive) but she ships them quickly and you are guaranteed that you are getting fresh not expired products and they are not knock offs...

I also would suggest trying the 55H+ as they ingredients seem good and currently most of us are trying these products... but whatever you do understand that to get results and if you ever hope to get your desired results if it is possible it will be over time...

Maybe years to get that tone.. but this doesn't mean that you won't see improvement...
Remember set your goals to improve... not perfect yet...

Remember.. one shade at a time don't get all ready to be Johna Legend in a day... even he didn't get his own skin over night LOL... he had to grow and go through changes no matter what his complexion may be...

And your skin didn't become what it is today over night either... so take your time... and take the advice of everyone who says.. DO NOT USE DANGEROUS PRODUCTS!!

This may not be related to skin lightening... or even this topic but I want to share with you a story of some people who wanted to change at any cost... and the pain they suffered... because I am concerned by your urgency... I know some of it is just teen angst and such.. but patience will save your skin every time.. no pun intended...

The story is about a couple of people who went to panama to get a surgery to change their eye colour... within a few months many of them started to lose their vision, they siuffered extreme pain, and the results didn't even look natural... it looked worse that even the cheapest color contact lenses... and it costs them thousands to get medical help to attempt to repair the damage and even still they may have very serious problems with vision forever... you can look it up on you tube under (New iris scam or Laterra tv) it will make you cry... especially the story of the girl LaTerra

I guess my point is.. you have good skin... so take care of it... you only get one skin... so e patient... if you move too fast you will do something you regret and maybe cannot change or repair...

OK so now Mama Bear has had her rant with you... so you better listen!! An if any product hurts you or seems to feel wrong... it probably is!! Especially for you at your age... some of our others members are seasoned at skin lightening and they can deal with strong peels and products... but I think that YOU have to take it easy... OK?

You know I think you're right Boricua...

A good sunblock and a hat will do wonders @ his age!

(I've edited my last post a bit.)

I saw the videos some time ago as well. Made me very sad and made me overthink our vanity big time.

The iris scam or Laterra TV stories reminds me of the TV film "Gulliver Travels" when one of the places he visited lived these beautiful and forever young women who would never age, but lost their eyesight in return and became blind. That is sad what happened to the people that went to Panama to do this is procedure.

Anyone ever read the book "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison where the girl wanted blue eyes so she was granted with blue eyes (in her mind that is) but the witch man seemed to only put a spell on her which removed her sanity?

I wonder if the Belo Essentials will lighten my skin or only Asian skin? Their prices are really nice too. But my main concern with them is that no where can I find the complete list of their ingredients, only a brief decription on their actives. Thanks Eggo for those links, those fishing hats are starting to grow on me.

Hey Kris, wow that is definitely a noticeable skin color difference. I also under went a skin color change. I have pictures when I was around six years old and I was caramel complexion, now I am am a dark brown color, which ,my undertones are still light, so it's hard for me to wear makeup. Also, do you have areas on your body, which has not been affected by the sun, that are light? Like me, my thighs, legs, and chest are extremely light, because they have not been exposed to the damaging sun. Therefore, this is my goal, to match my sun damaged areas to my unaffected areas, so that I can have an even skin tone. Good luck with your lightening journey!

I read The Bluest Eye in high school. That story was so sad and I could really relate to the girl in the book (I forget her name it's been so long). This story is a mirror of the hate that many of us have experienced on this thread. A good read, but a sad book.

Kris.. No matter what anyone suggests out here, to be rather honest with you NOTHING WILL WORK THAT IS MILD !

You HAVE TO USE either HYDROQUINONE, MEQUINOL, BIO CLAIRE or some strong bleach... That is the only PRACTICAL APPROACH else you are honestly wasting your time..

Try one of these.. because most the people who say OH ITS DANGEROUS are still using it...

What I could suggest though is while using these prodcuts.. increase your intake of fibrous food, lots of water, vitamin tablets etc... so the free radicals in your body that may be created by these products are minimised...

PLEASE DO NOT GET INTO THE USE SAFE PRODUCTS SYNDROME...

Trusmme none of these so called Natural things will WORK FOR YOUR COLOUR.. what you need is something rather strong.. something really strong..

Use any one of these products and eat and drink and sleep well..

If your sixteen, the temptation to roam in the sun with friends is high.. Just sit at home while doing the treatment, have cold showers..

Trussme cold showers help as they reduce body heat which in the long run will automatically reduce the need for your melanocytes to go into an overdrive..

I hope I have been of help to you...

I don't agree with the mequinol and bio claire because from what I've read, they're iffy & not safe .

I've been very dark at times and didn't need anything to fade except staying away from the sun.

He also needs to see a doctor, IMO, to rule out an internal reason for his darkening.

Yes, I'm currently blasting the backs of my arms & forearms with all sorts of products (Belo, Othine, glycolics, F&F) to get them even with my chest for a formal dress in Dec.

I'm not even sure (I will look at his pix again) if Kris is dark all over or if it's a farmer's tan.

After more thought, I don't feel right recommending possibly dangerous creams to be slathered on all over some kid's body. Spot/area treaments are one thing but I would never coat my entire body, head-to-toe in hydroquinone or any other of these mystery mucks.

If this a case of sun damage then a regimen using a 60+ SPF sunblock and exfoliation(scrub gloves and aha lotions) will work gradually and is the safest choice, IMO

Maybe if his doctor is understanding s/he might prescribe or okay some sort of fade creams/gel to accelerate the process.

However, using the sunblock, hats, and a loofah will help.. yes it could take a year but he's young.

Gosh, I wonder if he's even reading this anymore.:confused:

Good question Eggo. Hopefully he is before he goes and buys something drastic and dangerous. I wish I knew what I know now at 16.

It's amazing, when I was 16 (it was 1986)... Prince and his gals were popular, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Sade, Tina Turner, Debarge etc. there seemed to be a major paper bag test thing going on esp. for female celebs.

I was roasted half of the time from all of the family lake outings but I don't remember caring about it (I did overhear a conversation where a light male classmate told his friend that I was cute but his darker friend said I was too dark:D.. pots and kettles, I guess.. lol ).

I do remember buying some Porcelana or Esoterica? (one of those drugstore liver spot&freckle creams... 2% HQ) for my knees and elbows once but gave up. I didn't really think about exfoliation or sunscreen & sunprotection back then.

I was going to joke by telling Kris to go to my college as a 'cure' for his tan.:p One of my HS classmates asked if I'd bleached when she saw me after the winter there.