How do I get my skin back to a normal color?

August 23, 2006 7:30 PM

What do I do about the skin on my upper lip?

I'm female, and after years of removing the hair from my upper lip, I am horrified to see that the skin is discolored. I think it looks like I have a mustache and I don't know what to do about it. Makeup doesn't really work. Ideas?

posted by anonymous to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (5 answers total)

Discarded dark, you mean? I do know that there are light coloured tattoo inks that might help, but will be difficult to match exactly (nor keep matched throughout your lifetime). There are also laser skin treatments to remove dark (age) spots, etc. Or you might just go see a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon to get some professional advice.
posted by Kickstart70 at 7:54 PM on August 23, 2006

I have the exact same problem. Completely embarrassing!!!!
Got it a few months ago when I started back on the pill...

I went to a dermatologist and he gave me a prescription bleaching cream that seems to be working pretty well so far at lightening the area.

Hair removal/spa places will also usually have an option for "lasering" discolorations on the face....but I figured I'd try something a little less scary first :) Good luck...
posted by eileen at 8:43 PM on August 23, 2006

Could it be that it's not your actual skin that is discolored? When removing the hair at the surface there is still new hair growth right under the skin. If you have dark hair it's common to still see a bit of a darker "shadow" under there if you've shaved it, waxed it or plucked it. There's not much you can do about that, but you can go the way of having laser hair removal done to remove the hair permanently and keep it from growing back. Eventually the dark stuff underneath should go away too once the follicles die and the hair stops growing.
posted by RoseovSharon at 9:52 PM on August 23, 2006

This product claims to address the problem, but I haven't tried it. If you're on hormonal birth control, stopping it might cause the discoloration to fade away.
posted by amber_dale at 6:02 AM on August 24, 2006

Ok. A number of questions.

How exactly have you been removing the hair? Is it possible that your hair removal method has been irritating the skin?

I assume that it is discolored to be more brown? If this is the case I have two suggestions. First, you can try a hydroquinone cream such as Skin Medica EpiQuin Micro. The nice doctor who will sell this to you will also be able to do chemical peels that will help lift color in the dark areas.

The other thing that might work -- and this depends on your skin type so it will need to be seen by a doctor who specializes in cosmetic lasers -- is a laser treatment. Some lasers, such as the Candela GentleLase, both remove hair *and* can be used to remove brown spots. Thus, both your problems solved at once. I am not going to lie, brown spot removal is not comfortable, but it is as nearly as I can tell permanent.

If you are in the Seattle area, send me an email and I'll put you in touch with somebody.
posted by ilsa at 9:12 AM on August 24, 2006