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subscribe to beauty blog via RSSDr. Howard Murad vs. the Giant Freckle
August 27, 2008 1:15 pm
This column features weekly tips and advice from a revolving cast of industry leaders, on hand to discuss your beauty dilemmas, from blemishes to Botox. The following query was culled from a private stock, but we’ll be accepting readers’ questions soon.
I have melasma on my upper lip. This “giant freckle” of sorts has been slowly growing and surely becoming more and more visible as I’ve moved into my late twenties. I do as much preventative care as I possibly can, such as washing with glycolic acid cleansers and wearing SPF 30 every day, but it seems that I am losing the battle. Is there a treatment or product out there that can banish it from my face for good?
The most important thing is to ensure that you really have melasma, as a giant freckle should be evaluated by a dermatologist to ensure it is not a precancerous lesion or skin cancer. If you have been diagnosed with melasma, there are ingredients that you can look for in a daily lightening treatment. The first is hydroquinone, which is a very effective lightening agent. It’s available in skincare products (such as Murad Age Spot & Pigment Lightening Gel ) and in prescription-strength formulas available from a physician. Applying a vitamin C treatment daily is also helpful. My recommendation is to use a vitamin C treatment every day followed by SPF 30. Then, every evening, use a hydroquinone-based treatment. A weekly vitamin C mask will help to even skin clarity.
A board-certified dermatologist with a private practice in El Segundo, California, Dr. Howard Murad is a trained pharmacist and an associate clinical professor of medicine (dermatology) at UCLA. With insights derived from treating a patient base of over 50,000 people, he developed his eponymous line of skincare products and has authored two books on the topics of aging and cellulite, respectively.
Photo: Andrew Carruth / Retna
tags: Dr. Howard Murad, Hydroquinone, Melasma, Murad Age Spot & Pigment Lightening Gel, Skincare, Vitamin C
