Here’s an excerpt from Marie’s interview on brown spots & acne scars:
Real Style Network: What are some of the ways skin gets marked over the years (ie acne, sun damage, pregnancy, age spots)?
Marie Bertrand: “One of the first “marks” we can observe in children is freckles. Freckles are actually sun-induced (interesting fact: you’ll never see a new born baby with freckles), but different people have a different “threshold” (or cumulative amount of sun exposure) before they develop freckles. It is generally accepted in the industry that blonds and redheads will usually develop freckles much faster than darker phototypes.
When puberty arises, we often see acne appearing in teenagers. This inflammatory skin condition often leaves “marks” on the skin, whether they are temporary (redness & brown spots after the acne lesion is gone, a condition that should resolve naturally within a few weeks to a few months) or permanent (or true acne scars, that leave a permanent indentation in the skin long after the lesion has disappeared).
Pregnancy brings a whole new level of skin changes, including a very common skin condition called melasma, or pregnancy mask. It is caused by the combination of estrogens, sun and light exposure, and is a very common skin disorder. Melasma presents itself as a symmetrical hyperpigmentation of the face and neck, and can also be triggered by birth control pill and other hormonal changes (you don’t need to be pregnant to develop melasma) combined with sun & light exposure. This is why melasma tends to become darker during the sunnier summer months.
With time and cumulative sun exposure, age spots can develop in sun-exposed areas, including the face, hands and decolleté. It is important to see your family doctor or a dermatologist for a full body/mole check before under taking treatments of brown spots/ age spots to make sure you are not cosmetically treating something that should be medically removed”.
For more information, and to read the entire interview, grab a copy of Real Style Network’s Winter 2015-2016 edition.
