<p>A lot of smart people in this forum, so maybe someone has some suggestions. I had a small but annoying sunburn on my face, so I decided to go to the dermatologist. The Dr. prescribed tretinioin and hydroquinone to even the skin tone. However, I have a bigger problem now. I have some brown spots on my face as a result of these creams. The Dr. suggested I use Ogabi to get rid of my sunburn spots and the new brown spots. But, somehow I have doubts. Now I’m not sure what to do or believe. I’ll be seeing another dermatologist soon. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about the particular topical medications you mentioned, but after a sunburn, brown spots happen. And they don’t all turn up right away. Sun damage is the gift that keeps on giving.</p>
<p>spideygirl, I know. I’ve been waiting for at leas 5 years for my sunburn spots to disapear. Now, I have two problems sunburn and new brown spots from the hydrooquinone and tretinioin :(</p>
<p>Hydroquinone is a permanent skin bleaching agent. This is in some prescription and I believe OTC creams as well. The tretinoin is supposed to help exfoliate the skin. Was this Tri-Luma cream? The problem with the dark spots is that they are very difficult to fade. Some people are lucky and the cream helps them. For others no improvement. You may have melasma from the sun or just post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. There are other treatments such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion and IPL (intense pulsed light), but with all brown spot treatments the risk is darkening the spots.</p>
<p>Try a Dermatologist certified by the American Board of Dermatology. If he or she offers lasers, peels, IPL, even though these are cosmetic treatments, you might get information on more options.</p>
<p>Of course your individual skin and its reaction is key in coming up with a treatment for you.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
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<p>Um, all dermatologists will be BC/BE by the ABD. And yes, you should always see a Board Certified (BC) or Board Eligible (BE) physician.</p>
<p>What made you doubt the original physician? Maybe the spots are a common side effect of the medication for some poeple and the Ogabi will help minimize them. Just because the initial treatment didn’t work properly doesn’t mean the doctor doesn’t know what he/she is doing. And to be blunt… its a sunburn. It will get better on its own…</p>
<p>anothermom2 thanks for the heads up. I’ll be reading a lot before I have my appointment with the new dermatologist. I just hope there is some solution for my problem. My previous dermatologist is among the best where I live. But, I’ll be seeing another dematologist who comes highly recommended too.</p>
<p>Icarus, Yes I lost my trust on the first Dr. I have my doubts because
1- she was too much into selling a treatment.
2- she said that maybe I had the brown spots before I was even born.</p>
<p>Not to smear anyone, but there are people who are MD’s who call themselves dermatologists who are not specialty trained. Additionally, there is a DO (as opposed to MD) certification board, which is not at all the same. The DO board people are currently not eligible to become fellows of the American Academy of Dermatology.</p>
<p>anothermom2, she’s an internal medicine MD. She treats both cosmetic and medical issues. I’d feel comfortable with her if I had a medical problem on my skin. But cosmetic issues are a little bit different. But what do I know. I’m not a doctor.</p>
<p>I have used the Obagi Nu-Derm regimen on and off for over 10 years. It did even out my skin tone as I had some small patches of melasma on both of my cheeks. I don’t have the melasma any more but I still go on the regimen a couple of times a year. I haven’t had any adverse effects using it.</p>
<p>I had a series of laser treatments and a chemical peel and all of the brown sun spots as well as several small spider veins on my face disappeared. My insurance didn’t cover this so I paid out-of-pocket; it was worth every penny. I’m really pleased with the results.</p>
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<p>Sorry, but I need to clarify this (and my previous post) a bit. </p>
<p>While its true that any physician who has completed one year of internship can legally practice any sort of medicine they want, this is extremely uncommon and no hospital will give them privileges without being BC/BE - its always a good idea to make sure that a physician you go to is board certified.</p>
<p>As for the two boards (DO and MD), they are functionally the same. And a DO can be a fellow of the american board of dermatology if he/she completes an ABD residency. If they complete an american osteopathic college of dermatology residency, they will become a fellow of that board. But functionally, there is no difference. They are both competent, residency-trained dermatologists.</p>
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<p>This is exactly the right view to have. An IM doc should be perfectly capable of handling certain common medical skin problems (or will know when to send you to a dermatologist), but cosmetic and more complicated stuff should generally be taken care of by a dermatologist.</p>
<p>cbreeze and bromfield, thanks so much for sharing your experiences with me. I feel more hopeful now.
Icarus, thanks for the explanation.</p>