All About Skin Lightening: Rebound Hyperpigmentation

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Rebound Hyperpigmentation

A common misconception about hyperpigmentation is that once you treat it, you just leave it. The problem with that is, once the excess, irregular pigmentation is broken up and diminished it, you have to maintain your skin with sunscreen protection or it might return. If you do not protect your skin (especially if that particular area is prone to hyperpigmentation or darker melanin) an effect called 'rebound hyperpigmentation' occurs.

A lot of dermatologists associate rebound hyperpigmentation strictly with hydroquinone, however it can occur even when using other products, especially AHAs or retinoids.

Rebound hyperpigmentation occurs through 2 ways. One, because the skin is re-damaged by UVA/UVB rays or extreme irritation/inflammation. The other is through hormones. Hormonal hyperpigmentation is quite easy to treat, since a physician can help regulate your hormones either through birth control pills or some other hormone regulating method.

Sunscreen is incredibly vital for preventing rebound hyperpigmentation. It can also to some degree treat it, since the blockage of UVA/UVB rays allows melanin to return to normal and damaged DNA to repair itself.

The biggest tip I can give, and what has helped me from ever getting rebound hyperpigmentation is to be consistent with my regimen. I strictly follow sunscreen use DAILY. I know that without using sunscreen, I cannot use peels, AHAs or retinoids since those make skin photosensitive (more prone to damage and darkening from the sun). I know that without sunscreen, my Vitamin C serums and lighteners are futile, since I will be lightening up my skin, but then just getting damaged again through incidental sun exposure (walking around outside without sunscreen).

Sunscreen (at decent PPD levels) is the best defense against rebound skin darkening problems. Lighteners, topical antioxidants, niacinamide, retinoids and AHAs all come after this in terms of priority.

=)

Labels: acne marks, freckles, hyperpigmentation, PPD, skin lightening, sunscreen

18 Comments:

Anonymous said...: hmm, what are good ppd sunscreens? i use neutragena spf90. but i really want a sunscreen with a strong ppd.; December 15, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Mileena said...: Generally for everyday sunscreen protection (meaning incidental sun exposure - going to and from work or school, driving in the car etc.) all you need is a sunscreen with a PPD of 8 or higher.

I use the Sofina Perfect UV Lucent and that is around a PPD of 8-10. However if I am going to be in the sun for a long time - say in the summer, I will use Bioderma White Objective SPF 29 - has a PPD of around 12 or so, it's a bit moisturizing for my skin though, I like a more matte look. Or the RoC Protect Ultra High Protection Suncare SPF 60.

Most of the really high PPD sunscreens are from Europe (look into La Roche Posay, Vichy, Avene, Bioderma), Asian (Shiseido) or Canadian.

The neutrogena SPF 90 is fine. Anything with the Helioplex (which just means stabilized avobenzone) works well. The Dry Touch sunscreens, I believe the SPF 55 and higher have PPDs of around 15, which is strong. Still I find those to be very cosmetically unelegant, and look tacky.

It's important to find a sunscreen that suits you. If it has a high PPD, but is way too greasy on you, you'll start to hate wearing it. You're going to have to see what works for you.

Personally, for US brand sunscreens I find Neutrogena and Aveeno ones to be too greasy. I hate wearing greasy sunscreens, since they break me out and I end up not wanting to wear them. Some good, non greasy semi-matte ones are Hawaiian Tropics Oil-Free Faces SPF 30 (a bit strong cause of the alcohol content though)but a PPD of around 10-12 and Banana Boat Dri-Block SPF 30 (PPD of 10-12).

=); December 15, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Anonymous said...: oh wow, thanks so much. how can i find out the ppd rating of neutragena antiaging spf90?

yeah, the way it leaves my skin is def. not elegant. would love to find a good alternative. but i already have like almost a year's worth of sunscreen. not a big fan of wasting product. lol. talking about products, i bought a year's supply of latic acid peels, my 12.5% tca peel, even with mulitple layers, is going to last over a year, and i have enough cleasning bars to last me almost a year, simply because i accidently bought the wrong one the first time. tisk tisk. i'm like UGGGGGGGH. i can't believe it. very spendrift.; December 16, 2009 at 3:52 PM
Mileena said...: LOL! I know what you mean. I've purchased products from 2008 that I'm sure will last me till 2011. I try to use them up or find other ways to make use of them - either on other parts of my body etc.

Those lactic acid peels are very handy. If you're skin has become acustomed to that strength, you can up the usage to several times a week. Peels are amazing at hastening skin lightening. You can also use them on other areas like arms etc. You can make use of those in many ways.

