How to whiten skin through 4 proven effective treatments

Having white skin still seems to be the obsession of most Indonesians. The stigma of "white is perfect" is still difficult to eradicate from the mind. That's why not a few people are willing to try various ways to whiten the skin, without ever knowing the risks and consequences that might occur if you use any method. Actually, is there a safe and effective way to whiten the skin through the media route?

What makes skin tone dark?

Your skin color is determined by the genetic makeup of your parents. The genes then determine how much melanin you have. Melanin is a natural skin dye produced by cells in the skin's layers called melanocytes. The more melanin you have, the darker your skin will be.

Apart from being determined by genes, the amount of melanin levels is also influenced by exposure to sunlight, hormones, and exposure to certain chemicals. For example, your skin will darken and "burn" when you stay out of the sun for too long.

However, these changes in skin color tend to be temporary. Over time, your dark skin will return to its original hue. This is because the skin has a special ability to regenerate itself and change to its original color automatically.

On the other hand, skin discoloration due to natural aging tends to be permanent.

How to whiten skin with treatment at a doctor

Here are some ways to whiten skin medically that most people use:

1. Doctor's cream

Whitening creams are able to reduce uneven skin tone, and even change the color of the original skin. You can get a safe and effective whitening cream by prescription.

Generally, whitening creams from doctors have a combination of chemical ingredients that can reduce melanin levels in the skin. We recommend that you first consult your doctor about the correct dosage and how to use it before starting to use the cream. The cream made by a professional dermatologist who has a license to practice is certainly safe and its use is supervised by the doctor.

The use of whitening creams that you get carelessly, for example from online stores without a clear BPOM permit, may contain mercury, hydroquinone, and corticosteroids which can cause serious side effects on your skin.

2. Chemical peels

Chemical peels is a medical procedure to remove dead skin cells using a special cream based on chemicals.Chemical peels at the doctor can help disguise scars and acne scars, blemishes and dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles, and brighten dull skin tone.

Commonly used chemical creams include phenols, trichloroacetic acid, carbolic acid, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and lactic acid. However, choosing the right cream will be based on your needs, skin type, and what the specific problem is.

The cream will be applied to the skin evenly and left for a while until finally a chemical reaction occurs which creates shallow sores on the surface of the skin. This indicates that dead skin cells are being removed and then replaced with new skin cells that are underneath.

Chemical peels consists of several types, distinguished by the extent of skin abrasion that occurs. The higher the degree of removal, the longer it will take for new skin to appear. The longer the healing period.

3. Laser resurfacing

As the name implies, laser resurfacing is a method of skin whitening that uses a high-energy laser shot directly at the surface of the skin.

Its function is to destroy old skin cells that have been damaged and trigger the formation of new skin cells. Laser therapy also helps reduce melanin production and levels in the skin.

This laser method of whitening skin has side effects in the form of redness, swelling, and bruising that takes 14 to 21 days to heal.

4. Microdermabrasion

How to whiten skin with microdermabrasion has a similar principle to chemical peels, namely by removing the outer layer of skin to produce a new, better skin layer. The difference is, in microdermabrasion a spray containing small crystals is used.

Yes, the working principle of micro-dermabrasion is by spraying small crystals on your skin. The crystals then gently help the skin abrasion process. After spraying your skin you may get red, but the effect will not last long. The use of some types of make-up is not recommended after this treatment.

5. Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery is a method of skin whitening using liquid nitrogen to destroy melanin cells. Apart from whitening the skin, cryosurgery is also used to treat other skin problems such as lightening brown spots and dark spots on the face.

This procedure is performed by applying liquid nitrogen to the surface of the skin evenly and allowed to freeze. Then, the nitrogen will slowly return to liquefaction while making small, invisible wounds on the skin. This process allows the skin to slough off the outer layer of skin then replace it with a new, lighter one.

However, there are also some common side effects that occur from this cryosurgery procedure. The most common risk of side effects is the appearance of blisters on areas exposed to liquid nitrogen after the procedure.

Before you whiten your skin …

Beautifying the skin in a fast manner certainly tempts most women, but of course there will be side effects from every method of whitening the skin.

We recommend that before you decide to do it, multiply the information and consult your doctor from what will be done on your skin, to the side effects that you will feel afterward. Natural treatments may take a maximum of time, but of course provide more minimal side effects.