What to do about freckles and blood vessels

[cashun]

Hey! I have a huge problem. I've spent the past 36 years out of the sun, slathering on sun screen and staying covered up to maintain the beautiful porcelain complexions of my vintage starlets. Unfortunately I've just started a medication that has caused me to freckle horribly, and the past couple of weeks I've just noticed blood vessels showing through on my right cheek. I'm trying to find a cover up/foundation that will cover these, but haven't found anything that will disguise the imperfections.

I've usually used MAC N-15 coverup, but that does not seem to be working for the freckles. I've started using a hydroquinone to fade the spots, but I need to know what to do in the mean time.

I want my beautiful porcelain complexion back. Any suggestions? What did Heddy Lamar use?

 

[BakingInPearls]

Dermablend makes makeup that covers everything from birthmarks to tattoos here is there website http://www.dermablend.com/index.aspx
You have to order it online mostly but it has great coverage capabilities. Hopefully that helps!

 

[Emmababy]

I think freckles are beautiful anyway

 

[cashun]

Perhaps a little sprinkling of freckles across the nose is adorable, however the freckles I have are a mass of connected brown spots. When I first started accumulating the wretched things on my face, it was just the normal splattering. Then the splattering started to increase into smudge size spots. Now instead of cute dusting of freckles on my face, I simply look like I've been playing in the dirt and didn't wash my face. It's soooo unattractive.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

True, medication-caused skin discoloration looks different from freckles caused by the sun. I agree with the Dermablend suggestion. I'm not sure what nice department stores are in your area, perhaps Dillard's? Anyway, they might sell it there, not a whole counter of course but as an area in the cosmetic department, might want to give the department store a call. That way you can try it right there.
Ashley

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I think the only permanent solution is laser surgery. Dermablend looks like a great option.

 

[Shimmy Sally]

I think freckles are beautiful anyway

Me too!

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Agreed, but these aren't freckles. They're skin discolorations, caused by medication, which are interfering with our friend's lovely porcelain complexion. Add to that the broken blood vessels. To cover up my broken blood vessels on my cheeks I use Coty Air-Spun Translucent Extra Coverage 070-41. It's in the nail polish/false eyelash section of Walgreens. The box is darker orange than the regular Air-Spun. It helps.

 

[Sweet Polly Purebred]

IPL (Intense Pulse Light) or Laser surgery will definitely help you out a lot, for both the freckles/pigment discoloration and the broken blood vessels, assuming that there's no conflict with your medication. IPL is MUCH more affordable than laser surgery.

I use Dr. Hauschka's Rose Day Cream for red veins in my cheeks. I've used it for a few months and have noted a 50% improvement. They aren't gone, but they are smaller and much less noticeable.

 

[goldwyn girl]

Dermablend is a great product but if you want something that gives good coverage and is waterproof but not quite as heavy as Dermablend try Estee Lauder Maximum Coverage.
http://www.esteelauder.com/template...?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY5849&PRODUCT_ID=PROD1673

 

[Paisley]

Have you talked to your doctor? Is there another medicine you could try?

 

[Dani California]

A face without freckles is like having a sky with no stars

I recently went to the dermatologist to ask about my freckles and blood vessels. I've always had freckles but for the past year, i've had areas where they've clumped together and it looks like dirt on my face. I think it's from birth control pills. He prescribed me a topical medicine with hydroquinne for my freckles which i only put where the clumps have happened...it seems to be working. For the blood vessels he said he could send an electric current in the middle of the blood vessel to make it disappear (i forget the medical term for it). He said it would be around $200 to get all of them...which I thought was a really good price.

 

[chinatown]

i find that the one i use - Dior 'DiorSkin' Ic?¥ne Photo Perfect Creme-to-Powder Makeup,

covers up everything. If that's what you are looking for ...

 

[cashun]

Hey Everyone! Thanks for the great suggestions. The freckles started a few years ago when I changed to Desogen as a bith control. I talked to my doctor, and since the Desogen was prescribed to help with PCOS he thought I should stay on that, but prescribed Hydroqinine to help fade the freckles. I don't think that really worked, but I decided to just live with the freckles and use cover up to help hide them. A couple of months ago my doctor prescribed Spirolactone and Glucaphage along with the Desogen to help the PCOS. He said there might be some freckling, so I was expecting some freckles, but not the clumping of spots I've developed, OR the blood vessels that have been coming up. Since treating the PCOS overrides the vanity of spotted skin, I've been trying to find the best thing for covering them up. I tried Dermablend, but they don't seem to have a color that matches my skintone. It seems too orangey. My skin is extremely pale with rosy undertones.

I'm heading to the make up counters tomorrow on a hunt to find something hopefully. I heard MAC has come out with a new cream foundation, maybe that will work. I'll also try the Dermablend que to try those again, maybe I'll get lucky and find something that works.

 

[AllaboutEve]

Hi Cashun, I'm sorry that your skin is making you feel so down.

