Keratosis treatments: Hydroquinone, Glycolic Acid, Bleaching, Lasers, Skin peels

If you suffer from the blotchiness or skin discoloration brought on by keratosis, there is hope for you. You can make the brownish or dark skin patches disappear using the proper ointments and creams.

For example, many dermatologists have found that an ointment containing hydroquinone is effective in reducing and, many times, reversing, the effects of  keratosis. The key to this cure is using the ointment for the prescribed period until the keratosis‘ effects are reversed.

Ointments containing alezaic acid or kojic acid have also been found to be effective in reversing the effects of keratosis as have ointments containing glycolic acid. The key, again, here is that you must continue the regimen until the keratosis is reversed. If you stop for any reason, you will likely see it return quickly. An ointment containing tretonin has also been found to be an effective topical treatment.

One thing to remember about the ointment route is that it will take some effort on your part and that it may take months before they show real results. Indeed, you may try using an aloe vera cream along with these ointments to help in the lightening process.

Another type of treatment is bleaching where a special ointment is brushed onto the area and left for a bit and then taken off. This ointment has the quality that it will actually allow the bleaching material to leach through the upper layer of skin so that the lower level where the melanin is stored is the level that is bleached. Exposure to the sun, though, can quite quickly reverse this treatment.

Although this is an outgrowth of the removal of tattoos, one of the benefits of dermatological lasering is the lightening of keratosis blotches. With a Z-type laser, the light is shown through the upper layer of skin and the blotch is literally erased. This may require multiple treatments and, like all the other treatments listed here, will be reversed if you expose yourself to the sun.

Skin peels and dermabrasion seem to work well together. A skin peel works in that a specialist will spread a special ointment over an area and let it set and will then gently work the skin so that the upper layers of skin are peeled off, taking the upper layer of skin and the melanin-bearing layer where the blotchiness is located is cleared  away, exposing good skin. This is usually combined with dermabrasion so that clear layers of skin underneath are exposed. Be sure to use any follow-on healing ointments that may be prescribed so that the who process will work.

Remember that in any of this that if you go back into the sun, then you will likely be reversing the whole process so that you may have to start all over again.

Finally, in some people it has been found that keratosis and blotchiness are hereditary and even though you may go for lightening, it may come back and your children will likely be affected by your family’s heredity.

Keratosis further readingFurther Reading:

Actinic – Seborrheic

Website Reading:

Actinic Keratosis

Seborrheic Keratosis

Ag3derm