To calculate the PPD of your sunscreen, go to this site:

https://www.ciba.com/pccibasunscreensimulator/

The accuracy of that site is very good. The graphs usually have an estimate of how each ingredient fares.; December 16, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...: OMG. wow 2008. lol; December 16, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Mileena said...: Yeah it's pretty crazy! I use products in any way I can if I find I don't use them on my face, by mixing them with AHAs or retinoids or applying them as body lotions. Anything to use them up. That's what happened with Makari Night Cream and Caviar Cream, just used them on my knees and elbows. They did a decent job LOL!; December 16, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Anonymous said...: lol, i'm just like shocked. didn't even think i was gonna unintentionally buy a year's worth of facial products. i have a 2oz 40% latic acid peel, the 55% sample, 1oz of 65%, a 1oz of 12.5% tca, 2 huge cleansing bars, the shea butter one lasts ages, and i have omg, the paula's choice 2% bha gel AND liquid. and a year's supply of sunblock. oh and the makari body milk which i'm only gonna use on my face. so that should last a pretty long time. i actually have acne.org's acne stuff, i'm trying to get rid of them by giving it away to my friends. lol. but i feel bad since it's a pro oxidant. i'm just gonna tell em about retinoids and bha. but uuugh, i can't wait. as soon as i get favorable results, im only planning on using a cleanser, retinoid, lightener and sunscreen daily.; December 16, 2009 at 7:39 PM
Mileena said...: WOW! That IS a lot of stuff! But thankfully it's all really good products.

And that's exactly what I use now, just cleanser, sunscreen and retinoid (sometimes, not always, mixed with a lightener). You'll get there, skin lightening is a slow process but also at the same time, when you start to see results it's exciting.

Once you see the products (and your hard earned money) go to work, it really pays off in the end. And it will, I am sure of it. =P; December 16, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Anonymous said...: lolz, thanks. i started seeing results from the bha like 2 months ago. i was pretty excited. my black heads are like gone. lol. but they came back, and they're diminishing now that i'm finally done with the muac whitening cream.

i really wanna know what my skin will look like 6 months from now. hopefully, no fine lines, black heads and pimples. i have an aversion for those. XD; December 16, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Anonymous said...: hi Mileena,

just want to ask if the my following sunscreen that i am using is good enough to be used along with lightening creams:

It is sunban (a medicated sunscreen prescribed by a dermatologist, SPF is 20.47 and its contents are Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Oxybenzone, Titanium Dioxide, Micronised Silica Coated); February 28, 2011 at 10:37 PM
Mileena said...: Hi!

Without knowing the actual %'s of each active ingredient it's a bit difficult to decipher whether it's a good enough sunscreen or not (I usually use BASF Sunscreen Simulator to check things out, or I just eyeball it since I've been using it for so long I can make accurate estimates of UVA protection).

The UVB protection is decent for everyday wear (20.47 times your natural defense). If you hardly go out in the sun aside from simple everyday things then this should be enough to protect you.

I personally do not use the ingredient oxybenzone on my skin due to possible endochrine disrupting properties. I wrote about it:

http://allaboutskinlightening.blogspot.com/2010/04/sunscreen-ingredient-to-avoid.html

Other than that, the other ingredients are solid. Coated titanium dioxide is excellent since you can easily layer makeup on top without such a huge risk for disturbing the protective structure of it. =); March 1, 2011 at 12:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Mileena,

Thanks for your reply. After reading this, i stopped using the sunblock (also went through your above mentioned blog) and bought myself neutrogena dry - touch sunblock with an SPF of 50+. However, it has Benzophenone-3 as one of its ingredients amongst others. I am afraid if it is similar to oxybenzone in any way??; March 4, 2011 at 4:10 AM
Mileena said...: Hi,

Benzophenone-3 is oxybenzone - that's the scientific name.

I personally do not use this ingredient because I always play on the safe side when it comes to something I am doing to my skin and body. There are many people that continue to use it though.

I would highly advise against it if you have melasma. Facial application of it isn't so based since it's not a HUGE surface like your whole body or something. The Neutrogena sunscreen isn't bad - it has great protection for a US brand sunscreen.

I would use it only on days where I'll be in the sun for a long time or going to the beach or something. I wouldn't use it daily and consistently because I just don't risk it with oxybenzone. =); March 4, 2011 at 10:18 AM
Anonymous said...: hi Mileena,
Thanks for your reply. But now am really depresed. I have just planned of using hydroquninone for 2-3 weeks (to reverse perma sun tan as much as i can) and using neutrogena sunscreen. Now which other sunscreen can i use. I dont easily get the sunscrrens you have mentioned above in my city.; March 16, 2011 at 10:41 PM
Mileena said...: Hi,

Don't be depressed! ♥♥ There's always a way to obtain a goal, even if it means growing and slightly changing our perspective on it.

