Fade Skin Spots

Posted Tuesday, September 11, 2007 to PROCEDURES > Face

Posted by The Original Anti-Aging & Cosmetic Surgery Magazine

A new brightening cream is making it easier to enjoy beautiful, clear skin, reports Anita Catalano.

With an increasing number of people suffering the damaging of the sun, the search is on for more effective skin brightening products to treat sun spots and imbalances in pigmentation. KojiLac-C, introduced in January, is enabling more physicians to effectively treat patients suffering blotchy complexions or hyper-pigmentation. Mr John Kulesza, Director of Research and Development at Young Pharmaceuticals, the creators of the product, said earlier treatments, such as Hydroquinone, a widely used skin brightening agent, were often harsh and unable to produce an even tone to the skin.

"Hydroquinone is an effective agent for lightening the skin, but it can cause irritation and actually damage the cells which produce melanin or pigment in our skin if it's used for too long," he said. "And this is one of the reasons we created, for the physician, an alternative to Hydroquinone."

Mr Kulesza, who had been working on the product for more than two years before its introduction, said KojiLac-C was unique because it contained three ingredients to brighten the skin; Kojic dipalmitate, Lactic Acid and Magnesium Ascorbyl phosphate.

The cream works by halting the chemical reaction that causes discoloration of the skin."There are many skin brightening agents but most of those contain only one of these ingredients," Mr Kulesza explained.

What also makes the product different is Vitamin C, which is added at the time of treatment. The Vitamin C is mixed into the cream just before it is applied, and can be kept refrigerated for up to 90 days.

Mr Kulesza said the KojiLac-C would suit many people (and many cultures) including those suffering sun spots, because it gives a more even skin tone than other products available.

"The darker the complexion the more irregularities there are in the production of melanin."

Hyper-pigmentation can be caused by a number of factors including sun exposure and genetics. When the sun hits the skin it reacts by producing melanin, a powerful absorbing UV agent, which helps protect the skin. This process unfortunately results in an uneven and blotchy skin tone.

Mr Kulesza said KojiLac-C produces less harmful effects than other skin brightening products on the market.

"Some of these traumatize the cells which produce melanin; the spots turn darker and they have the reverse effect," he explained.

"A gentler approach is more effective and we recommend one to two applications per day of KojiLac-C, combined with broad spectrum product."

According to Mr Kulesza patients can expect to see results in about one month.

New York dermatologist, Dr Donald Feinsod, said he is satisfied with the results of using KojiLac-C on his patients. He is using the cream to treat a range of skin problems such as sun spots and even discoloration from acne.

"The results, so far, are comparable with Hydroquinone," he said. "Sometimes you come up against a patient where the Kojic acid isn't sufficient to get rid of the spots they have so in that case you add something else."

Side effects are also minimal, compared with Hydroquinone according to Dr Feinsod."With Hydroquinone some people suffer redness but I haven't had any patients who have developed a sensitivity to Kojic acid," he said.

However, it is not available over the counter, as a dermatologist should diagnose the pigmentation problem before prescribing KojiLaC-C. As New York Dermatologist Dr Robert Auerbach explained: "It is for dark spots of a certain type diagnosed by the practitioner. It is definitely not for cancer spots; this is why it's not available over the counter."

Dr Feinsod said he introduces patients to the cream by using a pea size drop on four areas of their face: the forehead, each cheek and chin. The cream is then rubbed allover the skin and left overnight, bleaching out the excess pigment and resulting in a more even complexion.

Dr Auerbach agreed: "The patient puts it on at home themselves, in the evening, leaving it on their skin. They continue using their own skin care regime and add this to their usual ritual." However, it is important to wear a sunscreen during the day.

Dr Feinsod said patients should use KojiLac-C for a minimum of six weeks, while in more severe cases, up to six months of treatment may be needed. "Most of my patients see results within six to eight weeks and that's why they continue using it," he said.

For patients with discoloration, pigmentation problems or just blotchy skin KojiLac-C may be the way to a brighter complexion.

Add Comment

To discourage SPAM, we ask that you type your code (displayed below) in the text box.

Your Code:
Enter Code:	*