QuestionQUESTION: Hello!
I am a girl who is 25 years old with a white enough skin. Before my face was good, white, and smooth enough. I live in Cambodia. I am having a problem with the Tanned and Medium Brown and Dark spots on Face. The detail is I stay out and sit under the umbrella to get shade from the sun every full day and always take a shower only twice a day in the morning and in the night. Please let me know what kind of foods/drinks I must not have and what are the big causes to my face? Every day I apply only less products such as Sunscreen and UV Whitening Lotion, but they seem not to help to get better results and can only stop my face from getting darker than now. I mean my face remains tanned, brown, and dark though I apply the products as above. Could you please tell me what kind of better products I must apply to cure my tanned, medium dark, and brown spots of the face? What are the names of products and brand names of them?
Sorry for long questions and very complex to you. I, however, hope very much you will feel free to answer my questions.
I am looking forward to your great and experienced answers.
Hope you will be able to explain to me in details as I asked you to answer.
I am very very grateful to you and please thank you very much for giving me the best ideas.
Best wishes and good luck!
Yours sincerely,
LEN
ANSWER: Hello my dear Len,
I apoligize for the delayed answer- I was having problems getting into this site.
As I read your question, I can feel that this is upsetting you so I will do my best to help you :) I don't mind how long your letter is.. I like more information. It helps me.
If I may, I'd like to ask a few questions to further understand your situation.
When you lay out in the sun, are you under the umbrella the whole time? What is the number of the sunscreen you are using? If you are still tanning with a sunscreen you may need to go to a higher number sunscreen. When you apply your sunscreen - do you go swimming? After you go swimming, do you re apply sunscreen? Sunscreens are not waterproof.
You asked about foods that can help with your skin. Please know that you should have up to 8 glasses of water daily, to keep your skin hydrated, eat assorted bright colored vegetables and fruits, eat salmon and a variety of nuts. Avoiding sugar and salt is a good idea too.
If you like chocolate, chose dark chocolate - the higher the cocao the better :) It has antioxidants which are good for your skin.
I understand how nice it is to enjoy the sun's warmth but if you want to have no discoloration or browning on your skin, you have to be careful how much time you spend out in the sun.
Anytime spent in the sun, will affect your skin. Also, note: apply sunscreen to the rest of your body as well.
As I am not familiar with stores in Cambodia, may I ask for you to send me the main chain stores you have in your country? This way I can suggest products for you.
I look forward to your reply as I am very concerned about you.
Take good care until we chat again and smile... all will be ok :)
Warmly
Elaine :)
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hello, dear Elaine Stamatatos!
In fact, every day I sit under the umbrella to get shade from the sun the whole day to be a receptionist, not a relax laying. I sit out from 8:00 AM till 4:00 Pm every day. I rarely go swimming and apply the sunscreen only once a day-in the morning just before 8:00 AM. I read the Suncreen as "SUN CONTROL CREAM SPF 48 - PA++ UVA/UVB". Is it the 48 degree suncreen cream? Please help to let me know. I would like to ask you how long the sunscreen is effective, please.
I realized that the Tanned, Medium Brown and Dark spots affect only my face and other parts of my body isn't affected too seriously. As you felt with your valuable answers, I really got upset and disappointed.
The main chain stores in Cambodia are Revlon, Nivea, U-care, and Unilever Products.
I am not sure whether the information here is enough for you or not. Though, please let me know if you need further information and details.
Please you help to tell me what names and kinds of products I must apply so that I can cure my face and keep it as beautiful as it could as before.
Please attend the product images if possible and don't mind.
I feel very grateful and surprised that you were very interested in my cases and recommend me what I must do. Now I feel relieved and smile with hopes after I got the answers.
I please thank you very much for trying your utmost to help me as well as to make myself much more confident.
I am looking forward to your helps and experienced answers.
Sorry for many phrase written to you and s.th waisted your valuable time.
May you live in peace, happiness, and success in whatever you are doing or going to as well as get healthier and wealthier!
Yours sincerely,
LEN
AnswerMy dearest Len,
Please know that my desire in life as an Esthetician and Makeup Artist is to help as many people as I can. I am blessed to be on this site because I live in the U.S and I can get questions around the world :)
Don't ever feel as though you are wasting my time. The more information - the better :)
As it may be difficult through email , I do my very best to understand all my questions and I keep email such as yours CLOSE to my heart. Most times the answers I give are good, sometimes it's what people are looking for - I strive to help as I understand skin concerns as I have also gone through many myself :)
That being said on to your concerns :)
The primary function of a sunscreen is to reduce the dose of UV rays that the skin will receive.
With the sun being such an essential part of life and helps with a person's psyche, it can be easy to forget that the sun is skin's enemy :( UVA rays penetrate the skin deeper into the skin that UVB rays - even on a cloudy day - this is still true.
The sunscreen you are using is good. Are you applying 2 layers on your skin daily? Also, sorry to write this but if you also sweat, the sunscreen may need to be reapplied.
As you work outside as a Receptionist ( lucky ) and you are protected by your umbrella, I need to understand why you may still be getting tanned.
If your skin is developing darker spots, this could be hypopigmentation. It's normal, it happens to us all.
I was surprised to have it as I avoid the sun. But, because the sun's rays can penetrate through a car window, my left side of my face developed hypopigmentation. I started using Retinol.
You could also try this - I use ROC's Retinol Correction Deep Wrinkle Daily Moisturizer.
It has 'deep wrinkle' in it but it's the Retinol that helps with the hypopigmentation :)
In the meantime, if you can't find the ROC let me know and I will research another product for you.
Look forward to your reply and until then you also keep happy by smiling, have great faith in God, and keep positive thoughts as this also helps with your skin's health :)
Warmly,
Elaine :)
