What to do about the darkening caused by tweezing in african american skin?

Not sure what to use..I have been removing hair from chin by tweezing I am african american and this has caused hyperpigmentation so that the area is extremely dark and very noticeable. I have been on the website looking at bleaching and lightening products but sort of wary because there are so many and my skin does tend to breakout. what can i use to bring that part of my face back to the same color as the rest of my face or should i see a dermatologist.

I think a lot of women have this problem.  In lighter skin types, it shows up as reddish discoloration around the hair follicles and, in darker skin types, more dark brown.  It’s caused by the mild inflammation around the hair bulb when it’s irritated by pulling the hair out.  

Many women have found laser hair removal to be the most helpful for this problem because the laser stops/retards the hair growth without irritating the follicle.  For women of color, look for dermatologists and laser centers with a lot of experience and a "YAG" based hair removal system.  The IPL, diode and alexandrite based systems are more likely to cause a burn in darker skin types. 

If that’s not an option, try putting a little drugstore hydrocortisone 1% on the area right after you tweeze and the drugstore 2% hydroquinone "bleaching"  creams may work well for you.  If the problem still persists after a month or any of the above creams irritate you, see your doctor or a dermatologist.   You may need prescription strength creams and there are other treatments as well.  Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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