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Hi all,I recently purchased Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase Skin Tone Perfecting Serum--thanks so much Lindygirl for the article that linked to this product. I've been having trouble finding products for my melasma that don't bother my rosacea / irritate my skin. It came today, and it doesn't irritate! This product contains Kojic Acid and licorice extract as well as a bunch of other stuff (most importantly bearberry). Is this okay to use long-term? My melasma hasn't gone away yet, so I expect it to be a long project to get rid of it. I'm going to continue using azelaic acid as well to give this thing as many punches as I can. I want it off my face!Thanks, SarahP.S. These links with ads embedded in terms I post are really annoying, aren't they? Are you guys seeing them or is it just me, because of some recent web searches?
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Hey, I may have found an answer to my own question. Meladerm has Kojic Acid as well as alpha arbutin. This article http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/02/05/is-meladerm-safe-for-long-term-use/ indicates that the manufacturer recommends no more than 3-4 months of use for that product or skin lighteners in general. That at least gives a rough idea.
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@Sarah: Yea, I know those pop up ads are annoying. They're from an automatic program we use. We're experimenting with other approaches, but right now we need the ad income to cover our expenses.
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Fair enough.
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So, I'm probably obsessing, but I'm a little worried. Does anyone know what permanent loss of pigment from skin lighteners looks like? Within my melasma, I have some patches of normal pigment appearing (which is what I want). There are also a couple of tiny, dot-shaped areas of lighter-than-normal pigment (bright white). They are not very noticeable, but I worry still. I know that the agents I am using are not known for this problem. Again, I've been using azelaic acid for a while now. I only just added a product with kojic acid, arbutin, and licorice (only been using a couple of days, so I'm not worried about these ingredients being the cause at this point). HQ and particularly monobenzone are the ones that are known for it. But to reassure me--if anyone has any pics of what it looks like, could you post them?
I suspect these white spots were there all along and may be due to aging. I have them on my arms; they look like reverse freckles. And I know I didn't get those from skin lighteners because I haven't used any lightening agents on my arms.
I'm not due to see my derm for an annual visit until December, and I have to admit I'm a little embarrassed to consult him because I think this is probably all in my head...
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Do you suppose those white dots could be fungal in nature? I know there are types of fungus people get on their skin on arms and legs that sometimes show up as white spots. Google fungal infection white spots and see if that looks anything like it? You could always try using dandruff shampoo on the ones on your arms and see if they begin to clear.
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Thanks Lindy--they don't look like the fungus (and I know it well because my whole family had it growing up). They are much smaller than the patches of fungus people get. They look more like what I affectionately call "old people spots." I'll link to some pictures of what I mean. I've self-diagnosed them as "idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis." http://www.dermnetnz.org/colour/guttate-hypomelanosis.html As far as the ones on my face go, I'm beginning to think they only look bright white by contrast to the hyperpigmented skin around them. It will be easier to tell when my melasma fades.
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Ah. Now that I see a picture I know exactly what you are talking about. I have seen those on my own skin.
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On a good note, I am seeing changes in my melasma!
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