Brown spots and normal skin

[Fred5]

Hello,
I had a couple of zits that i was told that they are not acne but rather a bacterial infection..Anyway, they contained pus and blood. Now they cleared but there is a couple of brownish and red spots left after them.. they are flat not raised...

my question is;
if i use creams that lighten skin and act against melanin like alpha arbutin, is there a risk of having a blotchy skin. I don't want to lighten my face, just to get rid of theses brownish red marks, so I will apply only on them

but then again ;
-some of the cream might get on normal skin
-will the cream lighten the normal skin
- if it did lighten the normal skin will it be permanent and i end up with blotchy skin,

Thanks

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Hydroquinone cream can be used to cover the affected areas and avoid applying to normal skin, as this will lighten as well. Also while using hydroquinone you should stay out of the sun or wear protective clothing and use a SPF15+ sunscreen when outdoors.

I hope it helps. Take care and regards.

[Fred5]

Hello,
Thanks for you reply.
My question is;

will the bleaching creams that contain hydroquinone bleach the normal skin AROUND the brown spots...will it bleach normal skin+ brown spots and I end up with uneven skin..

Thanks

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The brown spots that you have are due to post inflammatory hyperpigmentation after acne. The treatment for post inflammatory hyperpigmentation includes various skin creams like hydroquinone, azelaic acid, corticosteroids, tretinoin cream and laser treatment but they should be used only under a dermatologist’s guidance. If it still persists then you can go in for laser treatment, Chemical peeling or microdermabrasion.

I hope it helps. Take care and regards.