Top 10 Myths About Stains

It is best not to sunbathe at all.

Forged! Skipping sunscreen for 10 minutes a day can help maintain vitamin D levels. Choose areas of skin that are not frequently exposed, such as arms or legs.

Protective cream can only be used in summer

Forged! Just like eating healthy or exercising, if you use a protective cream on exposed areas in the morning, your skin will thank you in a few years.

All spots are benign

Forged! Some spots may be caused by non-benign lesions, such as melanoma or actinic keratosis.. Therefore, the dermatologist must make a prior diagnosis of the area to be treated using a dermoscope (an optical system used to view internal parts).

Blue light from the sun and computers create the same spots

Forged! The blue light emitted by screens is much less harmful to the skin than sunlight. In fact, they have not been proven to cause skin aging.

All stains are the same

Forged! basically, There are two types of spots: Solar frecklesare lentil-sized patches of skin hyperpigmentation that appear on the face, neckline, and back of hands, and hormonal spots or melasmaappears on women’s foreheads and cheeks and tends to reappear.

Additionally, there are other types of pigmentation such as freckles, moles, keratosis, spots caused by medications, infections, bites and even creams. For example, sometimes when we burn ourselves with oil, the remaining stains can last for months. This is called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Spots should always be treated with laser

Forged! Some spots, such as hormonal or post-inflammatory spots, are worsened by laser.. These spots are managed not with lasers or other techniques, but with depigmenting creams and photoprotection.

Depigmentation cream doesn’t work

Forged! A good depigmenting cream can help achieve brighter skin and improve blemishes.. Cosmetics contain active substances that can whiten skin, such as antioxidants (such as vitamin C), glycolic acid, retinol, kojic acid, hydroquinone, ferulic acid, tranexamic acid, nicotinamide, etc. Typically, dermatologists will recommend a master formula containing several of the above ingredients.

All Spotted Skin Needs the Same Depigmenting Cream

Forged! When choosing a depigmenting cocktail, it makes a difference whether we recommend one for sensitive skin, one for those with rosacea, or another for those with acne tendencies. Therefore, it is ideal to ask your dermatologist to arrange the best combination and ideal concentration of depigmenting molecules for your skin type.

Cryotherapy is a great way to treat spots

Liquid nitrogen or cryotherapy is a good way to treat raised lesions like warts or keratosis., but does not work on stains. They often produce spots in the treated area, which we call post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

In summary, at the Dermatology Department of the Clínica Dermatológica Internacional and Ruber Internacional hospitals, we always use the following protocol after we have determined that the spot is benign:

• For freckle-like staining, we use the Q-Switch laser.
  
• For hormonal spots, we follow the Melasma Clearance Protocol.
  
• For post-inflammatory spots, we use a depigmentation cocktail.
  
• For raised spots, we use cryotherapy or carbon dioxide laser.
  
• We always recommend photoprotective and depigmentation beauty regimens.