How to Make Facial Blemishes Lighter

No one likes facing the world with a face full of blemishes. But facial blemishes don’t have to be the first thing everyone notices about you. A variety of treatments, some available over the counter, can help you lighten or even eliminate dark spots or patches on your face. The more you know about your blemishes, and ways they can be treated, the easier it will be for you to determine how to lighten them.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine what type of blemishes you have. In order to understand how to best get rid of your blemishes, you need to know what they are. Some types of blemishes, such as age spots, can be lightened or even eliminated by over-the-counter creams while others (freckles and moles) cannot. Understanding your blemishes will enable you to choose the right course of action. Consult a dermatologist if you have concerns or questions about your skin.

• 2

  Stay out of the sun. Contrary to popular belief, so-called age spots are not caused by age, but by sun exposure, and the more exposure you have, the darker your spots will be. Freckles and blemishes caused by melasma (a condition in which dark patches form on the face) also appear darker after sun exposure. If you love being outdoors, always wear a strong sunscreen, preferably one with a titanium dioxide or zinc oxide base. This can help lighten some blemishes, or at least prevent them from getting darker.

• 3

  Apply over-the-counter skin lighteners. Over-the-counter hydroquinone creams can lighten some types of blemishes, such as age spots and melasma blemishes, by reducing the production of melanin, the dark pigment responsible for skin color. These creams, however, are more effective on melasma blemishes and other hormonally triggered skin conditions than on age spots.

• 4

  Investigate prescription alternatives. If over-the-counter creams don’t do enough to lighten your blemishes, prescription-strength creams, such as retinol creams and stronger hydroquinone creams, may help.

• 5

  Research options for removing blemishes. If even prescription creams don’t lighten your blemishes enough, or if you have moles, bothersome freckles or other types of blemishes that don’t respond to creams, you can have the blemishes physically removed by a dermatologist. Laser treatments, microdermabrasion and in some cases, old-fashioned removal with a scalpel can eliminate your blemishes permanently.
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