I had the same problem start last year, I'm not on any birth control pills but I noticed that instead of getting a bit of a golden glow in the summer I started to get a kind of patch of "freckles" on my forehead. Luckily for me mine are not dark but like you say they are not like normal freckles.
The best thing that I have done is start wearing a really good sunscreen when I'm out, every day without fail, even if it's overcast and cloudy outside and I always try to wear a hat the shades my face if it's really sunny.

This type of skin discolouration is related to a sensitivity to oestrogen (this is what I have read on various internet sources) so that figures if you have started to take the birth control pill which will affect the levels of oestrogen in your blood. It can also happen when you get pregnant or when your hormones shift about as you get older, which I think is what has happened to me.

All the advice that I have read about this condition has mentioned that staying well out of the sun can dramatically reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation or melasma (this seems to be the medical term)

Here is a link with some info about melasma/chloasma http://www.online-family-doctor.com/skin-disorders/melasma.html

Obviously I'm no doctor and I don't know that this is the precise medical problem that you are experiencing but it sounds very familiar to me. Main thing is don't be scared or put off by most of the stuff on the internet about it being tricky to treat as I have found SPF 30 to work wonders. So your disciplined application of sunscreen will be helping to stop it getting worse.

Sorry I don't know anything about Dermablend but I thought that it may make you feel a little better to know that you are not alone!

Hope that helps a little to make you feel better!

 

[DrMags]

Have you spoken with your physician about changing the Desogen? It's not like its the only birth control out there. And I have heard stories more common of pigmentation like this with Desogen and a couple others.

So why not ask your physician if you can switch? You shouldn't have to suffer thru a side effect of a med just b/c your physician can't come up with other options. (which there are)

Maybe a lower dose monophasic like alesse?

As for a quick fix I've heard of from models, believe or not some hemorrhoid cream might help with just the blood vessel issue.

 

[AllaboutEve]

As for a quick fix I've heard of from models, believe or not some hemorrhoid cream might help with just the blood vessel issue.

That's incredible! I was just talking to someone at work about how it also reduces mosquito bites within minutes too!
I didn't know that it'd work on blood vessels!

 

[DrMags]

That's incredible! I was just talking to someone at work about how it also reduces mosquito bites within minutes too!
I didn't know that it'd work on blood vessels!

Its something I've heard. If the blood vessel showing is b/c of inflammation, it should work somewhat. I've also heard this trick used for puffy eyes after a night of crying or sleeplessness. Yes anti hemorrhoid cream on the eyes just sounds strange, but, who has to know?

 

[Dani California]

It can also be used for cellulite

 

[cashun]

Ok ladies- I think I might have discovered a bizarre way of fading freckles. I came about it completely by accident and I'm not really quite sure how safe it is, but it made a drastic difference.

The story is this. I had few greys poping in that I was attempting to cover. My hair is a nice medium to dark brown with some natural red highlights (I actually adore the color and hate having to put anything on it, but those stupid greys!), anyhow, the box of color said medium brown, but it turned my hair black. Not a good look with someone who has the skin color of a copse. Seriously, I looked like an aged goth queen. Not so pretty. In my quest to try and correct this color (instead of going to a professional, like a sane person would) I attempted to correct it myself. I went to the local beuty supply and got a color corrector. I shuffle to my bathoom, apply the color corrector, to my licorice tinted locks, and with in 20 minutes my hair was a lovely shade of burnt orange, however some of the color corrector got on my face (on a particularly large cluster of freckles) and I noticed with astonishment that my freckles had faded drastically. I'm not talking a minute lightening of pigment but a huge change. I thought it was just me so I had my sister come over (who is immensely critical of me) and she noticed right away that my face was paler.

Well, it was just on that cluster of freckles, so after I finished coloring my hair (which turned black again, and I ended up having to go the beauty salon to have a professional fix it anyway), I purchased another box of color corrector and applied it to all of my freckles. It was a dream come true. They weren't completely obliterated, but they were significantly faded. Enough so that I can wear my Mac N-15 concealer and have them completely concealed.

Now some people my be skeptical about using color corrector on your face, and if my new discovery hadn't happened by accident I would never try it on my sensitive skin. The color corrector I used is simply called Color Corrector, it is in the dye section. It's a gentle corrector and after 20 minutes the potency of bleach disipitates. I would not suggest using the Lorea'l Color Zap that can be extremely harsh on the hair, I'd hate to think what it could do to pale skin, possibly burn it.

Anyway, that's what happened with me. I use this product about once or twice a month on my freckles. The freckles do come back with any exposure to the sun, but so far I have been able to keep them contained without them getting to overwhelming. So now you know my story. I'm not really sure how safe it is, so I would definitely want to caution anyone that there may be some affects, but I thought I'd share my success and let you make up your own minds if it something you'd like to try. I'm extremely pale, and have sensitive skin that get s red quite easily, but so far I have had no burns, and or break outs, as a matter of fact I don't really notice it after I've applied, and after 20 minutes and then a wash with Aveeno Clear Complexion Soy Cleanser, my face looks smooth and very touchable. So for me no side affects. Now if I could just find something for those darn broken blood vessels.