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Skin Peeling: Necessity for Skin Lightening?

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Friday, March 26, 2010

Skin Peeling: Necessity for Skin Lightening?

After having several back and forth e-mails with a certain 'skin care guru' (I won't mention any names) about the process of skin lightening, I have decided to post an article on here just to flesh out my thoughts. I think this is something I would like my readers to know as well.

There seems to be a misconception among many dermatologists or let me say, beauty experts and such that feel that strong products that cause a peeling effect on the skin are a necessity for effective skin lightening. This is a notion that I do not agree with. If you've been following this blog thus far, you know that I stress that skin lightening should be approached in the most gentle way possible. Now granted, strong products are very useful to the skin but excessive peeling is not (emphasis on excessive). Refer to the article Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation and Permanent Skin Lightening.

Peeling of the skin usually comes from using alpha hydroxy acid peels/products at potent concentrations and rx retinoids. That peeling is normal, but it is foolish to state that the peeling is the essential key for skin lightening. To an extent I can see why many feel this way, since the peeling of the epidermal layer does reveal skin that has a decreased melanin load (because it hasn't been as sun damaged or has absorbed the skin lightening products you have used). But to claim that it is 'the key' to skin lightening, and that it must happen in order to see results is not right.

Some people don't peel from 40-50% alpha hydroxy acids. Some people do not peel during the first few weeks of rx retinoid usage. Either way, the peeling is just your epidermal layer sloughing off. It takes time. The peeling process is complex and it varies from person to person. Generally skin temporarily darkens (again this doesn't happen to everyone), then very quickly starts to show patches of flaky skin. Eventually it peels off with the aid of gentle cleansing and time.

The bottom line is: peeling is normal when it comes to using products like rx retinoids and AHAs . But isn't what always ensures skin lightening. ;)

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posted by Mileena at 7:13 PM

10 Comments:

Anonymous Randy said...

Millllleeeeeeenaa!!! SOS SOS!! i got some nasty pimples because of that evil retinoidddd!!!! :((( i shouldnt be too alarm about dis bcoz its just the... 'first effect' of it but yes i dont like it!! i've been using it for 1 week n i always pray 'God please make this this bad effect fade away...' :D and i want to ask you, what did you feel when you first used your retinoid?? and in your case, was it PIH n friends or other problems???? btw days ago i went to doctor and she told me that... ... ... ... my marks 'couldnt' be cured with just simple treatment. she said i should use laser and she said, "this only could be cured through laser, tok." tok is a word from Boso Jowo used by javanese. something funny about this is that tok is a particle depicting something that cant be changed!!!! so, "you r fat, tok." you are fat, ok, fat. wasn't that silly??? cant it be cured with lightener?? she also said that its ok to use retinoid as far as i also use sunscreen and i obey that :) now it's been 1 week and my face is kinda redder than before... i believe it is temporary and plz i need your help!! { there are more that i want to say. keep reading ;) }

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yesterday i went to supermarket. i bought oatmeal for breakfast. but suddenly i saw that thing... 3 boxes cereal!!!! buy 2 get 1 free :) suddenly i thought if i could buy 3 for Rp37.000 why should i buy oatmeal for 32000 but only get 1??? hehehe :D 'fortunately' i was from my math course so i didnt bring much money :) and i also needed 1 toner, 1 ponds blemish lightener that i told u before, and 1 facial wash. i could afford them all but then i calculated all of em......... it was about 71000++ shit!! so to keep the cereal with me i put Acnes powder lotion (Rp23000 alcohol-free toner) back on the shelf and i walked n took other brand which was cheaper (7000). i love acnes' products because they r designed for skin thats oily and easy to get nasty acne. and powder lotion doesnt use alcohol but my 7000 toner does contain alcohol. so, is alcohol bad for us?? some said that toner containing alcohol will dry up our skin and then produce more oil as the compensation for the dryness. also it harms the soluble collagen under the skin and lalalala all the difficult words come. are they true??? but all toner products contain alcohol! yes!! even Viva, Indonesian brand thats really famous here for its simplicity lists ethanol in its toner products. so i assume that every toner contains alcohol even though not all toner in the world. answer! :)

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you know what? i kinda miss this blog so much :D and also you lah hehe :) (my free nurse. ooops)

April 6, 2010 at 7:29 PM  
Blogger Mileena said...

LMAO, Randy, I love, LOVE your comments! They always make me smile. ;)

The first few weeks of retinoid use can be discouraging. I know, I've been where you are. I got some major breakouts in the initial purging stage (which lasts about 2 weeks). Just know that it is normal. Using a BHA product (salicylic acid) like a toner or the aspirin mask (homemade, crushed aspirin with water) can help speed up this stage though. It will pass, trust me. The redness, peeling, dry flaky skin, and pimples will slowly subside.

Well...the dry flaky skin does happen time to time afterwards, but that is normal.

Continue wearing sunscreen everday. While on retinoids, your skin is more sensitive to sun damage so keep yourself protected.

Toners are interesting because I personally use toners for treatment reasons - like the Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid for clearing up my pores/acne reducing, or the DHC Acerola one for instant skin brightening/glowy skin.

