Chemical Peel: Q&A

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Is Melanage the Correct Procedure For My Skin Issues And Dark Skin?

I am an African American female with medium complextion. I have fairly large pores on my face on the cheek area, acne scaring as well as blackheads under the skin. I also have some discoloration from sun damage and acne. My plastic surgeon is recommending Melanage Chemical Peel. I know it will help with discoloration but what about the enlarged pores and under the skin blackheads? I have already tried other chemical peels, to no avail! Thank you.

2 Doctor Answers | Asked by myskin56 in Houston, TX
+1

Melanage for left-over dark spots

I have used Melanage successfully for this type of color and consider it an excellent treatment. There is always a chance of darker skin after peeling, but it has not been an issue. Emptying out the pores will make them appear smaller, and keeping them empty with light peels, facials and topicals will help. The "underground" blackheads are another issue. An evaluation for acne treatment with isotretinoin may be indicated.
+1

Melanage Peel for postinflammatory hyperpigmentation

I perform the procedure in my office and using Melange for postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is overly agressive! It is more suitable for melasma or dermal pigment. You risk developing oeverall facial PIH with the treatment.

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Comments (1)

I had laser skin resurfacing in October for acne scars. My doctor said she used erbium on my cheek where I had deeper scars and fraxel for the rest of my face. I was pretreated with hydroquinone to prevent hyperpigmentation which I was really concerned about. It's been 3 months and what a rough recovery. I did not expect the downtime to be so long. Going into it she said I would be presentable in a month. WRONG!The most troublesome side effects were redness and hyperpigmentation. Redness all over my face but especially on my cheeks and brownish discoloration on my cheeks,temples and mostly where she used the Erbium. I followed the after care instructions: wore sunscreen, stayed out of the sun and had to wear make up (which is very distressing for a guy). To say that it was very disruptive to my social and recreational life is an understatement. Long story short, it's been 3 months and while the redness started to subside, it was blotchy. I was more red in areas where she really went deep. The hyperpigmentation got lighter but still obvious. I was so sick of it so I consulted another clinic and they recommended Mealanage peel. It's been a week after the peel and so far I'm it looks like I will be HAPPY with the results. It did not hurt, but the first 3 days I was peeling like crazy and very red. This made me feel rather depressed and worried that I would have to go through more downtime. BUT after that the redness lessened and I could tell the brown discoloration has lightened significantly. I'm still peeling minimally and continuing with the creams they gave me. The results take up to 8 weeks for full effect. I'm very satisfied with the results so far. My skin looks more even, the pores are much smaller and the discoloration is lighter. In hindsight I'm still not sure if the laser surgery was worth the downtime. The scars have gotten shallower and my doctor says benefits from laser continue up to 6 months. I am certain though that I would not want to relive the past 3 months.
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These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.

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