• Buttermilk – had been used for generations as a skin cleanser and as a beauty aid. It is known to have lactic acid which is beneficial to the skin. Here’s how: Dab buttermilk on the dark spots.
• Cocoa Butter - known antioxidant and an effective skin mosturizer. Here’s how: Massage the affected area with cocoa butter.
• Avocado – a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, oleic acid and other compounds known to help sooth and heal skin tissues. Here’s how: Peel and mash ripe avocado and apply the juice on the affected area.
• Potato – contains starch and mild bleaching property which is good in skin lightening. Here’s how: Apply raw potato juice on the affected area.
• Aloe Vera – credited for healing several skin conditions. Here’s how: Use the juice or the gel frequently on the spots.
• Lime or Lemon – well known bleaching agent, rich in antioxidants. Here’s how: Apply the juice directly on the spots.
• Honey – a good skin mosturizer. Here’s how: Mix equally it with the juice of lime (or lemon) and apply on the affected area.
• Vitamin E Oil – antioxidant often used to reduce or fade scars. It can even even out skin tone by fading discolorations. Here’s how: Puncture Vitamin E capsule and squeeze the oil directly into the spots.

But one must keep in mind that there is no assurance that these home remedies will work perfectly on them, though these ingredients have already proven their effectiveness in some cases. One must perfectly understand, too, that its a case-to-case basis. Those remedies that worked to one person may not work to another person and vice versa. And of course, one should mind his allergies, too, before trying any of the ways mentioned above. And for a faster healing process, one may also try the countless over-the-counter hyperpigmentation creams that was known to help eliminate dark spots. There is always a myriad of choice out there, lucky us.

Most of the sunscreens block UVB well, if they are above 15 to 30 SPF (Sun Protective Factor) and stays on well. UVB are rays that are seasonal, mainly around summer months, and are blocked over 70% by window or car glass. There are many ways to reduce  hyperpigmentation are many. For the medium-skinned individual, one has to have a great deal of patience. In many cases the coloration will be reduced with a combination therapy. If the hyperpigmentation is milder, topical medications can be successful. These include hydroquinone, azelaic acid, kojic acid/ kojic dipalmitate, arbutin, retinoids, peptides, coffee berry, glucosamine, niacinamide, and other anti-oxidants. Since physicians can use a higher percentage of the active ingredient(s), if you have moderate or severe pigmentation, you may want to seek the care of a dermatologist.

If moderate or severe hyperpigmentation exists, one may need to be seen by a dermatologist. In these more involved cases, a combination therapy of topical skin lightening agents, sunscreens, liquid nitrogen, electrodesiccation, microdermabrasion, and laser therapy may be used. Cosmetic camouflage is useful while waiting for the pigmentation to be reduced.

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Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, or from artificial light sources, can be divided into longer wavelength UVA, which causes tanning and wrinkling of the skin, and shorter wavelength UVB, which causes sunburn.
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Remember: “A” in UVA stands for skin aging, “B” in UVB for sunburn.
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SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a reflection on how well the sunscreen product protects the skin from redness caused by sun exposure. It is therefore an assessment of protection against the effect of UVB.
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Because of the propensity for tanning, minor blemishes in ethnic skin types can become quite dark and noticeable, primarily because of the tanning response upon exposure to sunlight.

Melasma is a skin condition presenting as brown patches usually on the face of adults. A change in hormonal status may trigger melasma. It is commonly associated with pregnancy and called chloasma, or the “mask of pregnancy”. Both sides of the face are usually affected, and the most common sites of involvement are the cheeks, bridge of nose, forehead, and upper lip.

This condition is mainly found in adult women and the exact cause is not known. However there is an association with pregnancy,oral contraceptives excessive ultrviolet light exposure and hereditary factors. It is not contagious but can be quite cosmetically embarrassing.

After researching the issues that affect Ethnic skin and the treatment options available to his patients, Dr. Thrower recognized a need for a product line that addressed the specific conditions of Ethnic skin but would also be as effective for non-Ethnic skin. He envisioned a system that would treat an existing problem while maintaining or returning the patient’s skin to its normal health and provide clearer skin once the problem had been resolved.