The ones that contain alcohol are not as bad as magazines or even dermatologists make them out to be. The alcohol used in toners is suitable for our skin. Especially during the warmer months and on oily, acne prone skin. Just like cleansing, if you over do it you are going to just get more oily since your skin will over compensate for the stripping of lipids/sebum.

So using a gentle cleanser with a toner can be fine. I've done it for years without any troubles in increased oiliness.

Toners do not harm the collagen fibres in the skin.

<333

April 7, 2010 at 6:03 PM  
Anonymous Randy said...

Mil!! i got some repeated initial effect of retinoisy!!!! my left cheek n my forehead r infected with acnes again!!! after that time of clearness that i finally got, i have them back!!! its like i get what i threw... sob sob sobbbb.... is it normal anyway??? its been 2 weeks and i still dont get it mil. can u explain what it is?? i mean, im used to 2 to 3 weeks of improvement and now im challenged with this silly retinoiddddddd!!!!! i heard tht it will last forever. plz help meee.... i expect a very long reply from you, ok! cheers dear :)

April 17, 2010 at 4:44 AM  
Blogger Mileena said...

Hi Randy!

Which retinoid are you using again? Hopefully not any 'cream' version since those tend to make people get acne because of the comedogenic base (inactive ingredients).

Gel versions are the best (so Retin-A gel, Tazorac Gel, or Differin Gel). Those have very small ingredient lists and are perfect for oily/acne prone skin types.

The purging stage lasts for 2-3 weeks, but that can vary from person to person (depending how much is being purged out from the pores). Have you recently started using a new product in your regimen (in the last month or so). It doesn't necessarily have to be the retinoid.

Perhaps your skin needs some additional pore clearing. Why don't you use a BHA (salicylic acid) based product either before using your retinoid or sometime in the daytime underneath your sunscreen?

You mentioned a toner before, does that contain BHA? It has to be at the right pH though.

If you really want to know the truth - the culprit of your acne on your cheeks, you will have to slowly take one product out and give it a week. So perhaps (for now) stop using the retinoid and see what happens in 7 days. If there is an improvement in your acne, then maybe you need a different retinoid. If the acne is still the same, remove another product and see what happens.

I'm basically trying to say, you need to find out what exactly is clogging your pores.

Good luck <3

April 17, 2010 at 1:32 PM  
Anonymous RANDY said...

ACTUALLY IM USING CREAM RIT NOW. I JUST CANT FIND A SUITABLE ONE CZ MY MONEYS NOT ENOUGH LE :D ITS BEEN ALMOST 3 WEEKS BUT IT IS STILL LIKE THIS, THE INITIAL BREAKOUTS STILL LIKE HELL. PEELING IS A MAJOR EFFECT, ITS REALLY VISIBLE THROUGH MY TINTED SUNSCREEN. OHHHHH!!! I READ ON MANY BLOGS THT IB LASTS FOR AT LEAST 1 MONTH! NOW I KINDA FEEL BETTER SINCE I KNEW THT IB IS A SIGN OF IMPROVEMENT. ILL KEEP ON USING THIS TILL I CAN REAP THE BENEFIT. HELP ME BY COMMENTING ON THIS ;)

April 19, 2010 at 6:01 PM  
Blogger Mileena said...

Hey Randy,

At this point (week 3 or so) the peeling shouldn't be SO excessive. There is always some peeling with retinoids regardless. All you need is a little more than the size of a pea to suffice for your entire face. Remember make little micro dots on your face with the cream and blend in. You don't need so much. The more you put, the more potential irritation/worse peeling you are going to get.

A little really does go along with.

If you find the peeling to be really bad, moisturize those areas with a good moisturizer if you sunscreen isn't hydrating it. Moisturizer will help with the peeling somewhat and make it look less severe.

<333

April 19, 2010 at 7:13 PM  
Anonymous Randy said...

oohh yeaaahh thanks!!! i feel like my face's better (i guess) but outside this field of struggle, full of shit and sweat, i can see the fountain of youth :) OVERBOAAARRDD HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! :D :D btw my face got what we all believe as PIH (more!) ahh!!!! !!!!! !!!!

April 23, 2010 at 5:27 AM  
Blogger Mileena said...

You'll get through it Randy. It takes for your skin ro heal through PIH and breakouts.

<3

April 23, 2010 at 9:19 AM  
Anonymous Randy said...

hey hey hey im still soo curious about the laser tok. cant PIH be cured with retinoid? if i should describe my face, my face is like a sweet honey cake topped with a little bit special strawberry cream...!!!!

April 24, 2010 at 4:20 AM  
Blogger Mileena said...

OMG! LOL @ the description of a honey cake. Randy I swear to god you are too funny. Your comments always make me laugh.

Retinoids can cure PIH, but retinoids themselves should be used with caution and carefully or they can cause PIN themselves. Because retinoids are so strong, if you use too much or don't ease into using retinoids (building tolerance or using the wrong retinoid, a cream version instead of a gel version if you are oily skinned) then PIH can happen from that.

It's all about moderation. Using retinoids gently overtime can fade PIH most definitley. Also using a good sunscreen every single day really evens things out. ;)

April 24, 2010 at 2:05 PM  

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