My skin has become dark, and it is starting to peel. Please help.

Question

Hello doctor,

We just went on a vacation, where we did a lot of beach activities, and the sun was very harsh. As a result, my skin has become dark, and it is slightly starting to peel. Please suggest some home remedies or skin cream to restore my skin.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Your complaints are more in favor of photo tanning. Prolonged exposures to the sun without the use of adequate protection is the major underlying factor. However, it is possible to recover the normal skin complexion by taking adequate care as early as possible. The most important step would be to use a good sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30, with repeated applications every 4 hours. This would help to prevent further deterioration and enhance the results of depigmentation treatments. I suggest applying Photostable 30 lotion or face guard 30 SPF cream, daily in the mornings. There are multiple depigmentation creams available, depending upon the depth and extent of pigmentation. You could even try home remedies such as the use of Multani mitti, which could act like a very superficial peel. Kindly upload appropriate images so that we can assess the extent of tanning and suggest you accordingly.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your images (attachment removed to protect patient identity) and there seems to be quite a bit of photo tanning. It would take at least four to six weeks to get back your best look if you use the following creams correctly.

Face guard 30 SPF cream or Photostable 30 SPF lotion or Suncros aqua gel, to apply 2 ml for the entire face, daily in the morning immediately after a bath. You will feel it a little greasy in the initial 5 to 10 minutes after application, you could use any good talcum powder upon it to reduce the oiliness.
Tretin (Tretinoin) 0.025 % gel, to apply only a peanut volume, all over the face, in the evenings for an hour. Applying more volume may lead to dryness of skin and lips, in such a case give a break for a couple of days and restart.
Kojivit gel (Kojic acid), for local application, daily at night. Wash it off in the morning.
Tablet Antoxid HC, one tablet daily after lunch.

Try using all the above medicines regularly for a month. Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with him or her and start using the medicines after their consent. Try the following preventive measures in the future:

- 1. Always tie a scarf if you have to go out.
  2. Avoid sun exposure between 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
  3. Consume citrus-rich fruits.

I hope you get back to your normal skin tone.