Dr. Thrower has applied his vast knowledge as a physician and extensive experience at his Dermatology clinic to create the Heritage Skin Care product line. Heritage Skin Care Treatment products are the strongest composition of active ingredients available without a prescription. These products are medical solutions not cosmetic cover-ups. The treatment products and skin care products are made with the highest quality of natural antioxidants, herbs, oils and vitamins.

Dr. Downie is a medical consultant for The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The View and Ten Years Younger. She has been featured on The Montel Williams Show, The Rachael Ray Show, MSNBC and many others. She is a highly sought after lecturer who enjoys an excellent national and international reputation. Dr. Downie consults lectures and does FDA and investigator-initiated clinical trials for many of the top tier pharmaceutical companies.

Her newspaper and magazine credits include USA Today, The New York Times, In Style, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine, New Beauty and Essence, among others. Her first book, Beautiful Skin of Color, is a comprehensive skin care guide for Asian, Olive and Dark Skin (Harper Collins 2004).

A member of the Executive Board of the Greater New York Dermatology Society and the Education Council of the National Campaign to Control Acne, Dr. Cook-Bolden is also a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, National Medical Association, American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery, Women’s Dermatologic Society, and Manhattan Medical Society. She serves on many advisory boards and as consultant for the pharmaceutical, laser, and beauty industry, in addition to being a speaker/lecturer across the United States and abroad for these industries. She also lectures extensively at medical centers and universities across the country in the field of dermatology.

Dr. Cook-Bolden has conducted numerous clinical investigations as principal investigator and co-investigator for several studies on acne, skin cancer and actinic keratosis, pseudofolliculitis barbae, pigmentary disorders such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and melasma, etc., acne keloidalis, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and other hair and scalp disorders, and the use of lasers in ethnic skin among other dermatology-related topics. She is considered a leading researcher in the treatment of ethnic skin, lasers, cosmetic dermatology, and medical dermatology and continues to engage in cutting-edge research, directing a full, highly qualified research team.

Dr. Alexis received his medical degree from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and his Master’s of Public Health degree from Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health. He completed his dermatology residency at Weill Cornell Medical Center, and a fellowship in dermatopharmacology at New York University School of Medicine, all in New York City.

Dr. Alexis currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Skin of Color Society and is an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology Diversity Task Force Committee. He is also President-Elect of the New York Academy of Medicine Section on Dermatology.

Author of numerous dermatology publications and an investigator in many clinical studies, Dr. Alexis’ areas of interest include the management of skin and hair disorders in patients with skin of color.

Dr. Callender has been a visiting professor of Dermatology at Brown University, the University of Maryland, the University of Florida and the State University of New York. Dr. Callender has conducted and participated in over 20 research studies and clinical trials for both therapeutic and cosmetic products, and is a consultant to many cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Callender is frequently quoted and featured in both print and electronic media and serves on the Boards of the Women’s Dermatologic Society, the Women’s Dermatologic Society Foundation, and the Skin of Color Society where she is a founding member and Treasurer. Dr. Callender is the founder of the Callender Skin and Laser Center which is located in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Region. Dr. Callender received her medical degree from Howard University, where she also did her residency, and currently serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology.

In 2004, Dr. Roberts founded, as a member of the Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS), a national outreach skin cancer screening program called “Play Safe in the Sun” which travels to LPGA tournaments and provides free Sun Safety education and skin cancer screenings.

Dr. Roberts is currently Vice President/President-Elect of the Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS). She is a Past-President of the State of California Dermatologic Society (Calderm). As a member of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), Dr. Roberts has served on numerous committees including the 2008 American Academy of Dermatology Nominating Committee, Organizational Structure Health Care Delivery Committee and Melanoma and Skin cancer screening. She was also appointed to the Stanford University Medical Alumnae Board Governors to which she currently serves.

Discovering, Teaching and Sharing With Colleagues

Dr. Crutchfield is also involved in academic medicine. He has published over 100 dermatologic articles and most recently co-authored a textbook of Dermatology “A Clinical Atlas of 101 Common Skin Diseases”. He is currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota, teaching medical students, residents, and other clinical physicians. He has been selected twice as the Teacher of the Year at the University of Minnesota by the medical students and the Minnesota Medical Foundation. He is active in medical research involving psoriasis, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and acne keloidalis nuchae. He lectures both at local, State-wide and national medical conferences. Dr. Crutchfield has also been awarded the “Karis” humanitarian award from the Mayo Clinic.