Question
Hello,
I need your help experienced ladies to chose a lightening treatment that works good and fast, the cost is of no importance.
I am 44 years old, olive skin (hispanic), some sun dark spots around the mmh/product/eyelidsurgery/index.vm?procid=6" target=_blank>eyes, normal to dry skin and live in Canada. I have never tried a bleaching mmh/product/beauty/index.vm?procid=13" target=_blank>cream nor RetinA
Here are my choices so far:
LUSTRA AF
TRI-LUMA
OBAGI WITH RETIN/A
Thanks
Answer
Hi Arte! Triluma is a combination of RetinA, Hydroquinone, and a cortisone type topical steroid cream....(so you are getting it all in one tube)...It is a prescription here in the US, and I believe in Canada as well. (But I could be wrong) Definitely convenient.....LustraAF (which I use) is 4% Hydroquinone with an added mmh/product/beauty/sunscreen/index.vm?procid=13&catid=304" target=_blank>sunscreen 20SPF(non-prescription in Canada, and fairly inexpensive--that's where I order it from)....I have also used the mmh/product/beauty/obagi/index.vm?procid=13&catid=202" target=_blank>Obagi method (which employs 4% hydroquinone, RetinA and glycolic acid). I don't have sensitive mmh/product/beauty/index.vm?procid=13" target=_blank>skin, so didn't need the triluma, although it is convenient and helps cut down on irritation with the topical steroid. For me (caucasian and had freckles since childhood and was quite the sunworshipper in my early years and teens, but not really much since then (I'm 4 forty-eight..even these boards don't want me to admit my age because the '8' turned into a smiley!), The Obagi definitely got rid of the freckles and evened out my skin tone....I used the LustraAF after the Obagi, and that definitely continued to keep the freckles and melasma away. I did stop using it for a while, and the freckles came back after about a month...so I started with the Lustra AF again. I honestly don't think you can go wrong with any of the above...just always use sunscreen with it, if it doesn't contain it in the formula!
Answer
arte i so agree with lookinup i am yuk!!55 and i was a sunworshipper in my time[too bad we didn't know better]i use retin A & lustra have tried many other creams with little result,it is a slow process but these do work.I have most off my face and am now working on chests/arms/legs.There is no miracle and i have spent more money than i care to admit on IPL which i felt was a waste of $ the one thing that i did use on my arms but it hurts like hell is the wart remover and you have to be careful that you don't touch when it starts to scab or you will get a mmh/product/scar_reduction/index.vm?procid=42" target=_blank>scar. :roll:annemarie
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Thank you very much beeguy and lookinup, I'll try the Lustra from a Canadian drugstore.
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Just a cautionary tale- I tried one of those hyrdoquinone/retinA/cortisone combo creams and developed a sensitivity to the cortisone which caused pimple like outbreaks. This is not uncommon with frequent cortisone cream usage. Also, I dispute the wisdon of using ANY type ofm steroid- cream or otherwise, daily. I myself use Tazorac and hydroquinone 4% nightly. if I ever feel I need the healing boost of cortisone cream, I apply it for one night only and skip the other two creams.
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Thx Carlyon.
Also, could you girls recommend a good sunblock
Answer
There are different classes of steroids--anabolic, topical (cortisone), systemic (prednisone)etc.......for example, I use a nasal steroid daily (nasocort) ....if you do NOT use it daily, you are throwing your money away....nothing wrong with using certain steroids daily....some people hear the word 'steroid' and think of only one thing...Rocky or Hulk Hogan...we get this in our practice all the time...often we prescribe a short course of steroids for inflammation (such as a Medrol Dosepak) or a longer course of topical nasal steroid for inflammation, allergy, etc. (nasocort, rhinocort)...and we always get the same thing..."will I have side effects, develop muscles, will it do me harm, etc."
