Dark spots, blemishes and discolorations and skin of color.

Dark spots, blemishes and discolorations are particularly troublesome in skin of color because they can be unsightly and cause self-conciousness, especially on more noticable and vunerable areas such as the face and neck. Once a pimple or damaged skin heals, a dark mark or blemish is often left behind. Dark marks appear in skin of color because melanocytes, the pigment cells that color the skin, become very active in areas where skin is irritated and began to build up. The result is a blemish that may never go away.

There are some very easy steps that those with darker skin tones can take to help prevent, and clear, dark spots and blemishes.

-Remember to always wear sunprotection with an SPF of 20 to 30. Remember to apply it every two hours while outside, because the sun causes melanin to build up in the skin, resulting in darker areas on the skin.

-If you are going to use a skin lightening cream, remember to only apply it to dark spots. Do not use any creams that contain more than 2% skin lightening ingredients (usually hydroquinone). Applying more can be dangerous to the skin, as it has been tested and shows signs of causing cancer after prolonged usage.

-Find a healthy skin care regimine and stick to it. Remember to protect yourself from the sun and treat blemishes and injuries to the skin immediately. Do not pick at any marks, bumps or scabs on the skin and do not allow clothing or other irritating materials to rub against sensitive skin. Keep hair and hats out of the face to prevent them from rubbing against delicate facial skin.

Remember to always treat your skin gently and kindly, and to be patient with it. Although a blemish can appear quickly and take what seems like forever to go away, you can greatly decrease the appearance of blemishes on the skin with a little TLC before they come.

*This information was collected from "Beautiful Skin of Color: A Comprehensive Guide to Asian, Olive and Dark Skin", and is not intented to diagnose, treat or cure any disorder or disease.