HQ WILL help indeed, it's very strong. Make sure to use it at night only. For optimal results, have a great exfoliant in your regimen so...either weekly peels, leave-on AHA creams or rx retinoids.

Which city do you live in? And which Neutrogena sunscreen - the Pure & Free? If so, depending on the amount of sun exposure you get daily you most likely need something a bit stronger in UVA protection since you'll be on HQ. If you live in North America, the UK or somewhere in East Asia, let me know which city you live in and I can most likely give you the names of some alternative sunscreens to get at drugstores and such.

Stay strong! ♥♥♥♥♥; March 17, 2011 at 5:00 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi,

Again a long cumbersome question for you, SORRY!!!!

I live in a small town in North India and the maximum brand i can get hold of here other than neutrogena is loreal and that too not all the products i suppose.I could not understand what is meant by pure and free as you have mentioned above, but the sunscreen am using is "Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 50+ PA+++ with helioplex broad spectrum uva-uvb".

Anyways, i was really glad on reading that HQ will indeed help. Just want to ask how long it will take to see the results? I have kind of prolonged sun damage on my face. Its been 3 nights that i have been using HQ 2%. I have not seen any results, rather i find it a little darker when i put on moisturiser in morning as instructed.
Regarding exfoliant, the tube am using now already has tretinoin BP also as one of its constituents 0.05% other than HQ and hydrocortisone acetate IP 1%. In fact i tried finding peels in one of the other cities but could not get. So is tretinoin akin to rx retinoids? And i also have lightening creams by loral and vichy. Do anyone of these contains AHAs as their ingredients??

Thanks; March 18, 2011 at 10:41 PM
Mileena said...: Hi!

The Neutrogena Dry Touch SPF 50 PA+++ has great protection. The Pure & Free one is available only in the West I believe (for now!) and it's not as protective as the Dry Touch since it has only physical sunblock ingredients and no chemical filters. =)

Skin lightening in general is a slow process. It takes a long time for melanin production to decrease. It takes weeks of exposure to active ingredients, religious use of sunscreen, consistent exfoliation etc. Even with hydroquinone. I wouldn't expect results AT LEAST until the end of week 4. And even then, just very small results. Full results take 6 months. And that's the recommended amount of time to use it altogether.

Don't expect results by the third day. Continue to use it AT night, not in the day ever. Just make sure you are practicing strict sunscreen use EVERYDAY. You cannot take chances with HQ, sunscreen during the daylight hours is a must.

Which moisturizer do you use? Sometimes emollient moisturizers make my skin look 'dull' and darker due to greasiness factor. My skin looks the most bright and fresh when it is matte. Which is why I go out of my way to use Japanese sunscreens like Biore UV Perfect Face Milk. =P It's sooo good!

Tretinoin is basically what a retinoid is. It's the active ingredient. Retinoids are just a name for this class since there are synthetic forms of tretinoin like adapalene, tazoratene etc. They all become tretinoin when converted in the skin (much like vitamin c derivatives become L-ascorbic acid in the skin).

So the tube you use at night contains Tretinoin 0.05% and Hydrocortisone Acetate IP 1% together?

I usually don't like to use topical corticosteroid all over my face, only on dark spots or hyperpigmentation regions. It's not that safe actually. Tretinoin alone is what should be used all over and the corticosteroid used only on localized regions of pigmentation (like melasma, or dark patches).

Lightening creams are also really useful You can use them alongside your exfoliant at night (layered underneath OR on top) or layered underneath your sunscreen during the day.

The Vichy Bi White has a small amount of salicylic acid which is mildly exfoliating =)

♥♥♥♥ Good luck!; March 19, 2011 at 6:32 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi Mileena,

Thanks again for reply. Well, earlier i was using body lotion by Bath and Body Works as a moisturiser on my face. However, it contains Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl alcohol and the Hydroquinone preparation i am currently applying comes with the instruction of using products with high concentration of alcohol or astringents cautiously or best be avoided. So i switched to using skin milk by Nivea. They have mentioned their key ingredients as Mineral Oil, Glycerine, Serine and Alanine. And yes the tube i am using at night contains 3 ingredients, Hydroquinone 2%, Hydrocortisone Acetate IP 1%, and Tretinoin BP 0.05% together.

I bought one other preparation of Hydrouinone also, the ingedients of which are: Hydroquinone USP 2%, Oxybenzone USP 2.5% and Octinoxate USP 9.0%. I have not started using this preparation. Which one do you think is better, the one i am using or the latter?

Also can i go ahead with using my whitening essence in the day time which contains CERAMIDE WHITE and LHA, alongside Hydroquinone therapy since they have instructed not to use any abrasive soaps and cleansers and i wonder if LHA, being the exfoliant, is some kind of astringent or what??

Thanks; March 19, 2011 at 7:20 AM

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Rebound Hyperpigmentation

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