*** Caution - Before attempting to try to do any of the following treatments that I've described below...please...please...please...do a patch test before using any of these products on your entire face. ***
On May 19th, I started an intense beauty regimen of at home peeling and whitening to aggressively fade the brown spots/scars on my face. Three nights a week (Mon-Wed) I swiped on a peeling agent that contained tretinoin (Tretinoin is the carboxylic acid form of vitamin A and is also known as all-trans retinoic acid or ATRA. - Wikipedia) and hydroquinone (In human medicine, hydroquinone is used as a topical application in skin whitening to reduce the color of skin. - Wikipedia) (each 100mL contains 25mg of tretinoin and 2g of hydroquinone) over my entire face like you would a toner or astringent with a cotton pad. The rest of the week I gave my skin a break from the product. And it's in those days when my skin would peel. The peeling was annoying because it was unsightly but it gave me the deepest satisfaction. The top layers of my epidermis where the spots were the darkest was peeling off and revealing a new layer of lighter skin underneath. During the day after I washed my face I used an intense whitening facial serum that contains glutathione (Glutathione has recently been used as an inhibitor of melanin in the cosmetics industry.) and vitamin C, which I applied over my entire face. I used it in conjunction with a placenta cream (animal placenta...I know gross right?). Hey but if it works, it works. The placenta cream I dabbed directly on to the spots.
I had also started washing my face as soon as I was able, which was about three days after the procedure, with a whitening soap. They have a ton to choose from here. The one I chose was manufactured in Japan and it contains kojic acid. (Kojic acid is a by-product in the fermentation process of malting rice. - Wikipedia)
*** I avoided the sun as much as possible. I wore a hat whenever I had to go outside. The last thing I needed was for these spots to get darker. ***
Below all pictures were taken of me with a freshly washed face and absolutely no make-up in front of my window using natural light.
Photos of me taken May 19, 2014
Photos of me taken May 26, 2014
Photos taken of me June 2, 2014
Photos taken of me June 10, 2014
The spots are fading nicely. It's only been a few weeks since I started the peeling and whitening treatments but there is a marked improvement on my skin. I'm confident that in a few more weeks the spots will have faded completely. The key to this whole process is patience and diligence. The patience to stay safe and not to overdo/abuse the treatments and to be diligent in doing the treatments regularly and not be discouraged. And most importantly SUNSCREEN!!! I'll keep my fingers crossed for continued success. :-)
(This poem I wrote May 18, 2014 when I received a phone call that my out of town cousins, they live on another island, were in town and three of them whom I had never met before were excited to meet me. :-( Feel my panic...)
Panic
I'm in a panic
Surprise!!!
Skin's looking tragic
Where can I hide?
Out of town family
Dragging me out
To play outside
Copyright © Allene Angelica 2014
Another poem I wrote about my predicament. Written June 5, 2014.
My Mirror
My mirror
She tells no lies
As she scrutinizes
With those intense cunning eyes
'Look at what you've done!'
She accuses
'We've had no sun!
These beautiful days have just gone by
With no merry or rye.
Look at you!
You're so pale
And I swear you appear
More fragile and frail'
But I can't see
I don't believe that's me
'Of course not you silly fool!
Sitting in the dark
Trying to stay cool'
But these awful spots
Ugly brown dots
Scattered here and there
I can't play outside
I don't dare!
Copyright © Allene Angelica 2014
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