Persistent hyperpigmentation is different from regular hyperpigmentation in that they:
- Do not improve with regular use of the usual skin lighteners such as kojic acid, azelaic acid, 2% hydroquinone, and other over-the-counter topical treatments.
- Persistent hyperpigmentation will either not respond to these treatments at all, or respond temporarily (only to return to the original shade after some time).
This method is intended for those with persistent hyperpigmentation only.
Only follow this method after you have exhausted all the other gentler ways to lighten first.
What You’ll Need
- A medium strength peel (40% - 50% Lactic Acid is best).
- 2% or 4% hydroquinone.
I do not normally advocate the use of hydroquinone, but with this method you’ll only be using it for a limited period of time.
If you’re not comfortable with using hydroquinone on your skin, you may substitute it with another tyrosinase-blocker such as arbutin or harounoside. However, the effectiveness may be reduced.
The Method
Step One: Cleanse the area you want to treat with water and a little baking soda. The baking soda will strip any oils that are on your skin. Dry the skin.
Step Two: Apply the Lactic Acid on the area you want to treat. Leave it on for 1-5 minutes (read important tips here). Wash off with water, and gently pat the skin dry.
By the way, right after the peel, you’ll notice that your treated skin is very moist, plump-looking, and soft to the touch.
Step Three: Immediately after the peel, apply a thin layer of the 2% or 4% hydroquinone cream over the area. Leave it on and keep it out of the sun at all times.
Over the next few days, continue to apply hydroquinone over the area every morning and night. Again, continue to protect the area from the sun’s rays.
Step Four: On the third or fourth day, apply the peel again. In other words, at this point repeat Steps One to Three*.
Over the coming week, the treated area will darken slightly and wrinkle. Its texture will be very smooth to the touch and less porous like plastic. This is a normal part of the peel process (your skin is getting ready to shed the outer layer).
If you do not experience any telltale darkening or wrinkling, its because the peel was either not strong enough, or you left it on for too short a time for it to have an effect.
Step Five: From here on, continue the hydroquinone applications daily. Your skin will start to peel within a week or two, but fight the urge to pull it off. For best results, let the skin peel on its own.
If done correctly, this method will help persistent cases of hyperpigmentation to fade dramatically.
You may discontinue the use of hydroquinone after the skin has peeled completely, but continue to keep the area out of the sun for at least one month.
If you intend to repeat the peel/HQ method above, give your skin at least 3 weeks of rest first.
* For very severe hyperpigmentation on tough skin, you can add another cycle to get better results (i.e. LA/HQ, 3 days rest, LA/HQ, 3 days rest, one more LA/HQ).
Important Notes about Lactic Acid Peels
Its true that lactic acid is a very gentle peel, but do not underestimate it.
Lactic acid can burn if your skin is too thin, sensitive, or if you’re not spacing the time between peels enough.
A good rule of thumb is that the peel should not hurt you at any time of the application. A mild stinging sensation is normal, but if you feel an intense burning, wash it off immediately!
If you have never done a peel before, leave it on for a shorter period of time (1 minute).
I also strongly advise you to do a test patch one week beforehand. This will give you an idea of the lactic acid’s strength - which will give you confidence during the actual treatment later.
For the test patch, do note that the skin on your body will usually be much tougher than the skin on your face. Because of this difference in sensitivity, shorten the peel application time if you intend to treat a patch of hyperpigmentation on your face.
